Member Reviews

What a read! Just enough romance and a mystery that keeps you on the edge of your seat... Will Samantha find her mother? How deep does the gangs influence of crime and corruption stretch? You'll have to read this amazing mystery to find out...

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Murder at the Village Church tells the story of Nancy and Jane, a granddaughter and grandmother who run a small village bookshop in the Cotswolds, and also solve crimes together. By this third book, they've already solved some and have become renowned for doing so. Nancy's mother left mysteriously when she was young and has never been in contact since, and things start to unfold when someone new moves to the village.

I will preface this review by saying that this book is the third and final instalment of the Dedley End series, but is the first one I have read. As a result there were obviously two books' worth of events and character development etc that I missed. Despite this, it's still very easy to pick up and understand. The author gives enough information for it to be understandable but not loads so as to avoid being too much for other readers who would've read the previous books in the series.

This book would be absolutely perfect for someone who loves a murder mystery; a cosy who dunnit but with a bit more to it. There is a lot more going on than just the titled "murder at the village church" and a lot more mystery to solve. The story has a lot of twists and is action packed and, for the most part, a fast paced page turner. At the same time as all of this, the story has a lot of really wholesome elements that show off family and community values. The setting is also gorgeous! I love the Cotswolds village it's set in, and the description of many of the buildings within the village really brought it all to life. The relationships between the characters were really lovely, particularly between Nancy and Jane and also between Nancy and Jonathan. The "good guy" characters were also really likeable, and the "bad guys" really made you hate them. The writing style is also really easy to follow, it gets to the point and isn't too wordy.

This book for me was enjoyable but nothing astounding - it's a book that is better suited to other people and not to my typical taste. The pacing was quite slow to begin with which is struggled with, but it is worth persisting with as the pace really picks up. I found some things quite unrealistic/unbelievable, some dialogue felt a bit off and personally I tend to prefer more complex writing styles. Some of it just was a bit too on the nose. I felt I also had guessed one of the key revelations quite a while before it was revealed, but nevertheless I found it to be a very fun read.

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I wasn't sure at the start - the writing seemed a bit simplistic and it was a slowish beginning but it picked up pace and complexity as it progressed. So by the end it was a satisfying and enjoyable read. It's worth sticking it out. (Although I figured out early on who the baddies were) I received this as an advance copy from the author via NetGalley and am leaving this review voluntarily.

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A little slow at the start, but it picks up speed as the story progresses. With a good locked room mystery to work out there were some terrific twists and turns in the story. Action-packed and entertaining. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

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Murder Most Foul..
The third outing in the Dedley End series of cosy mysteries and Nancy Hunter together with grandmother Jane are still running the Dedley Endings Bookshop situated in a quaint Cotswolds village where nothing much really happens. Or does it? As Nancy continues her quest to find her mother, concerning events in the village emerge, murder most foul is just around the corner and there’s soon another mystery to solve. Enjoyable, entertaining and a little twee this is a delightful cosy with a charming amateur detective duo to relish

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I really enjoyed the book the characters and storyline were wonderful the best part is a reunion between a daughter and her mother. It shows miracles can come true. This book was approved by netgalley and the publisher for me to read and review.

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Very slow and not the first in the series so these characters were all new to me but I couldn't get into it. Well written but just not juicy enough to hold my interest.

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This British cozy mystery was so good. I loved every moment of this book. I loved Nancy and Jane and I can't wait to see what they get into next!! Loved it!!
I just reviewed Murder at the Village Church by Victoria Walters. #MurderattheVillageChurch #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL]

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Nancy is finally ready to try and find the mother who left her so long ago. While looking for Samantha, a local returns home from a long stretch in prison. Soon after a body is found in the church.

On go the sleuthing hats as Nancy and Jane try to find out what happened, not only with Samantha, but with the murder. Perhaps the murder may just be related to Samantha somehow…and open a whole new can of worms.

This is one of my favorite British cozy series. Having been raised by my own grandmother, I feel like I’m visiting with her as I visit with Nancy and Jane. Each entry has a really great mystery and I can’t wait for my next visit back to Deadly End.

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A little slow at the start, this cozy mystery picks up speed as the story progresses. With a good locked room mystery at its heart, love of family and the strength of those family ties shines through. I definitely recommend this for lovers of cozy mysteries. This is the third in the series of the Dedley End Mysteries.
MurderAtTheVillageChurch#NetGalley#Canelo

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A good cozy mystery set in the English country village. Enjoyed this overall, but did tend to skim a bit at times. Felt like a lot of different stories all working here, and at times felt distracting. Would still recommend though, as it kept my interest to the end.

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Murder at the Village Church is the final part to the Dedley End trilogy and with this installment, Victoria Walters has truly excelled herself.

Once again, Nancy Hunter, her gran Jane and best friend Jonathan are in the thick of yet another murder mystery in the village of Dedley End. This time around, the story involves dangerous gang members as well as Nancy's search for her mother who abandoned her when she was a child. It soon emerges that the gang and Nancy's mother are linked. Nancy once again takes it upon herself to answer unanswered questions, ultimately leading to a compromise on not only her safety, but the well-being of her loved ones as well.

There were some terrific twists and turns in the story; it was action-packed, fast-paced and gripping.

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The past casts long shadows, even in Dedley End.

An awful lot of questions need answering, not least how ex-con Seb came to end up dead inside a locked church.

Another great adventure for the bookshop gang

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This was a cute read with a granddaughter/grandma duo that I adored! Felt a bit slow at times but I still enjoyed it. Just wouldn’t reread.

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Wow!!! What a fantastic finale to the Dedly End series of books.
Nancy Jane and Johnathan are back this time with a real mystery very personal and it ties in the other two books. All the questions answered from previous novels.
They emabark on a mystery surrounding a mysterious East End gang but are the members closer to the quiet little village then they think?
Brilliantly written and many twists and turns right to the end.
Loved this series and the characters

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Murder at the Village Church is the third Dudley End Mystery by Victoria Walters. Nancy Hunter and her grandmother Jane run a crime fiction bookshop in the village of Dedley End and enjoy a bit of amateur sleuthing on the side. In this story Nancy is searching for her mother who disappeared over twenty years ago and was presumed dead but has recently been spotted alive and well. Meanwhile a murder in the church means a mystery for Nancy and Jane as they try to uncover the murderer and work out how the crime was committed in a locked room.
Victoria Walters has an easy writing style with well drawn characters and if you enjoy cosy mystery stories then I am sure you will enjoy this one.

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Murder at the Village Church will keep you guessing until the very end.

The story is about Nancy and her need to find her mother. One day, her mother walked out leaving behind her family. Now, twenty years later Nancy is determined to find out what really happened. Imagine thinking your mother is dead only to find out that she may possibly be alive.

The story is well-written, and the characters are well-developed.

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This book was sent to me electronically by Netgalley for review. Thanks to the publisher and author. This is a cozy mystery that was a fun read, written by a talented and gifted author. I enjoyed the quirky characters, and the story moved quickly. Enjoy this book. Be transported to the land of murder...try to discern the ending.

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