I enjoyed my time with Mabel, a transplant in London. Mabel is hardworking, extroverted, and curious. Her Useful Women employer certainly added to the story, as did the likable Rosalind, Mabel's first assignment.

The budding romance is nice. I could do without the obligatory "cozy" pet.

Readers looking for a cozy period mystery with an admirable heroine will enjoy this. The cover oversells it - it's certainly not "completely gripping." But it was enjoyable and sweet.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC! I purchased for my library.

Mabel Canning is a forward-thinking and independent woman eager to begin working for the Useful Women's Agency. However, when a man's body is found on her employer's doorstep, Mabel makes the immediate decision to get to the bottom of things. Meanwhile, she takes on quite a few various assignments for the agency.

More than once Mabel knocks heads with former detective Park Winstone and the pair become unlikely partners in what promises to be an enjoyable series by Marty Wingate. I love Mabel, then Park and his dog Gladys were wonderful additions, and the ever present danger that faced Mabel the deeper she dug for answers was intriguing.

Cozies are a favorite of mine, and coming in with the first book in a new series was a true delight. I can't wait to see what else is in store for Mabel.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Everything from the characters to the setting was the very definition of likable. Miss Mabel is so plucky and clever, you can't help but root for her -- and her daring new haircut! Historical cozies aren't usually my cup of tea, but a couple hours into this audio, I was completely rapt. This is a lovely kickoff for what's sure to be a well-loved series.

4/5 Stars. This might be my first cozy mystery, but probably won’t be my last. I didn’t even know “cozy mystery” was a genre until recently. Up until now, I’d read mysteries, which I guess were uncozy? And cozy this was..

I listened to an uncorrected advance review copy of the audiobook courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. Naomi Frederick does a great job narrating the story. I sometimes wonder if books that feature a British character are truly narrated by an actual Brit, but not here. She has a cozy voice that accompanies the tone of the book, and she was able to twist it to fit the different accents of the characters in the novel. I had some trouble at the beginning because sometimes the shift in character voices was too subtle, but I got the hang of most of it by the end. I thought the pacing of the book was a little slow at first, which wasn’t helped by her relaxed cadence in narrating, but I fault that more on the book then her, and barely on the book at all because it was necessary to weaving lots of threads that would later come together. Was it magical: no, but it was entertaining, thus the four star review.

The book starts off with the main character Mabel Canning discovering a dead body on the door step of a home she was working at as an employee of the Useful Women’s Agency. Why was Mabel at the home? Because the home’s owner was holding a wake for her dear husband who was declared dead after missing for 7 years. And from there it takes off. As mentioned above, the story had a lot of elements that it needed to weave together that may have made the pacing not great at the beginning but was necessary for the rest of the book. Our heroine Mabel is a thoroughly modern woman who seems to be just as helpful at solving murders as she is at serving others through the staffing agency she works through. I actually enjoyed hearing some of the B and C plots where we experience the different jobs she’s sent on, even though they did nothing to advance the story. Another side plot involved a dear friend that died of the Spanish Flu (no spoiler there) to help flesh out the main character, but I for the most part think it was unnecessary. Still, it didn’t make the book worse off.

The book really picks up steam in the second half and leaves you wondering who murdered the man found on the doorstep, and how is it connected (if at all!) to the disappearance of the husband. Part of the fun of these books for me is trying to figure out who the murder is ahead of the ending and having a hard time doing it. The more difficult it is, the more fun. Several times during the narration I had myself second guessing who was the guilty suspect, which also lended into self to times of suspense in the book where I thought Mabel might be in danger. It was wonderful to get so absorbed into the plot in that way, and it really gave me a run for my money. I thought the conclusion was very clever, and the motivations not what I expected. Those also make the book a fun listen.

Overall, I’d recommend the audiobook and the story as a whole. I would not suggest having it as something you’re listening to lazily because the readers attention to detail is really needed. I listened at first while trying to get tasks done and ended up having to start over because I missed to many dangling threads to understand what was going on, and I’m glad that I did go back. It’s worth an attentive listen.

Fun, cozy mystery perfect for a day in front of the fire with s good cup of tea

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

While I am sure that this is an amazing book and I know it takes place in the UK, I just couldn’t get into this book. I am sure that it is great but with having the narrator speak British and speak slow, I found myself struggling to follow along with it as an audiobook. Content wise it was great and I would prefer to read it myself.

