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.

This was a departure in style from the best-selling Swedish author's previous women's fiction book, The readers of Broken Wheel recommend but I quite enjoyed it as at its core is the common love of books and reading we all share and the way that can unite a community.

This first in a new cozy mystery series set in a small Cornwall village, follows Berit Gardner, an older author struggling with writer's block who finds herself with an unwanted assistant and attending a local tea party where an explosion in the grand library kills a man, sparking off a murder investigation and attracting all sorts of attention to the little town of Great Diddling.

Funny, with a cast of quirky characters and told from multiple POVs, this is perfect for fans of Agatha Christie and books like the Flavia de Luce series by Alan Bradley. Good on audio too narrated by Helen Lloyd and sure to entertain cozy mystery book lovers of all ages. Recommended for anyone who likes a good British murder mystery with high body counts and older women amateur detectives.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review. I'm looking forward to reading what comes next for Berit and the villagers of Great Diddling!

The Murders in Great Diddling by Katarina Bivald is a witty and crafty mystery with bookish themes set in atmospheric Cornwall. It is a smooth and easy read jam packed with red herrings and quirky characters.

Berit Gardner is an author with writer's block who is a newcomer to the village of Great Diddling where the locals are suspicious of outsiders. She and her assistant, Sally, attend an explosive tea party at the village manor. A man is killed and the suspects start to pile up. Outsiders see things differently than locals and the two women are well placed to do some inveigling and sleuthing. Murder has a way of drawing tourist attention, as does a book festival which would be a crime to miss.

This witty slow burn was fun to spend time with. For me delving into the human nature bits was even more appealing than the mystery itself. I also enjoyed the bookish references. Parts of the novel are implausible but I mentally set them aside and lost myself in the story and characters.

My sincere thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for providing me with an early digital copy of this delightful novel.

Seemed like a good set up and I was looking forward to it, but the book just dragged and dragged. Couldn't find any character that interested me enough.

A sorta cozy set in Cornwall that's also a bit of a tale of books and authors. Berit is meant to be working on her book but an explosion at a tea party sets her off to solve a murder. The village is filled with unusual people (characters in the true sense of the word) (and there might be a bit too many as you might have to work to keep them straight), who test Berit's determination. No spoiler from me. Thanks to Netgalley for the aRC. A good read.

The premise for The Murders in Great Diddling contained all the appealing attributes I look for in a book. Murder, literature, English village, quirky characters. However I found it to be a plodding read with an uninteresting cast. I gave up at 29% and didn’t even bother to jump ahead to find out ‘who dunnit’. I noted that our library will probably buy the book because it may appeal to others. Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

An incredible book with wonderful characters and a beautiful setting. It will keep you guessing until the end.

I really enjoyed this cozy English village mystery written by Swedish author Katarina Bivald. Our main character, Berit Gardner is an author suffering from severe writer's block. She has moved to the quiet Cornish village of Great Diddling hoping to end the dry spell and work on her next book. Her agent is on her case and insists that she get out of the house and meet the locals at a tea party hosted by a wealthy local book collector. Of course, someone gets murdered at the tea party and Berit finds herself involved in trying to solve the case.
Now that Great Diddling has developed a murderous book-related reputation, a local councilwoman decides to capitalize on the situation and host a book festival in just two weeks. Very amusing hijinks are the result.
As the book festival gets underway, Berit is aided in her amateurish sleuthing by her new young assistant Sally. I enjoyed seeing Sally become more confident in herself and come into her own.
I loved many things about this book, primarily the quirky villagers and the numerous mentions of books and authors. This is not by any means a fast-paced book. It meanders along filling the reader in on the villagers' back stories and relationships to one another. The author conveyed a very strong sense of place and I felt immersed in the village and its inhabitants.
I am excited that this book is the first in a series. It will be delightful to follow along with these characters and the village of Great Diddling and see what happens next. Thanks so much to NetGalley for providing me with an EARC of this very entertaining book.

As I was reading, Fredrik Backman’s books came to mind. Like his books, this one is filled with quirky characters, humor both caustic and gentle, a wandering story, and a touch of mystery. Don’t mistake this for a conventional village mystery type of book. Yes, there’s a spectacular murder at the start, there are police detectives, and there is a central character who acts as an amateur detective. But, for most of the book, the story isn’t driven by the investigation in the way of your usual murder mystery. This is much more the story of books, book lovers, and human connections. Berit Gardner becomes more than the observer she thought herself, and various villagers learn they need each other.

There are many characters, and it can be challenging at times to keep them all straight. The book could also have used some editing to tighten up the plot a bit. But Berit is an interesting character, as is the police detective, Ian Ahmed, and both are ripe for further development if there are future books, as is suggested by calling this #1 in a Berit Gardner series.

Coincidentally, I’ve been reading a lot of books where the main character/amateur sleuth has been a novelist, and I’ve honestly liked them all. This was a nice, quick cozy, with a really good mystery at its core. Death by explosion is a really unique murder weapon for a cozy too. 😂 The ending of this one was different too, and I really liked it. And it was full of books! Really enjoyable read! 4 ⭐️

The Murders in Great Diddling is a clever yet cozy mystery. Although it does take on a slow pace, it certainly adds to its cozy setup. We follow Berit Gardner as she and her assistant (who arrived as a surprise) investigates a murder in their small town. Despite the premise of the murder mystery, I found myself being more drawn to the bookishness of this story. An author, an agent, and a book festival all in a close-knit community—it’s such a reader’s dream. I feel like this could have been shorter, and at some points I found myself bored with all the meandering and the longevity, but still, I’d recommend this book to anyone who loves a good, cozy murder mystery.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Press for the ARC! :>

A Swedish author with a serious case of writers' block moves to a Cornwall village and becomes obsessed with solving a murder. The book festival with fake authors was ridiculous and implausible and ruined what was otherwise an enjoyable cozy mystery.