Retired social worker Julia Bird is enjoying the easy pace of life looking after her chickens and dog, doing a little work in the community, and getting to know her new neighbours. But once again, Julia finds herself involved in a murder inquiry, and works with the police to find the suspect. This book features great characters, a great plot with lots of twists and turns, and Julia’s developing relationship with Dr. Sean O’Connor.

Murder in the Library
Katie Gayle
September 7, 2022


Sarah and Vincent Andrews are thrilled about the introduction of his latest historical novel at Cotswolds Library. A crowd was gathering in the public room waiting for the man to take the stage to give a talk about the plot of his book. Berrywick is a small town full of shops and locals that gather daily. They are thrilled that a local is such a known author. Friends were helping with the setup via the resale shop, Second Chances, with use of decorations of past times.
Julia Bird volunteers at the shop and after a quick spot of tea she left her dog Jake, to meet her chums there. Upon her arrival she was brought up to speed with the celebration and book review in the nearby library.
This English mystery is #2 in the Julia Bird Mystery series. They are rather delightful odd stories of crime that happen when least expected. It reminds me of a session in Midsomer Murders. It is well written although a tad slow for starters, then had me well into the storyline. Murder in the Library will be published on September 7, 2022 by Bookouture. I appreciate their allowing me to read and review Katie Gayle’s latest mystery in this series via NetGalley. It is a clever novel that keeps the reader speculating about who committed the dastardly crime.If you have been watching any of the British Dramas, this is one to pick up.
It’s Brilliant!

After reading Julia Bird’s debut adventure, An English Garden Murder earlier this year, I was happy to find that Murder in the Library, the second instalment, is just as much fun.

I say fun, bearing in mind that this is a murder mystery series, and taking into account the fact that people are dead, but following Julia as she pieces the mystery together is the fun part!

We meet Julia as she is becoming more settled in her new, rural life and perhaps making steps towards a new romance. After the events of the last book, she is hoping for a little less excitement, but this is not to be when she discovers the body of a local author and becomes embroiled in another murder investigation.

As Julia tries NOT to help the police this time, she finds herself behaving most unlike herself as she tries to help a friend and, eventually, her keen mind and previous career experiences help her unravel the case – plenty of people had a gripe with the deceased, but who took drastic action??

Katie Gayle is a great writing partnership and I don’t think I’ve yet read a bad book from them. It’s great to see an older character come to the fore as a three-dimensional character and, as Julia follows the clues, we are able to keep up with her with little details that are peppered throughout. There are also red herrings along the way and, when we get to the final solution, it is also tinged with sadness.

This is a really excellent read, and I am looking forward to reading more of Julia’s adventures in the countryside – although it would be nice for her to go a little while longer without finding a body, poor woman!

Julia Bird is a retired social worker who finds a source of excitement in her life, even if it is rather morbid. Previously she found a dead body and actually solved the mystery of that murder. Finding yet another body, that of author Vincent Andrews, really makes Julia scratch her head. She immediately wonders if she was meant to solve this apparent murder as well.

As before, Julia can't just look away. In fact, she delves deep into an investigation that belongs to the police, but she simply cannot help herself. So, she begins to question anyone who was present at the scene of the crime - the library where Andrews was having a book signing. She also begins to question anyone close to him, and this includes his wife.

As Julia soon discovers, more than one person had a gripe with Andrews, thus making things more than complicated for Julia as she again plays the role of amateur sleuth. Will she be able to hone in on the killer, and actually be the one to solve this crime?

Even pacing, and a delightful older sleuth go hand-in-hand in this enjoyable book by Katie Gayle. I loved the twists in this book and enjoyed playing the guessing game right along with Julia. This is the second book in the <i>Julia Bird Mystery </i>series, and I hadn't had the chance to read the first book. I was well pleased to see that this book, <b><i>Murder in the Library</b></i> did perfectly well as a standalone novel.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Please also enjoy my YouTube video review - https://youtu.be/SuQtg6RbWV0

Julia has retired to the Cotswolds. It’s only been a few months but she has already solved an old murder along with two new murders. When Julia goes with her friends to an author visit at the library, she has no idea a new mystery will find her the next day.
The pacing of the story is peaceful but interesting enough to keep the reader involved. I suspected some of the twists that occurred with this story but not all of them.
I like the main character and the good relationship she has with Hayley, the detective.
I think those who like cozy mysteries will enjoy Murder at the Library.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this book.

retired, amateur-sleuth, England, divorcee, Labrador-dog, murder, murder-investigation, library, law-enforcement, small-town, Cotswolds, failed-guide-dog, famous-author, bibliomystery, family-dynamics, family, friendship, suspense, medical-doctor, dogs, mild-humor, twisty*****

Great compelling characters, fascinating suspects, inventive red herrings and diabolical twists! And dogs! In a small town in the Cotswolds, there are a number of very interesting sixty-somethings who enjoy each other's company and come up with some really creative twists in the course of solving murders. Excellent read!
I requested and received a free e-book copy from Bookouture via NetGalley. Thank you!

