Poison at the Village Show: The start of a BRAND NEW cozy murder mystery series from Catherine Coles for 2022
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- Create Date：2022-03-19 03:21:41
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Catherine Coles
- ISBN：B09NR1NJMT
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Annarella
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I read other cosy mysteries by Catherine Coles and liked them。 This is the start of a new historical cosy series and there’s plenty of potential。I’m sure it will become a favourite as I enjoyed this story and liked Martha and Luke。Martha is an interesting character and I liked how the author developed her character and her backstory。 She’s considered a sort of black widow/scarlet woman by the village busybodies and that was a very interesting aspect of the story as it reflects an aspect of the h I read other cosy mysteries by Catherine Coles and liked them。 This is the start of a new historical cosy series and there’s plenty of potential。I’m sure it will become a favourite as I enjoyed this story and liked Martha and Luke。Martha is an interesting character and I liked how the author developed her character and her backstory。 She’s considered a sort of black widow/scarlet woman by the village busybodies and that was a very interesting aspect of the story as it reflects an aspect of the historical mindsetThe plot is easy to follow and I thoroughly enjoyed and liked how Martha and Luke interacted。It’s a solid mystery and it kept me guessing。The end leaves some loose ends （not on the mystery side） and I can’t wait to read the next book in this series。Recommended。Many thanks to Boldwood Books， Rachel’s Random Resources， and Netgalley for this ARC， all opinions are mine 。。。more
Stephanie H
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A brilliant start to a new mystery series that i for one can’t wait to read more of！ Brilliant characters and gorgeous settings。 Cleverly plotted too。
ELMorehead
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Can Martha Clear Her Name？Catherine Coles has started another Fantastic Series in "Poison at the Village Show （The Martha Miller Mysteries Book 1）"。 It's set in the 1947 village of Westleham。Abandoned by her husband， Martha makes her income by selling her Plumb Gin。 When it appears to kill a lady， Martha sets out to find the real Murderer。 She's helped by her Sister， the Vicar， her Neighbor， and the Police。Like any small community， news/gossip spread very fast in Westleham。 I enjoyed getting to Can Martha Clear Her Name？Catherine Coles has started another Fantastic Series in "Poison at the Village Show （The Martha Miller Mysteries Book 1）"。 It's set in the 1947 village of Westleham。Abandoned by her husband， Martha makes her income by selling her Plumb Gin。 When it appears to kill a lady， Martha sets out to find the real Murderer。 She's helped by her Sister， the Vicar， her Neighbor， and the Police。Like any small community， news/gossip spread very fast in Westleham。 I enjoyed getting to know the different Story Characters， and how they interacted。 I ❤️ed all the historic details。 I ❤️ed the twists and turns involved in solving this Mystery。 I also ❤️ed that there is the beginning of a Romance in this 📗。 I ❤️ that I was surprised by "who done it" at the end， like in other CC Stories！The 📗 has a slow start， but then become a Page-Turner， you Have To Keep 📖ing。 I Highly Recommend You 📖 this Historic， English， Cozy Mystery， to see how Martha proves her innocence！ ❤️ed📖ing ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 。。。more
Helen
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Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this Advanced Reader Copy and the opportunity to review Poison at the Village Show。 All opinions and comments are my own。The first thing you learn about Martha Miller， our heroine in this new historical mystery series， is that her husband has been missing for a year。 The second is that she has no skills and she’s broke。 It’s not surprising; its 1947， woman weren’t expected to do much except stay home and keep the home fires burning， even two years Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this Advanced Reader Copy and the opportunity to review Poison at the Village Show。 All opinions and comments are my own。The first thing you learn about Martha Miller， our heroine in this new historical mystery series， is that her husband has been missing for a year。 The second is that she has no skills and she’s broke。 It’s not surprising; its 1947， woman weren’t expected to do much except stay home and keep the home fires burning， even two years after the war。 So， she lives with her sister to make ends meet， in a small village outside London。 Readers also find out that someone is vandalizing her neighbor’s gardens。 Not hers， though。 She feels guilty， because the village fair is coming up and some of the villagers think she should be a suspect。 Friendly folks， they are。 Martha has a lot of problems （and boy， do you get to read about them）， and life in Westleham is not a whole lot of fun。 So， when the fair’s chairwoman dies from poisoned gin， a gin that came from Martha， guess who’s suspected for that， too？ Of course， she’s got to find the culprit， to clear her name。She gets help from village vicar Luke Walker， and sparks start flying。 But there’s that “still married” thing in the way。 We get to hear about this throughout the book。 Her sister， Ruby is quite the character， too， and their growing family relationship is made much of。 There’s a few clues to time and place。 Rationing is mentioned， for instance。 And our author， Catherine Coles does “fill in the blanks” of these characters， making Martha more likeable as the story goes along （she doesn’t start out that way， in my opinion）。 Luckily， she has someone to talk to -- her dog。 Best listener ever。Finally， there’s a Martha brainstorm and a plan’s set up to catch a killer， one that’s found out to have war-time ties。 A wicked murderer， covering up a wicked crime to get something that’s wanted。 But the doing comes at a cost; a rift with Vicar Luke。 Still， things are looking up; her sister has a new boyfriend -- the police do come in handy， in Poison at the Village Show。This is a comfortable historical mystery with romance undertones; what’s going to happen with that vicar， and where’s that husband， for instance？ Will Mr。 Miller wander back in just as Luke and Martha restore their friendship？ And how many more bodies can Martha stumble upon in Westleham？ Well， we know that “plenty” is usually the answer for that。 。。。more
