Audiobook review – a charming and delightful story as described by Donald Corren makes for a wonderful romp through the English countryside. The narration was good, West Country accents’ notwithstanding and offers great whodunit. As one would expect the twists and turns and the obligatory red herrings lead you on a merry dance but definitely worth the time invested.

This was a fun and quick read. This one had a few twists and turns that I didn't see coming. I am happy that this is a series b/c I can't wait to see what Chase & Billie get up to. This was my 1st book by Nicholas George but will not be my last.

#ADeadlyWalkinDevon
#NetGalley

Retired American detective Rick "Chase" Chasen, grieving the death of his partner, joins his friend Billie Mondreau in the English countryside for a sightseeing/walking trip. Chase's detective skills are called upon when another American on the trip is murdered. Everyone seems to have had a reason to wish the victim harm, from his wife to the locals. And everyone seems to be withholding the complete truth. The investigation ramps up when another body is found. Can Chase help local authorities solve the crimes?

This was a delightful cozy mystery, the first in a series, apparently. I liked the main characters although I thought Billie was a bit of a cheeseball. The revelation of the murderer and the subsequent ending felt a bit rushed. The audio narration was OK, but the accents were a bit off. Otherwise, I thought this was a great story and am interested in future installments.

An entertaining mystery with a golden age feel about it, this story follows a group of primarily American tourists on a walking trip along the Devon coastline, who find that one of their number has fallen to his death from the cliffs.

But with so many experienced walkers and a well trained guide leading them, how could nobody have seen what actually happened? The only witness is a fisherman who observed the man's fall from his fishing boat on the water...

My only complaint with this book is that the narrator's accent fluctuated a bit with some of the Cornish characters sounding more Irish! But with a whole slew of eccentric characters, and a little romance on the side, this story does offer well-drawn characters and a surprise at the end. And what more could you ask for?

This was a decent thriller / mystery of a retired detective from California spending a walking tour in Devon. One of the tour participants dies, and Chase is looped in on the investigation. Questions and connections come to light. Lots of twists and turns and well paced. I was just not into the book.

The narration was done very well.

#netgalley #ADeadlyWalkinDevon

A bit of a slow-burner but overall, an engaging whodunit

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

A Deadly Walk in Devon was an OK mystery. It was a very quick read (listening), and kept me interested. As almost everyone had adequate motif for the killing it was either a surprise or not when the murderer was revealed but it worked perfectly for the story. (I don't like to guess in whodunnits so of course it was a surprise for me). I also appreciated that there was some diversity involved, and the fact that the main character was an older(-ish) gay man who'd just lost his husband brought in a refreshing representation not often seen in the genre. I found all the characters distinctive with varying backgrounds.

The writing itself seemed clunky at places, but not overwhelmingly, and some deeper topics like loneliness, aging, and health care were handled well adding depth to the book without being heavy.

I was listening to the audiobook version, and the narration was superb; the narrator uses greatly distinctive voices for the different characters and parts of the story - which I highly appreciate

The audiobook of A Deadly Walk in Devon by Nicholas George was a courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review. Thanks so much to all for this opportunity.

A Deadly Walk In Devon is the first in a new series about retired US detective Rick "Chase" Chasen, who is a bit of an anglophile. Chase has recently lost his husband, and is joining a walk in Devon to put his mind off it. There are an interesting cast of characters on the walk, and one becomes victim to murder.

Chase is asked to help solve the crime and bring everything to a satisfying conclusion. The story had a golden age feel to it, even though it is set in present day. The attractive cover of the book further gives this impression. This is a cozy mystery, so nothing too gory or violent.

I enjoyed the story and would definitely read the next installment. If you like mysteries set in England, locked room mysteries, and even walking vacations this might appeal to you.

I listened to an audio of the book, and it was well read and enjoyable to listen to.

Thank you to NetGalley, Nicholas George and RBMedia for allowing me to listen to this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This cozy mystery has a good premise...a varied group of individuals on a walking tour of the English countryside. One of them falls to their death and suddenly another is a murderer...but whom? Good thing Chase is a former American detective. The story was a bit slow for me and the characters weren't as interesting as at first glance. But it's a decent whodunnit with a nice background. Don't expect too many twists and turns here.
Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Cozies for this ARC. All opinions are mine.

Thank you to #NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I liked this book a lot. I think the characters were good and the mystery was decent. The book was a little difficult to get into at first but I really did like how it progressed.

I listened to the audio version of this book amd I have to say it almost completely ruined my enjoyment of what was quite a cosy mystery.

