I was on the blog tour organised by Sarah Hardy

http://ramblingmads.uk/2024/03/15/blog-tour-a-country-wedding-murder-katie-gayle/

A Country Wedding Murder is book number 5 in the Julia Bird Mysteries series and its another great instalment. It is another cosy mystery that had enough twists and turns to keep me entertained and guessing all the way to the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC.

Julia's ex husband Peter is getting married to his new partner Christopher but a death after the wedding ceremony leaves one of the grooms as a suspect...
A Country Wedding Murder is the 5th book in the Julia Bird cosy murder mystery series. There are no major spoilers but there are some mentions of outcomes from earlier books as they refer to peripheral characters.
It's a slightly odd feeling for Julia as she is happy for her ex and delighted her daughter has come home. Luckily she has her own relationship with doctor Sean, but the wedding does bring some mixed emotions and thoughts about the past. This is quickly overshadowed when the caterer is found dead in his refrigerated van after Christopher threatened him. Julia wants to support him so begins to investigate.
The case isn't straight forward and Julia uncovers a range of suspects and motives which is heightened when another body is found. The style of writing is easy to read and there is little forensic detail. I enjoyed meeting other characters again to give Julia and the setting some added depth. Meanwhile the personal relationships strengthen our support of Julia as she proceeds to investigate.
A Country Wedding Murder is an enjoyable cosy murder mystery.

Favorite Quotes:

Julia took a pancake topped with a grilled prawn. It was warm and spicy, with a hint of lime, and she had to restrain herself from falling on the tray and tossing the delicious morsels into her mouth like smarties.

The Buttered Scone operated as a kind of vortex, drawing in all Berrywick’s information– gossip, if you prefer the term– at improbable speed. It paid to be a little careful, as any information you let slip would be pulled in and just as rapidly disseminated, and before you knew it, your own careless comment or whispered confidence would be all over the village.

Hayley looked around the tearoom, which was a known gossip mill, constantly absorbing and releasing local intel, almost as if it was an organism breathing in and out.

Julia waved to Flo and made the international sign for the bill– a squiggling hand movement, fingers and thumb pressed together, as if she was signing a bill with a pen. In a few years’ time, would they all be making a swipe gesture, Julia wondered.


My Review:


This was a fun and pleasurable yet compelling read that kept me engaged and casting multiple “who done it” theories throughout perusal. Julia is a knowable and authentic character and her creators keep adding a few more quirky layers to their cast of villagers while also softening Julia’s edges. The writing is easy to follow and engaging with a clever and well-plotted murder mystery that was essentially unsolvable until the last few chapters. I have enjoyed each installment of this amusing series and am already looking forward to the next.

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'A Country Wedding Murder' by Katie Gayle.

Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Katie Gayle, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous

Publication date 13th March 2024.

This is the fourth book I have read by this author. It is also the fifth book in the 'Julia Bird Mysteries' series. I have also read the first book in the series 'An English Garden Murder', third book in this series 'A Village Fete Murder' and fourth book in this series 'Murder At The Inn'. I would highly recommend each and every one of them and all books in this series can be read as a standalone.

This novel consists of 32 chapters. The chapters are medium to long in length so easy to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!

This book is extremely well written with vivid descriptions that leave you hearing the chickens clucking, Jake barking and it most definitely leaves you wanting to visit!!! The cover and synopsis suit the book perfectly.

Yet another fantastic success Katie Gayle congratulations!! Such an easy, fun and addictive cosy mystery that had me hook, line and sinker!!!

