This is a typical puzzle mystery in the style of Agatha Christie, Mary Roberts Rinehart and now Faith Martin. There is a long list of characters in this story and almost all become suspects in the murder. Introducing the characters and providing background on each one is a lengthy process and takes up half the book. The murderer, despite numerous red herrings, is pretty easy to identify although exactly how the murder is committed is harder to figure out. I was a bit taken back by DCI Dury and Sergeant Jim Greer appearing to be the main characters even though the book is described as the first in the new Monica Noble series. Hopefully, in future books, Monica Noble will play a larger role since she and her husband were two of the more interesting characters. I wasn’t gobsmacked by the book but did find it a pleasant read and I would read another one in the series.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers for providing me the opportunity to read this book.

I read so many books, but I do love a good murder mystery to escape and relax with. This revamped series from Faith Martin, (formerly published under the pen name Joy Cato), is a perfect example.

Monica, the vicar's wife has left her high-powered advertising career and the glamour of London because she fell in love with a country vicar. It has to be said that the vicar is charming, clever and compassionate, and even though there is an age difference, they are compatible in every way.

The garden party is the perfect setting for a murder, and the author doesn't disappoint. The cast of characters are flawed and in some cases unlikeable, but they are relatable. It's not hard to spot the most likely person to be murdered. Finding the murderer is not so easy, as the detectives and later Monica discover. The plot twists again when it seems resolved. making the ending a surprise.

A lighthearted, cosy style murder mystery, with a clever, unassuming amateur sleuth and a vibrant, twisty plot. No wonder 'The Cotswolds' is so sought after.

I received a copy of this book from Joffe Books via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I loved the Hilary Greene series by Faith Martin so was looking forward to reading this new series. I wasn’t disappointed. Plenty of red herrings to trip you up when you think you know what’s going on. A lot of character information at the beginning but it then settles into a great read. Look forward to reading the next book in the series.

An enjoyable read, without being too predictable, but following the recipe for a good old-fashioned murder mystery. The character development was reasonable and the plot unfolded logically. Basically, this is the sort of book you read on holiday; it's written in a fairly light-hearted style, and it doesn't really get the adrenalin racing, but you do stop to wonder and question the actions of some of the characters and suspects, so it's not cut-and-dried. But to be honest, I'm not rushing out to read the next in the series.

My thanks to Netgalley and Joffe Books for the opportunity to read this book.

A new series by Faith Martin, and a real winner! Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in return for an honest review. Prolific author Faith Martin is back with a new cozy mystery series featuring Monica Noble. Noble is one of the least offensive cozy characters I have read, as most of the book features local detectives trying to solve a murder. We are in the Cotswolds for this book and in the village of Heyford Bassett, the vicarage has been turned into a multiple apartment complex with the vicar and his wife. Monica, living on the first floor. One day at a get together another one of the apartment owners is murdered in the flat next to Monica. We have a stolen shotgun, a multitude of characters and a wonderfully moving plot and story. Unlike many other cozy's Monica is not there bugging the police or butting in all the time, instead our author allows the police to do their work and Monica has a few clues that she can use to assist now and then. A logically written book, with almost a few too many characters, it nonetheless provides lots of red herrings and possible suspects until the final dramatic ending.
Really enjoyed this book!

I did enjoy this book, although I was a bit overwhelmed with the introduction of all the characters at the beginning of the mystery, but I sorted it all out pretty quickly. The story moved along very quickly with lots of red herrings all over the place. Faith Martin never seems to disappoint.

First in a new series really enjoyed involving well written looking forward to more in the series.#netgalley#joffie

I loved this first entry in a new series by Faith Martin, with the author introducing us to another great female lead charachter,. This time the amateur sleuth is Monica Noble, a vicar's wife.and mother of a teenage daughter.. There are lots of red herrings and possible suspects, murder and blackmail, and it is Monica who helps police solve the case.

This Monica Nobel mystery wasn’t bad at all, it was interesting and intriguing like all Faith Martin books. They captivate you with their unique twists and turns gripping you in their thrilling pages.

