i honestly did not like this book, i really tried to dont get me wrong but it felt like it was going on and on for years and years, also theres way too much details on things i dont find that important and then not enough details for things that should have been explained better

I really enjoyed this book. I always love a mystery in a small town with a great cast of quirky characters. It's really well paced, and the mystery is engrossing, but not overly complicated or convoluted. The author did a great job of introducing each character and letting you get to know them, without slowing down or dragging out the action.

I have read this author before and therefore knew she could write a great tale, but had no idea how that would translate into mysteries; thankfully, she does an excellent job [I was silly for worrying] with this genre and this was a thoroughly enjoyable read for me.

Berit Gardner is my new spirit animal, and while I don't really want to solve murders [EEK!!], except as the armchair detective I am, and I don't want to write books [I have tried and am complete rubbish at it], I do strive [and am committed to] to be as curmudgeonly as possible [LOL], I would love an assistant [as does Berit once she gets over the "intrusion"], and books REALLY are everything to me [with about 5-6 people ;-) ] and I see the importance of sharing [hoarding is great, but sharing is even better, especially if they are completely taking over your quality of life] and reading them [READ BANNED BOOKS!!!!!!!!!].

The mystery [for me] was very good [I honestly never saw this person coming {I was really fixated on someone else - they SO could have been the killer} and was an excellent red herring; even thinking about it later and knowing what I missed, I had a hard time seeing it. SO excellent], it was a very well-written and had a very satisfying [and slightly ambiguous] ending, which is all us mystery-readers can hope for. It was also really sad in parts; what people will do...smh.

I really enjoyed most of the side characters [there will always be those who rub you the wrong way, even if they are not supposed to LOL] as well and am looking forward to them being fleshed out more should there 1. be a book two and 2. they stay in Great Diddling [crossing ALL MY FINGERS AND TOES there is one!!].

Berit is my new favorite character [I honestly want to be her when I grow up], I love how everything wasn't repeated a billion times [what a glorious thing to read a book by an author who realizes her readers aren't 5 and don't need beat over the head with the same information over and over again - just fantastic], and I finished this book and just sighed because 1. it was over [I didn't have full-blown book hangover, but it was close and I was sad I had to leave that world] and 2. just how satisfying reading it had been [for me].

I am not sure I have listened to Helen Lloyd before, but I sure hope to again - what an absolute treat her narration was. She reads exceptionally well [especially considering there is a rather large cast in this book] and the way she reads really adds to the overall book and made it even more enjoyable. I highly recommend this audiobook [as well as the book].

Thank you to NetGalley, Katarina Bivald, Poisoned Pen Press, and Dreamscape Media for providing both the eBook and audiobook ARC's in exchange for an honest review.

Such a great read! Highly recommend this one.

Many thanks to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I liked the idea of this cozy murder mystery. However, I do feel like the story was just weighed down too much with description. It felt like the murder was in the background when it should have been the main focus. The story just felt too slow for me and I just didn't enjoy it.

I hope others love this one.

Katarina Bivald's "The Murders in Great Diddling" is a delightful mystery that combines wit and whimsy with a touch of suspense. Set in a quaint English village, the novel follows an amateur sleuth as she unravels a series of enigmatic murders. Bivald's writing is sharp and engaging, creating a charming atmosphere that brings the small-town setting to life. The characters are endearing and the plot is cleverly constructed, making for an entertaining and satisfying read. Fans of cozy mysteries will find this book a delightful addition to the genre.

Katarina Bivald is herself a Swedish author, making this book even more fun. Unlike Berit, Ms. Bivald remains happily at home in Sweden, just outside of Stockholm.

Many of the best cozy mysteries take place in an out-of-the-way village. From the earliest days of Miss Marple and Miss Silver, amateur sleuths have been digging up the roots of crime in small hamlets. Inevitably, what seems like a sleepy town is actually full of personal intrigue and even scandal.

I assumed The Murders in Great Diddling would hew pretty close to this pattern. The story follows Berit Gardner, a Swedish author who moves to the eponymous village in search of character inspiration - or at least a clear mind. Almost as soon as she arrives, a local man dies in a fiery explosion at a village tea party. Pretty soon, she’s digging into the village and its inhabitants, only to find that things are much stranger in Great Diddling than they appear on the surface…

…Which sounds exactly like the blurb of so many other British cozy mystery stories. Remote village? Check. Introverted, creative, and observant protagonist? Check and check. Hidden depths? You got them. When I picked up The Murders in Great Diddling, I expected nothing more than a competent traditional / cozy mystery. (Thanks to NetGalley for the gift review copy!)

