This is the second book in the Violet Brewster series and it didn’t disappoint.
I got an ARC of this from @netgalley but fell so far behind in reading it, the audiobook helped me to catch up on it.

We return to Merrywell a few months after the first book. The village is getting ready to host its first ever book festival. Violet is delighted to be asked to interview the star author, Leonie Stanwick, who grew up in Merrywell but hasn’t been back since she left at 18. She is now a bestselling romance author, and some members of the village aren’t the happiest that she is being featured in the festival.

However when a body is discovered during the festival, Violet can’t help herself and won’t leave a page unturned to discover what happened.

Leonie has secrets to why she left the village and as we know, secrets never stay secret for long. Leonie is also ready for the truth to come out and asks for Violets help to do it.

Violet discovers some people weren’t happy with Leonies reappearance and her suspicions turn to her new neighbours.

This book definitely kept me engaged and as a book lover, who doesn’t love reading about a book festival.
I enjoyed learning more of the connections and relationships that Violet is making in the village, a story is nothing without its supporting characters.

This can be read as a standalone if you haven’t read the first one. It would be the perfect read for the change in weather and looking for a cosy murder mystery read.

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Murder at the Book Festival
by Jane Bettany
Pub Date 16 Jan 2024
HQ, HQ Digital
General Fiction \(Adult\)| Mystery & Thrillers| Women's Fiction


HQ and Netgalley sent me a copy of Murder at the Book Festival to review:

If you are looking for a good mystery with a great plotline and strong characters, one that will leave you guessing you don't need to look any further.Look no further if you're looking for a good mystery with a great plot and strong characters that will keep you guessing.



The small and idyllic village of Merrywell is getting ready to host its first ever book festival, and Violet Brewster is delighted when she is asked to interview the star author.Violet Brewster is thrilled when she's asked to interview the star author at Merrywell's first book festival.


The festival's featured guest is Leonie Stanwick, a bestselling romance author. She was born in Merrywell, but abruptly left when she was 18 years old and never came back.She was born in Merrywell, but left abruptly when she was 18 years old.



The festival takes a dark turn when Leonie is found murdered; her return to the village had clearly upset someone. The shocking truth about Leonie's past leads Violet to suspect her own neighbors. Was somebody in the village trying to keep Leonie from leaving?

I give Murder at the Book Festival five out of five stars!

Thank you to @hqstories for letting me part of the blog tour for this title which is being released in a few days time. Even though this is the second in the series by this author, I do feel readers could read it without feeling left behind - there were a few references to previous events but not enough to cause distractions. I really enjoyed the amount of dialogue between characters, it made the them feel more real to me as a reader and it helped the story to feel fast paced. The level of description was enough to set the scene. I loved the amount of speculation surrounding the main characters, it really kept me guessing until about three quarters of the way through when I pieced it together. I would definitely like to go back and read the first in this series and look forward to the next!

As far as small town mysteries go, this one is pretty standard. The added element of a bookstore and festival does bring some allure for us bibliophiles. A solid 3 stars

I really enjoyed this book. It was different than anything else I've read recently. I couldn't put it down! I will keep an eye out for this author's future work!

Everyone is excited about the book festival and Violet is honored to be asked to interview Leonie Stanwick about her newest book. The festival seems to be going great until a body turns up and Violet finds it. Suddenly everyone is a suspect and Violet is determined to find out who did it.
An enjoyable cozy mystery that has lots of twists . The characters are believable and likeable.

The only thing better than a traditional English cozy mystery is one that is set in a booklover's paradise.

