The Murders in Great Diddling by Katarina Bivald follows the unusual but oh-so familiar lives of the villagers of Great Diddling in the wake of an explosion that ruins a tea party and kills the most hated man in the village. In trying to solve the murder, DCI Ahmed uncovers all the wriggling secrets buried deep in the quaint Cornish town of Great Diddling with a little help from Berit Gardner - the cynical Swedish novelist doing her best to navigating the limbo between book projects, while simultaneously dodging her agent's persistent attempts to get her to write.

The characters are the stars of the show: each and every one is beautifully fleshed out and none of them are anything like how they first appear. While Berit is lined up as the protagonist, this story is told from multiple points of view, giving depth and gravity to the unexpected actions of each character. Whether it's Daphne with her extensive book collection, Mary and Eleanor with their little cafe, or Simu with her political ambitions, it's hard not to grow attached to this colourful cast of characters, and easier still to fall for their ruses.

With its strong theme of stories this book can feel a little meta at times, but bookworms will feel right at home in Daphne's enormous library, Berit's inner writing monologue, and the village's impromptu book festival. This story nails the cosy components you would expect from a story set in a teeny Cornish village but doesn't hesitate to sneak up and hamstring you with plot twists when you least expect them (as all good murder mysteries should).

The main issue with this book is its soggy middle section which was a struggle to get through. Suspense and intrigue are vital parts of any murder mystery, and 50-100 pages of unnecessary information and confusing red herrings could easily have been shaved off to keep the suspense taut throughout.

Overall, this story is an endearing mystery that keeps you guessing and chuckling and desperate for a cup of tea and slice of cake.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this eARC!

The Murders of Great Diddling - Katarina Bivald

The villagers of Great Diddling have gathered at Tawny Hall for a tea party thrown by its owner, Daphne Trent. Berit Gardner, an author who has recently moved to the village, is unsettled by the tension surrounding the tea party, seeming to center on Daphne’s nephew, Reginald. Berit discovers that Reginald has threatened to close down the village shops, and has embroiled the hotel owner into a shady contract. All her fears are merited, as a small bomb goes off in the house, killing Reginald.

The village is thrown into chaos, as multiple people are considered as suspects, and other want to take advantage of a high-profile murder to bring tourists to town. Berit decides she will solve this murder, but every clue she turns up muddies the waters until she isn’t sure it will ever clear up. We follow as Berit, along with London detective Ian Ahmed, try to discover the murderer, while also watching the village being turned on its head, as the town council has decided to capitalize on the publicity and hold a Book and Murder festival in just two weeks.

This was such a fun book! I loved the characterization of all the eccentric villagers, including petty criminals, nosy neighbors, con artists, disgraced politicians, and the wealthy patron of the village who is obsessed with her book collection. The author did a great job showcasing the everyday village life alongside a murder investigation, so it never dragged, but I also really felt like a part of the town. The twists and turns kept me guessing the whole time, and I only figured out the murderer as the characters did. I also love a book that doesn’t take itself too seriously, and this fit the bill!

This book was The Thursday Murder Club-meets-The Patron Saint of Second Chances-meets-Murder She Wrote, and I would highly recommend it! Mark you calendars for August 13th when The Murders of Great Diddling publishes, as this is one you won’t want to miss!

Beautifully written with exceptional characters! This book is fast paced and has a very comfy cozy atmosphere and is perfect to snuggle up with on a rainy day.

The Murders in Great Diddling by Katarina Bivald is absolutely my kind of contemporary cozy mystery with just the right amount of comedy. I will preface this review with the fact that my attention was grabbed immediately by the title (that made me cackle out loud), the cuppa on the cover (tea is my main food group) and an author I had not come across before. It started strong and it just got better and better


Berit Gardner is having a bit of a time, not least a crippling writers block which is most unhelpgul in her vocattion as an author. Berit decides to up sticks and find inspo in a little village in Cornwall which was the epitome of English country favourites. This includes the obligatory village fete (bunting, fairy cakes, vegetable growing competitions, you know the type) however, at this fete, there is an almighty explosion and a most unalived individual

Berit wanted inspo and it was not so much as given, but deluged. However, a new covation is in sight, that of amateur sleuth and Berit has at it with much gusto!

I loved this book, I was giggling away, intrigued, cheering and growling, all in equal measure. The wrtiting flow is chipper and interesting, the characters brilliantly defined and the dialogue inspired. Brilliant!

Thank you to Netgalley, Poisoned Pen Press and the author Katarina Bivald for this awesome ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

What a fun cozy mystery! I loved the characters and setting, things that I think are really important in these types of mysteries. The mystery itself was entertaining and resolved well.

I've read and loved another book by Katarina Bivald a couple of years ago ("The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend") and was really excited when I saw this book. Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC!