I absolutely loved reading this book which took place in such a stunning environment I felt like I had disappeared on holiday for the day. It was a shame it was only a day but that's how long it took me to zoom through the pages after not being able to put it down. I genuinely felt like I was in the storyline and I was devastated to come to the end and have to "unpack my suitcase". This series is one of the best ones I have ever read and I love getting stuck into the mysteries with Julia, Sean, Leo and Jack each and every time .The storyline is multilayered with mystery upon mystery to keep the reader completely absorbed throughout without a moment to get bored. It was filled with murder, animals, a wedding, mayhem, mystery, a rat, tension, twists, romance, friendship and absolutely everything you could ever ask for in a cosy mystery. The fact that it was filled with animals, chickens, one Jake, one Leo and a rat to be precise and included a book club was right down my street being a huge book and animal lover myself. It is one of those immense books that each and every time I told myself just one more chapter I just had to read yet one more to know what was going to happen next, and then another until before I know it I had devoured the whole book in just a few hours. I must say I absolutely adored the growing friendship between the cute and mischievous Jake and Leo and the not to be messed with bossy chicken Henny Penny!!!! I love the fact that we get to spend time with Julia's daughter Jess in this book. I absolutely loved meeting her, she is another amazing character and I was sad to see her go. It was lovely seeing her bond with book club member Dylan grow and hopefully Jess will return and things will carry on from where they were with them in this book. I enjoyed seeing Dylan's character develop and seeing him coming out of his shell. Although it was hard for Julia to see her ex husband Peter getting married to Christopher she was mature and kind to them both and it is a nice change to see in a book, ex partners getting along. It was also nice to get to know them more throughout the storyline. As always I enjoyed meeting DI Hayley Gibson too.
Grab your copy and join Julia on her murder mystery, pub visits, wedding disasters, charity shop volunteering and animal antics where there's a mix of romance, jealousy, heartbreak, anger, amazing characters, murder, mayhem and so much more mixed in!! You genuinely couldn't ask for anything else in a fantastic cosy crime!!! This is yet another fantastic addition to this addictive series! ! I was not expecting the killer twist so a huge congratulations there!!! I have read so many books it seems to be getting harder and harder to shock me but you definitely managed it after leading me down the garden path several times!! This is an absolutely fantastic, page turning and fun cozy crime series that can be read in any order. I would love to see them all turned into movies and I cannot wait to get into Katie's next fantastic success!!!

Do not pick this up until you have cleared your schedules as you will not be able to put it down!!

Although this is the fifth book in the series I would have had absolutely no problems reading it without the others. Any details or events that have previously happened are mentioned in just the right amount of detail to let a new reader know what has happened and yet not too much to bore a previous reader.

I absolutely LOVED meeting Julia, Jake, Sean, Hayley, Henny Penny and everyone else who makes this cosy mystery series perfect the way it was again. I became completely invested in each of the characters and Katie and Gail portray village life and characters into the first book in this series 'An English Garden Murder' and they all, well almost all, quickly became friends that I miss each and every time I finish the book. I really clicked with Julia immediately who was a perfect choice for this cosy mystery. Julia has a habit of coming across bodies and then getting involved with trying to solve the mystery to the annoyance of her friend (for now 😂) and DI Hayley Gibson. I love the fact that Julia refuses to back down on her digging even though she know she will get in trouble!! She is such a strong female role model. I also loved meeting Sean (007) again and find him to be such a true gentleman. I have loved watching his and Julie's relationship develop and I'm looking forward to watching it continuing to do so. DI Helen can be very grumpy at times especially when she has to tell Julia off but it's nice to see her soft side come out too and watching the friendship develop between them even more so in this book. I also enjoyed meeting Julia's daughter Jess and getting to know her better along with Julia's ex husband Peter and his new husband Christopher. I am looking forward to meeting them all again in the next book in this fantastic series and seeing how all the friendship and relationships with the characters develop especially with the naughty but lovable Jake (definitely my favourite!!), Leo, Henny Penny, Tabitha and many, many more!!! An amazing group of string and realistic characters that jump out of the pages and I look forward to meeting time and time again. A fantastic group of unique and strong personalities!!

Congratulations Kate and Gail on an yet another absolutely addictive book in this absolutely page turning series!!! Here's to a fantastic and many more successes 🥂

Overall an addictive cosy mystery set in a stunning area that you won't be able to put down!!

261 pages.

This book is just £1.99 to purchase on kindle, free with kindle unlimited and £7.99 in paperback via Amazon (at time of review) which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!

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4 Stars
One Liner: Such a fun read!

Julia Bird is delighted that her ex-husband Peter and his partner Christopher are marrying in her village, Berrywick. However, Christopher turns out to be a groom-zilla! Nevertheless, the wedding goes well until there’s a spat with the caterer, Desmond.
Everything seemed fine the next morning. However, Julia finds Desmond’s dead body, and it is clearly a murder. With Christopher on the suspect list, she has to put on her sleuthing hat again and find the killer.
The story comes in Julia’s third-person POV.
*
My Thoughts:
The book should work as a standalone, but I recommend reading book #1 to get a better idea. It will also help you see the character growth in Julia and understand her relationship and dynamic with her ex-husband. It is refreshing to read non-toxic relationships between exes.
Christopher is a typical groom-zilla but still comes across as a sweetie. The poor guy wants his wedding to be perfect. Who can say no?
Jess, Julia’s daughter, is visiting for the first time since Julia moved to Berrywick. Must say that I like Jess very much. She is the right mix of fun and serious, childish and mature, which makes her easy to connect with.
Now, Jake, our adorable chocolate lab, should get a special mention. He is turning out to be a lover boy! In the last book, Jake gives all his attention to Henny Penny, the boss chicken. Now, he is mesmerized by Jess and can’t take his eyes off her. And with Jess pampering her Jakey boy, there’s no stopping him!
Little Sebastian also makes a guest entry. I love this tail-less monkey who asks Jake if he is a good boy, lol. Leave the two alone for a few minutes, and there will be loads of cleaning up to do!
Julia and Hayley are becoming closer friends, even if Hayley wouldn’t admit it. Sean is a perfect partner, as always, being there for Julia without crowding her space and offering support without being loud.
The mystery is solid. I like that Julia and the readers get the clues at the same time. This does make it tough when Julia takes time to connect the dots, but hey, readers have more sleuthing experience. The reveal, when it comes, seems a natural progression of the case and not something that appears out of nowhere.