The second book in a series, this reads perfectly well as a stand alone. I related very well with Julia, recently divorced and retired . With a pretty village setting, this cosy murder mystery is an extremely enjoyable read. I’m looking forward to the next in the series.

There's plenty of twists in this book. There's a lot of red herrings, turns, and when you think you guessed the culprit and the motive you discover you were wrong.
I read this book in one sitting and had a lot of fun as it's a solid mystery and well done whodunit.
Cozy mystery are usually entertaining but not always a tightly knitted and gripping whodunit.
This cozy mystery was highly entertaining and ticked all the check for a well done mystery.
I love Julia and loved how she became her own woman and how she investigates without sounding like a busybody. She's able to talk, ask, and listen and you never feel she's being just nosy.
Jake is as lovely as usual and there's a cast of very interesting characters that make this story a bit darker than the average cozy.
i had fun and kept turning pages and this is a page turner.
Can't wait to read the next book.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to Boookouture and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Thank you Bookouture for the invitation to read Murder in the Library by Katie Gayle. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the first book about Julia Bird and you can read my review at https://mentoringmumof2bookreviews.home.blog/2022/05/06/an-english-garden-murder-by-katie-gayle/ I’m sharing a non spoiler review on the blog tour today.

The story starts a few months after Julia moved to her new home in the Cotswolds, and life has settled down after finding dead bodies, a canine companion and new friends. However, as the title of the book suggests, there is another murder, this time in the library managed by Julia’s friend Tabitha.

So who would want to kill the good looking author who appears to have set his new book in the local area? Julia starts to search for clues, and the list of suspects grows. A jealous wife, a obsessed ex girlfriend, a disgruntled publisher, an angry ex boyfriend of the wife who believes he has been ridiculed in the latest book.

This is another enjoyable cosy crime book from the author duo known as Katie Gayle. I enjoyed escaping into this latest book, cuddled up with a dog or two (love reading about the escapades of Julia’s dog Jake – my only tiny criticism of the book is that he needs more walks as a young energetic dog).

I recommend reading Murder in the Library with a mug of tea and a scone, to see if Julia Bird can help the police again to solve the murder mystery in the Cotswolds.

Berrywick in the Cotswolds is one of those quaint English villages, well featured in cosies, where murders occur in numbers totally disproportionate to the number of residents. Julia Bird lives there on her own now since her husband fell in love with another man.

Julia is happy alone. She has a wonderfully crazy dog called Jake, a part time job in the local thrift shop, chickens and a vegetable garden, all of which keep her very busy. She also has a friend called Sean who has great promise as the future man in her life.

When a visiting author is found murdered in the local library Julia sets her mind to helping the police find the killer. The mystery has many twists and turns and it is not easy to guess who it is going to be. Better still there is a curve ball thrown at the end which certainly took me by surprise. A good story well told.

Julia, a retired social worker and newly divorced, has a penchant for stumbling upon dead bodies. Supporting her friend, the librarian, she is attending a local author signing at the library. V.F. Andrews, the ever-popular author, is handsome and swoon-worthy even though he seems to be happily married. During the author Q & A, Andrews doesn’t really get into details about his writing or research for his historical fiction stories, much to the frustration of Julia’s friend, the librarian. That is something to ponder. Following the book signing, while cleaning up the next day, Julia finds a body in the library. It’s V.F.Andrews and he’s been murdered. Who would want to kill the author? Are his books the key to this mystery? Once again, Julia, in Miss Marple like fashion, sets out to help the local detectives discover the killer. Twists and turns, there are many unlikely suspects and another murder to boot. The surprise at the end will delight you in this cozy English mystery set in the quiet village set in the Cotswolds. It’s a good book to read as you curl up with a cuppa tea.

Many thanks to #netgalley #murderinthelibrary #katiegayle for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I didn’t love this as much as the first one, perhaps because the mystery didn’t capture me as much, but still enjoyable. The mystery was fine, plenty of twists, but I found it a bit boring. This was just the thing to read with a pot of tea and a plate of biscuits while procrastinating.

This style of book reminded me of the Agatha Raisin adventures which I absolutely adore.
Set in the Cotswolds with great characters and a lot of action which kept me hooked from start to finish.
The perfect cozy mystery.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review. It was a delight.

Quite a nice cosy mystery but it rambled on a bit too much for me, too descriptive and too many americanisms but there were thrills without too much violence

Katie Gayle’s Murder in the Library features her character, Julia Bird. Julia made her appearance in An English Garden Murder. She’s a recently retired (and divorced) female social worker in her 60s, who has sold the house in London and moved to the small English village of Berrywick. Her old friend, Tabitha, is librarian there.

In this book, Tabitha has arranged for best-selling local author, Vincent Andrews, to give a talk in the library as part of the tour promoting his new book. Vincent is a very attractive and charming man but seems devoted to his wife, Sarah. However, when his body is found in the library the next morning, Sarah is taken into the police station as a suspect. Sarah is the daughter of a cousin of Julia’s friend, Sean, so Julia and Sean set out to prove her innocence.

