Murder at the Gardens (A Belinda Penshurst Mystery, #3)

by Lisa Cutts

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

Murder at the Gardens is the third book in Lisa Cutts' charming Belinda Penshurst village cozy series. Released 14th April 2022, it's 266 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free, as are the other books in the series.

This is such an engaging and fun series. The narrative is lighthearted, including an ensemble cast of oddball small-town characters. There are moments of genuine humor which surprised a giggle out of me. The author definitely doesn't take herself or her characters too seriously. For all that, it's well written and eminently readable.

There are admittedly some fairly silly and over the top developments and plot twists, but it's a village cozy, so it's really part of the whimsy. The "over the top" characters and dialogue were always on the right side of charming and didn't shade over into annoying or yank me out of my suspension of disbelief, so it was a fun read. As always, amateur sleuth Belinda, castle-dwelling, clever, and single minded, is determined to get to the bottom of the skullduggery infesting *her* village. 

Readers who enjoy very light village cozies such as the series by Merryn Allingham, Frances Evesham, and Clare Chase will find much to like with these books. There are 3 books currently extant in the series, making it a good candidate for a weekend binge series read.

Four stars. Charming, diverting, and well written.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.