I appreciate the publisher allowing me to read this book. I really enjoyed reading it the plot was interesting and the characters made me want to know more about them. I highly recommend.

Keen to add to her stock of antiques Juno Browne purchases some old furniture from a local retired farmer. But she doesn’t expect that the wardrobe is going to come with a dead body inside! Or that the body’s twin brother Henry is going to arrive and insist on joining Juno to discover the murderer. Things take a turn for the worse when the old farmer Fred Crick is found dead in his cottage, which has been burned to the ground. And who is the mysterious man with the turquoise eyes?

This cozy series is shaping up to be one of my current favorites. Juno and her friends are a likeable bunch, and seeing what they get up to is as much part of the enjoyment as each new case. Along with the sleuthing they have a new member of their shop team renting the top floor, Fizzy Izzy the silk painter. Juno’s love interest makes an appearance and she helps costume a production of the Mikado. The detecting always takes center stage and there are plenty of plot twists as Juno not only has to discover the murderer but deal with two more minor cases and delve into Fred’s murky past. The author is adept at describing the glorious Dartmoor scenery and local towns; she obviously knows the area (where I also live) very well and it shows. If you haven’t read the first book in the series you need to do this first but with books this good that won’t be a problem. Essential ready for all cozy mystery fans and anybody else who likes a good story.

Juno Browne has flaming red hair, a struggling antique shop, and a propensity for finding dead bodies. This cozy mystery is deliciously dark for the genre - perfect for those who enjoy Midsummer Murders.

Juno walks dogs, acts as a carer for the elderly, all the while trying to make a go at it with her antique shop. While replenishing stock, she ends up with a dead body in the wardrobe, and suffers a scam where her knickknacks are stolen. Add in some livestock rustling, another murder, and a mysterious handsome stranger, and Juno has her hands full.

The Dartmoor Murders is the 4th installment in this series, but the first for me. Nevertheless, I was able to jump in, and am intrigued enough to put 1-3 on my TBR.

I don't know any other part in the series, but it was not a problem to get into the book. The characters are introduced nicely and if the things needed explanation at least a short one was provided. So I really felt informed.
I really liked the setting, as it was one of the things which inspired me to pick up the book. The small town feeling is shown and well-drawn and Dartmoor is described the way I imagined it.
The characters are natural and you can identify yourself with them. I also liked this feeling of community which was conjured around the shop. The characters are a bit quirky, but it has a special charm. I could really imagine reading the other books.
A recommendation from me!

⭐⭐⭐ -- It was okay

I don't really have a lot to say about this one. I finished it all in one go, so I must have enjoyed it on some level. However, when I finished it, I just was left feeling "meh" about it all. 🤷🏻‍♀️ A lot of things were happening in this book. Most of which had nothing to do with the actual murder and investigation. I also didn't particularly like Juno, and why does she put up with this Daniel guy?! Like I said, it wasn't a bad read, the writing was decent. I enjoyed the setting. Definitely a mixed bag.

**ARC Via NetGalley**

What a good book! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book from start to finish. The author has a wonderful writing style. The characters were likeable, and the plot was good. I highly recommend the book to other mystery readers.

I received a free ARC copy of this via NetGalley and the publishers in return for an unbiased review. This was the first of Austin’s books I’d read, and was keen to try as someone who lived down the road from Ashburton for several years and now lives in Newton Abbot (the author is right, we do have a lot of charity shops!). I didn’t feel the initial murders really took up much of the plot here, there’s very little investigating going on - but overall I liked the book. You did get to know the characters without too much rehashing history, which could be annoying for those who’ve read from the beginning of the series.

The reasons I didn’t give it 4 stars are that it was a like rather than love, I couldn’t believe there was a character called Cruella deVille (I had wondered if this was Juno’s nickname for her from a previous book? But it didn’t seem so), not to mention she came across as utterly two dimensional, Fizzy Izzy just seemed a silly name and overdone character/plot point, and what was with two characters having violet, and turquoise eyes? You expect odd eye colours, flashing eyes, eyes shooting daggers, etc. from wannabe amateur authors, I wouldn’t expect this from someone on their fourth book.

Another good mystery in this excellent series.
Even if it's not my favorite I thoroughly enjoyed it as it's full of twists and turns and I was happy to catch up with Juno and her friends.
The plot is complex and includes some subplots. It kept me reading and guessing and I liked the solution.
Good character development, solid mystery.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I was pleasantly surprised given the blurb, title, and cover that this is a cozy little mystery rather than a gritty thriller like I was expecting. Cue that age-old idiom about judging books by covers and all that, I guess! I have not read this author before, didn't realize this was fourth in a series. It operates well enough as a standalone. My enjoyment of this book might be colored somewhat by the fact that Juno is basically living my dream of owning an antiques store and doing some amateur sleuthing and moonlight detective work on the side.

How exciting for her when she purchases furniture for said store and gets a bonus body in a wardrobe. Then the guy who sold her the furniture ALSO turns up dead. Then the dead guy from the wardrobe shows up on her porch and it's actually his twin seeking answers for his brother's death! Wild. With all the sleuthing experience of three books between them, it's up to Juno to solve the mystery! Throw in a string of suspicious robberies and she's got her hands full with this one.

