A Cornish Christmas Murder

Paranoia, deception and murder make A Cornish Christmas Murder a great read. Was invested from the beginning and could not put the book down. Loved the storyline and the well-crafted characters.

Great read!

Devoured this in one sitting; a lovely cosy murder was needed. I am now going to read the others in the series!

I received this book for free for an honest review from netgalley #netgalley

I love how the author put this together! They were such a great dynamic and banter between the two main characters.

Christmas is coming, it's snowed heavily, Josie Parker has a catering job at a 13th century decommissioned abbey on Bodmin Moor and life is good. Unfortunately,  new love DCI Nathan Withers is still in Penstowan but she's determined not to let that ruin her day.

When the weather takes even more of a turn for the worse and it becomes apparent no one is going home, Josie, daughter Daisy, her mum, and best friend Debbie, resign themselves to a night out In the middle of nowhere. Things go reasonably smoothly until, with phone reception sketchy at best and Nathan unable to help, they find a dead body.

This is the fourth in the Nosy Parker cosy mystery series and I loved every single word. The atmosphere and country house location are spot on, with a satisfying number of stereotypical characters and festive occurrences alongside surprises and a brilliant sense of laugh out loud humour throughout this is a joy. The icing on the Josie cake is the promise of book five in the early spring.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the opinions expressed are my own. This is such a fun Christmas novel, my favourite of 2021 by far, and I would happily read it at any time of year.

A Festive Treat….
Book four in the Nosey Parker series of cosy mysteries featuring Jodie Parker (Nosey). Our protagonist has left the Metropolitan Police and returned to her Cornish hometown, along with daughter Daisy, and an ambition of starting a catering company, an ambition that is now well underway. However, life has been nothing like the relaxing and quietly content picture she envisioned and, from the start of her move, murder has been most definitely on the menu. This time Jodie is ensconced in a snowed in country Manor House with her team, a group of guests and a murderer. Inevitably, chaos ensues. Enjoyable, fun read with a likeable protagonist and a colourful cast of supporting characters. A festive treat.

An excellent addition to the Nosey Parker series, which goes from strength to strength. Leitch's writing is clever, funny, and warm-hearted. Her cast of main characters are endearing and fully fleshed out, particularly Jodie, who reads like one of my best girlfriends - relatable, human, hilarious. The mystery is fabulous and I enjoyed the ride of discovering whodunnit and of course, Christmas! So much thought and care has gone into making this a fabulous festive read.

Highly recommended and can't wait for the next one.

Life seems to be going well for Jodie Parker. Her business is picking up, Christmas is coming, and she’s finally dating Nathan Withers. But things can go south pretty quickly, especially when Josie, her Mother, her daughter and BFF Debbie are stuck at 13th century abbey where they catered an event and got stuck during a heavy snow storm. With bad phone reception, the women resign themselves to the fact that they’re stuck there for the night. When they find a body in the abbey, things take a turn as they can’t reach anyone, not even DCI Withers, and they’re on their own, with a killer on the loose.

I love this series! Jodie and her daughter really have settled into life back in Jodie’s girlhood village. The typical cozy characters are here, law enforcement, a female protagonist, a dog, and a few quirky characters. What sets it apart from other cozies is the writing! Fiona Leitch writes so well the you’re not just reading a book, you’re immersed in the story. Those are the best kind to read, in my opinion! Each one reads fine as a stand alone, but you’ll be back for more! f you haven’t checked this series out, now’s the time!

I loved the fourth book in the series. Loved how it’s plays out in a Manor House. Really good read and easy to get into! Looking forward to a fifth one.

I am such a fan of the nosey Parker series and could not wait to sink my teeth into the latest installment. The fact that it's set at Christmas just made it better. Full of charm, humour and mystery, this book had everything I was hoping for and more. I could not put it down and cannot wait for the next one. A definite must read.

A thoroughly enjoyable read. This light-hearted, amusing murder mystery is the fourth in the series. Although it could be read as a stand-alone, it's better read as part of the series as Leitch has developed the characters with each book. The 5 stars are for sheer enjoyment; my reason for reading a book. Leitch brilliantly blends the tragedy of death with quirky characters and situations. I look forward to the next instalment.
This is an honest review of an complementary ARC.