Jane Bettany has created a cozy mystery series that is sure to become popular. Violet Brewster fits the very definition of a cozy protagonist; she is even compared to Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple by a friend. In the first book, “Murder in Merrywell”, Violet has moved to the quaint village of Merrywell after her divorce to start over in a new home and new career. Although the divorcée or widow who moves to a small town to start over has become a modern cozy mystery trope, Bettany employs the premise with getting campy. she also avoids the trope of the unthinking female who barrels headlong into danger and needs to be saved. Although she gets into tight squeezes, Violet is a smart, sensible and levelheaded woman who can take care of herself. With this second book in the series, Bettany serves up a book sure to please booklovers. There is a whole subgenre of cozy mysteries that features libraries, bookstores, book clubs or bookfairs. Violet has agreed to interview the featured guest author at the book festival, a local girl who moved away and became a bestselling author. When a body turns up later, Violet wonders who hated the author enough to kill. The author has created a group of Merrywell residents that the reader will love to visit time and time again. The new characters in this book are entertaining and they provide enough red herrings to keep the reader guessing. After getting a review copy of this book through NetGalley, I read both stories and enjoyed them. I can’t wait to read more of this series.

This is certainly a cosy mystery, English of course with a wonderful Peak District setting and some great characters. Love the them of a village, a book festival and of course a murder. I really enjoyed this but didn't realise it is part of a series. This didn't hamper my enjoyment of this book though at all.

The story built as it went along and Violet Brewster made a great amateur detective that you just have to like. This book is fun, entertaining, enjoyable and so easy to read. The perfect murder mystery to cosy up with!

Thank you NetGalley and HQ, HQ Digital for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Book Review: Murder at the Book Festival by Jane Bettany

Rating: 3.5 stars

In "Murder at the Book Festival" by Jane Bettany, readers are transported to the charming village of Merrywell, where the much-anticipated book festival takes a dark turn when someone is found murdered. Amateur sleuth Violet Brewster takes on the challenge of unraveling the mystery behind the shocking crime, delving into the secrets and suspicions lurking in her own neighborhood.

Bettany's storytelling shines in this well-written and well-paced mystery novel. The plot is intricately woven with plenty of twists and turns, keeping readers engaged and guessing until the very end. Red herrings are strategically placed throughout the narrative, adding layers of intrigue to the investigation.

The characters in the book are not only well-developed but also immensely likable, making it easy to invest in their stories and motivations. The cozy setting of the small village adds an extra layer of charm to the narrative, creating a comforting backdrop for the unfolding mystery.

Overall, "Murder at the Book Festival" is a delightful read that will appeal to fans of classic whodunits and cozy mysteries. Jane Bettany has crafted a compelling story that leaves readers wanting more. I eagerly anticipate future books from this promising author.

If you're looking for a gripping mystery to curl up with on a cozy evening, "Murder at the Book Festival" is a perfect choice that will keep you entertained from start to finish.

⚠️This review was written based on personal opinions and experiences with the book. Individual preferences may vary⚠️

I love this cozy English mystery sand I love Violet! This is a cozy mystery lover must read series! It is amazing and this story is even better than the first! I'm excited to read the next book and see what Violet gets herself into!
I just reviewed Murder at the Book Festival by Jane Bettany. #MurderattheBookFestival #NetGalley
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Jane Bettany effortlessly captures the essence of Peak District village life, and being her home turf, the authenticity is heartwarming. The nods to real places like Matlock and Bakewell added a touch of magic, making the setting come alive. counting down the days until the next book in the series. I received a complimentary copy of this book from HQ Digital through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you so much!

A village is having a book festival. The bookstore invites the famous romance author Leonie Stanwick. There is a murder and Violet Brewster is ask to solve the murder.
A cozy mystery that is lots of fun.

I enjoyed the first in this series, in which we were introduced to budding amateur sleuth Violet Brewster and the village of Merrywell but I actually enjoyed this one even more.

Jane Bettany paints a very vivid and believable picture of village life in the Peak District (hardly surprising, I know, as it's her home turf!) and I liked the references to real places e.g: Matlock and Bakewell.

The premise for the murder was an interesting one and there were plenty of twists and turns along the way before the crime was solved. It certainly kept me turning the pages to find out whodunnit!

Violet is a very likeable character and I’m enjoying her gentle, later-in-life romance (will they, won’t they?). I also like the fact that she’s not perfect! She likes her food – good for her – and she has a nosy and determined streak – which is exactly what she needs to solve crimes.

