family, family-dynamics, friendship, law-enforcement, small-town, suspense, murder, murder-investigation, England, amateur-sleuth, Cotswolds, failed-guide-dog, retired, book-club, cosy-mystery, situational-humor, bullies, mild-humor, twisty, teacher *****

The dead woman looked like she died of heart or brain seizure. But she was strangled.
Julia Bird (retired social worker) seems to have a history of finding dead bodies and then sleuthing on her own and then letting law enforcement know what she's found.
The woman was a retired teacher who had been a bully to her students, but it seemed that nobody liked her. Let the sleuthing begin. But who knew that soon there'd be another body related to the bullying teacher's death?
The story moves along at a steady pace, and you really get to know the characters (and they certainly are!). I really enjoyed this escape from hectic living.
I requested and received a free temporary e-book from Bookouture via NetGalley. Thank you!

A Village Fete Murder was a simple and easy read. It is the third in the Julia Bird Mysteries. I have read this series from the beginning. Julia Bird has retired from social work and has moved to the town of Berrywick. She is dating a doctor named Sean O'Connor. They have decided to go to the Berrywick Spring Fair to drop off a cake she has made for the contest. While there they decide to do the maze. At the center is a fountain where they find a woman named Ursula Benjamin dead sitting on a bench. She is a teacher at a private school. They call the police and DC Walter Connor, DC Lilian Carson and DI Hayley Gibson arrive. Julia is a busybody who likes to solve cases. She drives Hayley crazy with her investigations. Later in the story the head teacher David Schofield at the private school is also murdered. The reader will follow Julia as she investigates to find the killers. I will let the reader read this story to the end to find out why they are killed and by whom.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC.

Really enjoyed this cosy mystery about a group of characters in a small village.
Just the right amount of peril and investigation when a person is found strangled at the village fete.
The relationship between the inquisitive hero of the story and the police was just right and I loved the developing relationships.
Recommend.

Maze Conundrum..
The third in the Julia Bird mystery series set in a delightful village nestled in the Cotswolds. Julia has arrived seeking a new start, recently single and retired, but what she did not expect was amateur sleuthing. Now, the village party at a local stately home is underway and Julia dives headlong into the festivities - what she didn’t expect was to find a body in the maze. Needless to say she must get involved - but when bodies begin to pile will Julia find herself in danger? With a plethora of both suspects and clues, not to mention red herrings, Julia has her work cut out once again. Wholly enjoyable and entertaining with a likeable protagonist in Julia and a supporting cast of colourful characters in a perfectly crafted backdrop

I was delighted to get the opportunity to read the latest installment in the Julia Bird Mysteries series thanks to the publisher and Netgalley. This was a great addition to the series which I have thoroughly enjoyed. I was happy to see Julia become more established in her new community, her new romance, and her evolving relationship with her daughter. Julia can't keep herself from getting involved in local murder investigations, and she has great insights which benefit the police despite them wanting her to "butt out". I highly recommend this book and the whole series to lovers of cozy mysteries, and I eagerly anticipate reading the next book.

The whole town is excited for the annual village party…and Julia can taste the cakes and teas just thinking about it. When the day finally arrives, she finds a body in the maze. Only Julia. With eh village know it all having been strangled, Julia feels obligated to find out whodunit as she found the body…and quite frankly she’s nosy. Will she help the police figure it out or will she be the next one losing more than her way in a maze?

I really enjoy this series. Each book makes it feel like a visit with friends. A solid mystery with a strong protagonist in a fabulous setting. What more can a girl ask for?

Spring has sprung in Berrywick and local resident Julia Bird is looking forward to visiting the summer fair with her new beau Sean and their dogs. Once there she discovers the location is lovely, the company convivial, and the stalls full of beautiful things to buy. Unfortunately they also find a very dead body which ends their relaxing day prematurely.

Julia isn’t a stranger to discovering dead bodies or helping the local police with their investigations and is soon on the hunt for clues to help identify those responsible for this latest killing. As secrets are revealed and more than one suspect identified Julia finds herself getting more involved and determined to help her friend DI Hayley Gibson solve the case, whether she wants her to or not!

Book three in Katie Gayle's lovely, gentle, crime series is once again a pleasure to read. Julia and chocolate lab, Jake are both relatable and entertaining and, along with the secondary characters, are more familiar with each outing. The authors' notes mention more adventures to come in the near future which I will definitely be on the lookout for.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the opinions expressed are my own. I thoroughly enjoyed this and happily recommend it.

I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review ‘A Village Fete Murder’, by Katie Gayle.

Julia Bird is a retired social worker who has settled in the village of Berrywick, and she has a habit of stumbling on to murder scenes. She can’t stop her herself from trying to solve the mystery and find the killer. So, when she and her friend, Doctor Sean O’Connor, find a dead woman at the center of a maze on the grounds of Berrywick House during the village fete, it starts her on a hunt to know what happened. When it turns out to be a murder investigation, Julia can’t help but provide clues and information to DI Hayley Gibson, some helpful but irritating to the police.