EXCERPT: The room had been built out of that thick grey stone, the doorway opening out onto a wide spacious room that nonetheless felt quite dark; instead of the large casement windows overlooking the grounds that the downstairs rooms had, the exterior wall here, in the older part of the house, had a row of small windows hung with thick tapestry curtains, which blocked out the weak sunlight. An internal wall had been added to partition off what I assumed was an en-suite bathroom or dressing room. It was painted a rich dark red - blood red, I thought. The floor was more of the grey stone, but covered in a thick rug that felt soft and warm underfoot. The overall effect was surprisingly warm and cosy, a perfect romantic winter retreat - but for the shape of the body on the beautifully carved wooden four poster bed.

ABOUT 'A CORNISH CHRISTMAS MURDER': A PINCH OF PARANOIA
It’s three days before Christmas, and detective-turned-chef Jodie ‘Nosey’ Parker is drafted in to cater a charity event run by a notorious millionaire at a 13th-century abbey on Bodmin Moor.

A DASH OF DECEPTION
Things get more complicated when a snowstorm descends, stranding them all, and the next morning they find one of the guests has been gruesomely murdered in their bed…

A MURDER UNDER THE MISTLETOE
Secrets mull like wine on the stove in every corner – can Jodie solve the crime before the killer strikes again?

MY THOUGHTS: Three nights before Christmas, and all through the house, nothing is stirring - except for a murderer.

Although I had not read any of the three previous books - something I intend to remedy immediately - I soon felt like I knew these characters well. Jodie just can't keep her nose out of other people's business, and it seems that it's a family trait thirteen year old Daisy has inherited. Jodie's mother Shirley is a menace; she has absolutely no filter and eats all the biscuits. Friend Debbie an ex-nurse, along to help with the catering, finds herself assisting in a murder enquiry. These four form an irascible bunch, and a formidable one. But wait! I'm forgetting Germaine, an adorable Pomeranian who completes the troupe. Yes, there are references to Enid Blyton's Famous Five made.

The story flows freely with a good cast of supporting characters, none of whom seem to have any sort of motive for killing the obese Santa impersonator. There are plenty of red herrings to keep the reader entertained, and the story is written with well judged humor and wit.

The setting is a magnificent and atmospheric old abbey in the throes of being converted into a luxury hotel. It boasts a ghost, secret rooms and passages, a wonderful library or two, and a whole heap of history.

This is a fun entertaining read, and I can't wait to read more in this series. And the bonus: a lovely Christmas recipe is provided at the end. I've never made my own Christmas mince pies, but I am tempted to give these a try.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.7

#ACornishChristmasMurder #NetGalley

I: @leitchfiona @onemorechapterhc

T: @fkleitch @OneMoreChapter

#christmasfiction #contemporaryfiction #cookbook #cozymystery #detectivefiction #domesticdrama #mystery #romance

THE AUTHOR: Fiona Leitch is a writer with a chequered past. She’s written for football and motoring magazines, DJ’ed at illegal raves and is a stalwart of the low budget TV commercial, even appearing as the Australasian face of a cleaning product called 'Sod Off'. After living in London and Cornwall she's finally settled in sunny New Zealand, where she enjoys scaring her cats by trying out dialogue on them. She spends her days dreaming of retiring to a crumbling Venetian palazzo, walking on the windswept beaches of West Auckland, and writing funny, flawed but awesome female characters.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter, via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of A Cornish Christmas Murder by Fiona Leitch for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage

A Cornish Christmas Murder is the latest in Fiona Leitch’s series of mysteries featuring ex-police officer turn chef, Jodie Parker.

Taking a job catering for a Christmas party held by local boy turned millionaire Isaac Barnes leads to Jodie being caught up in a grizzly murder. Cut off from the local police’s help by a heavy blizzard, Jodie has to do some investigating of her own.

A Cornish Christmas Murder is a light, funny confection which is perfect for a pre-Christmas treat.

Another delightful novel from Fiona. Her Nosey Parker stories with Nathan and Jodie solving murders are always well written and carry you along while you try to decide who is the culprit. I look forward to reading more of her novels.

A Cornish Christmas Murder” is the 4th instalment in The Nosey Parker Cozy Mystery series by Fiona Leitch. I love this series!