This was fun all around. I love a cozy mystery and this fit the bill quite nicely. Juno is a lot of fun to read. Plucky, funny, a little awkward, and, again, living my dream. There's a lot going on but all the loose ties come together quite nicely. I don't normally rate this genre super high as my three-star reads are generally liked but not overwhelmingly loved, as is the case here. It's arguably a four-or-five-star for the genre, but it's not one I'll reread and it's not one that requires much of the reader. Stars are arbitrary in that everyone has a different scale. For me, three stars was an enjoyable read. The writing is good, and I'm kind of tempted to pick up the other three in Juno's series for more rainy day reading. It flows well and the pacing is good. There's no need to rush through it, just take it slow and savor it. I highly recommend this if cozy mysteries are your genre.

Thank you muchly to NetGalley, Allison & Busby, and Stephanie Austin for this ARC in exchange for an unbiased review!

The book starts with Juno stumbling across two deaths and being interrogated over them. After the initial few chapters, the story veered in a different direction with livestock hustling and antique thefts and Juno not doing much in solving any of it. Towards the conclusion she stumbles upon a photograph and gets to solve the initial plot. Apart from a peek into the everyday life in the town the narrative doesn’t offer much in the way of clues or red herrings. For readers who enjoyed the previous books this would be a letdown. At last I could get the name of the dog.

3.8 Stars

Juno Browne inherited Old Nick (an antique store) when the owner died (in the previous book, I guess). Now she has to find a way to run the store while recovering from injuries (from book 3) and try not to get into any more trouble.
But when she opens the wardrobe that’s a part of her latest purchase to fill the store, a body tumbles out onto the floor. Juno has no idea who the dead man is, nor does she know if the crooked seller Fred had anything to do with this.
Another death happens in succession, and Juno tries her best to not get into the mess. It’s hard when the police can’t find anything, and she’s not satisfied not knowing the truth. The dead man’s twin brother arrives, wanting Juno’s help to solve the murder. She’s Devon’s amateur sleuth, after all.
Things start to happen, and Juno is in the middle of it. Not everything is related to the murders, but it’s up to Juno to sort the mess, or so it seems. Can Juno find the killer without risking her neck in the process?
I haven’t read any of the previous books in the series but had no trouble following this one. Some characters are recurring, but it’s easy to understand the relationship between them. The book is more of a cozy mystery than a suspense thriller. The story progresses at its own pace, adding more subplots as we read. Luckily, the subplots are also tied up before the book ends.
Reviewing this book is turning out to be tough. I liked the story enough but was impressed or wowed by it. Somehow, the allure of the cover and the title (main reasons why I requested the book) seemed a bit missing in the story. That said, the book is nowhere dull. I’m going to read the previous books to get a better idea.
It is narrated by Juno, and we see her quirky humor scattered throughout. The insights into her life are entertaining as she regales them in a dry tone. Story-wise, there are no unexpected pull-the-rug moments, so that’s a plus. I did guess the killer and even the reason to an extent. It was fun to see my guess confirmed.
Overall, The Dartmoor Murders is a good book for a lazy afternoon. Pick it up when you don’t want to rush through a book. It’s not a slow read by any means, but things take time to get to the end. Remember, it’s a cozy mystery.
Thank you, NetGalley and Allison & Busby, for the ARC.

First book on the Devon Mysteries series that I read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Juno is a nicely developed character that I found engaging and relatable. I loved seeing Juno's struggle to not get involved, while also wanting to know what happened. The mystery has a lot layers to it and the reveals itself slowly in a way that really captured my attention from beginning to end. I appreciated just how well rounded this story is and I enjoyed seeing it all come together in a surprising and satisfying ending.

<b>We all like complimentary gifts, don't we? But what if this Complimentary gift is a dead body of an unknown middle-aged man. Ohh Yes... when Juno picks her wardrobe and settles it in her antique shop she finds a dead body in it. </b>

<i>This book was the 4th in the Devon mystery series, although it won't affect the reading experience as they are not related. </i>

Juno the main lead and a very likable character is an offstage investigator. She runs an antique shop along with 2 other girls with different saleable items. They have some free huge space to rent out when Fizz comes in and rents it all. When Juno purchases some furniture from Fred a weird grumpy man, she finds a dead body in it. this man is not from around Dartmoor, so how did he land in here, when the cops reach Fred's house to enquire about the dead body, they find his house lit by fire and him dead inside. Juno tries her best to keep out of the case until the dead man from the furniture comes in front of her. Shocked to death she questions the man only to find out that he is the dead man's twin brother and he wants Juno to help him solve this murder mystery. Another dead body was found dugout but this was old and it was Fred's wife who was assumed of runaway with lover case years ago.

