A murder mystery in a small cozy town? What more can you want? Not only did I devour this book and love it but I also now want to move haha I am obsessed. I preordered this as soon as I put it down!! I loved it!

Cozy English village? Lovable characters? Great pacing? A mystery to solve? YES, please! I loved Welcome to Murder Week, devouring it completely, even staying up wayyyy tooo late to get to the end. I'll be recommending this one to everyone!

A murder mystery week vacation in a quaint English village?! How soon should I pack my bags?

An exciting and unique idea for a murder mystery novel, no actual murder! While going through her estranged late mother's things, Cath discovers a non-refundable trip for two to a Murder Mystery Week in a small village in England. Cath reluctantly decides to go on the trip and meets an endearing cast of characters along the way.

As a side note, I loved the GBBO references! I always say how sweet it is to see how much the contestants help one another on the show, it was nice to see that sportsmanship recognized in print.

This one ended up being a DNF for me I just couldn't get into the story and that's a first for me as I love mysteries of all kinds.

What a cute book! I like the idea of a Murder Week held in a small English town, especially since I just came back from a small town in Wales. There was definitely a romance storyline in this and while I don't need the main character in a mystery to have a love interest, I wasn't sad about it. I expected a real murder to happen while the fake investigating was going on, and when it didn't, I appreciated that things went in a different direction. My least favorite was the storyline about Cath's mom and my favorite was the relationship between Cath and her fellow sleuths Amity and Wyatt. I actually wanted to know more about the other visitors, too, especially Bix and Selena. I would definitely read more books by the author - and maybe more about Cath!

This book is perfect for people who love those PBS/BBC cozy murder mysteries (Agatha Raisin, Father Brown, etc.) set in remote English villages. It's a bit different from the "a new dead body cropping up every week" premise, but still has that similar intrigue. And there's a subplot that provides a historical familial mystery as well. Overall, it was a quick whodunit read.

I found the premise of the book to be fun. Cath is drawn into a week in England for a fake murder mystery. This comes about after going through some of her recently passed mother's things. There is a dual storyline happening through the book. Cath tries to figure out why her mother would have arranged for the mystery murder trip with her when they are estranged. At the same time Cath has teamed up with her two flatmates to solve the fake murder. The fake murder is fun to see unfold and the relationships form between the three of them. Cath figures out some long hidden truths about her mother. I found it to keep my attention and wonder what was going to happen next. A great light mystery read

super fun and cozy mystery that's got a very fun plot and the good idea of doing a fake murder mystery in the book! 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

3.75 stars

Quirky novel about a fictional and a real mystery colliding. Main character Cath is fairly normal, but she has real and justifiable fear of commitment -- her mother basically moved out when she was 9 and appeared only sporadically after that. So when her mother died suddenly of a stroke, Cath was stunned to find out that she had bought a trip to a mystery themed British vacation for the two of them.

So Cath goes to England not knowing exactly what to expect. Her two cottage roommates, Amity and Wyatt, are perfect company, and they plunge into interviewing locals and trying to solve the fictional murder. But along the way, Cath tries to discover why her mother booked this trip. She keeps finding out more and more and uncovering old secrets about her family. And she meets a man who makes her question why she keeps running away from love. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Welcome to Murder Week by Karen Dukess is an intriguing and heartwarming blend of suspense, mystery, and personal discovery. Thirty-four-year-old Cath Little is taken aback when she finds tickets for a murder mystery week in the Peak District of England among her late mother’s belongings. Even more surprising, her mother had intended for Cath to join her on the trip—something that doesn’t align with her mother’s usual disinterest in mysteries or travel. With no way to return the ticket, Cath reluctantly heads to England, where she’s drawn into the village’s staged mystery.

The premise of a quaint English village hosting a week-long murder mystery for tourists is immediately captivating, and Dukess brings the picturesque setting to life with vivid descriptions of the English countryside. But it’s not just the setting that draws you in; the characters are equally compelling. As Cath delves into solving the staged mystery, she uncovers unexpected connections and life-changing discoveries that bring her closer to understanding her mother's motives.

What starts as a quirky whodunit soon becomes a journey of self-reflection and personal growth. Welcome to Murder Week expertly balances suspense and heart, with surprises at every turn. It’s a charming, thoughtful read perfect for fans of cozy mysteries and character-driven stories, offering a delightful escape into a world where new beginnings and hidden truths await.

Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

ARC review • pub date 06.10.25

This was just the lighthearted, heartwarming cozy read that I needed!

