Favorite Quotes:

She liked to have her morning tea while she pottered about feeding the chickens and investigating developments in the garden. Touring the estate, she called it.

It had become clear to Julia in the months that she’d lived in Berrywick, that the Buttered Scone was secretly the centre of the entire universe. All people and all information would be drawn into it eventually, as if by some inexplicable gravitational pull. And Flo was the centre of the Buttered Scone.

Nicky looked alarmed, or perhaps annoyed. Julia hoped that she hadn’t just started some inter-generational village feud with the woman– this kind of minor infringement of social norms tended to have more extreme consequences in the village than it would in a town. Julia knew of two families who had ceased to speak a generation ago after a disagreement over the correct pronunciation of the word ‘pronunciation’.


My Review:

This was a fun and lively read that was easy to fall into and follow, yet was also delightfully unpredictable. I enjoyed the writers’ wry wit and cleverly paced storytelling, I continue to find their work relaxing yet engaging while they keep me increasingly curious as to who the possible murderer is among the village denizens. Each character was graced with a colorful description that brought vivid imagery to mind and a smirk on my face while keeping them recognizable throughout perusal.

I had conjured multiple theories, all of which were wrong. I’m not ashamed to admit that these talented wordsmiths are far cleverer than I am. I also gleaned a fun new addition to my Brit Word and Phrases list with come a cropper, which Mr. Google tells me means to suffer an accident. I can’t wait to use it!

Second in the series. Julia Bird decided to move to the country and live her life in peace. All she wants to do is walk her dog, visit friends, and explore her new relationship. However, deciding she is bored, Julia begins volunteering at the town library. When a local artists body turns up there, Julia decides that she must help them find the suspect. Who would want the author dead? With his possible tell all book coming out, too many suspects arise? Was the second murder related to the first?
I love how the characters come to life here. Murder in the library is a good book to cozy down with a hot beverage and enjoy on a long cold night. I intend to go back and read the first story. I received a copy through Netgalley. A review was not required.

I received this ARC via Netgalley and Bookouture, in return for an honest review. Lovely second book in this new cozy series. We return to the small English village where Julia Bird settled as Julia’s helping her longtime friend, Tabitha, host a famous author event. Unfortunately, the evening results in a dead body found by Julia and Tabitha. There’s a second murder, appearances by Julia’s rambunctious Labrador, Jake, and various townsfolk. It’s a delightful series and I’m glad to spend time with Julia and her fellow villagers again!

This is the perfect cozy. Books, library, possible love interest, picturesque Cotswold setting and murder. I absolutely loved it and recommended it to my book club friends.

Really loved book 1 in this series so was excited to be able to delve straight back in to the sequel. Really good cozy mystery

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of Murder in the Library by Katie Gayle. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for providing an ARC to review.

Murder in the Library is the second Julia Bird Mystery I have read from this author. Julia is a very enjoyable protagonist. Even more so in this second book. The rough edges have been sanded down, and Julia is part of the community. I love that they brought back her dog Jake (my favorite character), and the cozy murder vibe is going strong. The biggest complaint is that it is pretty easy to figure out who the killer is, or at least half figure out the ending. There was a nice twist that I was not expecting which saved the book for me. I give Murder in the Library a solid 3.5/5 rating and recommend it to someone who wants a cozy English mystery.

The library staff were quite excited about the upcoming author visit by well known local author Vincent Andrews, and Julia Bird was helping her friend and librarian Tabitha to prepare. The evening went well, but it was when Julia and Tabitha were packing up after the event that Julia discovered the body of the author lying on the carpet behind the bookshelves. Calling the police was the beginning of an investigation which saw Detective Inspector Hayley Gibson frustrated beyond belief. When a second body appeared and a manuscript disappeared, Julia, labrador Jake and Sean were well into their search for the killer. But would they be able to find the killer before someone else lost their life?

Murder in the Library is the 2nd in the Julia Bird series by Katie Gayle and I enjoyed it very much. Light, entertaining and lots of fun - especially with the mischievous Jake as a prominent character - I'm already looking forward to #3 in the series. Recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

I love this cozy mystery series! This time Julia is attending a book signing and the author ends up deceased - murdered! She works to figure out who is behind the bad things happening in their charming country town.

Thank you so much for having me as part of the tour! If you enjoy cozies with fun, female amateur sleuths, this is a great choice!

Murder in the Library is the second book in the Julia Bird Mysteries series. It is a lovely cosy mystery set in the delightful Cotswolds. There were plenty of twists and red herrings throughout and, like book one, I really enjoyed it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC.

Murder in the Library (Julia Bird Mysteries Book 2) by Katie Gayle is a great cozy mystery that I enjoyed.

This is the second book set in the Cotswolds and takes placein a quaint village where there is much more going on than on the posted bulletin.

Julia Bird is yet again involved in a classic murder mystery that is paced well and kept my interest.

Looking forward to the next book.