"A Body on the Doorstep" by Marty Wingate is London Ladies Murder Club Book 1. It is a historical fiction cozy mystery. This book is heavy on characters.. like 28 repeating characters, which became rather confusing. There is action, but not a lot. It seemed tedious to listen to this straight through. It's probably nicer to hear this story a short bit at a time, but I do not think I could recall all the characters if I did that.

This story is set in London, England, in 1921. Mabel Canning is a young, independent woman who moved away from home to live on her own. She gets a job at the Useful Women's Agency, which hires women to do all sorts of short-term odd jobs like bathing a dog, escorting a child to the train to get to boarding school, replacing old flower bouquets, delivering purchases, etc. While on a job, she answers the door, and a dead body rolls in at her feet. Suddenly, she is involved in this murder investigation. Most of the characters in this story are likable, especially Mabel, as well as Rosalind, Park and Gladys, Park's dog. There is good character development for the most important characters. By the end of the book, all of the mysteries have been solved.

The narrator, Naomi Frederick, didn't seem to use different voices for the various characters. Maybe that's because there were too many repeating characters.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture Audio for providing this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

Is there a sudden trend for early 20th century lady detective novels? Or is it a mere coincidence that I seem to have read a fair number recently? Either way I’m here for it!

I loved A Body On The Doorstep. Mabel, our protagonist has arrived in London to begin her life as an independent woman, and has taken herself to sign up with The Useful woman’s agency, where she will earn money completing fairly mundane tasks for the elite in society. On Mabel’s very first assignment assisting at a wake, there appears a body on the doorstep, and thus immerses her in an Enola Holmes type adventure to get to the truth! Brilliantly written, excellent characterisation, fun and endearing. I’m thoroughly looking forward to the second in the series. Beautifully narrated also. A well deserved 4 stars 🌟

Thank you to Nergalley and Bookouture audio for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook in return for an honest review.

A Body on the Doorstep by Marty Wingate
Narrated by Naomi Frederick

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Blurb

Fiercely independent Mabel Canning can’t wait to begin working for the Useful Women’s Agency. But when she discovers a body on her client’s doorstep, it’s time to add solving murders to her job description…

London, 1921: Mabel Canning is proud to be a modern woman working for the Useful Women’s Agency, carrying out tasks for gentlewomen from flower arranging to washing muddy dogs. But when she answers the door for wealthy widow Rosalind Despard, she almost chokes on her cucumber sandwich when she finds a soldier’s body on the doorstep.

As she offers tea to the policemen of Scotland Yard, Mabel can’t resist getting drawn into the investigation. Who was the mysterious dead man? And why was he holding a letter for Rosalind, written by her husband on the day he disappeared?

As Mabel hunts for clues, she joins forces with Rosalind’s handsome brother, former detective Park Winstone, and his adorable terrier, Gladys. But when Mabel suspects she is being followed, the detective duo know that time is running out before the killer strikes again.

As she investigates, Mabel discovers dusty old photographs that help her reveal the soldier’s true identity. But as she gets closer to uncovering the young man’s murderer, she knows she’s also one step closer to danger... Can she outsmart the killer and save Park and Rosalind before they also turn up dead as doornails?

My Opinion

This was my first book by Marty Wingate and this was a great introduction to both Marty and the series. Mabel is new to London, and bad things seem to keep happening around her. I listened to this as an audiobook and it made for a pleasant escape when I needed a few hours away and was easy to dip in and out of. A gripping read that will have you hooked from the discovery of the body.

Rating 4/5

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing me with this audio book.

Author Marty Wingate sets her cozy murder mystery in London of 1921.

World War I has ended and loads of smart young women are striving to make a living and lead an independent life. Mabel Canning is one such young woman who has moved to London to work at the "Useful Women's Agency".

Day 1 at her job finds her serving sandwiches and tea at a wake. What is strange is that the wake is for Guy Despard who vanished 7 years ago, without a word. Even stranger - a knock at the door finds Mabel looking down on the dead body of a young man.

In his pocket is a letter written 7 years back by Guy Despard to his wife Rosalind!

The story takes the reader from the wealthy homes of the upper class, to the working women's hostel, to a music hall, to Scotland Yard - doing justice to them all.

Of particular interest to me were the tasks the Useful Women undertook. Washing dogs, cleaning furs, reading to the aged, escorting young boys to school - nothing is beneath them in their struggle for independence. You also see them fighting paternalistic attitudes of men around them.

An interesting first book in a series. I'm looking forward to reading the others!

