I found myself all over the place with this one. On the one hand, it used an unique murder weapon, that's for sure. I honestly didn't care much for the characters as the book began but they did grow on me as I got to know them better. I'm not sure if reading the first book in this series would have made a difference. Probably not as it eventually worked as a standalone for me. I did seriously wish they'd find Juno the perfect boyfriend soon, if only so she'd stop obsessing over men so much. Part of her character, true, but it did distract me at times. Phoebe, the writer and possible target of the murder, and her husband Felix, a film producer, seemed genuinely in love even while they also seemed to both push and pull away repeatedly. It's obvious they care for each other. Mil Winterbourne, was younger than the rest but has a crush on Juno that she can't quite bring herself to reciprocate.

These relationships, good, bad, or indifferent, are sidelined when Phoebe's chatty postman Craig is murdered. Let's just say a package he was delivering to Phoebe explodes and kills him. Was he the intended target or Phoebe? Who'd hate either of them enough to kill them in such a dramatic manner? As it turns out, Phoebe does have a long list of potential enemies. She's been stalked before and getting an invite to her own funeral the day before is rather telling about who the intended victim was, I'd say. Phoebe's friends, who've been dubbed the Village Detectives, gather to investigate and then scatter here and there to do so. I won't detail the plot further other than to say the ending was quite intense.

Despite the murder and following events, there is also humor. Just the characters alone provided much of it, especially their thoughts as they encounter others. Juno and Felix combining forces to investigate offered lots of laughs as well as "Uh, oh, what if..." thoughts. And, as over-the-top as Juno's man crazy persona was, I found myself liking her and thinking she'd be someone I'd want on my side. Readers just need to relax and go with the flow, so to speak, and not try to make it all make sense as frequently as I initially did. The theme of cyber stalking is definitely a timely one, so that kept my attention, too. The red herrings are plentiful, as are the twists and turns. While not quite the book for me, 3.5 rounded to 4 stars, it was still an intriguing read with characters you're likely to grow to like. I may make a point of reading the first book now because it's a series that intrigued (yes, there's that word again) me enough to want to know them all more. Thanks #BoldwoodBooks for introducing me to Phoebe, Felix, Juno, and Mil early, not to mention the rest of the cast of characters. That ending was both intense and funny, something hard to make come off but the author managed it well.

When the postman dies on Phoebe’s doorstep with a parcel meant for her, after she has already received invitations to her own funeral, it’s rather more than one should have to take. Phoebe is an author and in the past has had threats on line but not sure as to who from. Her friend Juno and Phoebe's husband take it on themselves to find out more and do a whirlwind tour of England and even Paris to suss out various suspects. Who would want Phoebe dead and why?

This is a great read with wonderful characters I couldn't help but like. Juno is someone you would want on your side and Fiona has the skill of making the reader smile as well as getting the grey matter working as to whodunnit, which I found thoroughly enjoyable. It's nice to have a read that's light and interesting, one with a little humour and totally enjoyable. An entertaining fun read with a great plot.

For more reviews please follow me on X (formerly Twitter) @nickisbookblog
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This reader would classify this as a comedy novel more than a mystery. It was wacky and potentially entertaining, but the reader needs to buy into the goofiness in order to enjoy it.

I like quirky.
And, I like clever.
But, this was a bit too self-consciously clever for my taste.

Netgalley provided me a complimentary copy in exchange for a candid review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read "The Poison Pen Letters", the second book in the "Village Detectives" series. I have yet to read Book 1 (on the waitlist at my library), but I found that did not detract from my enjoyment of this book (there were some early references to the first book, but I'll find out what that is all about when I read it).
At the heart of the story are the delivery of 'death notices' to one of the characters in the book - a formerly famous columnist who was 'cancelled' and trolled on Social Media because of something she wrote, to the point where she now writes under a pseudonym and has retired to a sleep little village where a group of residents have a reputation for investigating local crimes.
I enjoyed all of the characters and found the plot plausible and well worked out.
Recommended.

verbal-humor, small-town, writers, wry-humor, cozy-mystery, England, friends, friendship, amateur-sleuth, investigations, situational-humor, widow, relationships****

I really liked this one, it's perfect escapism. Definitely too much fun! Phoebe is a crime novelist who has the most hilarious friends and receives an engraved invitation to her own funeral. The villain takes Poison Pen Letters too far when she gets her next mail delivery.
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected digital galley from Boldwood Books via NetGalley. Thanks.
#TheVillageDetectivesBk2 #BritishCozyMystery #Humorous Avail Nov 8, 2024

This is the second book in the Village Detectives Series which seems shockingly derivative of The Thursday Murder Club series by Richard Osman.

The characters in this series, who live in the English village of Inkbury in the North Wessex Downs, don’t seem nearly as endearing as Osman’s characters however.

Juno Mulligan, widowed and randy, has moved to Inkbury after over 20 years in New York City, but she is making friends fast, and now has a bit of a reputation as a detective. In this installment, her long-time friend Phoebe Fredericks, who writes mysteries under the nom de plume Miss De’Ath, receives a death threat. The two along with the others in the Merde Squad, or Village Detectives as they agreed was preferable to call themselves, set out to find the culprit. (Ex-rugby pro landlord Mil Winterbourne and Pheobe’s handsome husband Felix round out the foursome.)

If I had not read all the Osman books, I might have found this more appealing, but instead I only found myself rating it much lower by comparison. Nevertheless, for those who aren’t familiar with the Thursday Murder Club books, I suspect they might find this cozy mystery quite appealing.

This cozy mystery is just divine.

I loved the humour and how the plot developed. It reminded of a mix of Wicked Little Letters and an Agatha Christie novel.

I read this book in one morning and did not put it down til the end. It's light reading but oh so good.

I just loved this book, I recently read the first book in this series and I loved it. I then got this book to read and review and I just loved it as well that I just couldn’t put this book. It’s just an amazing series with amazing characters and I truly can’t wait until the next book comes out.

I would highly recommend reading this book if you love a fabulous mystery with amazing characters with a cracking story.

I would like to thank Boldwood Books and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book early.

This was a great cozy mystery concept and worked in this series. I was engaged with the story being told and how everything flowed together to figure out what was going on. The characters felt like they were supposed to be there and was invested in what was going on. It had a humor to it and worked with what I wanted. Fiona Walker wrote this perfectly and continued the series in a way that worked.

This is a five-star read that will keep you guessing, there are some fantastic red herrings in this story, some that are obvious but some that are just genius. This is the second story in the Village Detective series, or VD as one of them likes to call themselves in branding. It builds on the first story, and gives us more details to the story and the characters but in all honestly if you missed the first, you wouldn’t be too lost, I am glad I did as it made me change my whole perspective on one of the main MC, as I wasn’t keen on him for the 1st story, and then he won me over in this one, but you will understand as you read who I mean. The twists and turns as Juno and Felix dash about to try and unravel who the stalker is, there is so much going on in this story that it could get convoluted, but the author manages to keep it all together and keeps you as a reader hooked and compelled to keep reading. I am excited to see what VD will be solving next.

Very cost, silly, fun little mystery will def read more stuff by this author, I love mysteries like this.