4/5 stars

Thank you NG and Bookouture for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 9/7/22.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R22FV2RS8PIGWS/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/<id type="integer">4957218268</id>

The second instalment of the series with the newly retired amateur sleuth Julia Bird and her adorable naughty puppy.
In this novel Julia finds the body of a local author who has come to the village to talk about his latest book. She again is of great help to the local police and when a second murder happens she and Jake set about finding the truth along with her budding paramour, Dr Sean.
Well written and nice characters, with a little description of the local area and some of the locals.
Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: September 7 2022

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Julia is enjoying her new life in the small village of Berrywick. She decides to join the library’s literary club. Local author Vincent Andrews is giving the talk and he teases excerpts from his new book. However this may not be a case of art imitating life but rather Vincent revealing villagers secrets. When Vincent ends up dead, Julia takes it upon herself to start talking to everyone. With ever faithful Jake with her, she will leave no stone unturned. But someone is deadly serious about their secret, can Julia expose them or will she be Berrywick victim?

This book is the second in the Julia Bird series. I really loved the first one and was very excited about reading this one. It did not disappoint! I love all the red herrings and surprise twists. I also love Julia’s flirtation with Dr Sean. I would highly recommend this book!

#juliabirdmysteries #katiegayle #Anenglishgardenmurder #murderinthelibrary #bookstagram #bookrecommendations #cozymysteryseries #bookouture

Julia Bird absolutely loves her perfect life in picturesque Cotswold. It’s better than she could have ever imagined right up until she finds a dead body in the library. Cotswold is exactly the quiet and perfect place she dreamed of living after spending so many years with the noisy city life. She loves the peaceful village life and has made some great new friends. Julia attends a book reading at the library by local author Vincent Andrews. Vincent tells the audience that he is going to write another book and it will be about the quaint village and is going to reveal some well kept secrets. But the audience is in an uproar and so the reading comes to an end. Soon after everyone has left the library Vincent’s body was found behind the bookshelves. Julia was the last one to see Vincent alive and decides she must tell the police everything she knows in order to clear her name. She must do her own investigating and questions the suspects, except she soon discovers yet another body. Someone is desperate to keep secrets buried and Julia must find the killer before they kill again.

This was such a great whodunnit, I enjoyed the storyline so much and I really like Julia as the super sleuth that she is. She is such a well written and well developed character. And of course when Julia needs her sidekick Jake the Labrador, the story literally comes alive. I was laughing out loud and was in complete quandary of who the killer was right to the very end. This charming and extremely entertaining cozy mystery, with its plot twists and turns is completely enjoyable. The wonderful description of Cotswold village makes for a much needed escape. This is such a fabulous story and I highly recommend it.

Thank you Katie Gayle for such a wonderful continuation to this fantastic series. I really enjoyed it and I absolutely recommend it.

This was the perfect cozy murder. Julia who's in her early 60s with a penchant for stumbling upon murders in the small (I think fictional) town of Berrywick in the Cotswolds, with gossipy townsfolk, low stakes crime and a detective happy to receive help from a retired social worker.

Even though this is book #2 in the series, and I haven't yet read #1, it's perfectly safe to pick up, since the book does a good job of giving you any context you might need.

The mystery itself was fun and twisty, while I guessed the who and the why pretty quickly, I don't necessarily think it was telegraphed too obviously, I'm just a little too familiar with cozy mysteries.😆 And even knowing who-dun-it, I still quite enjoyed the book.

The book has a great full cast of characters, many suspects, and a good group of friends. They all feel a part of the story and they all feel like distinct characters, I never confused any of them, which is practically miraculous for me with this big of a cast.

There's also a budding romance, cute dogs, missing orchids and have I mentioned the cozy town?!

My only nitpick is that I wish Julia was a bit sharper. With all her incorrect guesses around who the murderer was, it became harder to suspend my disbelief that the detective in charge would actually follow Julia's advice/lead.

Overall this was a fun read with great cozy vibes, and a good mystery. Perfect for a fall day with a cup of your favorite hot bevvy.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for the eARC!

Murder in the Library is the second in the new Julia Bird series and is just as good as this first! Despite retiring to what she thought was a quiet quaint village, Julia is embroilled in another murder as a local author is found dead in the library, just hours after a successful event celebrating his new book.... Can Julia get to the bottom of this latest mystery?

I really enjoyed being reunited with Julia and her adorable labrador Jake, it was like seeing an old friend again. We are introduced to some new characters but some old favourites too. Obviously Julia can't help in trying to investigate who and why Vincent Andrews had been murdered and we follow her as she sets about questioning the people who were at the author reading and discovering that Vincent wasn't as well liked as she originally thought. We learn more about his life and discover that a manuscript he had recently been working on has been stolen - does this potentially hold the key as to why he was murdered?

I really enjoyed the story that we are taken on, there seem to be some obvious suspects along with some red herrings (that I always fall for!). The added twists are perfectly executed to lead us along with Julia in a completely different direction before making us question what we had originally suspected.

A brilliant follow up to the first book, I hope we are in for a long series as I have absolutely loved what I have read so far!

Highly recommended from me.

Setting the Scene: In this second outing, Julia Bird is settling into her new home in the Cotswolds, nurturing friendships, and maybe even finding romance, but even in this almost idyllic setting murder once again comes calling, and Julia once again finds herself "helping" DI Gibson.

