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

I enjoyed this murder mystery with a great love of books at its heart. The main character is an author, the mystery revolves around a book collection, and there is even a literary festival which involves the whole town of Great Diddling.

Berit Gardner has recently moved to the town and is hoping to rediscover her muse in the ambience of the quiet countryside. Things do not work out quite how she has planned and she ends up fully occupied by investigating a very unpleasant murder. I enjoyed her relationship with the detective on the case and hope that he pops up again in future books.

I thought this was a good mystery, nicely written and with many engaging characters. I will certainly follow this up if the series continues.

Unfortunately, I just could not get into this book. It was so unbelievably slow. It didn't even feel like there was solid character or plot development. So...it felt like I was just reading a lot of words with no purpose.

However, I will say that there were some BEAUTIFUL passages throughout the book. Those comments or that dialogue that just got you right in the feels. So, well done there.

I do believe that there will be a lot of people who will absolutely love this book. I just, unfortunately, am not one of them.

Swedish author Berit Gardner has moved to the sleepy village of Great Diddling in the English countryside. She hopes that the quiet country life will help her creative juices to start flowing again, as her agent is constantly nagging her to get started on her next book. Due to Berit's lack of action, the agent sends her daughter Sally to stay with Berit and act as her personal assistant and motivate her to write. Soon after Sally's arrival, she accompanies Berit to a tea party on the grounds of Tawny Hall, a large estate in the village. The current owner, Daphne Trent, is a somewhat excentric elderly lady. She is friendly and outgoing but spends most of her time on her large book collection. Inside Tawny Hall, every available surface is covered with books. While there is a library in the house that is also full of books, Daphne and her assistant Margaret have learned to navigate around the piles of books on every surface. Although everyone in the village was invited to the tea party, no one is thrilled to see that Daphne's nephew, Reginald Trent, has also made an appearance. Loud and brash, he makes everyone uncomfortable and seems to be in active disagreements with several of them. It is still shocking when, in the middle of the genteel tea party, there is a large explosion inside the house. It seems Reginald was blown up while sitting at a desk. The police are called in and everyone at the party is a suspect. Berit, who has felt creatively stifled for some time, feels energized by the excitement of solving the mystery. Although she is viewed kindly by the main investigating police officer, DCI Ian Ahmed, she still is unable to follow his instructions to stay out of the investigation. Since Reginald wasn't exactly beloved in the village, the people in town decide this is a great opportunity to tourists to their sleepy Cornish town. They will use the publicity from the unsolved murder as the inspiration for their first annual "Book and Murder Festival." Pity they only have two weeks to set it all up and get in touch with famous authors. What could possibly go wrong with that plan?

The book is really entertaining, and the villagers are quite interesting. There are the usual tensions and suspicions among neighbors and nearly everyone is hiding something. The "book and murder" event was quite amusing and the activities that were planned on the spur of the moment were clever. I hope that Berit and her Great Diddling friends will be making more appearances in the future!

Fun book about a small town trying to survive on books and murder.

Originally from Sweden, author Berit Gardener moved to Great Diddling hoping to tap into some of the stories she knows are hidden in the town. Her agent - upset that Berit is behind in the writing of her next novel - has sent her daughter Sally as an assistant to encourage the writing. No sooner has Sally arrived, then she and Berit are off to a tea party, hosted by Daphne Trent at the local manor, Tawny Hall. Daphne is hoping that the tea party helps soothe the locals, maybe even show them she has no control over her nephew and his unpopular decision to sell some of the local shops. Unfortunately, before much soothing happens, Daphne’s nephew is killed in an explosion. Berit being a collector of stories and observer of life gets involved in the investigation. As the villagers decide to take advantage of their recent notoriety by holding a book and murder festival, she reluctantly gets dragged into the hijinks.

I really enjoyed this book. It wasn’t a typical mystery novel, but meandered around, getting side tracked by the festival, for example. I loved the quirky characters, books and more books (Daphne has a legendary book collection, including lots of first editions), and humor. And of course, everyone has a secret or two, from the uber-talented local politician to the quaint older sisters who run the tea shop. Lots of twists and turns, although some bits were a little incredulous. Berit was a great main character - I’m looking forward to see in her in future books!

Highly recommended.I received a copy of this from NetGalley.com that I voluntarily chose to review.

The Murders in Great Diddling is a wonderfully humorous cozy series starter by Katarina Bivald. Due out 13th Aug 2023 from Sourcebooks on their Poisoned Pen Press imprint, it's 432 pages and will be available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links.

Writer and observer-of-life Berit has moved to the village of Great Diddling, having bought a cottage in Cornwall sight unseen. It's not on the more fashionable coast, as everyone points out, and her pushy agent is half convinced she's gone off her rocker. She's got an intractable case of writer's block, and the voices in her head have gone worryingly silent. Add a village of eccentric secondary characters, a mousy unwished-for assistant (her agent's daughter). Add an exceptionally rare book collection, the loathesome nephew and heir of the local feudal family landowners, some high-powered explosives, and stir well.

The author's dry comedic timing is a wonder to behold, and the book is delightfully *full* of diverting bookish tie-ins and sly unforced bibliophile in-jokes which will bring smiles to lovers of books.

The author/publisher has also included suggested discussion topics and questions for book clubs and personal analysis. It's not entirely clear from the publishing info provided, if this book was translated into English (the author is Swedish), but if so, the translation work is perfectly seamless and invisible. There are currently 3 works in the series (books 2 and 2.5 are currently only available in Swedish).