I love visiting Cornwall and Jodie, Daisy, and her mum but let’s not forget about Germaine the Pomeranian! This time we are at a country house a former 13th-century abbey on Bodmin Moors during a snow storm, with hidden rooms, and a Santa…

The mystery was really interesting, well plotted, and had just enough twists to keep you engrossed and wanting to know what happens next. I really hope there will be a book 5 coming out soon, as I can’t get enough of this series.

I highly recommend this book to all my cozy lover friends.

I requested and received an Advanced Readers Copy from Harper Collins UK. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A Cornish Christmas Murder tells the latest adventure of Jodie Nosey Parker.

Few days before Christmas Jodie is catering for a children charity event that takes place in an historical house, but after the event she, her colourful crew, and some other guests stay stuck at the villa because of a snowstorm. The morning after the snowstorm has passed but when the house awakes the dead body of the poor Santa impersonator is found in his bed chamber, the murderer is in the house and the police can't easily reach them so Jodie takes the liberty to start to investigating.

I am really enjoying this series, and even if in this particular story the murderer is not too hard to guess, it's indeed complicated to find the how and the why.

The setting and the characters are awesome, I can't stress enough how sweet is Jodie and Nathan relationship, and the historical bits appealed my curiosity.

The always engaging and practical writing of this author made this a good story, I highly recommend to read it if you like this genre.

This is the fourth book in the ‘Nosey Parker’ series but can easily be read as a standalone.

Jodie ‘Nosey’ Parker served in the Met Police but when she finally gave up on her horrible husband, she returned to the Cornish village in which she’d been born and bred, taking her daughter, Daisy, with her. Jodie also decided on a career change and had always loved baking, so she did a college course with the intention of setting up a catering company.

In the approach to Christmas, Jodie is catering for an event at a 13th century abbey. Unfortunately, the weather gets worse, and they find themselves snowed in for the night. The bad weather means they can’t get hold of anyone, even Jodie’s boyfriend, DCI Nathan Withers, and then a body is found.

A real ‘cosy murder’ with lots of fun as well as twists and turns.

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins UK, and One More Chapter for an advance reader copy in return for an honest review.

Another brilliant book by Fiona, Just love the characters and the story lines. Looking forward to the next one.

I absolutely adored this book! A Cornish Christmas Murder started out a little confusing. It had a hard time determining who the narrator was and the relationships of all of the parties (because I have not read all of the previous books in the series), but once I got it straightened out in my brain I fell into the story and couldn't stop reading. The setting was perfect and I hope to re-read it again on a snowy winter day, just wishing I could be in the Cornish countryside (sans-murder, obviously). I loved the locked-in mystery setting, especially with all of the personalities involved.

5/5 Stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Jodie Parker is ex met police now living in Penstowan and has her own catering company.
Her latest job is catering at a 13th Century abbey on Bodmin moor , she has got her usual array of helpers her mum , her daughter Daisy ,her friend Debbie and the dog Germaine. The weather is wintry and perfect for a spot of murder!
I love this series they are an easy , enjoyable read and wrote in a way to make you feel you are catching up with old friends. The protagonist Jodie is an amiable character as are the other main characters all with their own quirks , humour runs throughout and finishes the story off perfectly.
Sit back in your favourite chair , hot chocolate at the ready and savour this perfect cozy read !
Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK .

She did it again! And this time with tinsels, Santa and mince pies. I have so enjoyed reading The Cornish Christmas Murder, and despite the murder, it's a wonderful and christmassy story.
The brilliant Jodie Parker has a gig at a lovely manor, and brings along her daughter, best friend, her mum and even the dog. All is well, everyone having fun, until there's a nasty snowstorm, and someone gets murdered. And that's all I'm going to say, since I don't want to share any spoilers. But rest assured, Jodie is as sassy and smart as ever, and this time, she has a boyfriend!
I'm really enjoying this series. Nothing better than a well-written cosy crime – with loads of great food. I have learned to not read Jodie Parker books on an empty stomach ...