3 stars.

#ABodyontheDoorstep #NetGalley #MurderMystery #HistoricalMurderMystery #London1921

A new cozy mystery story set in London 1921 where Mabel start working at the Useful Women's Agency and discovers a body on the doorstep of her very first job.
Good mystery ,characters,
Enjoyed the story looking forward to more from author.
Narration was very good .
Voluntarily reviewed,

It delights me to say that Bookouture just seems to be incapable of publishing a bad book.

This is another new series from the imprint and while I’m not as overwhelmingly in love with it this far as I am with the Verity Bright or Fliss Chester books, it’s a promising start with delightful characters and a well-written mystery.

Though it’s not quite as zany and there’s less humor than in some of the publisher’s other series, the tone and style of this is similar, yet also seems to have found it’s own unique voice in the Historical Mystery subgenre.

I wish there was a bit more historical detail included (the best of the Bookouture series are so, so good at this), but perhaps we’ll see more of that in a future installment.

Regardless, this is a fun read, well-structured mystery, and a series I’ll look forward to seeing more of.

What a promising start of the London Ladies' Murder Club instalment. Back in 1921 in London, there were not many opportunities for women. Mabel had an offer to work in Useful Women’s Agency. The day she started her job, she found a male body on her client’s doorstep and the story began here.

Mabel was determined, brave and detail-minded. She had a loving personality. The way she solved the mystery was beautiful, which the author smartly crafted it. The narrator just made all the characters alive.

I never knew that I was missing historical cozy mysteries from my life, but it was just what I needed! Now that they're here, I'll definitely be needing more!

Naomi Frederick did such a beautiful job with her narration. Elegant and gentle, her voice did such a wonderful job of setting the scene and drawing you in.

Whether it was from the narration, or just from how things were written, something about this invoked the same vibe as Jenny Colgan's books. And as one of my favorite, must-read authors, that could never be a bad thing. I'll definitely be looking for more from Marty Wingate, and eager for the next London Ladies' Murder Club edition!

Thank you to the publishers through NetGalley for providing me with an ARC!

I really enjoyed A Body on the Door Step! I love cozy mysteries and this one was just right. This book reminded me of the Molly Murphy or Ginger Gold Mysteries. The characters were likable and the ending was satisfying. The idea of the Useful Women’s Agency was unique and the story had just the right amount of suspense. I also enjoyed the narration by Naomi Frederick. I am looking forward to the next installment of this series!

A great start to a new cosy mystery series! I enjoyed the story and the pace was good. Mabel Canning is a great main character, and I’d love to learn more about her and the secondary characters in the next books. I also hope to see the budding romance flourish. The narrator Naomi Frederick is wonderful.

Highly recommended, I’ll definitely read the next installments.

Thank you to the publisher who provided me with an e-copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Adding this series to my tbr list.

Mabel is smart and curious and wants to live an independent life. During one of her jobs for the Useful women's agency, she comes across a dead soldier on the doorstep.

Her curiosity puts her in the middle of solving the crime.

The audiobook is a quick read as the storyline is exciting. Great start to a series.

An easy to read cosy mystery, that sometimes reminded me of Agatha Christie's Miss Marple. It was a perfect blend of humour and seriousness and the mystery was definitely engaging. Can be read easily in one sitting. The narrator of this audiobook had a great cadence that helped alleviate the overall listening experience.

Audiobook.
London 1921. Mabel has moved to London to be an independent woman. In her early 30’s, she wants to make it on her own. She joins the Useful Women’s Agency and starts doing all sorts of work from taking a child to the railway station, stringing a set of pearls, reading and helping at a wake. At the latter she answers the door and there’s a dead man on the doorstep….
I loved it. It was really atmospheric, from the fog to the dance shows and especially the prejudices!
Easy to listen too.
I will watch out for the next in the series.

What an enjoyable historical mystery. I loved the character of Mabel Canning and her burgeoning new business, the Lady's Murder Club, a division of the Useful Ladies Society. Her romance with Park Winston is a sweet and supportive slow burn that I'll enjoy seeing unfold over future books in the series.

But most of all, I enjoyed the clever mystery that pulled together multiple, seemingly unconnected threads and tied them all together at the end.

I have to admit that I did figure out "whodunnit" very early on, but not so much the why of things. And despite that fact, I found the story entertaining and engaging.

Thank you to Marty Wingate, Bookoutre Audio, and NetGalley for an advance review copy. I look forward to further installments in this new series.