Amidst all this, there is a robbery in Juno's antique shop and a lot of her precious stock has been taken away. Fizz was in charge of the shop on the day of the theft. Juno is furious and desperate to find the culprit who is now famous after similar multiple robberies in the neighborhood. Also, there are farm sheep thieves who are claimed to have been stealing sheep from many farmers, the story of which was being covered by a foreign journalist. And Juno involved in it too. Will she find out the Murderer? the Antique thief and the Sheep thief?

This book was slow-paced yet intriguing. I was so eager to unravel these 3 mysteries in one story. However, I completed this book leisurely enjoying the story with humor, emotion, and thrill. A perfect cozy mystery that urges you to find the end but doesn't push you to skip anything. I enjoyed this book and it deserved the 5-star totally. I was hooked to this book right from the first few chapters and through the end, it keeps getting better and better.
Eagerly waiting for book 5, would catch up with the previous 3 books by then.

Thank you to Allison & Busby and NetGalley for the DRC I truly Enjoyed it, and would recommend it to all the Cozy Mystery lovers.

Holding the review till the date of publishing

Although this is the fourth book in the series it is the first one that I have read. The author gave enough insight into the characters to ensure this wasn’t an issue. The main character Juno is really likeable and she just seems to go from getting herself into one scrape, to the next and to the next after that with her amateur sleuthing. I must admit it wasn’t a great page turner for me but it was an enjoyable read. However, the one thing that niggled me was that I don’t think the book cover is in keeping with the tone of the book for a story based around a local lady and her detective skills.

Double Murder In Dartmoor…?
Juno finds herself slap bang in the middle of a potential double murder investigation in this engaging mystery and the fourth in the Devon Mystery series. Can Juno control her overwhelming urge to commence some amateur sleuthing? With more bizarre events on the horizon, it’s unlikely. With a likeable protagonist in Juno, a credible cast of characters, a picturesque backdrop and an intriguing storyline this is a thoroughly enjoyable read and a worthy addition to the series.

Devonshire, murder, murder-investigation, amateur-sleuth, law-enforcement, small-business, small-town, theft, rescue-animals, farm-animals, farm-equipment, antiques, organized-crime*****

The first two bodies were recent, and Juno saw them both.
Juno has a history of getting involved with murder investigations and on the wrong side of Detective Sergeant Cruella Deville (but not the others). Besides the murders, there have been fraudulent thievings from other shop owners as well as thefts of farm animal herds and large farm equipment happening in the district. Add in the business tenant from the pit, an attractive photojournalist from Australia, and a mostly absent love interest to round out this delightful tale.
As this is the first I've read in the series, I can tell you that it works just as well as a stand alone. But this one is so good that I want the earlier ones, too.
I requested and received a temporary digital ARC of this book from Allison & Busby via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

A very engaging and enjoyable escape to Devon. A modern cosy with a very likable heroine. Juno Browne has an unlucky propensity for finding dead bodies, leading to awkwardness with the local police, especially since Juno is godmother to the DI’s child.
Although this this the 4th book in the series, it was the first I had read and I was not at a disadvantage, it works very well as a standalone.
Overall a good, well rounded story with believable characters, credible dialog, and a good plot. I will definitely be reading the first three in the series.
Many thanks to netgalley, the publisher and the author for an advance copy, it was a pleasure to read.

This is the 4th in a series involving Juno and this series just gets better and better! A great mystery story and I can’t wait for book 5! Kept me up well past my bedtime, I could not put it down.

I want to thank the publisher, the author (Stephanie Austin), and net galley for the opportunity to read and review an advanced copy of this book, The Dartmoor Murders.

Juno Browne has many friends, an inherited antique store, many odd jobs, and a penchant for sticking her nose into dangerous situations. When she buys an old wardrobe to sell in her shop, it ends up with a grizzly surprise hidden in it. When one dead body turns to two, Juno starts asking questions, much to the police detectives displeasure, and ends up just trying to stay alive. Add in colorful characters, some sheep rustling, some romance, a mother/son scamming team, some unfriendly and friendly police, and a disruptive crafter to fill out the story.

I usually like to have the police as the main characters, but this was a very entertaining and well-written book, and it makes me want to read previous editions to this series from the author.

The Dartmoor Murders is the fourth book in the fun Devon Mysteries series. Juno has inherited an antiques shop which is not yet turning over much profit. In exchange for goods and services she is allowing a few vendors to set up rent free as she has the space and she could use more custom. When outgoing and irritating Fizz comes along expressing her desire to pay rent on three spots for her silk scarf business, Juno can't afford to turn her down. But when a body unexpectedly shows up in a wardrobe Juno buys from cantankerous Fred Crick she is a wee bit alarmed. As an amateur sleuth she is no stranger to dead bodies so she takes action.

While entangled in the murder case which becomes murder caseS, Juno is bewildered by other crimes in her area and inveigles and questions. Her steadfast and loyal friends including Daniel back her. Bodies and secrets pile up and tensions increase. Clues are discovered along the way and she attempts to put her less than charitable thoughts toward Cruella aside.

Cozy mystery readers ought to read this and the others in the series, perfect on a lazy day.

My sincere thank you to Allison & Busby and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this engaging charmer.