Reviews

Although the weather outside is cold and grey in real life, in A Village Fete Murder by Katie Gayle, it’s spring in Berrywick and smack in the middle of fete season.

This is the third cozy crime novel featuring retired social worker Julia Bird who seems to keep finding herself embroiled in murder – although she is trying to make a new, peaceful life for herself in the country, she can’t help getting caught up in solving the crime!

Once again, the writing partnership of Kate Ridley and Gayle Schimmel have created a gripping murder mystery, in this case seemingly involving bullying at a local school, that has plenty of twists and red herrings.

You can just see the conflict within Julia as she feels compelled to look into the murder – especially to help a young man who seems to be wrongly in the frame – while trying to mind her own business and concentrate on the life and friendships she has built in her new life. That is really well put across in all of the novels but lucky for us, Julia just can’t help but get involved!

I thought the premise of bullying within a school’s really well put across – and not in the way you might think – and it’s handled quite sensitively when we hear from some of the victims. It’s a very current issue I think.

There are some nice explorations of characters from the previous novels, whose involvement is more than it first appears and – of course – that lovely, naughty dog, Jake is back as Julia’s steadfast companion.

Having read all the novels, it’s been great to see Julia develop in her country life, and form friendships and relationships in Berrywick so, although the murder plots are first class, it’s this very human side to the books that makes them.

robinlovesreading's review against another edition

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4.0

The Commandant’s Daughter and The Pilot’s Girl are the first two books in Hanni Winter series by Catherine Hokin. In this third book, The Girl in the Photo, more of Hanni’s tragic story is told. The war is over, and Hanni was among countless people who experienced unspeakable horrors while trying to survive. Now married to Freddy, Hanni is excelling in her photography career.

Hanni and Freddy are at her first photo exhibit, and Freddy spies a photo of a young girl that takes him on a path of near obsession. Why? He tells Hanni that the girl, at about four years of age in the photo, is his sister Renny. Freddy is determined to find Renny, and this means returning to the concentration camp that holds terrible memories. Fred strongly believes that by returning to the Theresienstadt camp it could possibly be the successful first step in locating Renny.

As Freddy gets closer to locating Renny, Hanni is forced to deal with her painful past. Hanni has had very good reasons for not sharing the depth of events from her life of years ago with Freddy. In fact, this has led to Hanni having kept a huge secret from him. This is where this stellar read becomes heartbreaking, as Hanni is forced to reconnect with her father. What is worse is that she also crosses paths someone truly despicable from her past, and this could bring her life crashing down.

This amazing book had quite an impact on me as it tells a story that I will not soon forget. I imagine there might be one more book in the series. Lovers of historical fiction will get to know Hanni and feel her pain, all while she strives to hold onto a thread of hope as they read all three of these compelling stories.

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

Please also enjoy this video book review - https://youtu.be/_HIOdRvQYb0

laurenalice4's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

mlsamy's review against another edition

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3.0

While attending the village fete, retired social worker Julia Bird and her boyfriend discover a dead woman sitting on a bench in the center of a garden maze. The murdered woman turns out to be a local schoolteacher who had a difficult personality and a less-than-stellar reputation as a teacher. As DI Hayley begins her investigation, Julie takes it upon herself to do a little digging of her own.

This cozy mystery series features likable lead characters, a sweet British setting, and a story that moves along at a steady pace. Recommended for cozy mystery fans & readers who enjoy main characters of a certain age.

Merged review:

While attending the village fete, retired social worker Julia Bird and her boyfriend discover a dead woman sitting on a bench in the center of a garden maze. The murdered woman turns out to be a local schoolteacher who had a difficult personality and a less-than-stellar reputation as a teacher. As DI Hayley begins her investigation, Julie takes it upon herself to do a little digging of her own.

This cozy mystery series features likable lead characters, a sweet British setting, and a story that moves along at a steady pace. Recommended for cozy mystery fans & readers who enjoy main characters of a certain age.

Merged review:

While attending the village fete, retired social worker Julia Bird and her boyfriend discover a dead woman sitting on a bench in the center of a garden maze. The murdered woman turns out to be a local schoolteacher who had a difficult personality and a less-than-stellar reputation as a teacher. As DI Hayley begins her investigation, Julie takes it upon herself to do a little digging of her own.

This cozy mystery series features likable lead characters, a sweet British setting, and a story that moves along at a steady pace. Recommended for cozy mystery fans & readers who enjoy main characters of a certain age.

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