Thankyou for giving me the chance to read this. A lighthearted who done it style, but also that air of chick lit. Perfect for me. Definitely five stars

What I Enjoyed

What I enjoyed most about A Cornish Christmas Murder and about the series as a whole is the wit and sense of humor of the main character Jodie Parker. Her outlook on things has me laughing out loud often as I read the story. I love how she can find the humor, even in the macabre, subtly and charmingly. As an ex-officer, I expect more of a professional, almost cold air. Still, Jodie is anything but the traditional police officer I anticipate.

I really enjoyed the setting in this particular story – a locked room in a locked house in the middle of a bad snowstorm. Somehow, there are so many questions even in this contained setting – including who the intended victim actually was. I loved the creativity of having a mystery in a location where it is hard to fathom that a mystery would be possible. Surely someone would hear something or see something in such a confined space.

The mystery is excellent. I did guess the who early on, but I had no idea why or even who the murderer meant to kill. I loved all the questions that were going through my head as the story unfolded. The house even had several secret passageways and hidden spaces to add to the fun and suspect potential.

Lastly, the characters are endearing and relatable. I loved the cast of serious and comedic guests who all find themselves suspect in the murder that takes place while they are sleeping. From the group of Asian tourists to Santa himself, it was a lot of fun to get to know and observe the suspects as I tried to figure out which of them was guilty.

Characters

Jodie "Nosey" Parker is the main character. She is a single mom and an ex-cop who left the force when her daughter had panic attacks about Jodie leaving the house to work. So, instead, she moved to her hometown and became a caterer. With her Gimpmobile catering van and her staff of her mother and her just turned teenage daughter, Jodie finds herself in the middle of murder mystery after murder mystery.

Jodie does have a significant other. Nathan, or DCI Nathan Withers, is a wonderful character. In the first story, he started as the typical dismissive officer, fussing at Jodie to let the professionals do their job. But Jodie's natural warmth and wit quickly won his heart, and now they make a lovely crime-solving duo. I love the way he has become so respectful of Jodie's intelligence and natural cop instincts. Instead of pushing her aside, he makes her a valuable member of his team.

Reminds Me Of

This series is naturally fun cozy and hits all the necessary elements of the genre. I don't know that the mysteries remind me of Agatha Christie's novels, but I think Christie would be a big fan.

What I Wish

The only thing I wish, and this is a tiny wish, is that there had been more Christmas cheer. The atmosphere did not really feel holiday, aside from having a man dressed as Santa, and I think there were a lot of opportunities there to have a holiday atmosphere.


To Read or Not to Read
If you enjoy fun cozies and locked room mysteries, this is a great story to pick up during the holiday season.

“A Cornish Christmas Murder” (Nosy Parker Mystery #4) by Fiona Leitch. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Genre: Cozy Mystery. Location: Cornwall, England. Time: Present.-
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SERIES: Jodie (Nosey) Parker quit her job as a London Police Officer and moved home to Penstowan. She now owns a small, safe catering business. But murder keeps finding her, and true to her nickname, Jodie gets involved.-
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THIS BOOK: 12 guests, 1 snowstorm, and 1 Nosey Parker. Jodie caters a holiday children’s party at 13th century Kingseat Abbey. Her crew consists of 15-year-old daughter Daisy, Jodie’s outspoken mum, ex-nurse Debbie, and Germaine the Pomeranian. Stuck at the abbey by a snowstorm, they are joined by other stranded travelers. The next morning, a murder is discovered in a locked room. It must be someone in the abbey. But who, how, and why? Police can’t get through the storm, so Jodie and crew investigate.-
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The book is full of secret passes and hidden doors, snarky comments and family love, red herrings and twisted plots, reveals and redemptions, local language and customs. There’s no map, so you might want to take notes-the abbey is large and rambling.-
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Trigger note: Jodie’s van is The Gimpmobile. Traditionally, “Gimp” is offensive slang for a person with a physical disability. This book taught me it is also slang for a sexual fetish that has nothing to do with disabilities. The story is Jodie’s van was previously owned by a sexual fetish shop owner, thus the name. It’s not offensive when one understands the context, so I’m not lowering my rating based on an unfortunate coincidence.-
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It’s the perfect book for your holiday season, no matter what or who you celebrate or don’t celebrate. The writing is funny, the action moves along, and the characters are enjoyable. Publication date: December 9, 2021. With many thanks to Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter, and NetGalley for the copy, it’s 5 stars from me.🌵📚👩🏼‍🦳.”