To summarize, A Country Wedding Murder is an entertaining and delightful mystery with dead bodies, food, sleuthing, suspects, laughter, and a touch of contemplation. The pacing is steady, which makes this a breezy read. Can’t wait for the next one!
Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
*********

A Country Wedding Murder is the 5th book in the Julia Bird Mysteries and it is another great addition to the series. I am really enjoying this series. Julia is a great character. She used to be a social worker, so is really good at listening, observing and deducing. People just seem to open up to her, so she is able to get information that the police don't always find. It was nice to have her daughter, Jess, in this one. She has been mentioned in previous books and Julia felt their relationship was strained, but when they get together, it is a wonderful mother/daughter relationship. This mystery was not an easy one to solve. There were several suspects, but when one of them turns up dead, it is back to the drawing board. I thought I had it figured out at one point, but had to wait until the end to see if I was right. The secondary characters are all great, well developed and playing important roles in the story. I have to mention the dogs. Both Jake, Julia's dog and Leo, Sean's dog are important characters in their lives and I love that they are just as important as their friends. A Country Wedding Murder is a well plotted and developed cozy mystery with great characters, some romance, family and friends, making it an enjoyable book and series. If you are a cozy mystery lover, I recommend the Julia Bird Mysteries.

I enjoyed this entertaining Cotswold cosy mystery, which captures the essence of blended families and living within a village community. The characters are multi-layered, and many have secrets. Julia is an intelligent amateur sleuth, even if it does take her a few attempts to find the murderer. There is an engaging mix of mystery and lighter moments. I like the characters, the immersive investigation and the setting.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

Julia Bird has been looking forward to a visit from daughter Jess and the wedding of her ex-husband and his new partner. Once again, Julia finds herself involved in solving a murder when the body of chef Desmond is found frozen to death in his refrigerated van. A great entry in the Julia Bird series!

When Julia Bird’s ex-husband Peter and his lovely partner Christopher decide to get married in Berrywick, Julia is delighted after all, who doesn't love a country wedding even if the normally calm and collected Christopher turns into a full-on ‘Groomzilla’. The morning after the big day Julia discovers the lifeless body of the caterer, Desmond. Someone locked him in the cold truck and the poor man froze to death. Christopher is the prime suspect but Julia soon discovers Desmond had a long list of enemies as she races against the clock to clear Christopher’s name. Then Desmond’s business partner is found murdered.
The fifth outing for Julia & whilst it’s easily read on its own the band of characters have made the series fun & entertaining. Jess, Julia’s daughter is visiting from Hong Kong, where she’s studying & I liked the mother daughter relationship. An entertaining cosy mystery with twists, turns & red herrings. I also like Julia’s relationship with the no nonsense Hayley. I mustn’t forget Jake the adorable chocolate Labrador who steals every scene. A well written engrossing murder mystery
My review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

This is the 5th book in the Julia Bird Mysteries. A fun light entertaining read with lots of twists and turns, and numerous suspects that kept me up guessing. Looking forward to more. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is a very entertaining series featuring likeable characters and a solid mystery. This instalment is my favourite as it kept me guessing and surprising with red herring and a high number of twists.
There are new characters, Jess and Dylan, and there’s a lot of evolutions in the characters’ arc.
I appreciated the descriptions of the settings, the lovely places but also how the authors deal with some characters who are less privileged.
It’s a page turner and it will keep you hooked as you want to know who did it and why because any time you think “GOTCHA” something happens.
Entertaining, well plotted, compelling.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to Bookouture for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I am a big fan of this wonderful cosy crime series so was delighted there was another book in the series. Julia Bird (and Jake!) are my absolute favourite crime solving duo so I couldn't wait to become embroiled in their new mystery.