Karen Whittard
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I love Catherine Coles books and this one is a what looks like it will be a great new series 。I love a cosy mystery book and so throughly enjoyed this one。 I also liked the fact it was set in the past。 Great writing style and characters。
Alyson Read
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Martha Miller is an oddity in the village of Westleham in Berkshire – a married woman whose husband Stan simply disappeared one day on his way to work a year ago。 No one knows if he’s alive or dead。 Martha herself thinks he ran off with another woman。 Some of the villagers， including the abrasive Ada Garrett， thinks Martha did away with him。 Without his income， Martha struggles， living off the vegetables she grows and was overjoyed when her younger sister Ruby Andrews came to lodge with her。 It’ Martha Miller is an oddity in the village of Westleham in Berkshire – a married woman whose husband Stan simply disappeared one day on his way to work a year ago。 No one knows if he’s alive or dead。 Martha herself thinks he ran off with another woman。 Some of the villagers， including the abrasive Ada Garrett， thinks Martha did away with him。 Without his income， Martha struggles， living off the vegetables she grows and was overjoyed when her younger sister Ruby Andrews came to lodge with her。 It’s 1947 and the day of the first annual village show since the war。 As her deputy Martha is heavily involved assisting Chairwoman Alice Warren in the proceedings。 Then tragedy strikes。 As she makes a toast to the winners， using Martha’s homemade plum gin， Alice drops down dead。 The police， led by DI Ben Robertson from Slough， arrive and the cause is revealed as poisoning。 But who could have wanted Alice dead？ When suspicion falls on Martha， she decides that the only way to prove her innocence is to uncover the real culprit。 She persuades dishy new vicar Luke Walker to help her and sets off on the trail。 There are plenty of hopeful suspects to question， and suddenly Martha finds something strange happening – she starts to make friends and is no longer the woman suspected of burying her husband in the potato patch！ Together with help from a nosey neighbour and a village gossip， she begins to assemble the clues。 But will she be in time to stop the poisoner from striking again？This is a lovely cosy murder mystery， full of very engaging characters， intrigue and a little romance for good measure。 It’s well written and is a great way of losing a few hours lost in a bygone era where people had different worries and a slower way of life but human nature still leads to dark deeds being committed。 It had a lovely ending but the question remains – what has happened to Stan？ I’m looking forward to more stories in this series。 4。5* 。。。more
Jane Hunt
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Set in post world war two rural England， the first Martha Miller mystery has all the ingredients of a compelling cosy mystery。 A gossipy village community， a mysterious disappearance， a murder， and a likeable and intelligent amateur sleuth。 Martha is already the subject of village conjecture when her husband leaves for work one day and doesn't return。 Some villagers believe she was lacking as a wife， some believe something sinister is afoot， and Martha is the instigator。 So the chance to help wi Set in post world war two rural England， the first Martha Miller mystery has all the ingredients of a compelling cosy mystery。 A gossipy village community， a mysterious disappearance， a murder， and a likeable and intelligent amateur sleuth。 Martha is already the subject of village conjecture when her husband leaves for work one day and doesn't return。 Some villagers believe she was lacking as a wife， some believe something sinister is afoot， and Martha is the instigator。 So the chance to help with the village show an opportunity to enjoy everyday village life after the war is taken eagerly by Martha， but things do not go to plan。Finding herself the subject of villagers' insinuations once again， Martha sets out to find out who wanted to kill the head of the Village show committee and why？ Helped by her sister and the attractive， kind new vicar， the mystery unfolds with numerous suspects。In a character-driven mystery， the reader gets to know Martha and her friends， and they are likeable and relatable characters。 The investigation into the murder is engaging， and the broader puzzle of Martha's husband's disappearance draws the reader into Martha's world。The well-described postwar rural setting makes it easy to visualise the characters and the village。 This book is a promising start to the Martha Miller Mystery series。I received a copy of this book from Boldwood Books via NetGalley in return for an honest review。 。。。more
Miru_reads
