Murder in the Village

Product Information

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Bookouture via NetGalley and this review is my unbiased opinion. Yes, the local pub landlord drowned in his own ale and there are a band of dognappers lurking in the dark.

Faith Martin is a pen name of English author Jacquie Walton, who is best known for her popular detective series, starring Detective Inspector Hillary Greene. Harry Powell, now retired from the author's previous East Rise series, was the only likeable character with his little chats with the villagers. And she is not alone in her suspicion that there is more to Jerome Raleigh's move than meets the eye.Just as the police are certain that they found the killer, Belinda digs even deeper, proving that she is the perfect person to solve the mysteries at hand. Harry is first on the scene to help investigate given his past career, but when the bodies begin to pile up, it seems someone is playing a very dangerous game of cat and mouse with the villager’s lives and livelihoods. Wit's End--Book 8 in the Irish End Games--lands a conundrum into the laps of Mike and Sarah they never saw coming Get them on sale! For two decades, Nancy has thought her mother was dead - until she discovered she was spotted at a party at a country estate five months ago.

The narrator did an excellent job of helping breathe more life into these well developed characters. Ella Steven’s stubborn independence is the keystone of her identity until the day she accepts an exciting new job in Heidelberg, Germany and stumbles onto a hidden time portal that takes her to 1620 Heidelberg where all her modern-day techno toys and proud self-reliance can’t protect her from the brutal realities of every day life. I have wondered at times whether the author was English or not, as a few other American-related terms occasionally do show up. I must admit I didn’t take to Belinda right away, but as the story progressed I began to see where she was coming from.

In fact I think that this series just gets better and better with each book that is released, but more about that in a bit. Can Hillary find the murderer and survive a brush with one of Oxford's most dangerous criminals atthe same time? As Siobhán begins to dig for a motive among the gnarled roots of the victim's family tree, she will need to stay two steps ahead of the killer or end up with more than one foot in the grave. Retired police officer Adam Hennessey, hoping for a peaceful life running his traditional Somerset country pub, finds himself drawn into the unfolding drama in the hotel across the road. Belinda is fairly bossy and stubborn, not afraid to say what she thinks, while Harry is a little more reserved and thoughtful.