Cath is cleaning out some of her mother’s things after she passes, and finds a ticket to England for a murder mystery week. She wasn’t close to her mother, but she had apparently planned the trip for the two of them. While there, Cath meets Wyatt & Amity and the three of them try to solve the pretend murder. In the meantime, they’re also trying to find answers as to why Cath’s mother wanted them to visit this place.

I really recommend this story if you’re looking for a palate cleanser or just a fun, quick read.

4⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery/Scout Press for my ARC.

4.5 stars. This book is an absolute gem. Not all authors can write about the grief journey with the perfect mixture of lightness and deep feels. This is an excellent example of grief written with skill. I loved the ragtag bunch of characters and the character arc of the FMC Cath. The setting in a sleepy English town in the midst of a Murder Mystery week superimposed with Cath’s journey towards healing was heartwarming and fun.

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!

A delightful, low-stakes cozy mystery that's perfect to read while curling up with a cup of tea and fantasizing about a trip to England along with main character Cath, who's there to take part in a small town's murder mystery week. The main mystery of the book is why Cath's mom, who recently passed away, wanted the two of them to attend, so it was more a story of family and love than a twisty mystery.

This was a cool read. I loved that the author decided not to use a 20 year old for the main character and used a character with a relatable age and circumstances to tell the struggle.

Enjoyed the writing.
Clever, but an awful lot going on--the multiple storylines at times felt like they were competing ... fake mystery/real mystery/romance/journey thru grief & self-discovery.
Also there were several scenes early on that I felt could have benefited from a sensitivity read [body size/gender relationships/ethnicity] all made me a bit uncomfortable/seemed politically unfortunate.

With thanks to NetGalley and Gallery/Scout Press for this e-ARC.

A cozy and nostalgic story that's not exactly a murder mystery since the crime is staged, but this novel is full of charming characters and is set in an English town I'd very much like to visit.

Cath has never had a particularly close relationship with her mother, who was often away on adventures of her own. After her mother's death, Cath is cleaning out her home and finds a fully paid ticket and itinerary to a "murder mystery week" vacation in England. She decides to go, and in the midst of solving the fake "crime" with her fellow tourists, she makes some amazing friends, gains some confidence, and learns some surprising things about her mother and herself. A great read, especially for mystery lovers.

Buffalo optician Cath Little is living a predictable life. She's living in her recently deceased grandmother's house, where she's lived for most of her life and working at a job she started in high school. Days are predictable and unexciting. Cath's mostly absent mother Skye has recently died in Florida, and Cath is still recovering from working to sort through her belongings. While looking through some of her mother's papers, she discovers that her mother had booked a trip for the two of them without telling Cath. The trip is to stay in a small village in England and participate in an elaborate murder mystery play. They will be interviewing suspects, visiting crime scenes, and gathering clues. At the end of the week, someone will win the grand prize: the opportunity to portray a dead body in an upcoming mystery being filmed for TV. Cath is shocked to learn her mother had planned this trip for the two of them. After her father died when she was very young, Cath's mother dropped her off at her paternal grandmother's house and only rarely stopped by for visits. Since they weren't close at all, Cath has no idea what this upcoming trip was about. Since the organizer tells Cath that there can be no refunds given (well, not to Cath, since she's still alive), she decides to go ahead and treat the experience as a vacation. Once she gets to England, she finds she's sharing the cottage with her teammates who will help her try to solve the mystery: one is a partner in a bird supply store and the other is a romance novelist. They all get along quite well and enjoy working out the clues. Once Cath speaks to the woman her mother had used to set up the trip, she's more confused than ever. It seems her mother was planning to search for someone (or something) while she was in England. Cath has no idea what that was about, either. As she gets to know the suspects in the case, including a hunky bartender/gin magnate, Cath begins to wonder if the mystery of her own past might be more interesting that the pretend murder she's trying to solve.

I really loved the setting and story in this book! As a committed Anglophile, all of the references to British authors, slang, foods, TV shows, etc. were very well-placed and appreciated! The events moved along at a quick pace. I was a bit concerned that there would be too many characters to keep up with, since we had teams of detectives, murder suspects, townspeople (some who were not in on the whole event), and even people from Cath's past. It wasn't hard to keep them all straight in the end as everyone came together in an Agatha Christie-style reveal session at the end. The only thing is now I want to go on a similar embedded murder mystery (complete with gorgeous pub owner, please!).

This didn’t have the level of suspense I quite hoped for, but it was an enjoyable read. The subplot of finding yourself could’ve been better fleshed out and felt a little too neatly and quickly wrapped up, but this book didn’t need to be much longer either.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.