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An enjoyable read！ Rather than a murder mystery， by the end I felt it was more about the main character， Martha， who just happens to have been investigating and solving the mystery of the garden vandalism and two murders。 The police didn’t really seem to be doing much， despite the deaths making national news， so just as well Martha and the vicar were there！ Hopefully Martha can solve the mystery of her husband’s disappearance too - although I think I’ve worked that one out！ （one thing niggling m An enjoyable read！ Rather than a murder mystery， by the end I felt it was more about the main character， Martha， who just happens to have been investigating and solving the mystery of the garden vandalism and two murders。 The police didn’t really seem to be doing much， despite the deaths making national news， so just as well Martha and the vicar were there！ Hopefully Martha can solve the mystery of her husband’s disappearance too - although I think I’ve worked that one out！ （one thing niggling me - it was mentioned more than once that Martha was cooking peppers she’d grown。。 Really？ Would these have been available to home growers in the 1940s？ Another mystery！） 。。。more
Kristina
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Poison at the Village Show by Catherine Coles takes us back to July of 1947 in Westleham， Berkshire where Martha Miller resides。 Her husband disappeared a year ago and Martha is still subjected to gossip。 Some people believe he is fertilizing her potatoes。 Martha’s sister， Ruby moved in to help her with the bills。 Alice Warren is the chairwoman of the Westleham Village Committee with Martha as the deputy chairwoman。 It is the first village show since the end of the war and everyone （well， most e Poison at the Village Show by Catherine Coles takes us back to July of 1947 in Westleham， Berkshire where Martha Miller resides。 Her husband disappeared a year ago and Martha is still subjected to gossip。 Some people believe he is fertilizing her potatoes。 Martha’s sister， Ruby moved in to help her with the bills。 Alice Warren is the chairwoman of the Westleham Village Committee with Martha as the deputy chairwoman。 It is the first village show since the end of the war and everyone （well， most everyone） is looking forward to it。 Martha has provided the plum wine for the event。 Alice proposes a toast and， after drinking the plum wine， she collapses and dies in Martha’s arms。 Martha is the prime suspect since she made the wine。 Martha is determined to prove her innocence and gets assistance from the handsome new vicar， Luke Walker。 Can Martha and Luke uncover who killed Alice？ Will the killer strike again？ Poison at the Village Show by Catherine Coles is a swell new British cozy mystery。 I appreciated that we are provided a list of characters at the beginning of the book along with their roles。 I found it to be very helpful。 I like the author’s engaging writing style。 I found myself drawn into the story。 The pacing varied in the story。 It is a little slower in the beginning as we meet the characters and visit the village。 The pacing increases as Martha with assistance from Vicar Luke Walker investigates the crime。 There are some quirky secondary characters that are cliched （they go with the small village where gossip is a sport）。 I like Ruby， Martha’s sister who is more outgoing than Martha。 I also liked Detective Inspector Ben Robertson who seems smitten with Ruby。 The mystery is straightforward。 I enjoyed following Martha and Luke as they questioned people in the village。 The clues are few， but there are enough to solve the crime。 I kept hoping there would be a twist that would surprise me。 There are two secondary mysteries in the story。 One involves the destruction of the village vegetable gardens。 People are subtlety accusing Martha of doing the deed so she can win the awards at the village fete。 The other mystery is regarding Martha’s missing husband。 He went off to work one day to never return。 There is speculation in the village that Martha killed him and buried him under her potato patch。 People are jealous because Martha has a flourishing vegetable garden in her backyard。 There is some repetition in the story especially regarding Martha’s missing husband and the handsome new vicar。 Martha and Luke got along from the beginning。 I believe they could be good friends if there was not the spark of attraction。 They must be careful how much time they spend in each other’s company because of the local gossips。 Poison at the Village Show is a cute cozy mystery that I enjoyed reading。 It is lighthearted and fun to read。 Poison at the Village Show is a spiffing tale with a deceased chairwoman， a vegetable vandal， a dashing detective， a sorrowful spouse， rampant rumors， a charming clergyman， and a partner who has taken a powder。 。。。more
zoe Hitchen
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A great start to a new cosy mystery series。The book is set post world war 2 in 1947。 Mrs Martha Miller lives in Westleham village and her husband has disappeared ， he has been missing for a over a year and there is much speculation that Martha has murdered her husband and buried him in her garden ， she is a keen gardener after all。It is the day of the village show and Martha provides some of her homemade plum gin ， after sipping some of the gin the chairwoman of the village show keels over and d A great start to a new cosy mystery series。The book is set post world war 2 in 1947。 Mrs Martha Miller lives in Westleham village and her husband has disappeared ， he has been missing for a over a year and there is much speculation that Martha has murdered her husband and buried him in her garden ， she is a keen gardener after all。It is the day of the village show and Martha provides some of her homemade plum gin ， after sipping some of the gin the chairwoman of the village show keels over and dies 。Fingers are again pointed at Martha ， so she begins her own investigation helped by the new handsome vicar。This was an easy and enjoyable read。I loved the characters all of them are amiable and the book is written is an old fashioned mystery style which is both pleasant and entertaining。An enjoyable read and looking forward to the next in the series。Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books。 。。。more