The narrator, Donald Corren, is American. Now because I hadn't read the synopsis properly I didn't realise that most of the characters are American so I'd been expecting an English accent. However, Mr Corren, has a pleasant voice and his male US characters were fine. What really grated was his accent for the locals who were, to a man and woman, given Irish accents. I beg all narrators, if you cannot do or don't know an accent then please don't attempt it. It drove me crazy.

That said, the story itself was interesting and kept me guessing all the way through. I'm notoriously bad at guessing whodunnit and I got it wrong several times during the course of a book. Our detective is a retired Police Officer who has taken the trip to get over his broken heart, having lost his long term partner.

Chase finds himself trying to solve the murder with the "help" of an inept local detective, several members of the walking group and long time friend, Billie.

He's better at it than I am.

Thanks to Netgalley and RB Media for the audio advance review copy.

I enjoyed this mystery on audiobook. I’m a big fan of walking, and would love to participate in a walking tour of Devon, as these characters did—but perhaps one without the murder! I liked the protagonist, Chase, and the other characters, and there were enough twists to make it interesting. The narrator was pleasing to listen to, and I liked the descriptions of the area, especially the paths they walked and the natural beauty of the Devon coast; although it is not a place with which I’m familiar, I felt as if I could picture it. I’m pleased to learn that this is the first in a planned series, and I would read another walking adventure with Chase. Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this audiobook.

In Nicholas George’s A Deadly Walk in Devon, retired detective Chase joins his fellow American friend Billie and a cast of unique characters for a walking tour in Devon.

During one of their first walks, though, the loud-mouthed complainer in the group is thrown off of a cliff. Naturally, his widow is the first suspect for the local constabulary.

Unlike most cozy mysteries, the head of the investigation asks Chase for his insight and help in solving the case. Chase reluctantly agreed to help as much as he could, and he soon found out that each of his walking companions had secrets from their past to hide. Not to mention that a few people remember seeing a stranger walking nearby right around the time of the death.

Will this M.C. Beaton-esque conundrum be solved before more death and mayhem befall the walkers? And will Chase find romance while he’s at it?

Thank you so much to NetGalley and RBMedia for this audio ARC!!

This is a very readable, well-paced whodunnit. I don't want to call it cozy, but there isn't the kind of tension expected with a thriller. There are a lot of characters and a lot of accents, which the narrator handled well. I think if it had been read less adeptly, the number of characters would've confused me, but the southern drawl, the British accent, etc, helped differentiate, and that was much appreciated.

Until now, I'd no idea there were people who went on walking vacations in foreign countrysides. I'm particularly bothered when an American detective makes the local ones look dumb, but that didn't quite happen here, though I worried for a while it would go that way. The characters were nuanced, multidimensional.l, and had histories that made each of them suspects. The author also did a great job making the victim the least sympathetic character I've read in a while, so unlikable and offensive, when he's killed, the characters and the reader really aren't all that moved, and the focus can be entirely on the mystery of who and how. Well-crafted, entertaining, and could only have been enhanced if I'd been on a walk in a gorgeous setting while listening.

A Deadly Walk in Devon offers an escape to the English countryside with stock cozy mystery characters and an appealing gay detective. This is a high-quality audiobook production and the book offers a refreshing perspective from a mature man with a strong sense of duty.

A retired San Diego police detective recovering from the death of his life partner takes a walking tour with his upbeat friend. An unpleasant man tries to pull him into acting as his bodyguard. Suspicious events ensue. He also meets an appealing stranger.

My discovery of Nicholas George came about by chance. I learned about the gay character when I listened to the audio sample. I don't usually look at cozy mysteries. This one caught my interest because of the location and touring aspect. 

As soon as I started listening to this, Donald Corren’s versatile voice performance swept me into the adventure. There's a varied cast of characters, dramatic scenery, and creepy moments. The main character's intelligence and vulnerabilities kept my interest.

Distractions: The book relied too heavily on blatantly withheld information. The plot strains credibility, and I wasn't sure if the overkill aspects were meant to be funny. Aside from Chase, most of the characters were caricatures. His avid-knitter septuagenarian friend Bobbie has great potential and felt underutilized. Chase’s attitude toward her could use an upgrade. For me, the confrontation scene was implausible and melodramatic.

Personal and societal issues related to loneliness, aging, and health care were handled well and added depth to the book without being heavy. For the most part, it succeeds as an entertaining romp, and the detective has a good mix of strengths and flaws. The book has a soothing, old-fashioned feel to it, and I especially liked that the gay men are masculine guys free of stereotypical traits that many outsider authors seem to assume define gay men.

