Seventh Link, The

This was a wonderful cosy mystery set in a village called Frog End and at a Bomber command reunion meeting.

I loved the description of Village life. The colonel has resorted to building himself a 'man shed' to escape being roped into eveb more village activities. But he enjoys an evening drink with his neighbour. The characters were really interesting and well rounded.

He's invited to his friends B&B where there is a Bomber Command reunion planned which interests him due to his own time in the army. It was interesting to read about the work of these teams and to realise just how harrowing each trip would have been.

After a shocking discovery, the Colonel is left unsure that the incident was purely accidental. His neighbour uses an Agatha Christie plot to tell him who was guilty and he continues to wonder.

I just loved every page of this book- it was such a nice, easy read. Perfect for those cosy evenings when you want to be entertained by such a charming book.

With many thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for a copy to review.

The Seventh Link by Margaret Mayhew The Colonel is a retired widower who has an irritable stray cat, a nosy neighbor, and another woman who watches all comings and goings with a pair of binoculars. Welcome to small village home life. Someone is always trying to get him involved in the social scene in the village, so he's pleased to get an invite out of town.

Severn House and Net Galley allowed me to read this book for review (thank you). It will be published the first of November, so you can grab a copy then.

When he's invited to a bed and breakfast by the people who own it, he's happy to comply. He and his wife had a good relationship with them and he'd enjoy another visit. He's a bit surprised they are also hosting an RAF reunion the same weekend, but it doesn't matter. It makes it even more interesting.

This is a cozy mystery that doesn't move too fast but has lots of fascinating information about the airport next to the B & B and about the men who flew on the planes. War is an ugly business and it gets personal in this story.

There was a crew of seven on that plane. Only six have been having reunions, the seventh lives in Australia and they haven't heard from him since the war. When he shows up for this reunion, they're very surprised. They are also surprised by how much he drinks and what he has to say. When he becomes a drowning victim, the Colonel questions his death. The more questions he asks, the more he wonders. But can he prove it? And, even more, does he want to?

I enjoyed reading about the countryside and the RAF flights. The murder mystery is an interesting one. Why don't you give it a read and see what you think?

Hugh (usually known as ‘the Colonel’) lives a genteel retired life in the village of Frog’s End with a curmudgeonly stray cat called Thursday for company. There are the usual busybodies, do-gooders and husband-hunters to be found in every village, but the Colonel treats them all with his own brand of cool perspicacity. Increasingly under pressure from his daughter-in-law to live closer to family, he is pleased to have an excuse to get away when an old friend invites him to stay at his B&B located near a disused World War II airfield and where a reunion of Royal Air Force flyers is planned. The other guests are six surviving members of a Lancaster bomber crew. With the unexpected arrival from Australia of the seventh member of the crew there are repercussions that will end in tragedy and the Colonel feels compelled to take up his role of sleuth.
While on the surface this novel has all the hallmarks of the ‘cosy crime genre’, it has its serious aspects in that it explores how the men of Bomber Command were treated in the closing years of the War, and for many decades afterwards, and also how certain bombing missions over Germany were conducted.
The Colonel has featured in a number of mystery novels by Margaret Mayhew and is a most appealing creation, especially for readers who will appreciate his old-fashioned characteristics and carefully-considered thought processes. The ending is surprising and not quite as cut and dried as might be expected. Recommended for anyone looking for a quick and satisfying whodunit.

What could be better for a long winter's night than an English cosy mystery featuring a rustic cottage and an absurd yet adorable cat? Nothing. That's what.

This book was not a tough and gritty mystery, but rather a gentle and curious one that I quite enjoyed. I like characters with memorable personality traits and the Colonel is definitely one of those characters. This book is smart and fun with good humour and isn't very long so it is perfect for an afternoon of reading or bedtime reading during these early nights of winter.

The fact that the main character professes himself as a non-believer and then gets roped into the church anyway made m smile.

Recommended to those who enjoy a good mystery and a good laugh.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.