Hayley
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This is my first book by this author and I thoroughly enjoyed it。 Set in post war Britain， it’s a fun cosy mystery with great characters。 I really liked Martha and the vicar and her close neighbours too。 It is the first book in a new series and I’m really looking forward to reading the next one and seeing how the characters and their relationships develop Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for letting me read and review this book。
Ileana Renfroe
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I have read other books by this author and this new series is fantastic。Poison at the Village Show is set in 1947 where we find Martha Miller。 Her husband Stand disappeared one day on the way to work and has not been seen since。 Left alone and unable to pay for her home she invites her sister Ruby to move in along with her red setter Lizzie。The buzz around the village is there is a new vicar in town and quite handsome， and then there's the local Westleham village show。 Martha cannot think about I have read other books by this author and this new series is fantastic。Poison at the Village Show is set in 1947 where we find Martha Miller。 Her husband Stand disappeared one day on the way to work and has not been seen since。 Left alone and unable to pay for her home she invites her sister Ruby to move in along with her red setter Lizzie。The buzz around the village is there is a new vicar in town and quite handsome， and then there's the local Westleham village show。 Martha cannot think about the vicar as she is still a married woman but she can look her best and hopefully win over the villagers with her homemade plum gin。 But as you can imagine someone dies。 The Chairwoman of the village， Alice Warren is poisoned and fingers are pointed at Martha。 Martha and Luke work together to solve the mystery and what a fun mystery！ A must-read！ 。。。more
Lori Ann
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A fabulous start to a brand new mystery series！ When I was reading this I immediately thought of the series Grantchester。 Both quaint English village settings with a handsome vicar looking to help solve a murder。 The story follows Martha Miller who is living the quiet country life。 Right from the start there is already one mystery that has taken place。 Her husband Stan went to work one day and then never returned home。 So many questions remain: What happened to him？ Did he meet someone else？ Or A fabulous start to a brand new mystery series！ When I was reading this I immediately thought of the series Grantchester。 Both quaint English village settings with a handsome vicar looking to help solve a murder。 The story follows Martha Miller who is living the quiet country life。 Right from the start there is already one mystery that has taken place。 Her husband Stan went to work one day and then never returned home。 So many questions remain: What happened to him？ Did he meet someone else？ Or did he somehow die？ The village gossips believe somehow she is to blame and they make no qualms about spreading their beliefs around。 Although she is struggling financially， Martha's sister Ruby moves in to help。 Then disaster strikes when Alice （the chairwoman） of the village show suddenly slumps to the ground-poisoned。 Under suspicion herself， Martha sets out to solve the murder with the help of the new vicar Luke。The characters in the story are fantastic。 Martha is quiet， reserved， and intelligent。 She grows through the course of the book which is nice to see。 Martha learns to be more sympathetic to the situations of others as well as learning to stand up for herself。 Her sister Ruby is spunky and modern。 She speaks her mind and is fiercely protective of her sister。 I love the fact that both Martha and Ruby seek to have more of a closer sisterly relationship throughout the course of the story。 The new vicar Luke is charming， sympathetic， and caring。 He doesn't listen to the gossip of others and instead forms his own opinion on Martha。 I also love that there might be the possibility of a future relationship between Martha and Luke。 They already make a great team and I think they would also make a great couple。 Let's not forget about Martha's adorable dog Lizzy！ An affectionate puppy dog and the perfect companion for lonely Martha。The setting of the quiet country village was the perfect backdrop for this mystery。 Author Catherine Cole does a phenomenal job of portraying what life was like in 1947， just two years after World War II。 Great descriptions of everything from clothes to cottages。 It takes you back and makes you feel like you are right there in the village。 The mystery had several suspects and many reasons why someone would have committed the murder。 I like that the author presents all these other possibilities to throw you off the path。 This kept me guessing just about to the very end。 All in all， a great mystery！ I couldn't put it down because I was so engaged。 Such an enjoyable read and I am anxiously looking forward to the next book！Thank you Netgalley for the advanced ebook copy of Poison at the Village Show by Catherine Coles in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Srivalli Rekha
