A serviceable police mystery novel. It didn't really stand out from the crowd of UK-based mystery fiction that has become popular in recent years, but there was nothing wrong with it either. If this is a genre you like, then you'll probably like this book.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I really enjoyed this book, liked the characters and the storyline, will be looking out for my reads from this author.

The 5th in the series with retired not quite Norman Norman set in wild wet west Wales. Body in an about to be demolished house, missing mother, missing boyfriend, unpleasant developer, sleazy environmental manager. Intricate plot, twists and turns to liven up things, humour between distinctly urban Norman and his rural team. A little pedestrian at times but a good read, as are the others in the series. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy.

I loved the first book I read in this series, and this latest book has sealed the deal, I'm a fan. I love the characters, the twists, the setting in Wales, and the cozy mystery feel to this police procedural. The novel is fast-paced, the writing flows well, and it's hard to put down. Honestly, if you're not into dark and gritty, this is one of the best police procedural series I've read in a while. Not as light-hearted as Hamish MacBeth series, but a serious contender for best small-town police procedurals.

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Joe Harding was just given permission to go ahead and start to redevelop an old mining village. But before the demolition got started , a body of a woman found in one of the buildings. The Llangwelli police were called in. The small team first needed to find out who the woman was and if anyone in the area was missing. At the same time a young girl is thinking of jumping off a building. It seems she is a runaway from the area and was to meet her mother, who never showed up. When another body is found at the site, the team knows that these are all connected.
An interesting police procedural in the West Wales mystery series, with the close knit Llangwelli team that work well together and always get to the bottom of the crimes.
Thank you NetGalley and Joffe Books for this e-galley of "A Body in the Cottage".

A good and convoluted murder mystery set in an old mining village. The houses are due for demolition - the developer has been waiting for years for planning permission - and much to a murderer's surprise he gets it just in time for his men to find a dead woman in one of the houses. And that's the straightforward bit over with. Now it gets convoluted...

Loved it. A really good story.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher I read a free advance review copy of the book. This review is voluntary, honest and my own opinion.

Thank you Net Galley and Joffe Books for the eARC
Detective Norman retired once upon a time, but he was lured back into the force to help round out the numbers in a sleepy small Welsh station. Only it's not so sleepy. Bodies keep turning up. This is the 5th installment in this series.
What's left of the former mining village Llangwelli is set to be bulldozed and redeveloped. With the equipment ready to proceed the crew foreman does a quick check of the buildings only to discover the body of a well dressed woman. Blood splatter that doesn't match the victim is found in another building. There's lots of twists and turns and red herrings in this book.
It's a very good book. I've read the others in the series and enjoyed them all.

Enjoyed this book. Was a slow story but I liked it. The way it had me guessing about the who done it.
As usual I enjoyed the characters very much

Disturbing Events..
The fifth entry in the West Wales Murder Mystery series finds Detective Norman out of retirement and knee deep in murder. A body discovered in a row of cottages facing demolition, an elderly man professing to being the killer and subsequently a further body discovered in a skip - nothing about this bizarre and disturbing series of events makes any sense for Norman. Another engaging instalment in this series with a well crafted and credible cast of characters, an ideal and nicely imagined setting and a plot populated with twists and turns aplenty.

A Body in the Cottage by P.F. Ford takes readers on a rainy and murder-filled journey through the quaint yet sinister town of Llangwelli, Wales. Detective Norman, a retired officer now back on duty, finds himself grappling with a mysterious and brutal murder.

The central mystery revolves around the discovery of the young woman's body in the cottage. Ford weaves an intricate plot, filled with twists and turns, that keeps the reader engaged and guessing. As the investigation progresses, the tension mounts, and Norman's doubts about the elderly man's confession add an extra layer of intrigue.

While A Body in the Cottage offers an enjoyable plot and intriguing characters, I did find that there was an excessive amount of dialogue and repetition. The repetitive elements can slow down the pacing and make the narrative feel slightly drawn out at times.

In the end, I would rate this read with three stars. While it has its quirks, it offers an enjoyable reading experience, and I had a good time following Detective Norman and his team as they unravel the mysteries of Llangwelli.

Thank you to NetGallery for providing me with an ARC!

Another good story in the series. Detective Norman works with his crew to solve a couple of murders in a building site ready for demolition. Liked this one, and it was interesting to follow along as the clues were laid out. Good cop series set in Wales. Would recommend author, book and series.

A Body in the Cottage is book five in the West Wales murder mystery series. This is a finely tuned police procedural that had me hooked from the first page. There are lots of red herrings that kept me guessing until the end. I was surprised by who the murderer turned out to be. I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this ARC to read andxreview

This book was good, but a little on the slow side. The dialog was not as complex or finely tuned as it could be. But I do love British mysteries and would give this author another shot.

#abodyinthecottage is another terrific outing for the West Wales Murder gang. Only my second read in the series, but I adore these characters. P. F. Ford does a terrific job with the plot, too, and gives great insight into just how difficult a murder case is. I am super excited to have this great back catalog to plow through. Highly recommend.

P.S. Thanks to #netgalley for the ARC.

I loved this proline procedural! It felt very true to life and not like the TV shows with dna results in 3 seconds, this had a sense of authenticity to it. The plot was good although I felt it wad a but of slow start but it built up quickly and had me completely invested. And I had absolutely no clue who the killer would end up being, that had me shocked!

I like the author style of writing, the plot gradually unfold with one puzzling piece after another. The setting is in Wales, with Norman coming out of retirement, to come here, and is really happy working in the Wales police department. The misfit recruits he enjoys working with as he does having a new house and a new outlook on life. Little community to house the miners years ago, its now up to being redevelop, and people want it as a museum. Going now for a body was found, she was well dressed and seemed out of place, no handbag with her.
A good police protocol, and I do enjoy all of the authors books
Arc by Net Galley and Joffe for my voluntary review

Another great detective story. I love reading these books, I just love them and always help me relax and de-stress as I get so envolved in the book. It is hard for me to put it down.

Best but about this book is the setting. It creates an unsettling atmosphere which adds to the tension.

I enjoyed this book, the twists kept my attention thin and I did not guess the killer!

Would recommend if you enjoy a good who dunnit

Good book! This book had a bit of everything! It had suspense, Action, intrigue, mystery, murder, great who done it, great plot twist, and some crazy twists and turns! The storyline was very interesting and kept me glued to my Kindle! I definitely recommend reading this book as it was well worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me

313 pages

4 stars

A smartly dressed woman is found dead in a cottage scheduled to be demolished.

DS Norman has been enticed out of retirement to work with his former team. He is determined and calls them like he sees them, taking no prisoners.

The team works well together and Detective Norman is in his element. The investigation is twisty and lengthy. There are many suspects. The case has many layers and characters.

While the story started out rather slow, the pace picked up quickly and I became engrossed in solving the mystery. This is a good police procedural. The steps of the officers are traced and explained well. If you like police procedurals, this book is for you.

Another body is discovered and the tension in the story ratchets up.

The identity of the killer came as a complete surprise to me. So, Mr. Ford got me good on this one!

I want to thank NetGalley and Joffe Books for forwarding to me a copy of this very good book for me to read, enjoy and review. The opinions expressed in this review are solely my own.