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leebeeloves's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
lori_c13's review
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
sheilasamuelson's review
adventurous
informative
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Rating: 5 Stars!!
Review:
This was my first time reading a Mystery by Kate Wells let alone in a series but i have to say i really enjoyed this one since it reminded me alot of Agatha Christie's Mrs Marple.
The Characters were fun and enjoyable which made it hard for me to pick just one as my favorite since i seemed to like all the characters.
The Setting was beautifully described which made me feel like i was actually in the book while reading especially when the scenery was described.
Overall a Good Book 1 in this Mystery Series. Can't wait to read more in this series and by Kate in the future!!
Review:
This was my first time reading a Mystery by Kate Wells let alone in a series but i have to say i really enjoyed this one since it reminded me alot of Agatha Christie's Mrs Marple.
The Characters were fun and enjoyable which made it hard for me to pick just one as my favorite since i seemed to like all the characters.
The Setting was beautifully described which made me feel like i was actually in the book while reading especially when the scenery was described.
Overall a Good Book 1 in this Mystery Series. Can't wait to read more in this series and by Kate in the future!!
kirstyreviewsbooks's review
4.0
Murder on The Farm by Kate Wells
I received an advance review copy for free thanks to Rachel's Random Resources and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Blurb
Lambing season always brings the unexpected… But no one expected murder Jude Gray never thought she’d find herself widowed and running a working farm full-time, but here she is, living in the small Malvern village her husband Adam spent most of his life in. After a particularly gruelling lambing season, she is looking forward to some time off, but there’s no rest for the wicked, especially when she finds the body of one of Adam’s oldest friends on her farm. Jude refuses to believe the official line, that Sarah’s death was a suicide, and starts an investigation of her own. But as the body count rises, danger creeps ever closer to Malvern Farm. A killer is on the prowl. And all that stands in their way is one woman – and her dog.
My Opinion
Murder on the Farm is the first book in a new series by Kate Wells. First of all I would like to say that as a character I like Jude Gray - especially at the beginning where she doesn't let being dressed up prevent her from helping out in the lambing shed. For me, this was a great introduction to the series and it will be nice to catch up with some of these characters in the future.
Jude is not convinced with the police investigation, so decides to take the investigation into her own hands. This was a nice leisurely read, ideal for a cosy weekend of reading. I found that this had been written in such a way that whilst it is a new series, I felt like I was in a familiar setting as I felt like I was at home with these characters.
Rating: 4/5
I received an advance review copy for free thanks to Rachel's Random Resources and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Blurb
Lambing season always brings the unexpected… But no one expected murder Jude Gray never thought she’d find herself widowed and running a working farm full-time, but here she is, living in the small Malvern village her husband Adam spent most of his life in. After a particularly gruelling lambing season, she is looking forward to some time off, but there’s no rest for the wicked, especially when she finds the body of one of Adam’s oldest friends on her farm. Jude refuses to believe the official line, that Sarah’s death was a suicide, and starts an investigation of her own. But as the body count rises, danger creeps ever closer to Malvern Farm. A killer is on the prowl. And all that stands in their way is one woman – and her dog.
My Opinion
Murder on the Farm is the first book in a new series by Kate Wells. First of all I would like to say that as a character I like Jude Gray - especially at the beginning where she doesn't let being dressed up prevent her from helping out in the lambing shed. For me, this was a great introduction to the series and it will be nice to catch up with some of these characters in the future.
Jude is not convinced with the police investigation, so decides to take the investigation into her own hands. This was a nice leisurely read, ideal for a cosy weekend of reading. I found that this had been written in such a way that whilst it is a new series, I felt like I was in a familiar setting as I felt like I was at home with these characters.
Rating: 4/5
srivalli's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
3.75
3.7 Stars
One Liner: Darkish cozy mystery; decent start to a series
Jude Gray didn’t dream of owning and working on a farm full-time. However, after the death of her husband, Adam, Jude decided to become a farmer and continue living in the same place. She manages to keep the place afloat with help from Frank, Noah, etc.
With the lambing season in full swing, Jude is too busy to deal with anything else. However, when a dear friend is found dead (presumed suicide) on her land, Jude knows she cannot let it go. She has an idea about the cause but knows the person would never kill themselves. Soon, Jude’s half-sister Lucy and her 2yo son Sebbie arrive for a visit. Jude takes Lucy’s help in digging into the matter.
As more bodies pile up, it’s up to Jude to get to the bottom of the truth (with DS Binnie’s assistance, of course).
The story comes in Jude’s third-person POV.
My Thoughts:
The book begins with Jude attending Ben’s wedding with Tilda and meeting her other friends. Adam, Ben, Charles, and Sarah have been best friends since their school days. Jude joins the gang when she meets the town and falls in love with Adam. The bond between the friends plays a crucial role in the story.
Jude also has a half-sister, Lucy, who is five years younger than her. Despite their father being a prick (it’s not a spoiler as such), the sisters get on well since they were children. Initially, their relationship appears strained despite Jude feeling good about Lucy. However, we see how warm their bonding is. It’s an issue with the writing, which makes things sound awkward (and dry) when they are not.
In fact, the writing in the first quarter is choppy and clunky. It doesn’t inspire much confidence in the plot or the characters. Fortunately, it gets better as the book progresses. However, I still don’t know Jude’s age. How old is she? I thought she was close to 50 and then realized she sounded to be around 35-45. The same goes for other characters. Not knowing the age range makes it hard to visualize them.
Little Sebbie is adorable! He loves Aunt Chewdy and baby Canpake, the little lamb Jude adopts. He is a darling kid, and I enjoyed reading his broken sentences and cute words.
DS Binita Khatri is a great addition and not just an attempt at diversity. There’s just enough information to show her ethnicity with a major focus on the mystery. Since she’s likely to be a recurring character in the series, this method of introduction works.
The mystery is quite decent and intriguing. The case is close to Jude, so it makes sense that she would make a few assumptions and mistakes in solving it. Also, it’s her first case as an amateur sleuth, so errors are expected.
However, I don’t like that she is careless with evidence, especially knowing their importance. Given that she lives on a farm and runs it, one would expect her to be a little more organized or at least focused on important tasks. This carelessness is used as a plot device in the book. I hope it doesn’t become a recurring feature in the coming books.
The setting gets brownie points in this one. The tough side of farm life is detailed well with the various jobs that need to be completed to run a farm with livestock. I like how these scenes are presented and woven into the plot. Malvern Village is also easy to imagine. It’s on the darker side, which perfectly suits the plot.
There are enough red herrings to keep the reader guessing. Though I guessed the killer (not because of the clues, but it was more of an instinct), I wasn’t sure why and wondered if I was wrong. The ending is well done as it ties up the case and takes the main story forward by a few months.
To summarize, Murder on the Farm is a darkish cozy mystery set on a farm. It has some interesting characters and maintains a decent pace. While the writing isn’t great, it does get better after the initial part. Looking forward to reading book two.
Thank you, NetGalley and Boldwood Books, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
#NetGalley #MurderontheFarm
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Cancer
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