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3。8 Stars One Liner: Comfort read for cozy mystery lovers。 Westleham Village， 1947: The Second World War is over， and people are getting back to their lives。 All is not well， but life has to go on。 Martha Miller is a newcomer in the Westleham Village and has her share of troubles。 Stan， her husband， left without a word， and there’s been no news of him for almost a year。 Martha takes Ruby， her younger sister， as a lodger to earn her living。 It doesn’t help that Martha isn’t a favorite in the vill 3。8 Stars One Liner: Comfort read for cozy mystery lovers。 Westleham Village， 1947: The Second World War is over， and people are getting back to their lives。 All is not well， but life has to go on。 Martha Miller is a newcomer in the Westleham Village and has her share of troubles。 Stan， her husband， left without a word， and there’s been no news of him for almost a year。 Martha takes Ruby， her younger sister， as a lodger to earn her living。 It doesn’t help that Martha isn’t a favorite in the village。 Rather it’s the opposite。 When Alice， the chairperson of the Westleham Village Fair committee， falls dead after drinking Martha plum gin at the fair， she is immediately the prime suspect。 Martha has no choice but to clear her name。 Luke Walker， the new and handsome vicar， extends his help and support。 As the duo tries to solve the mystery， the news of another death reaches them。 After all， how can there be only one death？ Now up to Martha， Luke， and maybe even Inspector Ben to find the killer before it’s too late。 With secrets and new crimes being revealed， can they catch the actual murderer？ My Observations: •tThe book is just 210+ pages long and reads at a decent pace。 It’s got the old-world charm of historical cozy mysteries with simple plots。 •tThere’s a list of characters and their roles at the beginning of the book。 I love this。 Makes it easier to keep track and refer。 •tThe dynamics between the characters change as the story progresses， and I’m intrigued to read further developments。 •tThe beginning is bumpy。 It was around 15-20% that I settled into the narrative。 Martha sounds older than her age， and I wondered if she was inspired by Miss Marple。 It took me a while to guess she was in her early 30s。 •tThe side characters are quirky and even stereotypical at times， but I was expecting it。 •tThis time， I didn’t want to find who the killer was。 I read it more as a way to relax rather than become an active investigator。 •tThe solving is uncomplicated， though there aren't too many clues。 No twist or surprise， which is always a plus。 •tThe ending leaves things open and ready for book two。 Needless to say， I am waiting for it。 I also hope there will be more character development as the series progresses。 •tI probably would’ve rated it 3 or 3。5 any other time， but this book came to me at the right time。 Cozy mysteries are my comfort read， and this did the job。 So 4 stars it is。 To sum up， Poison at the Village Show is a simple cozy mystery and an interesting start to a new series。 This one has potential but go with low expectations。 Thank you， NetGalley and Boldwood Books， for the ARC in exchange for an honest review。 All opinions expressed are my own。#PoisonattheVillageShow #NetGalley 。。。more
Homerun2
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3。5 starsThis gentle cozy takes place right after WWII in a British village。 Main character Martha Miller is a bit of an oddity in her town: her husband returned from the war， but left for work a year ago and never returned， leaving Martha in emotional and financial limbo。 She is an appealing heroine but a bid of a sad case， kind of like a long-neglected houseplant in a dark corner。 Her childhood didn't feature a lot of affection or nurturing， and although her younger sister lives with her， they 3。5 starsThis gentle cozy takes place right after WWII in a British village。 Main character Martha Miller is a bit of an oddity in her town: her husband returned from the war， but left for work a year ago and never returned， leaving Martha in emotional and financial limbo。 She is an appealing heroine but a bid of a sad case， kind of like a long-neglected houseplant in a dark corner。 Her childhood didn't feature a lot of affection or nurturing， and although her younger sister lives with her， they have to teach themselves to have a warm relationship。When a local garden club member dies at their big event after drinking Martha's homemade gin， she falls under suspicion， especially since some of the villagers gossip that Martha might have done away with her missing husband and planted him in her garden。 The hunky new vicar in town， Luke， is sympathetic to Martha's situation and they decide to investigate the murder to clear Martha's name。 Martha is a stickler for propriety and she and the vicar， while aware of a certain spark， are careful to maintain decorum。 They also decide to investigate Martha's husband's disappearance and discover he had talked to co-workers about moving to Brighton。 Martha comes to several realizations during the course of the book， namely that she needs to solve the husband mystery so she can move on with her life。 She also sees that her chilly reception from the townspeople is partly because she was too wrapped up in her own problems to get to know them and understand their challenges。 This first in a series feels like a turning point for Martha。Martha is plenty smart， and she does indeed figure out the murderer。 Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Kathy
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If you regularly binge-watch Father Brown or Midsomer Murders， this book is for you！ Enter small town England in 1947， neighbors watching you from behind their lace curtains， hot new vicar and dead bodies at the local fair from homemade drinks。 I was so here for every bit of this book。 Recommended！
Prasanna