The author’s website shows the next two books in this new series, including the cover for the forthcoming book two. It's good to find a fresh take on a male detective. He drinks, but he's not a hackneyed alcoholic with a messy life. The series has good growth potential.

I highly recommend the audiobook. Corren's excellent narration made this book a pleasure to consume as an escapist binge. His excellent performance greatly enhanced my enjoyment of the book. This debut author's first-in-series novel is a good fit for readers who enjoy #ownvoices LGBT+ books or cozy mysteries. 
Thank you, RBMedia, for the ALC for consideration. These opinions are soley my own.

(rounded up from 3.5 stars)
Have you ever thought about taking a walking vacation? If so, this book might change your mind! Chase is a retired detective from San Diego, still mourning the death of his husband. He has come to England for a walking vacation, something he’d done a few others times so he knows what to expect. He is joined by Billie, a woman he got to be friends with on previous walks. The location is in Devon, England, as you can tell from the title.

We quickly meet the tour leader, Sally, and the other participants. None of the other characters appealed to me at all, so I was glad this was a fictional tour, not one I actually had to deal with! The murder victim (well, the first victim, as there will be ore than one before the book is done) was pretty obvious; he was incredibly obnoxious and he was concerned about threats he had been receiving.

One of the only appealing local characters was a potential new love interest for Chase, so that added promise. This is a nice start to a new cozy mystery series, to add to the increasing number of “quozy” mysteries that have started being published.

I bounced between the print/ebook copy of the title from Kensington Cozies and the audio copy from Recorded Books. The audio was well narrated by Donald Corren, who did a great job with a lot of different accents.

Thank you to Recorded Books and NetGalley for the chance to listen to the audio version and to Kensington and NetGalley for the chance to read a review copy of the book.

Big Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the advanced copy!!!

'A Deadly Walk In Deavon' is the first book of the 'A Walk Through England Mystery' series. It follows a retired detective, as he goes for a walking trip to the English countryside, only to be encountered with a new mystery to solve.

First of all, I enjoyed the main character a lot. He was the serious type, while struggling with his age and the new stage in his life (retired and questioning whether his skill should retire as well, and struggling to accept the death of his loving partner). The author actually did a good job blending the detective's personal issues with the solving of the murder, with the latter being the main focus of the book.

The mystery itself had many suspects and it wasn't easy to figure out who had done it. The many interesting characters helped as well.

Also, the book had that Agatha Cristie feel to it, with the rich countryside, the cozy atmosphere, and the menacing weather.

Finally, the audiobook was enjoyable and the narrator did a good job with his narration, especially when it came to the accents.

3.5 stars. First thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for providing me the audiobook to listen to in exchange for my honest review. The story had a ton going for it: the characters were lovable and fun, the mystery was engaging, and the ending was satisfying. Chase and Billy are absolutely adorable, but Chase’s narration can be very heavy handed and obvious at times. It seems to me an issue of a new author trying to ensure that his plot points are coming across to the reader, but it could also be the audiobook narrator. He was so monotone it made the plot explication sound quite drab. I think with a more dynamic narrator the story would be much more thrilling. I absolutely loved the addition of obscure hobbies that helped to make the nearly impossible murder happen, and the elements of The Murder on the Orient express were delightful and clever spins on a classic whodunnit plot device! I’ll be excited to read the next one and seeing how this author grows into their great ideas and clever tricks.

This was a well written mystery. I especially like mysteries like this where all the suspects and clues are laid out so that it is possible for the reader to solve the mystery. The narrator did a very good job delineating each character with a different voice and talked as if he were telling a story, rather than just reading one.

A Deadly Walk in Devon is the first book in a new mystery series by Nicholas George. Chase is a retired police detective still grieving the loss of his husband. He decides to take a vacation with his longtime friend Billie in the English countryside. The group is on a walking tour with the Wanderers
company. One member of the group in particular, Ronald Greta, quickly makes enemies quickly with this terrible attitude. After multiple "accidents" Gretz is found murdered. Chase decides to help the local police investigate the murder.

I had a great time with this book. I am always excited to find cozy mysteries that involve LGBTQIA+ characters. Chase was a great lead for this story. He is smart and charming. I loved the setting and all the characters we got to meet within the tour group. I also love the set up for a potential love interest for Chase. I will be keeping my eye out for the next book in the series!

Thank you to NetGalley and Recorded Books for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.