I’ll definitely be reading the next in the series. I can’t wait to see what Violet does next!

Jane Bettany takes readers back to the quaint English village of Merrywell in her charming second Violet Brewster mystery.

Merrywell is abuzz: the town is readying for its first literary festival, and bestselling author Leonie Stanwick has agreed to appear as the marquee speaker. A successful romance writer, Leonie was born and raised in Merrywell but left shortly after she turned 18.

Former journalist Violet Brewster interviews Leonie in front of a sold-out audience to kick off the festival. But when Violet discovers a woman’s body just hours later, she realizes Leonie’s return may have stirred up dangerous memories among the Merrywell residents. Violet quietly launches her own investigation, refusing to let someone get away with murder.

Bettany’s pacing is truly perfect in Murder at the Book Festival. This cozy mystery moves fast but still hits all the right notes with unerring precision, revealing clues and surprises at ideal moments. Bettany offers up a slew of convincing suspects—Was the murder committed by a scorned family member or former friend? Jilted lover or aggrieved employee?—to keep readers guessing. The book festival provides an interesting backdrop to murder, as there’s a lot at stake for the event organizers and local businesses. Plus, it offers a large pool of suspects: All the attendees are potential killers.

Violet is an engaging heroine, too. She’s smart, compassionate and deeply relatable, especially when balancing the attention of her just-returned ex-husband and her new love interest, Matthew. Violet cares about her new home of Merrywell, and her burgeoning relationships with Matthew and Leonie are a high point of the novel.

Murder at the Book Festival is a fun, fast-paced mystery with lots for readers to enjoy.

So I read book one in this series and enjoyed what I read so decided to give book two a whirl.

The descriptive writing of the author brings the setting and characters to life, you can visualise and bring your imagination alive with the characters.

It's a charming cosy mystery that is developing into an entertaining series after all who doesn't love an amateur sleuth?

Thank you to NetGalley and to HQ for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Murder at the Book Festival was such a ride. I actually liked this book better than the 1st book. The way this plot developed and got gradually more interesting had me on the edge of my seat. Jane Bettany really knows how to tell a story. I thought I had it figured out but I was off then the twist that were in there gave me the urge I needed to keep going.

I can't wait to read the next book!!

I thoroughly enjoyed the first one and loved this second mystery in this series.
I was very glad to catch with Violet, Matthew, Fiona and the inhabitants of Merrywell.
A famous writer in town for a book festival, old secrets, a murder. There's plenty of twists and a solution that came unexpected.
As in the previous story there's an interesting description of the way of living and social division of the past
I thoroughly enjoyed even if Violet was a bit too reckless at time.
4,5 upped to 5
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

The village of Merrywell is hosting a book festival and Violet is asked to interview famous author Leonie Stanwick. Violet discovers a body the next day and believes it to be Leonie, only to be told later that it is Leonie’s estranged sister who has been killed. Violet is determined to discover who the murderer is before there is another victim.

G0od read. Enjoyed the characters and setting. Will definitely try more by this author! I'm loving that I will be able to read more about Violet in other books. Great romance.

I'm always looking for super cozy mysteries and now I've found a gem again. My bookworm self had no more than to mention the words book festival and murder in the title and that already made me curious about the content. In the person of Violet Brewster, I was once again introduced to a lovable amateur detective, who is intelligent and fits perfectly into the rural setting. When the famous bestselling writer Leonie returns to the small town someone or someone is not happy about her. The writer weaves the threads of the story well, because she keeps the reader in doubt throughout. I must say that I really enjoyed the investigation with Violet and the rest of the inhabitants of the village. And putting the book festival in the center was a brilliant idea, because it set the mood very well and a great backdrop for the murder. Merrywell is a true idyllic English village where evil appears, but the well-established village news network and Violet come to an end, the closure was exciting for me and overall I was completely satisfied with the story. Thanks for the book NetGalley!