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I love cozy mysteries especially the Miss Marple types written by Agatha Christie， the queen of intriguing cozy mysteries。 There is something about a small and closely knit village communities， where everyone knows what family secrets are harbored behind the closed doors that can lead to rivalries and sometimes， in extreme madness， even murders。 Christie captured it brilliantly when she featured St。 Mary Mead in few of Miss Marple books like Murder at the Vicarage and Body in the Library。In Pois I love cozy mysteries especially the Miss Marple types written by Agatha Christie， the queen of intriguing cozy mysteries。 There is something about a small and closely knit village communities， where everyone knows what family secrets are harbored behind the closed doors that can lead to rivalries and sometimes， in extreme madness， even murders。 Christie captured it brilliantly when she featured St。 Mary Mead in few of Miss Marple books like Murder at the Vicarage and Body in the Library。In Poison at the Village Show by Catherine Coles we have Westleham village and the story is set during 1947， a post WW2 world。 Several women of the village have lost their husbands to the war and some are even jealous of other women whose husbands returned home safely。 Martha Miller was one of the fortunate ones， but its been a year since her husband went missing， One fine day， Stan， Martha's husband， left home for work as usual but he never returned home in the evening。 Now， Martha is struggling to pay the bills and grows her own vegetables in a small patch behind her house。 She takes her sister， Ruby， as a boarder which helps her financially to a little extent。 In the first village show after the war， when Alice Warren drops dead， just after drinking Martha's home made plum gin， all fingers point at Martha and she becomes a prime suspect。Martha takes it upon herself and with some help from the new vicar， Luke， she starts investigating the murder in a hope it will absolve her in the eyes of the villagers。 I loved reading this book and about the various characters of the quaint little village。 Martha's character was lovable and her friendship with the vicar was adorable。 The mystery was good too， but a few questions were left unanswered， but since this will be a series， there is hope that the cast of characters will continue in the next book。 I'll be definitely looking out to read the next book in the Martha Miller series。Thanks to NetGalley， the author and the publishers for the early Kindle copy of the book。 。。。more
Nina Kells
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Thanks to Net Galley and Boldwood Books for this ARC。 I have read the authors other series， which I do enjoy and if this goes on to be a series I think it will be even better。 Couldn't put it down， I really liked the protagonist。 Very enjoyable read。 One thing that I did notice， that rankled a little， the reigning monarch is mentioned as Queen Elizabeth but the book is set in 1947。 Thanks to Net Galley and Boldwood Books for this ARC。 I have read the authors other series， which I do enjoy and if this goes on to be a series I think it will be even better。 Couldn't put it down， I really liked the protagonist。 Very enjoyable read。 One thing that I did notice， that rankled a little， the reigning monarch is mentioned as Queen Elizabeth but the book is set in 1947。 。。。more
Little Forest Library
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This charming cozy mystery is set in a small English village just after World War II。 Talented gardener Martha Miller was abandoned by her husband precisely one year ago， whether by desertion or death， no one in the village is certain。 However， some speculate that Mr。 Miller might be buried beneath the potatoes in his wife's garden。 （Of course， the reader knows that the quiet， good-natured housewife could not have killed her husband）。 Suspicions further abound when the village committee chairwom This charming cozy mystery is set in a small English village just after World War II。 Talented gardener Martha Miller was abandoned by her husband precisely one year ago， whether by desertion or death， no one in the village is certain。 However， some speculate that Mr。 Miller might be buried beneath the potatoes in his wife's garden。 （Of course， the reader knows that the quiet， good-natured housewife could not have killed her husband）。 Suspicions further abound when the village committee chairwoman， Alice Warren， is poisoned at the village show， and Martha's plum gin is blamed for the crime。 In addition， someone has been vandalizing vegetable gardens just before the competition。 Martha teams up with the village's handsome new vicar and the village busybody to solve these mysteries and clear her name in the ensuing pages。 Suspects， motives， and cups of tea abound; the killer is not easy to guess。 This delightful book is best enjoyed by the fire with a cup of tea and a scone。 Recommended for fans of Agatha Christie， Margaret Mayhew， and Golden Age mysteries。 Thank you to NetGalley， Boldwood Books， author Catherine Coles for a complimentary copy of this book。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Christine Piepmeier
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This is the first in a new cozy mystery series set in England post-WWII。 Martha Miller is trying to get by after her husband abandoned her a year prior。 However， this becomes more difficult after someone dies after drinking her gin at the village show。 Shortly thereafter， another person turns up dead from drinking her gin as well。 Along with her new local vicar， Martha investigates to find out who the culprit is。This was a short， easy read。 However， I didn't love the characters off the bat。 I wo This is the first in a new cozy mystery series set in England post-WWII。 Martha Miller is trying to get by after her husband abandoned her a year prior。 However， this becomes more difficult after someone dies after drinking her gin at the village show。 Shortly thereafter， another person turns up dead from drinking her gin as well。 Along with her new local vicar， Martha investigates to find out who the culprit is。This was a short， easy read。 However， I didn't love the characters off the bat。 I would read future books in this series to see if there is more development - and it does seem like there will be more to find out what happened to Martha's husband。 I also thought there were not a ton of clues along the way。 It was still a solid new cozy mystery though。 I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Ryn （Crafty_Bookworm）
