I would like to thank Netgalley and Joffe Books for a review copy of Murder in the Meadow, the seventh novel in the DI Hillary Greene series.

Hillary is hardly introduced to her new sergeant, DS Gemma Fordham, when they get called out to a body discovered by two 10 years boys. Wayne Sutton, local artist and gigolo, has been hit over the head and drowned in a stream. With Wayne's proclivities there is no lack of suspects but Hillary has more to worry her, mostly what her team are getting up to and her own love life.

I thoroughly enjoyed Murder in the Meadow. It is always pleasant to enter Hillary's world and while many of the characters change over the series there is always a nice sense of familiarity. The novel also has an interesting plot with plenty of twists and turns and blind alleys as the team try to untangle Wayne's complicated life. I admit to guessing the motive straightaway as Ms Martin has the habit of dropping hints early in the novels but the killer took a while longer. Somehow it doesn't seem important as much of the reading pleasure comes from watching Hillary trying to unravel the clues.

The characters are mostly pleasant, apart from the obnoxious Frank Ross who doesn't get much of a starring role in this novel, but they all have secrets. Hillary is still mulling over her relationship with DI Mike Regis of the Vice Squad (surely it can't still be called that!), Keith is having relationship problems and Gemma has transferred to Hillary's team with the express intention of secretly hunting down Hillary's ex-husband Ronnie's millions (little does she know...). Throughout it all Hillary sails on serenely, not letting her feelings show but making it her business to find out what her team is up to. The edge to her thoughts and thought processes is what makes the novels special.

Murder in the Meadow is another welcome addition to the series and I have no hesitation in recommending it.

Thank you Netgalley and Joffe Books for the eARC.
Reading another book in the DI Hillary Greene series is like meeting up with a beloved friend. Can't wait for the next one!
Two young boys discover the body of a young man by the side of a stream, drowned. Wayne Sutton, a young, handsome, philandering artist had been smashed in the head, then held under water, a paper cutout of a red heart pinned to his chest. The list of suspects is a long one: Wayne courted many middle-aged women who rewarded him handsomely... there are several furious husbands who had reasons to wish the wannabe gigolo dead. Interviewing members of the art group Wayne belonged to, his girlfriend and her parents, plus the husbands of his female 'fans', provide a lot of suspects, but no real leads emerge.
Hillary has a new DS, Gemma Fordham, a tall, attractive blonde who seems very qualified, but there's something about her that has Hillary's antennas quivering...an uneasy tension between them doesn't bode well for their future work together.
As usual, Hillary gets the culprit in the end...adding to her impressive list of solved cases. She's such an intriguing woman; smart and independent, she's the embodiment of the modern single woman who loves her job, is excellent at it and is comfortable in her own mid-forties skin.
This book, like all the others, can be read as a standalone, but I would recommend reading the series in order to get the back story. You won't regret it, you'll be hooked from the first page!

Excellent story line and great main characters. I really enjoyed this book. I would recommend.

This is an updated version of an earlier book featuring the experienced detective, DI Hillary Greene, series set in Oxford. I have enjoyed others in the series, and this was no different. This time we have the murder of an artist, Wayne Sutton, in a meadow in the beautiful old village of Deddington in Oxfordshire. Greene has acquired a new partner, DS Gemma Fordham, a partnership that proves to have its problems as she investigates this case. Wayne had numerous buyers of his work that comprised of rich women, and this includes some who partake in private sessions with the artist. This is an entertaining, and suspenseful read which I enjoyed.