Ginny is settling into widowhood and the local library as well as starting to engage more with the three quirky widows. Her ex feral cat is also settling but likes collecting things and bringing them to her. She naturally finds a body, the mortal remains of a nasty, arrogant 'artist' and becomes embroiled with the investigations - professional (police) and informal (3 widows). She's lead astray by them again and really infuriates the long suffering grumpy DI Wallace. She is becoming a little more assertive and sensible but JM, Hen and Tuppence (the 3 widows) are quite a challenge to this. Light hearted and somewhat impossible to believe at times but a good cosy read. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I just love Ginny, JM, Tuppence, and Hen. They are a quirky group of older women amateur sleuths. I giggled at some of the antics. It’s so sweet how they lift each other up. It was fun following them as they searched out clues leading to the killer. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced free copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Thank you Storm Publishing and Netgalley for this ARC! Well Ginny Cole and her cohorts are back! When going to visit the local haberdashery Ginny finds the eccentric owner dead in the back room with a pair of sewing scissors in his back. Another case for the widows to try to solve or are they just getting in the way? With so many people with nothing good to say about Harlow, the murder victim including his own daughter where to start? Thanks to Edgar the thieving cat, can this all finally come to an end? Hope to see more of these lovely ladies soon!

A great follow up to The Widows Guide to Backstabbing! We have the same characters as the 1st book and they are all just as funny and great! I love an older character and a cosy murder mystery so this book was always going to be a hit with me! There was a great twist and you don’t find out who the murderer is until near the end which is good! I didn’t feel as drawn to this book as I did the first one which is why I gave it 4 stars! I’d still recommend this to readers who enjoy a cosy murder mystery!

Ms. Ashby tells a terrific tale in this second book of the Widows' Detective Club series. I really enjoyed watching the different friendships develop and grow; plus Ginny growing more into her 'self' even as an older woman. It was an affirmation of friendship, relationship, determination, and second chances. So many lovely surprises along the way with this story - with the obligatory murderer who gets a little too close to Ginny.

I can't wait to read the next book in the series!

I received an ARC; this is my honest review.

I enjoyed this cozy mystery and I loved the characters which were so quirky. This just flowed along without getting slow or boring at all. I love the twists in this story which had me going in all directions. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

I recently read book 1 of this series and couldn't wait to start this one. The group of widows once again get involved in another investigation, complete with a crafted portable murder board! The murderer was a bit harder to guess in this book. I don't think it's necessary to read the series to enjoy each of the books, but I'm looking forward to book 3 to see what exploits the widows get up to next!

4* An entertaining cosy mystery

The second book in the Widows' series set in Little Shaw, including some familiar characters, easily read as a stand-alone, each book contains a different plot with a satisfactory ending.

Continuing five months after the end of Book 1, Ginny Cole is now the library manager with Conner a full time employee, Edgar the cat has taken up a permanent residence in Ginny's home.

Previously a quiet Lancashire village, Little Shaw seems to be full of criminal activity. Ginny discovers the local haberdashery shop owner lying in a pool of blood on the floor of his backroom. Overworked DI Wallace is still bad tempered and immediately warns Ginny to leave the investigation to the police.

Ignoring Wallace, Ginny and her three friends, JM, Hen and Tuppence, collectively known as The Widows' Detective Club, intend to pursue the truth. As the victim was pompous and generally disliked, there's a vast amount of possible suspects for the crime. When unexplained events occur to Ginny, it's clear that she's become the murderer's latest target.

3.5* rounded up to 4, looking forward to the next in the series.

With thanks to Elke from Storm Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book, this review is my personal, unbiased opinion.

This was another enjoyable book in the Widows Murder Club series. These ladies have a lot of fun and a serious lack of concern for following rules, and leaving murder to the experts.
I do enjoy a cosy mystery, for a little relief from the tougher thriller type books. These books are entertaining, and still allow me to try to figure out ‘whodunnit’. There are plenty of references to backstabbing in this book, after the unfortunate victim is found with a pair of scissors in his back. The ladies of course go off on a tangent, making assumptions about the other citizens of their small town, and causing the police no end of frustration. Eventually though, it all gets sorted, mostly in spite of the efforts of the widows.
I’m looking forward to further books in this series.

An enjoyable cosy mystery with a cast of loveable characters, this book follows the group of crime solving widows for a second time.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for this ARC.

This is book 2 in The Widows' Detective Club series and I would really recommend to read them in order though you don't have to.

Seven months ago, Ginny Cole, 60, recently widowed, moved to Middle Cottage, Little Shaw for a fresh start and got herself a part-time job in the local library. Then she discovered a body, met three other widows, solved some murders with their help, adopted a stray cat and was promoted to library manager. Grumpy DI James Wallace who also happens to be her neighbour, was not happy about her interference.

And now she is doing it again! Haberdasher Timothy Harlow has been stabbed in the back with dressmaking scissors and as he "had been a bad-tempered eccentric shop owner who’d gone out of his way to make enemies", the suspect list is long. There is daughter Megan, her lover Milos Petrovic, his father Vanja Petrovic, rival shop owner Ants Mancini and artist Juliana Melville, not to mention many disgruntled customers.