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Poison at the Village Show by Catherine Coles is a lovely historical cozy mystery that is the first book in a brand new series: A Martha Miller Mystery。 Set in the small British village of Westleham， Berkshire in the summer of 1947 it shows what life was like for the locals with the shadow of the great war still looming; plus， our protagonist， Martha， has the extra struggles of her husband having disappeared， leaving her financially strapped， a year earlier。 When murder comes to the village show Poison at the Village Show by Catherine Coles is a lovely historical cozy mystery that is the first book in a brand new series: A Martha Miller Mystery。 Set in the small British village of Westleham， Berkshire in the summer of 1947 it shows what life was like for the locals with the shadow of the great war still looming; plus， our protagonist， Martha， has the extra struggles of her husband having disappeared， leaving her financially strapped， a year earlier。 When murder comes to the village show Martha and the new dishy Vicar team up to solve the crime if only to keep the local rumors about Martha from getting worse。 This was a great quick paced cozy mystery and a great start to a new series。 I really enjoyed following Martha's sleuthing adventures and how they helped her not only solve the cases but also grow as a person as well as develop or strengthen relationships with her neighbors and sister/lodger。 The one thing that would pull me out of my enjoyment were the constant mentions of Martha's missing husband。 While I understand that her growth is tired to some of her realizations while looking back it just felt like a bit too much for me。 Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this arc and in return I am submitting my honest review。 。。。more
Susan
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July 1947。 Martha Miller， 33， lives in the village of Westleham in Hampshire。 Looked on with suspicion by many of the inhabitants as her husband disappeared a year ago。 So no surprise when a death occurs the finger is pointed at her。 Even though Detective Inspector Ben Robertson investigates she feels the need to find the killer to clear her name。An entertaining cozy mystery， well-written with its varied and engaging characters。 A good start to the series。An ARC was provided by the publisher via July 1947。 Martha Miller， 33， lives in the village of Westleham in Hampshire。 Looked on with suspicion by many of the inhabitants as her husband disappeared a year ago。 So no surprise when a death occurs the finger is pointed at her。 Even though Detective Inspector Ben Robertson investigates she feels the need to find the killer to clear her name。An entertaining cozy mystery， well-written with its varied and engaging characters。 A good start to the series。An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Mia
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Wow！An awesome historical mystery！ Loved Martha Miller。。。 All the other characters were well written too。。。 The storyline was interesting and the way it was written was very good。 I read it at one go。。。 Did not want to put down the book！ So eager for the next in series
Sheila
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I received an ARC of Poison at the Village Show， by Catherine Coles。 This was an ok mystery。 I did not like why the killer did it， and Im not going to spoil it here。
Katie
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In the quiet little town of Westleham， a village outside of London， the post-war years have been hard on Martha Miller。 Her husband came home from war， only to disappear on his way to work one morning， never to be seen again。 Without his steady paycheck， Martha has to resort to taking her sister on as a lodger， and must scrimp and save every way she knows how。 But when the chair of the village gardening competition drops dead after drinking Martha's homemade plum gin， Martha is no longer just th In the quiet little town of Westleham， a village outside of London， the post-war years have been hard on Martha Miller。 Her husband came home from war， only to disappear on his way to work one morning， never to be seen again。 Without his steady paycheck， Martha has to resort to taking her sister on as a lodger， and must scrimp and save every way she knows how。 But when the chair of the village gardening competition drops dead after drinking Martha's homemade plum gin， Martha is no longer just the woman who couldn't keep a man， but instead the woman who poisoned a pillar of the community！ Martha had to find the murderer before she's hauled in herself！This was a lovely little cozy mystery。 Martha is a bit of a stiff character， but she's surrounded by quite a few interesting characters， which play off her quite well。 The story was truly interesting， and even though it's a classic mystery story， it was laid out really well。 There are some loopholes that are open， which leaves this open for sequels and long-term storylines。 I have already suggested the book to my library's buyer。 I think our patrons will really enjoy this！I received an Advanced Reader Copy via NetGalley in return for sharing my thoughts on this book。 I thank the author and publisher for this opportunity！ 。。。more
Louise