To my surprise, Katarina Bivald has imbued her story with a bit more edge than I expected. Berit’s role as an author and Bivald’s unique take on village inhabitants make for a more meta mystery (though still a reasonably traditional one).

The author, detecting

It’s somewhat surprising, perhaps, that there aren’t many novelist-detectives in fiction. There’s Jessica Fletcher, of course, and more recently we’ve seen Ernest Cunningham and Eleanor Dash. (Journalists are more common, likely because they have an easy way to get involved in murder investigations and an easy excuse for their questions.) But overall, we don’t see that many authors investigating murders - even though cozy mystery protagonists can otherwise range from small-business owners to doctors to pensioners and vacationers.

It’s a shame, because the right kind of author, written well, can seem almost naturally predisposed to investigate the people around her. Bivald’s Berit Gardner is one such author, constantly monitoring those around her to understand their stories and mine their characters. Not only that, her profession allows her to observe from a distance and ask an odd question or two without really ringing any alarm bells. And her research allows her familiarity with investigative techniques and odd facts without the needs for specific explanations each time.

It makes for an intriguing investigation, one that almost feels Marple-like, where you’re watching a people-master at work. Berit pretty quickly picks up on some of the oddness in the village, but only brings it up or acts on it if she deems it necessary. She may explain to the police officer charged to solve the case, or to her assistant if necessary. But often, the clues are just there, in people’s behavior or dialogue, inviting you to pick them up as Berit does. It’s a nice change of pace from the more frenetic heroines we sometimes see in modern mysteries.

A village apart

Of course, Berit’s observational powers would be lost in a village with nothing to hide. But Bivald’s Great Diddling is full of secrets - and unlike in other mystery novels, we get to ride along with the inhabitants as they try to cover them up. In this, it reminds me of The Curtain-Twitcher’s Book of Murder, another new crime novel with a fun format. (I will do my best in this section not to spoil any of the mysteries! Please bear with vagueness as a result.)

It’s not just that the villagers in Great Diddling have secrets. It’s that there are layers of deception, with some deceptions more orchestrated that others. Relatively early in the novel, the town council decides that the murder could actually put their village back on the map. Quickly, a book-and-murder festival is born, with the entire village banding together to host (and trick) tourists for a literary extravaganza. Underneath this high-level orchestrated deception are layers of others, and Bivald allows the perspective to shift so we can see (and sympathize with) each one.

The result is a story with a smattering of dramatic irony and an intriguing relationship with the truth. At several points, we know more than any of the investigative protagonists, and the investigative story is richer for it. Berit herself is a far cry from more moralistic Golden Age sleuths - she’s interested in learning stories, not passing judgement on them. There are moments where the revelation of truth - at the wrong time, or in the wrong way - causes more harm than good. At the same time, the truth is clearly important, especially in the case of uncovering a murderer. Bivald walks a thin line between “humans are interesting in all their colors” and “the truth is a prerequisite for true happiness”.

Reader’s rating and review (⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️✨)

The Murders in Great Diddling is a fun and well-written traditional mystery with a surprising narrative edge. I personally enjoyed Berit the author as an investigator, as well as the ensemble cast of fun, morally light grey visitors. Some good snark as well, including observations about literary festivals and the job of writing. You’ll probably know if this is in your sweet spot - it’s definitely in mine. Three and a half stars.

Read this if...

“Author detective” sounds fun and intriguing

You like stories with layers of intersecting intrigue - but that still don’t take themselves too seriously

You immediately laughed at the fact that the village is called Great Diddling - there’s more where that came from

Skip this if...

You want clear moral boundaries in your mysteries

You appreciate a mystery where every deduction is clearly laid out at the point of inference

You’re not the in the mood to read something “bookish” - Bivald loves her references

The Murders in Great Diddling was published on August 13, 2024.

*This will count for my book with at least 4 different POV characters for the 52 Book Club challenge.