As always, Katie Gayle has got the voice of the narrator pitch-perfect for a middle-aged woman. The depiction of Berrywick, however, makes it sound more like a town than a village. “As they exited the centre, the shops and restaurants gave way to pleasant houses and B&Bs”. Shops? Plural? And restaurants? Most British villages I know often have one or maybe two shops these days and few restaurants. However, that’s my only quibble with the book. I did pretty much guess whodunnit and even whydunit without much effort, so that aspect is perhaps a little too obvious. However, I would have still enjoyed the book, even if I was told the solution on page 1. I read mysteries for the enjoyment of the dialogue and the setting, much more than the suspense – and Katie Gayle is in my top 3 fun authors.

I understand that, to comply with US law, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) requires readers to disclose who they received review copies from. Therefore, thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for sending this free book for my review. All opinions are my own, as they always have been.

#MurderintheLibraryJuliaBirdMysteriesBook2 #NetGalley

The first title in this delightful new series - Julia Bird Mysteries- introduced a recently retired, divorced Julia. Julia left London and settled in the village of Berrywick where she's meeting new people, volunteering at the charity shop and adopting a dog. She also had the old shed in her garden pulled down to make a place for a chicken coop. That project was put on hold when a skeleton was found under the shed!
In this new adventure autumn has come to Berrywick. The chicken coop has been built and the hens are laying.
The library is sponsoring a visit by a popular author of historical fiction. A nice crowd gathers for the event. In the audience are the author's wife and an old flame. When Julia arrives the following morning to help clear up from the previous night she and Tabitha, the librarian make a grisly discovery. the dead body of Vincent Andrews , the author!
Thus begins a fantastic followup. Julia can't resist trying to solve the crime and she does it well, piecing together clues from Andrew's life and career, a library display and a missing manuscript to uncover the killer.
The plot moves at a fast pace and the solution is nicely developed. Great characters, a cat and a crazy dog make Murder In the Library a real treat for cozy lovers.
I look forward to Julia's next adventure and the development of her budding romance.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read this charming cozy.

Murder in the Library is the second in the Julia Bird Mysteries and a very enjoyable Cozy Mystery.

Vincent Andrews is a top author and is in Berrywick with his wife and others to do a talk and book signing. It seems to have gone quite well, and though there was some tension between the author and at least one person who attended.

The next morning Vincent is found dead by Julia, behind some shelves at the library where the book signing was held. But she was sure that he'd left with his wife the night before! Who would have murdered him, what was their motive?

There are several people that might have done it, and it seems like plenty of clues to the guilty party, but are they really clues, or is someone trying to set an innocent person up?

I want to thank NetGalley, the Publisher and the author for allowing me to read this ARC. It was entertaining and enjoyable to read, and I have no problem leaving this honest review

Having read the first book in this delightful series, I was thrilled to be able to read book two! It did not disappoint!
Julia Bird is a social worker who has taken early retirement due to an incident at work, which so far remains unexplained, although we learn in the first book that she was not at fault. At around the same time, her husband of many years informed her that he'd fallen in love with the landscaper and wanted a divorce. With so these major life changes occurring, Julia decides to move to a village in the Cotswolds, where her decades-long best friend lives and works as the local librarian. The divorce goes amicably, the house in London is sold, and a new one in the village is purchased. Julia quickly finds herself in the middle of a mystery when a body is found under her shed (Book 1). In the course of the investigation, she meets many of the villagers, some of which we meet again in Book 2. This time a famous author, who sets his books in the local area and has some connections to some of the residents, comes for an event at the library. When Julia is helping her friend clean up the day after the event, a body is found and a new investigation starts.

The mystery was intriguing with some unexpected twists and turns. The ending was satisfying. I enjoy reading about Julia's process of settling into her new community. relationships begin and evolve. Julia gains understanding into the culture of the village she has moved to--quite different than what she was used to in London. Another aspect of the series I quite like is seeing Jake, the dog, growing up. His siblings are all in training to become service dogs, but Jake wasn't that kind of canine, so he lives with Julia now and brings joy and some extra excitement to her life.

I particularly enjoyed reading this book as I was moving house. At the end of a long day, it was lovely to be able to settle in with this bunch of quirky characters. I highly recommend this series.

Murder in the library is sound thrilling and interesting and this book is just that.

This is the second book of Julia Bird series. Here Julia Bird attends a book tak attended by a legendary handsome author, Vincent Andrews. But the next day, Julia finds Vincent stabbed inside the library. As the police investigate this case, Julia also gets herself involved as who would want to murder Vincent with so many suspects in the list.

I greatly enjoyed reading the first book of the series. I did like this second book but this wasn't as great as the first book. The pace was a bit slow but it got interesting towards the middle and the end. There weren't much twists and turns in the book but the writing was good. However there was so much drama, jealousy and suspense that kept me interested in this book towards the end. Overall, it was a good cozy thriller--worth 3.5 stars!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

Julie Bird retired social worker attends the library to meet and listen to author Andrew Vincent chat about his new book Ravens Call, However amongst the audience of villagers are a few who are not happy with some of the references and characters in the book who they believe are based upon them.

This opens up the world of suspects when the following morning Julie and her friend and librarian Tabitha arrive to clear up from the evenings events and find the author dead in the library

This one kept me guessing right to the end