Ginny Cole is now the head librarian at Little Shaw library and is enjoying her job and adapting to her life as a widow.
One day after leaving work she visits the haberdashery shop and find a body and it’s not looking like a death from natural causes due to the scissors sticking out of its back.
Ginny along with her friends (also widows) have become amateur sleuths and don’t have to think twice about investigating this death.
This book is full of village charm and likeable characters that make it an enjoyable and entertaining read.
There are plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader interested and a great addition to the cosy mystery series.
Thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing.

The village of Little Shaw in Lancashire is proving to be as murder prone as the villages of Midsomer when Ginny Cole, the new head Librarian, finds another body in suspicious circumstances. Harlow is the owner of a haberdashery store and a local celebrity. Despite his overeager sense of self-worth, he had many enemies, which meant many suspects. Ginny and the other widows are determined to investigate when they believe the police have arrested the wrong person. What I like about this story is the number of mistakes the amateur sleuths make in their investigations. It gives the mystery an authenticity and allows the reader to suspend belief on the number of murders the village has. The mystery has a multitude of motives, and it makes immersive reading. I like the amateur sleuths, the web of lies and secrets the village community reveals and the conclusion.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

EXCERPT: She pushed open the front door and stepped inside. Her arrival was announced by a tinkling bell. The interior was crammed with large glass jars of buttons, cubed wooden shelves of homespun wool, and an old oak cutting bench next to the counter.
No wonder Hen had declared a self-imposed ban. It would be easy to spend a fortune in the stylish shop. Despite having lived in Little Shaw for seven months, Ginny had never been inside before, mainly because she'd stubbornly brought as much as she could of her old furniture - and her old life - with her when she'd moved here.
But since the first anniversary of Eric's death had passed, she had been considering some changes. Until this morning, she'd been thinking of a fresh coat of paint, but now the idea of curtains, cushions and new upholstery swam in her vision.
There was no sign of anyone behind the counter, so Ginny continued to walk around, running her fingers along a soft red version of William Morris's 'Strawberry Thief', before inspecting a duck-egg blue Laura Ashley with delicate flowers. There were more large wicker barrels of fabric, as well as a French Louis XV armchair with stripped-back walnut legs and reupholstered squabs in a straw-coloured linen. It was stunning and she studied the small, gilded frame perched on the seat. Vanya Petrovic Upholstery Services. She didn't recognise the name, but the address was local, and his work was exquisite.
Was this what had inspired Tuppence to attempt her own reupholstering?
Ginny turned to ask, only to discover her friend wasn't there. That was odd. She scanned the shop, but on finding it empty, she went outside to where Tuppence was pressed against the wall of the post office next door, her hat pulled low over her face.

ABOUT 'THE WIDOWS' GUIDE TO BACKSTABBING': When librarian Ginny Cole discovers a body in Little Shaw’s beloved haberdashery shop, she finds herself embroiled in a murder investigation. The victim? Arrogant shop owner and spring fete judge, Timothy Harlow, found with a pair of sewing scissors plunged into his back. While the police are quick to arrest Milos, a charming young upholsterer, Ginny thinks the case has been sewn up too neatly.

Together with her friends – no-nonsense JM, craft-obsessed Hen, and irrepressible Tuppence – Ginny delves into the village’s secrets. Between apologising for her kleptomaniac cat and making marmalade for the spring fete, she discovers that behind Little Shaw’s quaint façade lies a tapestry of rivalries, affairs, and deadly ambitions. And when her own car brakes are sabotaged, Ginny realizes the killer is still at large – and getting closer.

With help from the widows and an increasingly exasperated Detective Inspector Wallace, can Ginny unpick the clues before the murderer strikes again?

MY THOUGHTS: A fun small town mystery featuring amateur sleuths 'of a certain age' in which Ginny discovers her second murder victim within months of moving to Little Shaw.

Yes, suspend your belief but go along for the ride because it is certainly another enjoyable one.

After moving to Little Shaw Ginny has been befriended by a group of women who are also all widows. JM has half a law degree and a rather fearsome personality. Tuppence can be a bit gung-ho, and Hen is more the shy, retiring kind. Ginny just wants to fit in with her new friends and, unfortunately, usually goes along with their schemes. DI Wallace tends to be quite dismissive of the women, but secretly I think he enjoys their antics. We also meet his father for the first time in this story.

Ginny has a rescue cat, Edgar, who causes more than a bit of mayhem with his light-pawed tendencies - he has taken to bringing home odd shoes and other items, causing accusations of theft and cheating amongst the villagers.

A lot of village secrets are uncovered during the investigation into the murder of haberdashery owner and spring fete judge, Timothy Harlow, including love affairs, family secrets and competition rivalries that get out of hand.

I was completely taken by surprise by the revelation of the identity of the murderer and yet, once it was explained, it was all perfectly logical.

BTW, I am NEVER moving to a small English village. I don't have a death wish.

