Cath is the product of a tough upbringing. Her mother was a free-spirit who she rarely saw. She was raised by her grandmother to be a pretty normal person. A bit on the dull side, but normal just the same. Following her mother's death, Cath comes across reservations to attend a Murder Week in a quaint English village. But it's tickets for two. Why did her mother want to take Cath with her to England?

Joining up with two mystery lovers, Cath and the team set out to figure out who was the murderer. They move from villager to villager, often not knowing who was the actor and who was for real. Along the way, Cath falls in love with one of the residents. And while attempting to be the first team to solve the mystery, the team also sets out to solve the mystery of why Cath's mother wanted to take her to this village.

I really enjoyed this book. With the murder being staged, it was a bit of a different twist from the normal cozy mystery. It was well written. The characters were engaging. I highly recommend this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for this ARC.

Welcome to Murder week was an immensely enjoyable novel After Cath’s mother dies she discovers her mother booked them a trip to England for a week long murder mystery event, she decided to take the leap and go and I am so glad she did.

As she gets to England she meets some new friends, embarks on the murder mystery with a little romance on the side and discovers a whole new side of herself that she didn’t know existed. The characters in the town are a lot of fun.

You will not regret reading this book! It’s a quick and fun read!

Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the advanced reader copy.

3.5 stars

After Cath loses her mostly absent mother to a stroke, she finds out that her mother had booked them on a weeklong murder mystery trip in England. Because the trip is non-refundable, Cath makes her way to a quaint town England to solve a murder. Along the way she meets new friends, starts a romance, and perhaps learns the real reason her mother wanted her to go on this trip.

WELCOME TO MURDER WEEK was a delightful novel filled with quirky characters. There were a few moments that felt a little heavy handed by the author, in terms of keeping the plot moving, but overall this was a fun read for a rainy/snowy afternoon.

Welcome to Murder Week is out June 10, 2025

This book has a dual mystery with a fake "murder" mystery challenge that seemed to be for Americans (or at least non-British people) to go to an British village and solve a pretend mystery overlaid with the real mystery of why the main character, Cath's, late absentee mother would have two tickets to this event. The cast of characters was so entertaining and the two mysteries evolved simultaneously (as well as some romance and other drama). It was fun, but realistic and I thought the portrayal of loss and grief was so well done.

It felt like reading about a real life cozy mystery created for actual cozy mystery lovers, except of course it wasn't real and the characters were characters, but that speaks to how well it was pulled off!

First, thank you very much for the opportunity to review this book from NetGalley and the publisher. I was so excited about this book, because it had so much of what I love: rediscovering yourself after grief, finding love and purpose in adventure, healing your inner child, and, of course, a quirky set of characters trying to solve a very cozy mystery. All of it sounded great, but in practice, it was slow in pacing, and really low stakes. I have already seen a lot of people saying the same thing, which is that without the actual mystery of a fictional murder, there isn’t a lot of investment that ends up coming through. I was really disappointed about how boring of a character Cath was, and I did not feel any depth of the character’s relationship with her mom. In all, this was an underwhelming read.

I actually forgot i was reading this during the holidays, as I had gotten distracted by all the occasions and returning to work. I was disappointed to learn upon starting that this would not include an actual murder. And, at only a week’s worth of adventures, I realized it would not have much of a setting to really establish. I moved on.

What a joy to read this hilarious, cozy mystery. This book is perfect for anyone who enjoys a mysterious escape to a small British town with a touch a romance. This is my first Karen Dukess book, and it won't be my last! This will be on my "recommend to a friend" list. Thanks to Netgalley for the arc!

This was a cozy mystery with several twists and turns but such a delight to read. The characters were lovey and heartwarming. Highly recommend!

This was a fun mystery where readers not only followed Cath’s adventures on a murder mystery trip in England that her mother booked for them without her knowledge before she died but also the journey of Cath’s mother’s life. The characters were very entertaining and interesting, and I enjoyed reading the friendship among Cath, Amity, and Wyatt.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy!

(Rated 3.75 on StoryGraph)

4 stars.

