Death at Lovers' Leap

by Catherine Coles

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

Death at Lovers' Leap is the third Martha Miller cozy by Catherine Coles. Released 16th Feb 2024 by Boldwood Books, it's 178 pages and is available in hardcover, paperback, audio, 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. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free. The other books in the series are also currently available on KU. 

This is a well written and whimsy filled historical cozy set just after WW2 in rural England. Life in the village has settled down for "newcomer" Martha Miller, but she's still melancholy about her still missing husband, and her (mostly) secret feelings for pastor Luke. When she finds another body, she and her "Watson" are drawn into another amateur investigation.

It's a fair play mystery, and readers will enjoy evaluating the clues as they come along. The author is adept at providing background story, so although it's the third book in the series, it works fine as a standalone read. There are developments with the characters in the previous books, so readers who choose to read them out of order should expect some minor spoilers.

Four stars, with three books extant it would make a nice mini-binge or buddy read. There's a fourth book due out from the same publishers in first quarter 2025.

The unabridged audiobook has a run time of 6 hours 18 minutes and is expertly read by Alex Lee. She has an even, beautifully modulated RP accent and a surprising facility with the different voices across a range of characters of widely varying ages and both male and female. Sound and production quality are high throughout the read.

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