"A novel about a village that was overrun with books" (c) Katarina Bivald

An author moves to a small village to relax and get out of writer’s block but finds herself in the middle of a murder. I guessed 'who did it' from the very beggining, but I loved that there was so much more to everyone's story and actions than I thought at first. And I can't count how many times I dreamed about moving to the very same village just to be with these characters and in that atmosphere.

'The Murders in Great Diddling' is a murder mystery full of cozy vibes, great and charismatic characters, and funny dialogue.
I enjoyed it a lot! 3.5 stars from me

Katarina Bivald’s novel, The Murders in Great Diddling, is like the fabled curate’s egg – it’s good in parts. Author Berit Gardner has moved to the village because she’s suffering from writer’s block and her agent, Olivia Marsch has despatched her inexperienced 18-year-old daughter, Sally, to act as Berit’s personal assistant. The action starts with a tea party at the local manor, where the owner, Daphne Trent, is trying to calm things down after her nephew told some villagers they would be evicted shortly. There is an explosion in Chapter 3, leaving a body in the library(!).

Although this starts as a fairly standard “our heroine tries to solve the case because the police are ineffective” narrative, it takes a wonderfully surreal turn when the locals decide to cash in on the murder and hold a literary festival – the Great Diddling Books and Murder Festival. I did have to read a couple of pages between the fingers covering my eyes in disbelief as I gasped “No, they wouldn’t dare, would they? Surely not? They do dare?!!!”

Some aspects were simply unrealistic, such as Daphne (who has lived in Great Diddling all her long life) not knowing who a local was; and two live-long villagers, born a year apart, not knowing each other as children. The author overdoes the “staying silent keeps people talking” approach (the characters do it and Bivald tells us they’re doing it). The early review copy I had needed one more proof-reading to eliminate a couple of casual errors such as the time when Berit spent the day in her living room and then “forced herself to go home to bed.”

I’ll be honest, I found the book OK but nothing memorable until the Book Festival twist. Once the Great Diddling Books and Murder Festival is mooted, the book is sublime. The chapter describing the Festival Sunday is one of those gloriously uplifting bits of prose to which I shall turn when I need cheering up. It’s one of those chapters that is a hug in a book. It restores your faith in humans’ friendly nature; it makes you think “I am so pleased for those people at the Festival – both visitors and residents”; and then you think “Oh, I wish I was there, in that High Street, joining in the fun.” This is a book for book-lovers. I don’t mean it’s full of clever in-jokes or hidden allusions, just that it will resonate strongly with readers for whom books are important.

Thank you, NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press, for the free review copy of this glorious book.

Thank you NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press, and Katarina Bivald for the ARC!

Publication Date: August 13, 2024

The Murders in Great Diddling is so good! I was not expecting half of the plot and the characters were so loveable but I also suspected everybody.

I would highly recommend to get this when it comes out! One of mg favorite ARC’s that i have gotten!

This was an exciting and thrilling read for sure! I loved the setting and the depth we get from each character. It has been a while since I have read a murder mystery book where I have absolutely no clue who could have done it but, this book had me guessing different people every chapter. Really lovely read and would love to read more from this author. I absolutely recommend this book to every murder mystery reader out there.

Writer Berit Gardner buys a cottage in Cornwall and moves in, hoping to find some new story ideas in her new community. To get to know her new neighbors, she attends a tea party, where the nephew of the hostess is blown up in the library.

Well, no one really cares about the young man’s passing, Berit decide to find out why no one really cared about the young man, and why he was killed. The DCI has warned her not to get involved, she just can’t help herself. Maybe this will even get her creative writing juices flowing again… If someone doesn’t stop her permanently.

This is a great start to a new series, and I cannot wait for more entries to be published. As in any British Cozzi, mystery, there are always some quirky, villagers and characters, and I love every single one of them. They make for a fun and enjoyable environment for each, and every mystery that is written. Already waiting for the next one in this series.

Delicious..
The picturesque village of Great Diddling may well be the perfect spot for author Berit Gardner to overcome her writers block. There are stories there, she is absolutely sure of it. The fact is that there will soon be more than Berit could ever have anticipated and Berit will be right there at the very centre of it all. A deliciously well crafted murder mystery in a delightful setting with a deftly drawn cast of eclectic and eccentric characters, an engaging plot amply laced with wry humour and a solid mystery at its very heart. Delicious.

An often amusing mystery with quirky characters set in a small town in Cornwall. Berit Gardner is an author experiencing writer's block but luckily for her, she attends a garden party where an explosion and murder occur. With her keen attention to detail and strong analytical skills, she is soon assisting the police in their investigation and making friends of her flawed but mostly lovable neighbors. A very enjoyable mystery!

An author's peaceful village is upended when the heir to a manor house is killed during a tea party.

Swedish author Berit Gardner has relocated to the quiet Cornwall village of Great Diddling, hoping to overcome writer's block and pen her next novel. When the heir to the local manor house dies in an explosion in the estate's library, Berit becomes an amateur detective, helping the police solve the case and finding inspiration for her writing.