Another brilliant romp, despite a murder, in Cornwall. I am really enjoying this series, but the books do work as stand alone pieces too, as the network of people is well, described in each book.

A Cornish Christmas Murder by Fiona Leitch

I really loved this book and I finished it in a couple of hours accompanied by some delicious hot chocolate.. it was the epitome of a cosy murder mystery perfect for a rainy cold and damp day.

This is the forth book in the Nosy Parker but I had not read any of the previous books but it did not matter, Jodie ‘Nosy’ Parker is an ex police officer who is now a caterer, whose latest job is catering a children’s Christmas party at the 13th-century abbey on Bodmin Moor in Cornwall with her daughter, mother, friend Debbie and Germaine the dog.. when the party is over and they are clearing up they are told the roads are too snowy to pass and that they will have to stay in the abbey till they are cleared. So the guests including with 6 more unexpected guests arriving for safety from the snow settle in for a cosy night but in the morning there is one guest is dead murdered by an antique sword.

It’s an old troupe but a good one and one I adore for a cosy murder mystery - a claustrophobic house where no one can go anywhere and the murderer must be one of them!!!

I liked everything about this book, the cover was adorable and really that’s what attracted me to read it firstly, the characters were well developed and the murder mystery was well thought out and there were many red herrings to keep me interested.

A great little book to settle down with on a cold winters day. I will look out for more books by this author.

#ACornishChristmasMystery #NetGalley #murdermystery #cosy #England #Christmas

What a wonderful fictional trip!

An entertaining and spicy whodunit set in Cornwall during a big snowstorm with a disparate group of people stranded inside a big Elizabethan manor and a potential killer running amok within its walls.....

A laughing out loud romp full of twists and turns, lots of verbal pyrotechnics and another great opportunity to spend some hilarious moments with Miss Jodie "Nosey" Parker and her colorful gang. A delicious English fictional dish that definitely deserves to be discovered and enjoyed without any moderation whatsoever! Yes, this is the perfect Xmas gift for a few hours of blissful reading👍

Many thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins/One more chapter for this terrific ARC.

I love it when the weather plays a part in the story and I love Cornwall and I love snow. To top it all there’s a murder. Really good fun. Not quite what I thought it would be. Probably better than I thought. Will look for authors other books.

I really enjoyed "A Cornish Christmas Murder." It was funny in places and sad in others. Fiona Leitch's novel was also very clever. This book has it all--a good plot, interesting characters, a cleverly devised murder, and even a dog. This was the first Fiona Leitch novel that I have read, but since I have now discovered her work, I am definitely going to read more of her mysteries. I will not give away plot points, as I I think every reader should discover and enjoy this novel the same way I did--one page at a time. I appreciate that the author, Fiona Leitch, and publisher, One More Chapter, provided this ARC in exchange for my honest review. Thank you also to NetGalley for their help in providing this ARC.

Merry Christmas to Nosey Parker (Jodie) and her friends. Well it will be once the small matter of a dead body appearing the morning after a charity event in a large abbey on Bodmin Moor, where Jodie had been catering the night before and ended up staying the night due to snow, turns up.

And so within this cosy mystery series we have the sort of mystery that I always really enjoy when I come across one - a locked room mystery. It is clear that the killer is amongst those at the manor that night, and due to snow related delays it takes a while for the police to arrive, by which stage well Jodie just can't help herself.

It was great to be able to catch up with old friends, and I felt right at home within the pages of this book within the first few pages. I was intrigued by the setting and what we learn about the building, while also rather hoping that just one of Jodie's catering jobs wouldn't involve a dead body - they do seem to follow her around!

Although this time even her daughter, Daisy seems to want to get in on the action, and together with their dog, a friend, and Jodie's mum we have a "crack team" of amateur sleuths trying work out just who did what and when.

As there were assorted people not quite acting normally, there are all manner of secrets to be revealed.

Another excellent addition to this series, which I whizzed through as I was enjoying the story so much. A great Christmas cozy mystery and I am already looking forward to seeing what the the next book in the series will bring.

Thank you to One More Chapter and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

A light Christmas mystery. An ex-cop turned caterer, a locked house in a snowstorm and blocked roads, a murdered Santa impersonator, and a number of people with secrets. All the hallmarks of an easy holiday read.