⭐⭐⭐.7

#TheWidowsGuidetoBackstabbing #NetGalley

MEET THE AUTHOR: Amanda Ashby was born in Australia but now lives in New Zealand where she writes romance, young adult and middle grade books. She also works in a library, owns far too many vintage tablecloths and likes to delight her family by constantly rearranging the furniture.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Storm Publishing via NetGalley for providing an e-ARC of The Widows' Guide to Backstabbiing by Amanda Ashby for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

Ginny from the library discovers a body in the habadashers. He’s been stabbed by a pair of sewing scissors. While trying to solve what’s going on the brakes on her car get cut but luckily she’s ok. There’s her other widow friends that help out. But she keeps making marmalade and jam.

Well, Ginny and her small group of friends, JM, Hen and Tuppence, have become a neat little group of amateur detectives. In one of the town’s shops, a gruesome discovery was made—a body. Remarkably, Ginny was the one who stumbled upon the scene. When the police arrested a young man named Milo, who seems their most likely prime suspect, Ginny decided to step in on his behalf.

Just like before, these older widows power on, much to the consternation of DI Wallace. He doesn’t want any of them involving themselves in this case, finding them to be an annoyance. The victim’s daughter appeals to the little group that the police have the wrong suspect, just as Ginny herself believes. Interestingly, not only had Ginny become the owner of a black cat she named Edgar (after much deliberation), but he keeps bringing home little gifts for her. One of these gifts is undoubtedly connected to the murder, much to Ginny’s surprise, so she stays firm in her resolve to solve the crime.

The Widows’ Detective Club series made a strong debut with the first book, The Widows’ Guide to Murder, and this second book in the series was just as delightful as the first book. I very much look forward to continuing the series with The Widows’ Guide to Skullduggery, set to be released this June.

Many thanks to Storm Publishing and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

A solid addition to the series. While I enjoyed this one, it didn’t have the same fun feel as the first one and, at times, seemed a bit more serious. It also was well-plotted but moved slower than the first, making it more difficult for me to follow along at times. The cat did provide some levity but I missed scenes like the gravedigging in the first one. Still, I found it entertaining and look forward to the next in the series.

The Widows did it again!
Ginny and her gang managed once again to get involved in a murder and solve it too.
It really feels quite weird that Ginny once again finds a body and gets entangled in the mystery. However, even she could not believe that this was happening again.
I did not like this book as much as the first one because the premise and the twists are too similar. It was a fun read and a nice break from romancelandia!

Thank you @NetGalley for the copy!

This is the second in the series and I would highly recommend, Ginny is very down to earth in the way she thinks and goes about solving crimes and has made lots of new quirky and interesting friends since moving to Little Shaw. There’s plenty of twists and turns, with secrets revealed and suspects to tackle. It’s a nice, cosy mystery and I look forward to seeing how the series develops. I would definitely recommend this book..

The widows are back in action in the second book of this cozy mystery series! The newest resident, Ginny, is starting to feel at home in her new life in Little Shaw when she is once again thrust into a murder mystery: this time, the murder of Timothy Harlow, local shop owner and spring fete judge. The widows will not rest until the correct culprit is caught.

I enjoy spending time in this fun village with exciting and humorous characters. Ginny is becoming a more well-rounded character, and it's a joy to join her on her adventures. And who can't love more Edgar antics?
I look forward to #3 in this cozy mystery series.

Thank you to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for the advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

Still a similar vibe to the Thursday Murder Club series. It does make me giggle that they're in their 60's and portrayed as old.

It's really about a fun group of Widows who keep finding themselves involved in solving murders (because there's never just simply one). I love how nosy the small town is and how involved in everything they are. While murder is a bummer, there is definitely some laugh out loud moments with these books. Even as a "youngen" you relate to the widows and love their spunk.

Definitely should be a read for you if cozy mysteries are your thing.

Number 2 in a new series by this author. A cosy murder mystery set in a quintessential village complete with library, pub and haberdashers. If you like Richard Osman, Robert Thorogood and Agatha Christie , then this is for you.

Looking for a cozy mystery that’s sure to put a smile on your face? I can’t recommend The Widow's Guide to Backstabbing by Amanda Ashby enough! This is the second installment in The Widows’ Detective Club Series, and it picks up where the first book left off, set in the charming little town we’ve come to love as the group of friends dive into yet another murder investigation. It’s an entertaining blend of The Golden Girls and Murder, She Wrote that will keep you engaged from beginning to end.

Just like in the first book, the characters are an absolute riot, getting into all sorts of amusing antics with their break-ins, knitting, lawyering attempts, and the return of “stolen” items—all while trying to navigate their way around Wallace without getting on his bad side (spoiler alert: they don’t quite succeed).

I found myself chuckling at the witty dialogue and the fearless antics of these widows who refuse to hold back. Some of my favorite moments included:

“… They wouldn’t take no for an answer. It was like a zombie movie. You know the kind where they won’t stop once they’ve smelled brains. In fact –”

“Not everyone who breaks into workshops has a criminal record,” (this coming from Tuppence who enjoys B&E and picking locks (which she’d proudly tell you she learned from YOUTUBE).

“Threatened him? I barely touched the man.” JM snorted before seeming to remember why she’d been there. She gave him a dazzling smile. ‘Please expunge that statement from the record. What I meant to say was, “How fascinating.”