This book actually involves more characters than we have heard about in the previous books but taking more of a forefront, namely Julia's daughter Jess who has been living in Japan for quite a while teaching, along with Julia's ex husband Peter and his husband to be, Christopher. In fact it is their wedding where a murderer strikes.....

This is another wonderful addition to the series which has me guessing right until the end. The new characters are excellent additions to the plot and I particularly warmed to Jess who begins to settle into th e village life and into Jake's life. Her burgeoning romance with Dylan was also another lovely addition (I hope she stays around!)

Highly recommended from me.

Julia Bird is excited for her daughter Jess’ visit. As part of the excitement, Julia’s ex-husband Peter is marrying his new love Christopher. After the wedding, the caterer is found dead.
In the midst of nice times with Jess and Sean, Julia’s new love interest, Julia is puzzling out what happened to Desmond, the caterer.
It’s a tangled web that the author resolves while giving the reader a holiday in the country.
It was fun to meet Jess after reading about her in four previous books.
I enjoy reading the Julia Bird series. Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the chance to read this book.

This is a very traditional, cozy murder mystery set in a small town in the Cotswolds.
I did struggle to keep track of the large cast of recurring characters, who are probably familiar to those who have read earlier books in the series. This adds a lot of extra detail to the setting and some local charm.
The first paragraph of chapter one introduces us to three characters whose first names have the same initial—Julia, Jess, and Jake—which is seriously offputting and a little bizarre.
The two murders in the book are kept very low-key, without any gory forensic detail. Although Julia's relationship with the investigating police officer is not credible, the clues do track well throughout the story. This story could easily have been set in the 1960s.
Overall, it is an easy-to-read, low-energy murder mystery with engaging characters that will appeal to lovers of very traditional period mysteries.

I love this series of cozy mysteries featuring middle-aged Julia Bird. They are always interesting and well-plotted and I love the location in the Cotswolds. This one moved a little slower for me but it was just as tricky to figure out and had all the familiar characters that I've come to know and enjoy - including Julia's black lab! This installment featured Julia's daughter more than in the past. Know that you do not have to read this series in order - each one can be a stand alone - but I've read them in order and enjoyed them! The perfect pick-me-up for a winter's day!
Thank you for my review copy!

When Julia Bird discovered the frozen dead body of the caterer from the wedding the night before, all she had wanted to do was go home to a cup of tea and her dog Jake. But when Detective Hayley Gibson arrived at The Swan, where the wedding had taken place, there would be no one leaving quickly. With several suspects needing to be eliminated - or not - Hayley forbid the happy couple leave. Almost everyone else lived in Berrywick, but they weren't to leave town. Julia and her good friend, Dr Sean O'Connell, put their heads together to try to find the murderer.

In the meantime Jess, Julia's daughter, had arrived home for the wedding, and would head back to Hong Kong after two weeks. Julia was delighted to have her staying in her home, and Jake, Julia's chocolate lab, was ecstatic to see Jess after the long two years she'd been away. As they tried to help Hayley discover who had killed the caterer, the partner in his business was discovered murdered. Back to square one! Would they discover the culprit so Berrywick could go back to being the lovely, quiet little village it always was?

A Country Wedding Murder is the 5th in the Julia Bird Mysteries by Katie Gayle and I enjoyed it. Fun, entertaining, with lots of twists and turns, I didn't pick the killer at all! I'm looking forward to the next in the series, especially to catch up with the adorable Jake. Recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

Love the character, the setting and the series. The mystery kept me guessing and I hope for more.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A Country Wedding Murder

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“ When Julia Bird’s ex-husband Peter and his lovely partner Christopher decide to get married in Berrywick, Julia is delighted – after all, who doesn't love a country wedding? Little does Julia know that normally calm and collected Christopher will turn into a full-on Groomzilla – and that by the end of the night, someone will end up dead.”

This was a really good cozy mystery. This series is a good one and I really enjoy the characters. I like how the bigger picture plot is written. With this mystery I really didn’t have a clue about who the killer was until towards the end which is awesome! Can’t wait until the next one comes out. Great series!

The fifth book in the Julia Bird mysteries series - the third one that I have read. One of these days I must go back and read the two I have missed.

Julia Bird is attending the wedding of her ex-husband to his new partner, Christopher. There are a few issues going on but no one expects to find the caterer's frozen corpse in a refrigerated truck the next morning. Christpher is initially a suspect so Julia turns on full sleuth mode and works to discover the killer.

This series stands out for its characters especially Julia herself, but also romantic interest Sean and even more importantly Jake the chocolate labrador. He deserves a book to himself.

Great series, excellent read, four stars.