I loved this book! What a perfect read leading up to Christmas! Jodie “Nosey” Parker returns, but this time she’s catering a Christmas event at an old abbey in Cornwall, turned atmospheric hotel. There’s a snowstorm, trapped guests and a murder. I loved this twisty tale oozing with character and scenery. The abbey was a homerun hit for me—I loved the secret rooms, old charm and mysterious history. But what I love most about this book (and the whole series) is the humor! This is a whodunit that will keep you guessing—I was guessing, and glued to the pages. Thank you OMC for the ARC, and for publishing this fantastic series that I can't live without. I hope to read many more Jodie books in the future. Can't get enough of them. Bravo Fiona Leitch for being so talented and keeping this reader glued to the pages!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley, and am so happy I requested it. Book 4 in a series, it was the first one I read, now I’ll read the first 3. The main character, Josie, is intelligent, funny and empathetic. Even though I hadn’t read the earlier books I was able to get right into the story and the characters, the author included just enough of their back stories to be able to start right in. This is a great cozy series and was a quick read that held ny attention, I didn’t see the solution coming.

I love a good locked room mystery, and A Cornish Christimas Murder really hit the spot with its wintry English Manor setting at Christmastime. I thoroughly enjoyed it! The main characters felt real. They are fun and lovable, so much so I just might go back and read the previous books in the series. I was also entertained with the little dog, Germaine, and how her presence was woven into the story, reminding me of my own small pups. A Cornish Christmas Christmas is an excellent choice to curl up with on a cold winter's day with a throw and a cup of hot cocoa.

*Thank you for the opportunity to read this delightful book! I have posted my review on Goodreads and will post on Amazon and B&N on the release day.

Perfect cosy murder mystery - the festive setting definitely adding to the ‘cosy’ element! I haven’t read a modern crime novel in this genre before, it was definitely enjoyable and I’d be interested in other books by this author.

I received an early digital copy of this book from the publisher in return for an honest review.

A cosy crime book crossed with romance and Christmas - what more could you want from a book.

This book was an easy read that I thoroughly enjoyed. Light hearted but with twists and turns that kept me guessing - I never quite worked out the whole solution before it was revealed - the sign of a good mystery.

Jodie and her group find themselves trapped in a Manor House by the snow. When random strangers start turning up you just know that there is going to be trouble. And when one of the guests ends up dead well - who else could possibly investigate?

I haven’t read the previous books in this series (although I will be getting them so that I can) this didn’t stop me enjoying this story one bit. Whilst I’m sure there may be some references they were not so much that you felt you had missed out anything important.

Definitely a book for the cold winter months - curl up warm and escape to Cornwall!

This was a delightful murder/ mystery. It is set in a large, old house where a group of people are stranded due to heavy snow. Very entertaining story, with some great characters that were easy to relate to.. The final twist is uncovered right at the end.

I just love this series and this is probably the best one yet. A country house mystery like the Golden Age, but with up to date humour and a great cast of regular characters. I suspected everyone, which I think should be the case in a mystery novel. Such an ingenious murder too! I can’t wait until the next book.

I LOVED this book! A Murder Under the Mistletoe, or the UK title, A Cornish Christmas Murder is a brilliant 4th installment of the Jodie "Nosey" Parker cozy mystery series (but it can be read as a stand-alone.) Jodie is a former police officer turned caterer, yet, crime still seems to find her. This time, Jodie arrives to cater a party at an isolated 13th-century abbey, now inn, full of secret passages, priest holes, and eventually 12 snowed-in guests. The next morning, there has been a rather unusual murder with an antique sword. Snow-covered roads delay the police, so Jodie and her crew are obliged to investigate. While the investigation takes some turns along the way, the banter between the characters is spot-on and genuinely funny. This locked-room mystery is well written, with a charming cast of vivid characters…particularly Jodie's mother, Shirley. Jodie as a protagonist is witty, intelligent, warm-hearted, and I adored her, as well as every minute of this holiday mystery! I particularly liked that Jodie had a law enforcement background as I felt that lent some expertise to her investigation rather than merely being a sleuth who stumbles into the solution. The descriptions of the abbey/inn were lovely.
Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Collins UK and One More Chapter for this ARC; it was great fun!