This didn’t really work for me I’m afraid. I didn’t like the characters and the mystery was quite disjointed.
It probably comes down to personal preference as the writing was fine, but I just didn’t enjoy the story.

*** Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher ***

Murder at the Bonfire takes place in the village of Cherrywood in the run up to Bonfire Night. Local DJ Ade Adams is invited back to judge the 'Penny for a Guy' trail and is later found dead. Once investigations start it is discovered that there are many people who could want Ade Adams dead and many people in the village haven't forgiven him for his past wrongdoings.

I am a big fan of cozy crime and I was really excited about the setting of a small English village in the midwinter so this book should have been my cup of tea however I found it very disappointing. Firstly I found the mystery itself wasn't very interesting to follow and the clues that we discover throughout the book don't seem to match up with the final explanation. The big reveal itself was very rushed and essentially solved the mystery within one chapter and again the rest of the book was rendered fairly irrelevant. At times the author seemed to throw in plot twists for the sake of it and this made the book feel extremely unbelievable.

I struggled to connect to any of the characters so found it annoying when the author kept going off on tangents to explore their personal lives particularly their romantic relationships. I didn't realise this book was the second book in a series when I picked it up so maybe I would have been more invested in the characters had I read the first book.

Overall this book wasn't for me. If you enjoy themes of witchcraft and astrology mixed with a mystery this book may work for you.

When it's announced that the hotly anticipated 'Penny for the Guy' trail will have a celebrity judge – former DJ 'Screaming' Ade Adams – competition steps up amongst the villagers. But as everyone gathers for the main event, Ade is found dead atop the bonfire with three mysterious tarot cards in his pocket, and barmaid and part-time sleuth Tess Feather suspects foul play. Why would anyone in Cherrywood want the retired disc jockey dead? And could there be a connection to a recently returned villager: Tess's estranged brother Mikey? Once again, Tess is forced to team up with her ex-boyfriend – private investigator Liam Hanley – and her friends Raven and Oliver as they investigate a tale of murder and vengeance that could go all the way to the top. This a fun series set in an interesting locale and full of interesting characters. Highly recommend.

Murder at the Bonfire delivers a compelling blend of suspense, intrigue, and familial drama, making it a must-read for fans of cozy mysteries and amateur sleuths. Penny Blackwell crafts a captivating narrative that keeps readers guessing until the very end, as Tess and her friends race against time to uncover the truth behind “Screaming” Ade's untimely demise.

A very entertaining and compelling cosy mystery that I thoroughly enjoyed. There's plenty of twists and surprises, a solution that I liked and couldn't guess.
It requires a bit of suspension of belief but it's a very good story
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Cost crime at it's best, a really lovely read that made me feel like I was receiving a nice warm hug from the bonfire

Synopsis
The residents of Cherrywood are thrilled to have celebrity DJ, "Screaming" Ade Adams judge their "Penny for the Guy" trail entries on Guy Fawkes Night until Adams turns up dead, in costume, atop a pyre on the trail. After that, unsavory details of the DJ's life start leaking out and the list of suspects grows.
My Overall Thoughts
As I delved into "Murder at the Bonfire," I found the two protagonists to be intriguing characters. They were interesting, if not all that deep, and their chemistry added to the story. However, the cast of supporting characters didn't hold together as well as I had hoped. Without revealing any spoilers, I found their actions and behaviors to be inconsistent with their initial portrayal. It was disconcerting and disrupted the overall cohesiveness of the plot.
What I Didn't Love
I just didn’t find any of it believable. There were a lot of twists and turns, but each one was less realistic than the last.
Potentially Offensive Content
adult themes
violence
child endangerment and abuse
abuse of a special needs child
What I Loved
I liked the setting a lot. The days leading up to Guy Fawkes Night in a small, country town in England. It was very picturesque. It really built up an expectation that the plot never realized.

An intriguing murder mystery that thankfully works as a stand-alone novel! The characters were well-developed and entertaining, and there were many humourous moments throughout the book. The author managed to perfectly balance the murder side of things with funny one-liners and moments, and although I did find the ending somewhat predictable, I'm glad I finished the novel!