What I Thought: I only recently discovered this delightful English series, and the second outing did not disappoint. Divorcee and sexagenarian Julia Bird is a warm, relatable, and intelligent character. Her interactions with the quirky citizens of Berrywick are witty and amusing, painting a mostly congenial picture of village life. The way Julia embraces her new life is both encouraging and joyous, and her burgeoning relationship with Sean (aka 007) is heart warming. The mysteries in this book are intriguing, and while I thought I had them solved, the twist got me. I am thoroughly enjoying this series and cannot wait for my next visit to Berrywick.

An enjoyable cozy set in one of those English villages where murder abounds. Julia, a newish resident to the village, is beginning to feel at home with her chickens, dog, a perhaps boyfriend and work at the local charity shop. Of course, the occasional murder disrupts that. This time it is a body in the library who happens to be a local popular writer who gave a writer's talk the night before. Julia will need all her wits to help figure this one out.

A good story with some surprise twists. I like the village and I like Julia. She is down-to-earth and trying to settle into divorce and retirement away from her old home and life. She's really taking hold of her life and make the most of it instead of just being woe is me (and she has some right to do that). I like that she had a moment that she took evidence from the scene that she knew wasn't right but just didn't know what came over herself. She swears she is going to return it without looking at it. But she does. She has reasons. She doesn't think she is better than the local police but sometimes curiosity just takes over.

Of course, I like her mischievous dog too.

I will be sure to read more of this series. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest opinion.

So good to return to this village once more
Where Julia Bird has retired, enjoying places to explore.
This includes attending an author's presentation
Unaware this would be a heated sensation.

Helping clear up after the talk next day she discovers
The author won't be giving any talks to others.
His body is hidden, murdered in fact,
So it is time to call for the police to act.

A story full of twists and mystery, too,
With Julia and Sean endeavouring to find a vital key clue.
There are suspects and motives galore
But who ensured this author would be no more?

A fascinating read, with a developing romance,
And rescued dogs being given a second chance.
There's a great sense of community and friendship, too,
As Julia supports the police in all they do.

A fascinating cosy mystery that had me enthralled all the way through
So I have no hesitation in highly recommending it to you.
For my complementary copy, I say thank you,
As I share with you this, my honest review.

Murder in the Library is a different mystery. It is set in a village in the Cotswolds of England and has an exotic feel. The main character, Julia, is older and retired but volunteers her time to the library and other worthy causes. She has little experience with murder and has no rules to follow. When a visiting author is killed after an appearance at the library, Julie starts asking questions. Then a second murder occurs, and she is convinced both deaths are not only related but committed by the same person. But is she right?

Julia is an older woman who moved to the village in the Cotswolds to spend her golden years in peace and quiet, without the constant strain of the city. She never expected her retirement to be filled with so much activity, a budding romance, and murder. She is an interesting character that readers of all ages will enjoy spending time with. Other characters are fun; my favorite is Julia’s Labrador, Jake. He is a very rambunctious dog that is protective of his mistress and ensures everyone knows it when necessary. I hope we learn more about the other returning characters as the series progresses. However, I am not crazy about Julia’s “boyfriend,” Sean. He is just a little too concerned about his relatives to be realistic.

The setting of the village of Berrywick, in the Cotswolds, reminds readers of a time when life was simpler but still beautiful. The Cotswolds are a favored place to live and visit in real life, so readers will want to check it out. Evidence and red herrings are good, and there is enough to make readers question their suspect list. However, the murder(s) aren’t all that hard to figure out, and neither is the motive, and this is why I gave Murder in the Library a three-star rating, even though it would be closer to three and a half. I knew who the killer was almost from the beginning, and the motive was made apparent almost as quickly.

Overall I enjoyed this book. I loved the village and the Cotswolds setting. I adored Jake the dog, and Julia wasn’t irritating at all, but she may need to have a bit more grit in the future. I liked the detective, Hayley, and I hope she remains a fixture in this series. I am happy to recommend this book to readers who enjoy an exotic location, good characters, a beautiful setting, and an amateur sleuth that makes you smile.

Julia Bird had imagined the quiet of rural life in the quaint village of Berrywick would be soothing after years in the city, but she now has a chocolate Labrador the naughty bird chasing Jake, a part time job in the Charity shop & her best friend Tabitha is the librarian at the local library plus she's become good friends with the local GP Sean O'Connor so he life is quite full
Charming, devilishly handsome and talented, local author Vincent Andrews is on a book tour & wows the villagers at a book reading in the library However the following morning Tabitha & Julia are tidying the library when they discover Vincent’s dead body behind the bookshelves. Julia helped D I Hayley Gibson on a previous case so she helps in this investigation especially as Vincent was married to a relative of Sean’s.
The second outing for Julia & another well written mystery with lots of twists & turns, a couple of red herrings & quite a few surprises. I love Julia who is starting over at sixty, she’s not pushy but uses her skills from her job in Social Services to draw people out, which she does sympathetically. I also love how her relationship with Sean is developing. I also love the mix of different villagers & how they all interact. An engrossing read & whilst I worked out part of the whodunnit I didn't work out the whys & wherefores I look forward to more outings for Julia
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read