A vicious murder in a quiet village with the only suspects living in the converted vicarage. Mrs Noble the vicars wife thinks she can solve it, can she? No one is quite who they seem to be and all residents have a motive except for the vicar and his wife. Although slightly older than his wife the vicar has a fan club of older residents, the dashing young policeman also seems to be a hit with the ladies. Clues are given, some red herrings, others not so can you solve the mystery before the vicar and his wife do?

This is the first book in the series.
There are lots of characters who all have their own story which intermingle together
A good read and a great start to the series

Monica Noble is the new wife of the Vicar. The vicarage has been recently converted to flats and all the residents were having a house warming in the garden. This was an ideal opportunity for a killer to strike. There are plenty of residents with shady pasts to be uncovered which gives any armchair detective plenty to peruse. It up to Monica and her husband to bring all the clues together in the end.
I was given an ARC of this book by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

An intriguing who done it, easy reading with an unexpected ending. A great cast of characters who all seem to have sinister undertones. Most enjoyable.

My first book by this author. At least I think so, but she writes under four different names so I am not totally sure! Anyway I found this one very entertaining.

The Vicarage Murder is a well written, cosy mystery set in the usual picturesque English village. Monica Noble is the wife of the local vicar and although she is the 'Detective' in the series title she does very little detecting in this book! The solution to the crime pretty much just falls into her lap. I enjoyed her as a character though and will be happy to read more about her.

The Vicarage Murder by Faith Martin was a little slow to get started. It is not a historical mystery; which I knew before I started reading. For some reason that is where my mind went. Once it got rolling it was non-stop with lots of twists and turns. The characters seem to be a bit stereotypical at first as well. But as the tale unfolds they characters and the relationships between them develop. The Vicarage Murder is an enjoyable read.

In a cross between Agatha Christie's "Miss Marple", MC Beaton's "Agatha Raisin", and Caroline Graham's "Midsomer Murder", comes the first in a new British cosy mystery series featuring Monica Noble, vicar's wife.

After discovering one of her garden party guests is quite dead, we follow the investigation into the murder mostly through the eyes of Monica. Whilst Monica herself does a bit of sleuthing, it is mainly up to DCI Jason Dury and Sergeant Jim Greer to solve the murder.

I really enjoyed this - the story flowed along, there was enough tension as the police slowly work their way through the suspects - all of whom are hiding secrets of their own.

As mentioned, Monica is not quite prominent as a sleuth in this outing, quite possibly, having gotten a taste for murder, she will step out into the limelight in the following stories. I am looking forward to reading more and see how the character of Monica develops.

I love stories where the author drops breadcrumbs all throughout and you don’t even recognize them until it all comes together in the end. This is one of those stories and it was amazing. It kept me guessing right up until the end with a twist I did not expect, but once you get there it all makes sense. I love the way everyone has a little piece of the story but has their own reasons for holding back. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good murder mystery.

Great Mystery!
The victor's wife, Monica Noble, decides to throw a garden party as a sort of get to know each other opportunity for the residents of the newly converted vicarage apartments. As the party gets underway, a shot gun is hear and Margaret, one of the residents, is found dead.
As detectives question and investigate, they discover that the victim had many enemies, including a cheating husband. Most of the guests had a motive, but most also had alibis. So how could Margaret have been murdered by one of the residence?
This was a great start to a new series. Reminded me of the Agatha Christie who done it type books. Great characters, interesting plot with lots of twists and turns.

This was my first Faith Martin book and I'm glad I read it. I loved that this is a traditional English cozy. The setting was lovely and the characters were definitely interesting. There were also plenty of twists and turns to keep me reading. I look forward to reading more in this series.

A lovely new character from Faith Martin! A vicar's wife who has an eye for the main policeman in the murder enquiry (will she, won't she...although she clearly adores her new vicar husband) She has given up a lot to settle down in the vicarage and becoming a sleuth seems to suit her.

The vicarage has been split up into various apartments and we get to know all the residents and their backstories without giving away too many clues as to who the murderer is. It's a clever plot with well drawn characters which keep the pages turning, a promising start for a new series. I'll definitely be looking out for the next one!