With a picturesque village, a quirky cast of characters, and an intriguing puzzle to solve, this book is perfect for fans of Agatha Christie and Midsomer Murders. The characters themselves even joke about the village's resemblance to a cozy, murderous village in Midsomer County. The novel is told from multiple points of view, so the reader gets an inside look at several character's thoughts and motivations. The MC, Berit Gardner, is likable, smart, and quirky, and her commentary on writers is both spot-on and funny. There are several elements of humor in the book, and I especially enjoyed the scenes pertaining to the Great Diddling book festival, and the villagers' attempts to impersonate famous authors. Book lovers will enjoy the information about rare book collecting, too.

Thank you to NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press, and author Katarina Bivald for an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I had read and loved The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend, and I was delighted to get the opportunity to read an advance copy of her latest book. Unlike Bivald's previous books which were based in the US (despite the author being Swedish), this one is a cozy-ish murder mystery which takes place in a village in Cornwall, England. I loved it! The author did a great job bringing her quirky characters to life, and there was a lot of humor mixed in with the clever mystery. I'm very impressed that she is able to write so well in English. As with Broken Wheel, I loved the community and the role books played in it. I had hoped that this would be the beginning of a new series, and I just discovered that another book will be coming. I look forward to its release in the States. I highly recommend this book.

“Nothing draws more attention to a person than trying not to be seen. What you need to do is control what they see. Control the story.”

Berit Grader, an author that cares about writing the true stories of the people she comes by, recently moves to the small town of Great Diddling. A town that doesn’t care too much for outsiders. A broken town that needs more tourist attractions to stay afloat. Berit is inspired by the town and the people that are in, mainly the stories they are willing to share. And the secrets they are hiding. The secrets begin to come out when there is the death in Great Diddling and Berit wants to figure out who did it.

Like the book blur says. Berit doesn’t just want to write this story, she needs it.

Katherine Bivald’s writing is lyrical and beautiful. I loved how much detail she puts into each of her characters. Each of them have a unique story and all contribute to the great good of the plot. Sometimes you like them then hate them for something silly they do. The author also paid close attention to the side characters, giving them just as much attention as the main characters. At first I didn’t like the multiple perspectives and the book being written in third person, but it grew on me. I actually looked forward to reading each perspective. Especially Penny’s.

The story was a bit too slow. Several times while reading, I thought I was further along in the story/plot, but I wasn’t. Maybe there were too many details, but at the same time if parts were taken away then it wouldn't have been a good book.

Thank you, NetGalley, and Poisoned Pen Publish for the ARC!

What a great book. The writing is excellent, the characters interesting, the red flags are numerous and I almost didn’t want it to end! A writer falls into a murder and the story is surrounded by books and a charming location. Sort of cozy but the writing sets it apart from many in the genre.

Do you remember Katarina Bivald’s debut novel, The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend? It came out eight years ago. Somehow, I missed her second novel, Welcome to the Pine Away Motel and Cabins. Don’t make that mistake with her debut mystery, The Murders in Great Diddling. At the time I’m writing this (March), this is the best book I’ve read this year.

When writer Berit Gardner moved to Great Diddling in Cornwall, she had expectations. She bought Wisteria Cottage, and expects to find stories and characters in Great Diddling. She isn’t wrong. When she attends the tea party at Tawny Hall, she’s an eager observer. She drags along her new young assistant, Sally Mersch, sent by her agent to make sure Berit is writing. Berit has had writer’s block, with no voices in her head. At Tawny Hall, though, she realizes something is seriously wrong in Great Diddling. There’s a dark and restless atmosphere, and everyone seems to hate Reginald Trent, nephew of the woman who owns the hall. Even with that atmosphere, it’s a shock when Reginald is blown up in his study during the tea party. Although several people call the police, Detective Chief Inspector Ian Ahmed remembers Berit’s call. “I’d like to report a murder.”

While no one else seems to care that Reginald was killed, Ahmed is angry that someone took another person’s life. He cares. It isn’t long before he realizes Berit intends to investigate to learn why the man why killed. Ahmed warns her, but Berit’s curiosity gets the better of her. She wants to know her neighbors, what drives them, why they hated the man, and what’s really going on in Great Diddling.

Books, a book festival, cons, and another murder. When another outsider shows up to stir up trouble, of course, there’s another murder. Ahmed is convinced the entire village is involved in fraud. The villagers want to protect their way of life.

I don’t remember when I read such a delightful mystery with such a lovable cast. I adored Berit Gardner and DCI Ahmed. If you remember where you were when you first discovered Louise Penny’s Three Pines, you might want to also remember Great Diddling with its eccentric characters. Book lovers should find this book charming. “The villagers of Great Diddling believe there’s no better combination than a charming English village, books, and murders.”

This is a funny cozy mystery full of interesting characters, this is a perfect read for a cold winters evening with a cup of tea.