Thirty-four year old Cath Little discovers tickets for two to a murder mystery week in a small village in the Peak District of England in her estranged mother’s belongings after her death and she is shocked to learn that her mother intended for Cath to accompany her in the trip. As far as Cath knows her mother had no interest in mysteries or England.

Her ticket isn’t refundable so Cath decides to take the trip and is paired with two other solo travelers, Wyatt Green, who is unhappily employed at his husband’s bird store and Amity Clark, a fifty-ish divorced romance writer. Can the team solve the murder mystery put on by the town and maybe determine why Cathy’s mother planned the trip?

I occasionally enjoy a good cozy mystery but I don’t adore every single one that comes along. However this was well done and fans of the genre will LOVE it, especially since it isn’t a series. Cath is great, there are some fun townspeople and the mystery surrounding Cath’s mom is interesting. Good stuff!

Welcome to Murder Week is a very cute and charming mystery about loss, identity, and acceptance. Cath's long absentee mother has just died suddenly and amongst her belongings Cath finds a mysterious receipt for a "Murder Week" in the English countryside, an immersive experience where participants solve a fake murder mystery set in a small town. Cath is shocked to find out her mother intended to bring her along on this trip and ends up going solo when she learns that the trip is non refundable. Once Cath gets there she discovers a much more personal mystery which explains why her mother booked this.

The fake mystery in this book was charming and although it was a "murder mystery" there were no dark twists at all which I was expecting. The only "real" mystery in this book is the secret that Cath's mother was hiding from her which Cath uncovers with the help of the team she is assigned to for the fake mystery and the organizer of the event who had some clues as well.

The characters were all interesting and charismatic, however it was a little repetitive how Cath kept second guessing everyone based on her assumptions regarding the game they were playing. The plot of the murder mystery game was very predictable and ended exactly as I thought it would. I kept hoping there was going to be some kind of big reveal about that as well, but maybe it would have been too gimmicky to include that in addition to what Cath discovered about herself.

Overall this was a very sweet book that is a lighthearted mystery for folks who are into cozy mysteries, but not anything dark.

Many thanks to Gallery/Scout Press and to NetGalley for this ARC to review. This review is my honest opinion.

I loved this mystery with a fake whodunit. Great writing. Loved the relationship storylines. This is a story with unforgettable characters and an irresistible setting - a captivating story that’s smart and fun.

This was a nice cozy read! If you are a fan of small village quirky characters and BBC mysteries this is a perfect fit. No high stakes here but you become invested in the main characters journey to connect with her mother. 3.5 overall!

When I started this book, I wasn't sure how I felt about the protagonist but I can to really, really like her and this take on a non-traditional cozy that pays a wonderful homage to all of us who love the British cozy genre. Cath's absentee Mom dies and, while finally going through her mom's boxes, Cath discovers an all expenses paid trip for two to a small English town for their first annual Murder Mystery week. Encouraged by her co-worker and neighbor, Cath takes her first vacation in four years and goes on Murder Week. To say this is a huge change for her is an understatement about her personality.
Cath is roomed with Wyatt and Amity in Wisteria Cottage. Wyatt's husband sent him on this trip and Amity is a romance writer who's post-divorce. The three of them bond over the Murder Mystery as well as trying to solve mysteries in Cath's life, related to her mother. There's also the handsome Dev, a former Londoner turned artisanal gin distiller, who's moved to the small town to care for his mother as she deals with dementia.
The cast of characters are great - both those pretending for the Murder Mystery week, as well as Cath, Wyatt, Amity, Dev and Cath's deceased mother. Just a really lovely book!

The coziest of cozy books, because there is no real murder, just a staged live murder mystery! Our protagonist flies to England to solve a mystery and learn more about her mom. A very enjoyable read!

I love this book. It is fun from start to finish. It's a light mystery with a lot of heart. The characters quickly feel like old friends ( friends you wished you had in real life!) and seeing how they support each other as they try to find their way around an " olde English village" is delight. There is humor and compassion. Fans of classic English mysteries will find a lot that's familiar and lovers of romance and family stories will be happy as well. Highly recommended!!