Murder on the Farm by Kate Wells.

For a while now, my reading’s been moving towards the cosy mystery end of the market, and I’m delighted I chose this one. The story intrigued me from the start, while giving me some great characters and quite a few chuckles along the way.

Jude’s friend Sarah dies shortly after the wedding of their mutual friend Ben. It looks like Sarah’s taken her own life, but Jude knows her better than that. Sarah wasn’t the kind of person to take her own life. When the police pay scant attention to Jude’s viewpoint, she knows she has to investigate herself. But she also has a farm to run. When her sister and son Sebbie visit her, the distractions pile up. Luckily, other friends offer their support.

Jude soon turns up clues from a word game invented by Sarah. But apart from Binni, a detective who share’s Jude’s suspicions, the police remain unconvinced. Then a second body is found and identified.

From here, Jude’s world is turned upside down as her sleuthing uncovers secrets that show her friends are not the people she thought they were. The pace quickens as Jude strikes out to uncover the killer before anyone else dies.

The story is filled with sharply drawn and likable characters, a busy farm to run, and some heart-warming moments to go with a generous helping of humour. I have to say, the story kept me turning the pages as the climax came into view.

I’m looking forward to reading the next in the series and joining Jude and company in a new investigation.

If you enjoy realistic cosy mysteries, this is a great place to start.

Description
Lambing season always brings the unexpected… But no one expected murder

Jude Gray never thought she’d find herself widowed and running a working farm full-time, but here she is, living in the small Malvern village her husband Adam spent most of his life in.

After a particularly gruelling lambing season, she is looking forward to some time off, but there’s no rest for the wicked, especially when she finds the body of one of Adam’s oldest friends on her farm.

Unimpressed with the local constabulary’s efforts, Jude starts an investigation of her own. But as the body count rises, danger creeps ever closer to Malvern Farm.

A killer is on the prowl. And all that stands in their way is one woman – and her dog.