The unabridged audiobook has a run time of 13 hours 30 minutes and is masterfully read by Helen Lloyd. She has a perfect voice for the read, slightly gravelly and practical, and easily switches between numerous regional accents, from cut-crystal RP to a pretty credible Polish working class, as well as MC Berit who is of mixed Swedish/English descent. Sound and production quality are very high throughout the read, and the narrator is an absolute delight.

Four and a half stars for the print version, a strong 5 stars for the delightful audiobook. Highly recommended for public library acquisition, home use, and bookclub/buddy discussions.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

When I have the opportunity to both read and listen to a book I am happy. I can read when I am sitting and can listen when I am out and about. This synchronicity worked perfectly while I enjoyed The Murders in Great Diddling.

The cover and title give some sense of this as a British mystery and indeed it is. Great Diddling is in Cornwall. It is a community where the people who live there know one another.

The story begins when there is an outdoor tea party. Owner of a grand (if rundown) estate has invited the villagers to a tea party. This device leads to a rapid introduction to many characters for the reader.

There are the manor owner, Daphne and her assistant Margaret. There is Daphne’s difficult and disliked nephew. There are author Berit and Sally, daughter of her agent, and hopeful employee of Berit. There is a couple; James has a stake in a hotel and Penny has a stake in defending her husband. There are owners of village businesses whose doors are to be closed and others as well.

There is an explosion and in its aftermath a body is found. I will leave it to the reader to find out who the victim is. Suffice it to say, there are many with motives.

This is the lead in to a long, fun and involving story. Take the time to enjoy it. I did. Note how much there is about books, lots of books in this one as you read or listen.

I found the narration to be spot on. The reader was British and helped to create the atmosphere of the story in a delightful way.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press and Dreamscape Audio for this title. All opinions are my own.

The Murders In Great Diddling, is the first book in the Barrett Gardner mysteries by Katarena Bivald, When Barrett Gardner moved to inland Cornwall, she just wanted a quiet life so she could write her books but unfortunately she’s going to get quite the opposite. First of all her day begins when she receives a new assistant in Jenny, a mousy quiet girl who is also her agents daughter and even though she didn’t need or want an assistant she takes the girl on anyway. After all she’s late for the tea party it’s being thrown by Daphne Trent and her nephew Reginald is down from London and he has shaken up the town of great diddling. He wants to sell many of the small businesses on the high street and so the fact he is murdered is no surprise to the villagers although they are wondering, who did it? Unfortunately Reginald isn’t the only murder victim and DCI Ian Ahmed has his hands full, because like most small towns rumors abound and they collectively think they know who did it. With Ian and Barrett on the case who will solve it first? I love the whole field of the story, I do wish it wouldn’t of been as long as it was, but I still enjoyed every last letter sentence and paragraph. I thought the author although moody was very likable and to say I want to read the next book is an understatement. This is a great read and one I definitely, definitely recommend.#NetGalley, #PoisonPenPress, #TheMurdersInGreatDiddling, #TheBarrettGardnerMysteries, #KatarinaBivald,

Thank you Netgalley & Poisoned Pen Press Publishing for an eARC♥️

Oh my gosh, you guys! As soon as August rolls around on the calendar, I start craving cozy fall reads, and "The Murders in Great Diddling" by Katarina Bivald is the perfect book to satisfy that craving! It's like the ultimate mashup of cozy mystery, witty banter, and quirky characters.

Berit Gardner, the main character, is an author struggling with writer's block, and I mean, who can't relate? She's sent to this adorable English town to get her creative juices flowing again, but things take a dark turn when a murder happens!

The cast of characters is just so lovable and zany - from the pushy editor to the quirky assistant, and the townspeople who are all a little bit suspicious. And can we talk about the setting? Great Diddling is like the ultimate cozy town, complete with a wonky tourism council and a whole lot of charm🥰

The mystery itself is super engaging, with twists and turns that'll keep you guessing. But what really makes this book shine is the tone - it's like a warm hug on a chilly day. And the best part? It's the first book in a series! I'm beyond thrilled to have found a new series to obsess over, and I know I'll be eagerly awaiting the next installment. So if you're like me and August means it's time to start stockpiling cozy fall reads, add "The Murders in Great Diddling" to your list ASAP! It's the perfect way to ease into the cozier months ahead.

Every once in awhile you read a book you wish you had written. This is one of them. Great Diddling lies somewhere in the English countryside between the Father Brown tv series, the headquarters of the Thursday Murder Club, and Cabot Cove.

Berit Gardner, an author of Swedish extraction, has come to live in the tiny, crumbling country village of Great Diddling. But she likes that it is a nondescript, humble place. It means she can finish her novel uninterrupted. Her editor, anxious to have the manuscript as soon as possible, sends her own niece to Diddling as an assistant (spy) and keep Berit on track.

Always up for a distraction, Berit accepts an invitation to a garden tea party at the local manor house. The hostess, Daphne Trent, is anxious to welcome the noted author to town, and is also hopeful the open invitation to the villagers will bring together new residents and old. What she doesn’t expect is an explosion will tear apart her beloved library and kill her nephew.

This is more excitement than Great Diddling knows what to do with — and it’s a perfect excuse for Berit to ignore her manuscript and help the authorities gather clues. Ultimately, the town will turn the publicity from the outrageous explosion into a boon. They launch a combination book and murder festival (honestly, not sure why a picturesque English town hasn’t done this already) to being in tourists, prop up business, and rally the community together.

Berit leads the narrative throughout, with observations from parochial detectives, her assistant, and the lady of the manor. The writing is sharp and keen-eyed. Best of all, there is plenty of dark, and light, humor, along the way. It doesn’t shy away from the shadowy business of murder but it also finds a great deal to celebrate about the eccentricities of humans.