Berit is experiencing writer’s block when a murder occurs in her small English village. An author and a relatively newcomer to the village, she is able to read people well, as she tells DC Ahmed as he investigates. The village decides to throw a book festival using the murder as PR. A unique mystery, filled with books and red herrings. Recommended. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Some of the best mysteries cozy or otherwise take place in small English country towns. I would say that this novel has cozy undertones but it also has some language making it a little edgier than your standard cozy. The main character, author Berit Gradner, needed a change of pace to get back her writing mojo so she got a cottage in Great Diddling (you will never guess what the name means). The town has all the bits that small Cornish town should have including a manor house. Another thing that small towns have is secrets, and this one is no different. The only thing that is not a secret is just how much the locals despise Reginald Trent, not even his aunt Daphne is fond of him. It is no wonder that he ends up being the victim.
Once the beginning pieces of the plot are laid down, the story really goes off with quite a bang. Oh and what a bang it was, giving everyone a bit to gossip about. Being that this is a small town there is no local constabulary which means that Detective Inspector Ian Ahmed is not a local and not likely to get any real answers from the townsfolk, unless he is interested in gossip. What DI Ahmed does learn is that Trent was a wheeler dealer and described in such a way that made it easy to sympathize with the business owners that he was threatening. Penny Elmer referred to Trent as a snake and others thought of him as a bully, but no one thought of him as particularly brilliant.
The other characters in the story are absolutely brilliant (as in amazing), I would go as far as to say bloody brilliant. The story is given by multiple points of view, not just the sleuth, or even the sleuth and the Detective Inspector. Each of them has a secret or two and they are pretty good at improvising. Imagine turning a murder into a tourist event featuring mystery books and writers. It is a little macabre but also very original and the townsfolk are 100% behind the idea. Berit has her work cut out for her as she takes on the task of following clues and asking questions. She has a quiet way about her and some quirky habits. I especially like that she lays down flat on the floor (at home) to get a different perspective because don’t things look different from the floor. Berit’s new assistant Sally, aka her agent’s inexperienced daughter, is not entirely sure what to think of the new boss, the town, or the sleuthing. Sally was sent by her mom to make sure that Berit is writing her next novel. The only thing Berit has been writing down in her journal is the clues that she has uncovered. This was a highly enjoyable story and the multiple points of view kept it interesting. So grab a cup of tea, use the good china if you have it or find a seat in the garden because this story will capture your attention.

This was a cute story with interesting characters. I enjoyed the setting and liked looking at a murder through the lens of a writer. I thought there were so many eccentric characters and liked seeing how they attempted to change the narrative.

I went into this book thinking it was going to be a quick, cozy mystery. That is not what this is. It actually started off great and I loved the idea of an author and her assistant helping the police solve a murder that happened at a tea party they were attending. It reminded me of Murder, She Wrote in that sense and I loved that show growing up. I think one of the problems with this book is that it delved too deep into the lives of some of the side characters and then totally derailed when it started focusing on the town and its idea to hold a book festival in order to boost tourism. That whole part could have been a whole book separate from the murder mystery. Then the book would have been shorter and could have stayed on track and not left me skipping to the end just to find out who the murderer actually was. I guess I just prefer my murder mysteries to be shorter and stay focused on solving the murder and throwing in a few red herrings every once in awhile. I'm not sure what this book is but in the end I just wanted the time I spent reading this book back. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Loving cozy British mysteries set in bucolic villages with the most amusing of names, as I do, I couldn’t pass up the chance to read The Murders in Great Diddling by New York Times bestselling author Katarina Bivald.

Berit Gardner moved to inland Cornwall and Great Diddling to escape London, her agent and writer’s block, hoping for peace, a little intrigue and inspiration for her next novel.

A manor house tea party murder in a town with more secrets and lies than residents was all the bestselling author needed to start the wheels spinning and put her novelist powers of observation to use, not only in hopes for her next book but to solving the crime as well.

When the town’s tourism board decides they should capitalize on the explosive murder in Tawny Hall’s magnificent library with a Murder and Books Festival, the flawed and amusing characters as suspects came out of the woodwork, along with a red herring or too for a fun cozy read.

I recommend The Murders in Great Diddling to fans of cozy book-themed British mysteries. I received this advanced reader copy of The Murders in Great Diddling from Poisoned Pen Press, courtesy of NetGalley.

Thanks to NetGalley & Poisoned Pen Press Publishing for the opportunity to read The Murders in Great Diddling by Kaarina Bivald. I loved it. Loved the setting, the characters were a fun, motley, zany bunch and this author's writing always appeals to me.

