Murder at the Summer Fete (The Dedley End Mysteries, #2)

by Victoria Walters

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

Murder at the Summer Fete is the second Dedley End cozy mystery by Victoria Walters. Released 17th March 2022 by Canelo, it's 352 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. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This is an enjoyable and engaging British village cozy mystery set in the Cotswolds. The mystery (and romance subplot) are fairly obvious from early on, but it's well written and fun. There are a number of whimsical/eccentric village characters, a sensible pair of amateur sleuths who own a bookstore, and a longsuffering Inspector.

This is definitely one for fans of light cozy mysteries. The settings, spelling, and vernacular are UK English, but it won't pose a problem for readers in the US. The language is squeaky clean and the violence isn't graphic. There's an odd cliffhanger twist at the very end of the book that seemed, frankly, tacked on, but it doesn't detract from the overall read.

Three and a half stars. The story is (mostly) self contained in this volume and it can be read as a standalone without any problems.

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