“No idea, and remind me to get Human Resources to talk to you about personal space.”

“Oh, Ginny well done. And just what we need. JM almost got into a fight with two estate agents and Tuppence keeps wanting to break into the offices after hours. They will be relieved to have something to do.”

I loved seeing more of Connor in this book and how he’s matured since the first one. He’s becoming a wonderful addition to the group of widows, helping to keep them out of too much trouble. I especially enjoyed the moments when he plays the voice of reason. I’m excited to see how his character evolves as the series continues!

Like in A Widow’s Guide to Murder, there are some darker moments, but the overall tone remains light and delightful. It’s a cozy read that’s easy to follow, packed with twists that I felt were even better executed in this book compared to the first. Once I started, I couldn’t put it down and genuinely enjoyed every page!

Book three comes out later in 2025 and I couldn’t be more excited to see what my favorite widows get into this time!

A huge thank you to Netgalley & Amanda Ashby for the gifted ARC!

This is the second book in The Widows Detective Club series. Ginny is back and once again stumbling across a dead body. This time it's a local celebrity who runs his own haberdashery shop and is the head judge of the summer fete. The widows can't help but jump head first into the investigation but this time it's more dangerous and Gunny finds herself being targeted too.

I enjoyed this one just as much as the first! There were just as many suspects to follow and a boat load of red herrings! I enjoyed seeing more of Connor I this one, he's a great side character with brilliant wit! Edgar also made some great appearances, I loved that he'd turned into a little thief, making Ginny wander the village apologising for him.

I always look forward to this author books they have good plots.
From the beginning as they build to the end.
I recommend this book was well done.
I received arc from Net Galley and Storm Publisher

Loving it and definitely going to buy a copy when it's published. The characters are so believabe and feel like they live close by so I'm definitely going to recommend it to friends.

I loved being back in Little Shaw with Ginny and her widow cohorts, JM, Tuppence and Hen, these four ladies are great friends and rather enjoy investigating murders together even when asked not to by DI Wallace and now Ginny has discovered her second body in a matter of months since moving to Little Shaw, this time Timothy Harlow owner of the haberdashery shop and celebrity judge in the Little Shaw Spring Fete, he has been stabbed in the back by a pair of scissors, lots of question to find the answers to and will the fete go on?

The police have a suspect in custody fairly quickly but when the widows meet up with Megan Harlow daughter of the murder victim she convinces them that their suspect is not the murderer so the ladies start their investigation and soon are adding suspects and crossing them of on their murder board (a new on this time) there are many people to question, add to that Ginny’s cat Edgar has taken to arriving home with items that he appears to have taken and this leads Ginny be acting as negotiator between two locals, could this lead to more information?

This really is another great story in this series, what the ladies discover is secrets, love affairs, riverly and so much more, but will they discover the truth before DI Wallace and will they be safe? This is a fabulous page turner of a story, fabulous characters, setting and mystery to uncover and one that I would highly recommend to any lover of a good cosy mystery, bring on book three, I say.

My thanks to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for my digital copy to read and review.

More Murders In The Village..
The second entry to the Widows Detective Club series of mysteries finds Ginny, now more settled, delving deep into village secrets. Seemingly peaceful, however, the village seems to have its fair share of heinous crime and it’s not long before another murder investigation is underway. Enjoyable and entertaining cosy mystery with a cast of colourful characters, a solid backdrop and a plot laced with gentle humour.

Another cozy read with twists! Second book of the series and again I loved it! It'd be perfect for a rainy day read. Fast paced and short-ish chapters. I love this group of ladies and their adventures!

I have had the pleasure of reading the first book "The Widows Guide to Murder" and thoroughly enjoyed it the same style cozy mystery and now the pleasure of no:2.
Ginny has come to terms with her husbands death and decided to stay at Little Shaw village now she has made some good friends also widows. Quaint little village and still has these small shops and a haberdashery which she and her widowed friend went in to return some material but found a body instead.
The police which the Inspector lives next door to Ginny is convinced he has arrested the correct person but the widows are not so sure, hence they start their own investigation much to the displeasure of her neighbour Inspector Wallace, so it's all done in secret, or is it.?
Charming story charming characters and this is the 2nd book from this author and already she is on a 3rd which I will be looking forward too.
I would like to thank Netgalley and Storm Publishing for an ARC copy.

I just finished The Widows' Guide to Backstabbing by Amanda Ashby, and I have to say, it's just as engaging and atmospheric as the first book in the series. If you loved the first one, you'll definitely enjoy this sequel.

The story follows librarian Ginny Cole and her friends, the widows, as they dive into another murder mystery in their quaint village. The characters are as charming and relatable as ever, and their sleuthing adventures are both fun and intriguing.

What I really appreciate about this series is how it balances humor with suspense, making it a delightful read from start to finish. The plot twists keep you guessing, and the small-town setting adds a cozy, immersive feel to the story.

Overall, The Widows' Guide to Backstabbing is a fantastic continuation of a series that's quickly becoming a favorite of mine. If you're looking for a cozy mystery with great characters and an engaging plot, this is definitely a series to keep up with!