Julia and her dog, Jake, are believable and entertaining, as well as some of the other colorful characters of the village. Even though Julia is told many times to ‘stay out of the investigation’, she often finds herself right in the middle of everything that happens, finding out important information, and sometimes even accompanying the police as they investigate. After all, enquiring minds just need to know the truth. This inquisitiveness also sometimes puts Julia in the middle of dangerous situations.

This was a nice cozy read, and it was very entertaining.

I starting to think that Julia Bird is not a safe person to be around, or that she may be a bad omen or something. She's definitely Berrywick's answer to Miss Marple, only not as old and certainly not a spinster as her blossoming romance with local doctor Sean would attest. She does, however, have a knack for stumbling upon murders, this time discovering a body in the grounds of Berrywick House in the midst of the annual village fete. The victim, the winner of the hotly contested backing competition. The suspects ... well that's a pretty ling list as it happens. But is it a case of Bakeoff gone rogue, or something far more sinister?

I really do like the character of Julia Bird. She's very everyday, exactly the kind of person you can imagine having a catch up with over a cup of tea in The Buttered Scone. She's not wonder woman, not a larger than life busybody who `must be a part of everything, just somewhat inquisitive following her years in Social Services, and when she sees a loose thread she just can't resist pulling it. She's fun as well as determined, and between her and her mad and often uncontrollable Labrador, Jake, often the source of much amusement throughout the book too. She's strangely believable as an amateur Detective and whilst it often frustrates local DI, Hayley Gibson, they do make a good pair and any potential villains in the area should watch out.

I liked the mystery that enveloped this story, lots of misdirection to keep readers on their toes and guessing right to the end of the book. Far from being a wonder baker and pillar of society, it appears that the first victim has a wicked side, and the motive for her murder is not entirely clear. There are many suspects, introduced carefully and in such a way that it casts doubt on anything you might think you know. The authors have dne a great job of hiding the truth in plain sight, and in finding new and very plausible ways for Julia to uncover just the right amount of evidence to move the case along.

This is a wonderful example of cosy crime at its best. Despite a dark topic - murder - it is light hearted but still full of suspense and enough tension to keep me on tenterhooks. The pace picks up well towards the end, concluding in a dramatic showdown with the killer, for this series anyway. Because dramatic in this case is potentially life threatening, but still with an air of the wonderful humour that I love about these books.

I've really enjoyed seeing Julia progress and settle into the village. From such a dramatic introduction to the area, there is a real positivity about her personal, and even professional life now, and with family really at the heart of everything this particular story is about, perhaps a hint of something good about to happen for Julia at home too. Recommended for fans of fun, witty, cosy crime with a wonderfully rural air.

Julia and her significant other Sean (she thinks boyfriend is too young and partner sounds too business-like!), stumble across a woman's body whilst walking their dogs at a village fete. Julia is a retired social worker who is enjoying her later years. Keeping hens, cooking, volunteering at a charity shop, walking her dog but she just can't keep he nose out of murder much to the annoyance of the DI in charge. The only reservation I had about this book is that I don't think a senior policewoman would share information with a member of the public. The story had flow which is important to me.

Having read and loved the first two books in the Julia Bird series, I was thrilled to discover book three! This book opens with Julia attempting to bake her entry for the village fete cake contest. Jake, her puppy has his own ideas, leading to a burnt cake and another attempt. I was laughing out loud from the beginning.

Julia drops off her cake and witnesses some unpleasant interactions. She goes off with her companion to explore the fete and they decide to go into the maze. Just when they think they are lost and about to turn around, Jake takes off. Their pursuit takes them to the centre of the maze where they find a body. In spite of her assurances that she will stay out of this investigation, she can't help herself and is soon in the thick of it.

In addition to the mystery, we see Julia getting more comfortable with herself and her past. One of the things I enjoy about this series is seeing the character growth and evolution in the lives of both Julia and Jake. The book has the usual quirky villagers you'd expect and the village hangout where news spreads and gossip is abundant. In this case it's The Buttered Scone, which seems like a great name for a cafe. These books are also funny.

I highly recommend the series, but you do not have to have read the previous two books to enjoy this one.

I received an e-book from NetGalley. I thank them, the publisher, and the author.

I love cozy English mysteries so this was right up my street…. Julia Bird can’t wait to attend the annual village party at the local stately home, with its tea tents, cake stalls, and… dead body in the maze? Great,
read in one day and throughly enjoyed it. So will you…….

Julia Bord and Jake…solving a mystery…this cozy mystery was sent to me electronically by Netgalley for review. Thanks to the publisher and the author. Innovative and intriguing…curl up for an afternoon while Julia tries to determine the guilty party…enjoy