Our main character moved to the English village of Great Diddling to seek inspiration for her next novel. But when there was a murder that took place at a gathering she attended, there was an inner urge to solve this mystery, and so she began her investigation with the villagers to uncover the culprit.

This book is a cozy mystery read, and it delves into themes of friendship, trust, and the sometimes-hidden darkness in even the most seemingly perfect communities.

While the POVs of the characters are both witty and engaging, the book was somewhat predictable. But I can say that the conclusion was satisfying, if not entirely surprising.

Thank you, Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press, for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Let's book remind me A mystery writer named. AG ATH ACH RI.S t I e. It takes place in England and all the action starts when they have a tea party At the famous house in this town. There is explosion when somebody dies There is A A UT HAR. Who is? Hiding in the town who wrote r Murder miss three books. The story was very interesting because they talked about these famous books.And this became the base of why all this was happening. It was well written and everybody had attacked this.I didn't mean just want to find out what really happened in this town. They were gonna have the festival with different writers in this town.But there's a catch To that as well. It's appointed 35 years of service and everything president's appointment should resign now. They have to drop it out in a race well for full length.

Books, books, books. A lot of this is about books. Writing them, literary agents, book lovers and collectors. And of course murder. And the people in a struggling village who in an effort to remake the town might find themselves.

Berit Gardner, a writer struggling to produce her next book, is at a village tea party when a bomb kills a local man. It turns out no one really likes him and there are plenty of suspects. But the town decides not to let it get them down. Instead, they decide to host a book festival around books and murder. And a little thing like the fact they have two weeks to do it and can get no authors to attend won't stop them. And who cares if there is a murder investigation going on...

If that is your main focus--the murder investigation--you might be disappointed because it shares equal or perhaps even a little less than equal billing with the many povs of the intriguing and all too recognizable people in town. There is humor, personal growth, desperation and hope amongst the homage to books and the impact they can have on people's lives. And don't forget the many easter eggs for readers to enjoy and maybe even discover a new writer or two.

Particularly in the beginning it wasn't easy keeping straight all the characters but as the book progressed I got a handle on them. It is a bit slow moving from the investigation angle. Also, I don't think that there was a real clue that pointed to the culprit. I don't have a problem with one being well hidden but at the reveal it becomes clear. I didn't fell that was the case here.

An enjoyable book with good characters, a love of books and an ok mystery.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

This book took me forever to read -- it wasn't bad, I just didn't want to keep reading. It was too long and the "twist" or reveal at the end was meh. I think the setting was good and Berit was the most interesting but the characters really needed to be devloped better. Hope you have better luck!

The Murders in Great Diddling comes out next week on August 13, 2024 and you can purchase HERE.

Once something had existed for so long in your head, it became hard to tell whether it was real or not.

📚 #BOOKREVIEW 📚
The Murders in Great Diddling by Katarina Bivald
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / Pages: 424 / Genre: Cozy Mystery

Swedish-born author Berit moves to a quaint village in Cornwall in hopes of breaking a terrible case of writer’s block. Soon after moving in, she’s invited to a tea party, which ends in murder. Her curious instincts as an author lead her to conduct her own investigation while the rest of the village decide to make murder their “thing.” In an effort to revitalize their tourist appeal, they host a book festival honoring murder mysteries.

A cozy mystery in a town full of book lovers? I’m in! I really enjoyed this story, the setting, and the characters.

The Murders in Great Diddling comes out tomorrow!

Thank you, @NetGalley, @PoisonedPenPress, @Dreamscape_Media, and @KatarinaBivald for my gifted copies.

The Murders in Great Diddling by Katarina Bivald #sixtyfifthbookof2024 #arc

CW: death, murder, explosions, blackmail, con artists

When a Sunday tea party is the scene of a murderous explosion, the small community pulls together to throw a book and murder festival to capitalize on the game and bring tourists to their failing town. What follows is a story of neighbors helping neighbors, and maybe a little blackmail, but another murder throws things into upheaval.

Berit is a likable protagonist, an author with writers block who moves to her small town to help kickstart her research. Her new community is full of other interesting characters that she hopes will provide inspiration for her next novel, and we get to meet them all.

This was a very cute novel, full of books, authors, murder, and book and murder festivals, and I adored it. Sort of a cozy mystery, I would say. I would watch a Masterpiece Mystery based on this book, and that is very high praise.

Thank you to @poisonedpenpress and @netgalley for the advance copy. (pub date 8/13/24)

#themurdersingreatdiddling #cozymystery