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Poison at the village show by Catherine ColesA murder mystery set in 1947， at the local village show， Martha and the other villagers are toasting the show when one of the group ， the village show chairwoman Alice Warren， drops dead after drinking the plum gin that Martha has brought to the show。。 she decides to investigate and the new local youngish vicar decides to help…I loved this cosy mystery。。 I could not put it down， the story was ok but it was the characters who dragged me in and would Poison at the village show by Catherine ColesA murder mystery set in 1947， at the local village show， Martha and the other villagers are toasting the show when one of the group ， the village show chairwoman Alice Warren， drops dead after drinking the plum gin that Martha has brought to the show。。 she decides to investigate and the new local youngish vicar decides to help…I loved this cosy mystery。。 I could not put it down， the story was ok but it was the characters who dragged me in and would not let me go！Martha lives in a small village and is the centre of horrible gossip as Martha’s husband went to work one day and never returned and Martha is surviving with money she receives from her sister staying in her house。 I really loved Martha， she makes do and keeps going in the face of adversary， she knows that she did not love her husband and is now questioning if she deserves more especially in Luke the new vicar…I hope that this becomes a series， as I want to know what happened to Martha’s husband and I want to know if Luke and Martha are reunited after falling out and what will happen between Martha’s sister and the detective investigating the murder， and I loved the villiagers coming out there shells to befriend Martha so I need to see more of them as well！！！The ending is very reminiscent of Agatha Christies Nemesis and I was ok with that as it was a good ending to the mystery。 This was a joy to read。。 I throughly enjoyed it and I cannot wait to read more of this series。。 I loved all the characters and I loved all the hints of the developing romance between Luke and Martha。#Poisonat theVilliageShow #Netgalley #Cosy #mystery #postwar 。。。more
Jan
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This is a pleasant little cosy mystery set in post WW2 rural England。 The cast and plot are very interesting and engaging。 The publisher's blurb is a nice hook， and I don't want to spoil the read。 Good， relaxing cosy。I requested and received a free e-book copy from Boldwood Books via NetGalley。 Thank you。 This is a pleasant little cosy mystery set in post WW2 rural England。 The cast and plot are very interesting and engaging。 The publisher's blurb is a nice hook， and I don't want to spoil the read。 Good， relaxing cosy。I requested and received a free e-book copy from Boldwood Books via NetGalley。 Thank you。 。。。more
Carly Rushforth
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An absorbing story set in a little village in post war England。Murder， mystery and Gin！ what could possibly go wrong？ Martha is so likeable and relatable as she finds herself under suspicion for not only for her husbands disappearance but a MURDER too， with the help of her sister and the dashing new vicar she seeks to clear her name once and for all。I absolutely loved this book and I’m very keen to read more about the going’s on in the village and what happens next to Martha。I won’t give much aw An absorbing story set in a little village in post war England。Murder， mystery and Gin！ what could possibly go wrong？ Martha is so likeable and relatable as she finds herself under suspicion for not only for her husbands disappearance but a MURDER too， with the help of her sister and the dashing new vicar she seeks to clear her name once and for all。I absolutely loved this book and I’m very keen to read more about the going’s on in the village and what happens next to Martha。I won’t give much away but I hope good things happen to both Martha and Rita，Thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for allowing me to read and review before publication date。 。。。more
Misfits farm
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Martha’s husband left for work a year ago and has never returned。 We are in post war England （1947） and Martha has had to take her sister for a lodger to keep a roof over her head and is growing fruit and veg in order to feed them as she has no means of support。 She has extended the vegetable patch and there are rumours from one source that she killed her husband and his remains are to be found under the potatoes。 It's the village show and Martha is on the committee， so has not entered any of th Martha’s husband left for work a year ago and has never returned。 We are in post war England （1947） and Martha has had to take her sister for a lodger to keep a roof over her head and is growing fruit and veg in order to feed them as she has no means of support。 She has extended the vegetable patch and there are rumours from one source that she killed her husband and his remains are to be found under the potatoes。 It's the village show and Martha is on the committee， so has not entered any of the competitions。 Many of the village's gardens have been ransacked， adding further fuel that Martha is up to something。 When someone dies at the village show after drinking some of Martha's gin she is instantly the chief suspect in some eyes both for the murder and for her husbands disappearence。 This was a wonderful easy read with a smile。 A mystery and larger than life characters quickly bring the story to life。 Martha is a great character and the historical timeline works perfectly without the trapping of modern life which would complicate things。 A rural setting adds perfectly to the simplicity。 A mystery， a little romance， plenty of intrigue made the pages turn very easily。 I hope that this is the beginning of a series- I would look forward to reading more。 A brilliantly entertaining lighthearted read。 For more reviews please follow me on Twitter@nickisbookblog 。。。more
Rachel
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