Another brilliant book with brilliant characters by a truly talented author.

This is brilliant and I can safely say that this is an author who will deliver on anything that she writes. This is brilliant beyond brilliant. I have loved this book.

This is a perfect cosy read which is set around Halloween and Bonfire night- perfect for this time of year. I absolutely adored book one in the series and this is just as fabulous.

Murder at the Bonfire has been an easy and enjoyable read. I have devoured this book in just one sitting. It’s a great read filled with brilliant and likeable characters.

I loved the investigation in this one. It’s a perfect read if you are craving that cosy mystery which is easy to become lost in.

This is intriguing and filled with individuals who are real and familiar. I have to say that this is an author I absolutely adore. I’ve read pretty much all of this author’s books and each get better and better.

I really hope we will be able to revisit this setting in future books. This is a must read.

I read the first book in this series, The Cherrywood Murders, earlier this year and like its sequel, it was a fun, slightly cheesy ride. Thank you to Felicia at Headline for inviting me on to the blog tour for it.

In the small Yorkshire village of Cherrywood, Bonfire Night is around the corner and celebrity DJ Ade Adams is judging the local Penny for the Guy trail. But when a dead body ends up on top of the bonfire, barmaid Tess and PI Liam suspect that it didn’t end up there by accident. Together with their friends Raven and Oliver, they team up once again to examine the clues and solve the mystery of yet more grisly goings-on in Cherrywood.

I had never heard of a ‘penny for the guy’ trail but I have since learned that it’s a regular thing in some small, traditional English villages. It sounds incredibly eerie and I can’t imagine living in a place where there are creepy scarecrow-like dolls everywhere for days on end. It really set the scene for some sinister happenings, which is the exact direction the story took.

Tess’ internalised misogyny occasionally rears its head and it really did when Ade’s much younger, most recent wife Leonie Abbott first shows up. It transpires that she has a legitimate reason for disliking her due to some very dark, shared history and this was revealed gradually, which I really appreciated because my interest was fully kept, as I tried to figure everything out.

The humour that Blackwell introduced in the first instalment was back in the second. It’s not laugh-out-loud funny but it did make me smile several times. Oliver is still my favourite character but I didn’t love the path that his love life took in this book. It just felt a bit unnecessary and it took me by surprise, which if it was meant to be, probably shouldn’t have been the case!

Murder At The Bonfire is a compelling, twisty story and I definitely preferred the mystery in this book to that in The Cherrywood Murders. However, I was a bit taken aback by some of the characters’ choices and to be honest, the ending was a bit of a let down. I understand the message that Blackwell was trying to convey and it’s a really commendable one but with so much build-up and possible avenues it could have gone down, it felt a little flat at the very end. I did enjoy the British soap opera vibes that these books have and the cosy (yet still very dark) feel to the story.

DJ Ade Adam’s returns to Cherrywood he is the celebrity judge for the Penny for the guy trail.
Adam’s returns with his much younger wife and more than a few secrets in his closet .
Unfortunately before the trail is about to be judged the DJ is found dead at the top of the bonfire .
Who would want him dead?
On scratching the surface it seems that he has a lot of people who dislike him but do they dislike him enough to murder him?
Tess part time sleuth and Liam a private investigator start there own investigation to try and find the murderer.
An excellently written cosy mystery with great characters it kept me guessing until the end .
A great read and look forward to the next visit to Cherrywood.
Thanks to NetGalley and Headline.

Thanks to headlinebooks for the early access via netgalley. If you love cosy crime, this is a book series for you! Cosy crime novel set in a small town in the UK. Its set around Halloween & Guy Fawkes night so its a perfect read for this season.

The story is about a small town organising a Guy Fawkes bonfire during which a local celebrity DJ who was supposed to open the night is unexpectedly found dead. A private detective who recently moved to the town takes on the case. What follows is a deep dive into the people of the village and their history.

This book is part 2 in a series. I have not read part 1 and I did think that made a difference. Although the story does stand on its own, there are a lot of references to part 1. I think reading part 1 will give the book more depth and make for a more enjoyable read.