The cast is enormous but most of them are just there in the background to round out the community. I had so many theories and changed my mind countless times - if the widows were convinced of the murderer's identity I was too, and we were all wrong every time. The reveal came a bit out of left field in what turned out to be quite a complicated story involving several unsavoury characters.

I'm giving this such a high score because I felt extremely entertained by this motley crew of community characters, and I love feisty, elderly women just doing what they want, although unfortunately the other widows Hen, JM and Tuppence still feel a little underdeveloped. The preparations for the Little Shaw Spring Fete with its 65 categories of arts, craft, produce and baking provide huge entertainment, especially if you are a crafter or baker.

The plot this time is a bit muddled (the murderer's motive was ridiculous) and there are several community members like PC Singh and pathologist Imogen Smith who don't really get to shine but at least cat Edgar and his thieving tendencies were actively helping with the sleuthing and the book is full of female friendship and village life.

I wish DI Wallace would thaw a bit and I hope we get to see more of his taciturn but good at DIY Dad Ted. The travelling murder board with Velcroed felt miniatures is genius and will hopefully be used again because it's clear that those four aren't done interfering with police business yet! Recommended as this incredibly warmhearted cosy mystery with great characters is cracking good fun.

It was great to be back in Little Shaw with Ginny and the rest of the gang, and I enjoyed this one even more than the first in the series! Ginny is now the manager of the library (rather than the assistant) and I love the changes she’s made and the community feeling of Little Shaw’s library. When she finds the body of noted local Timothy Harlow in his haberdashery shop, she is once again embroiled in another murder investigation. Besides trying to figure out who the murderer is, Ginny is also apologising for her kleptomaniac cat Edgar, playing peacemaker among long established baking rivals, baking jam like there’s no tomorrow, and trying not to antagonise grumpy DI Connor. Oh, and catching up with her friends BJ, Hen and Tuppence (I couldn’t love these guys more). Some great twists and turns that kept me guessing all the way through. Highly recommended.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/223696689-the-widows-guide-to-backstabbing

This second book in The Widows’ Detective Club series continues a terrific new cozy mystery series. Ginny heads to the local fabric store with her friend and finds another body! There are clues abounding as the victim was far from well-liked. The Ides of March, a button, secret businesses, competitive bakers, and more cloud the investigation. In addition, the victim was the judge for the yearly fete! To the police detective’s dismay, the widow detectives are back in the snooping business.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the characters who are rebuilding their lives after widowhood.
Thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC.

Back to Ginny and the her friends trying to solve another murder that has taken place in their village. Was nice to read the second installment, I think I might've preferred this one marginally more. Again I had absolutely no clue who was behind the murder and it was a nice cosy easy read that I devoured really quickly

Brilliant cozy mystery full of twists and turns with a great MC. This was a lot of fun. Highly recommend the series.

I liked this 2nd book in the series. I am really liking Connor. I look forward to more in the series. I enjoy the small town it would be a nice place to visit.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I liked this second in this new cozy mystery series. The MC and her friends, neighbors and fellow villagers continue to be entertaining as characters, and the mystery was intriguing. This one was more suspenseful than the first in the series, and I frankly prefer cozy mysteries to be whodunits rather than have me worried about the survival of the main character. I will recommend this to readers of cozy mysteries!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

"The Widows' Guide to Murder” the 2nd instalment in The Widows’ Detective Club Mystery series by Amanda Ashby set in the Village of Little Shaw, England. Once again I loved the story and Im still enjoying the bond between the four widows, and i am glad that Connor was hired by the library . I love her cat and his personality is to die for the little thief. I also like the quirky characters and the sense of community in Little Shaw.

The mystery is interesting and well plotted, and had plenty of twists to keep engaged right to the very end. I kept guessing and second-guessing myself but I guessed before Ginny did.

Overall, this book is a must-read for fans of cozy mysteries and heartwarming fiction. Amanda’s writing is engaging, and her characters are lovable and well-crafted. I highly recommend this charming novel and look forward to the next instalment.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I requested and received an advance readers copy from NetGalley and the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Another cozy mystery in The Widows’ Detective Club series by Amanda Ashby. I thoroughly enjoyed The Widows’ Guide to Murder so I was hoping it would be the same with A Widows’ Guide to Backstabbing. And it was! I loved following these four spunky ladies as they found themselves in the middle of another murder investigation (what the heck is going on in this little town?). This was another good mystery that kept me guessing and I think the twist in this one was better than the first one. And once again, I loved their murder board. The author needs to include that in every book in the series! The ending was perfect. I’m very much looking forward to the next book!

The amateur sleuths of Little Shaw, affectionately known as The Widows' Detective Club, are back and once again find themselves caught up in a murder mystery. ✂️
It all begins when newly appointed librarian, Ginny Cole, accompanies her friend Tuppence to Harlow's Haberdashery, where she inadvertently discovers the body of Timothy Harlow. ✂️
The story unfolds at a steady pace from there, but the plot is quite intricate, and the cast of characters is long. ✂️
The tone of The Widows' Guide to Backstabbing is a little more serious than its predecessor, though there is a little gentle humour there. ✂️
Once again the star of the show is Edgar the cat, who has embarked on a crime spree of his own. 🐱
I loved this book, I love this series, and I really hope there will be more mysteries for the widows to solve.
Thanks to Storm Publishing and Netgalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This title will be available on 10/03/2025.