The Swan in Berrywick is hosting an autumn wedding and Julia Bird is enjoying herself quite a lot! Her ex-husband, Peter is marrying his partner, Christopher, and even better their daughter Jess, is home from Hong Kong for the celebrations. Unfortunately, by the following morning a body has been discovered, a guest has been hospitalised, and Julia is looking for clues!

With more suspects than expected it isn't long before DI Hayley Gibson is asking Julia's opinion and gratefully accepting the information she seems to uncover quite easily. As they move closer to identifying a main suspect the discovery of another body changes everything. Can they close the case before more people are put in danger or is it already too late?

Five books in, this series get better and better. Julia is a great main protagonist and the addition of her daughter Jess added a whole new dimension to the storyline. I hope she will return soon. The promise of more books to come was very welcome and I will be waiting for them eagerly.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Bookouture, but the opinions expressed are my own. I thoroughly enjoyed this installment as I have the whole series. Recommended.

Release Date: March 13, 2024
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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.

The morning after the big day, the jolly nuptial mood turns grim when Julia discovers the lifeless body of the caterer, Desmond. Someone locked him in the cold truck and the poor man froze to death. Now looking for a murderer, all eyes are on Christopher who, mid-tantrum, had publicly threatened to kill him. Convinced that Christopher is innocent, Julia vows to find the real culprit.

Julia soon discovers Desmond had a long list of enemies as she races against the clock to clear Christopher’s name. Could his death be the work of the respected wedding planner who was heard exchanging choice words with the victim? Or perhaps it was his wife – ‘til death do them part – who didn’t shed a single tear at his funeral?

But just when Julia thinks she’s cracked the case, her prime suspect is found dead with a knife in their back. Can Julia find the murderer before they strike again?

This is the fifth book in the #juliabirdmysteries series. I read books 1&2 but missed 3&4. I have a general understanding of who people were. This was the first book I’d read with Julia’s daughter and I really liked her encouraging her mother’s investigation. And who doesn’t love Jake! I really like this series and am excited for the next book!!

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

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The joyous crowd applauds as the happy couple strides down the aisle. This Cotswolds country wedding has everything – friends and family, beautiful flowers and… murder?

This was a very cute little cozy mystery. I would definitely read more in the series.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy of this cozy mystery.

Julia Bird has lived in her Cotswold village for two years now. In this, her fifth mystery, she's happy because her daughter Jess has come home from Japan for her father's wedding, which he and Christopher are holding in Berrywick. It's being held at the Swan hotel and Christopher is being a groomzilla about the day. One of the guests suffers from a nut allergy and falls down ill after eating some, but Sean the doctor is able to help him recover. Christopher is angry with the caterer who was told of the allergy, but Desmond swears that no nuts were in any of the dishes.

The next morning, Desmond's catering van is blocking the back parking lot of the hotel so Julia cannot get her car out. She and Jess see the keys are in the ignition but the driver is nowhere to be seen. They open the back door and his body tumbles out, frozen to death. How did he manage to lock himself in the van, and why were the controls turned down as low as they could go?

Julia learns things about the caterer that the police don't, and even finds evidence in his clothes that the police had obtained, and then released back to the widow. I think the police force is this village is very lucky to have her there to help them in the investigations. I love these books so much, and look forward to the next!

I was delighted to get the opportunity to read an advance copy of the latest book in the Julia Bird series. Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley. The series is perfect for lovers of cozy mysteries, and this one was a great addition. Many of the previous characters appeared in this book as well as some new additions, including Julia's daughter. Her daughter seemed to enjoy Julia's investigations, so I'm anticipating that the future books may include a mother-daughter team. I love the charming village and its inhabitants and their relationships, and I enjoyed seeing how the mystery was solved. I look forward to the next addition to the series.

I love this series and I'm so glad to return to Julia, Jake the dog and their Cotswolds home. This time, Julia's former husband, Peter, is marrying his beloved, Christopher, in Julia's town. Peter and Julia's daughter, Jess, is in from Hong Kong for the big day when emotions run wild and one of the catering staff is killed. Things don't look good for the wedding participants but luckily, Julia's skills as a retired social worker (and what she calls her 'nosiness' help solve the mysteries. This is just a wonderful cozy series and one of my favorites.

A Country Wedding Murder is the fifth book in the Julia Bird mysteries, Who murdered the caterer? When the main suspect is also murdered, the race is on to find the murderer. This was a nice light read with plenty of plot twists and numerous suspects that kept me up reading late into the night. 4/5 Stars..
My thanks to the publisher and netgalley for sharing this with me.

I do enjoy these Julia Bird mysteries. There's always a danger that the stories will get too predictable and boring by book four. That's far from the case here. Yes, they are of a type and you might just be able to work out what's going to happen and 'whodunnit' but it doesn't matter, because these are well-written and entertaining books. I love going back and seeing what Julia, Sean, Jake and her other friends are getting up to.
This time we get to meet Julia's daughter Jess. Although she has been overseas in Hong Kong for quite some time and no doubt intends to return, I suspect we might see some more of her in the not-too-distant future.
Having said that it is possible to work out 'whodunnit' I have to admit that this time I didn't. I'd managed to put some parts of the puzzle together, but I followed too many red herrings and ended up completely on the wrong track. I did finally figure it out in the last little bit, but it was very close to the end and just as Julia was realising the same thing, so I don't think that I can really claim that one.
This was a really enjoyable read and I'm looking forward to my next visit to see Julia and her friends.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

Good book! This book had a bit of everything! It had suspense, Action, intrigue, mystery, murder, revenge, a 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!