All in all I very much enjoyed this book. The story was a little bit flat for me (potentially because I didn’t read part 1) and the twist at the end was not super shocking but still good. Overall its still a nice read. I definitely felt the cosy vibes from the village its set in and it was a fun read! Great read if you want something easy going to ‘cleanse your palate’ after a heavy or sad read! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

This was a very enjoyable story. I would say that this would go under a cozy mystery. The plot and characters are well written. I look forward to reading more from this author. I highly recommend this book.

An easy read cosy crime set around 5th November.
This is the second in The Cherrywood Murders series of cosy crime books by Penny Blackwell.
An obnoxious elderly celebrity, very much a has-been, is invited to judge the village scarecrow competition with his much younger wife. They are a controversial choice but prove to be a big draw. Also attending are village inhabitants Tess (barmaid, singer and amateur sleuth) and Liam (new to the village, Tess's ex-boyfriend and a gardener/sleuth).
On bonfire night, the night the winner of the competition is to be revealed, there is a murder discovered.
Tess and Liam the set about trying to solve it before the police.

This is an enjoyable easy read.

I was given an advanced reader proof copy of this book in return for an honest review.

This cozy mystery is perfect for an autumn night or rainy day. I absolutely loved spending time in Cherry wood and getting to know Tess and her circle of wonderful friends .

The characters are brilliantly written and very human. Making them easy to care about and identify with.

The story itself was thrilling and kept me guessing right up to the very end. I look forward to more time with Tess Feather !

Murder at the Bonfire is the second book based in Cherrywood and although it was a good read as a standalone book, I felt that I was missing background information about the town and its characters that would have made it even more enjoyable.

It is nevertheless an intriguing cozy-mystery with enough humour to balance out the darker elements such as witchcraft and plenty of red herrings to keep you guessing until the end. I liked the characters and the book kept me interested throughout.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy in return for an honest review.

This series is new to me and I really enjoyed it.
Dodgy DJ Ade Adams has several skeletons in his past but they all come to light in this mystery that manages to combine a cosy feel with up to date and serious messages.

This was a fun and entertaining cosy mystery. From the start, I took a liking to the characters, and I liked how relatable they seemed. It was a very light and easy read, and a good one to choose for the time of year, due to the Guy Fawkes night theme.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy to review.

Penny Blackwell continues to deliver with 'Murder at the Bonfire', the follow up to her wonderful mystery debut 'The Cherrywood Murders'.

Reviled former Cherrywood resident and former DJ 'Screaming' Ade Adams is found dead with three tarot cards in his pocket, after returning the village to judge the 'Penny for the Guy' trail. Tess Feather, now with a taste for solving crime can't help but get involved, much to the dismay of her ex-boyfriend, private investigator Liam. Along with best friends, Raven and Oliver, Tess finds discovers Cherrywood experiencing its own #MeToo moment.

This book is full of the same wit, banter and charm as the first book, along with the strong characterisation. Blackwell refreshingly does not keep these characters in stasis. Tess, Raven and Ollie continue to experience personal and professional growth, with a hint for potential hurdles to overcome. I can only hope Raven is given a chance to not be so stifled by her grandmother's focus on her reproducing and being anchored to Cherrywood, Ollie keeps working through his faith and being able to have a personal life, and Tess have a chance to succeed at her singing than being a Cher impersonator.

The biggest strength and heart of this book for me, as with the first book is the solid friendship between Tess, Raven and Ollie. I loved their dry and witty banter and how they know each other so well.

This book was another fun romp. Blackwell carefully balances a compelling and well-plotted mystery, social issues, and her trademark sass, banter and charm which makes this series a standout. As I said after reading the first book, more please!

Thanks to Headline and NetGalley for the ARC.

I loved the first Cherrywood book and this follow-up didn’t disappoint. In fact, it was even better! I loved the way the relationships between the characters developed, sometimes in ways I hadn’t expected. The mystery was intriguing and well-plotted. I fell for all the red herrings and didn’t guess the murderer, so that made it a thoroughly satisfying read. I hope there will be more Cherrywood books very soon!