I really enjoyed this book! Although it was kind of hard to get into, it was such a fun read. I do think the murder could've happened earlier and the investigation could've taken longer, I still really enjoyed it. I would really recommend this for christmastime!

Genre: cozy mystery
Pub date: December 9

In one sentence: Nosey Parker's charity event has already been disrupted by a snowstorm, and then someone turns up dead...

I enjoyed this cozy mystery - I hadn't read any of the prior books in the series, but it was easy to get into the swing of things. I liked the balance of the cooking and event content with the mystery content, and Nosey and her pals were engaging characters. Lots of suspects and red herrings, with a satisfying ending. There's plenty of holiday spirit in this story, and I definitely recommend it if you need a cozy read to ease into the Christmas season.

Thank you to Harper Collins UK for providing an ARC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

💕 Thank you to Netgalley.co.uk for a copy of this book in return for a review

If you're a fan of afternoon tv murder mystery series like "Shakespeare and Hathaway" or "Rosemary & Thyme" then this is for you.
The comedy antics of the former police woman turned caterer, and her team of family members and friends, are light hearted and easy going.
The plot is easy to follow, and although some of the characters appear a little too far fetched to be believable, this does add to the enjoyment of the story.
If you want something to read on a rainy or wintery day, then this easy read will tick the box for you

The plot was very interesting and intriguing! I love how there were multiple suspects and they were trapped in the hotel with the murderer!
Jodie was a nice main character, but to be honest, I didn't really relate with her or connect with her during the book.
The characters I thought were most complex were Isaac, James, Pippa and Steve. I loved how they were nothing like we had expected them to be. James's story was one I particularly enjoyed and I have to admit he was my favourite character reading this book!
I recommend this if you're a crime fan!

Another enjoyable Nosey Parker mystery. Brilliant characters who interact together wonderfully. A great storyline with just the right amount of twists and turns.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley, and am so happy I requested it. Book 4 in a series, it was the first one I read, now I’ll read the first 3. The main character, Josie, is intelligent, funny and empathetic. Even though I hadn’t read the earlier books I was able to get right into the story and the characters, the author included just enough of their back stories to be able to start right in. This is a great cozy series and was a quick read that held ny attention, I didn’t see the solution coming.

A Cornish Christmas Murder by Fiona Leitch brings a death, but also some humor to the fourth book in the Nosey Parker cozy mystery series set in a 13th-century abbey on Bodmin Moor in Cornwall, England. Jodie ‘Nosey’ Parker has moved back to her home town of Penstowan after leaving the London police force. She has retrained as a caterer and started Banquets and Bakes, her own catering company. With three days before Christmas, she’s been asked to cater a children’s Christmas party put together by Isaac Barnes. He’s a multi-millionaire entrepreneur and philanthropist.

Jodie has enlisted the help of her mom Shirley, her daughter Daisy, and her friend Debbie. As they are cleaning up, things get complicated when roads are closed due to a snowstorm that strands them along with 8 others plus the owner and his two employees. When one of the guests is found dead, Jodie puts on her investigation hat.

With this fourth book, it now seemed like I was visiting with old friends. Jodie’s sense of humor and warmth continues to shine in this story. She was a likeable and friendly character with a need to investigate that I continued to connect with. The secondary characters continue to develop. In this case, we saw more growth in Daisy and Debbie, but I missed seeing Tony. While Nathan only showed up at the end of the novel, his and Jodie’s interactions continue to be varied and range from witty to serious. Instead of only quaint characters, this cozy has several realistic characters that add to the depth of the story. Pomeranian Germaine was along for the trip and added cuteness and stress relief at various times.

The writing style continues to flow well and take this reader to Cornwall. The author did a good job of transporting me to the ancient abbey with ‘showing’ versus ‘telling’ which made the novel more enjoyable. The story had several twists, a couple of surprises at the end and gives readers food for thought. A possible ghost, a priest hole, a sordid history, and a hidden library add ambience. Additionally, having a sleuth that was not an amateur continues to bring depth to the novel that is often lacking in cozy mysteries.

Overall, this was a story that quickly drew me into Jodie’s world. It was a fun, appealing and entertaining read with a solid mystery to unravel and a fresh take on the protagonist. All of the major plot points were resolved satisfactorily, the atmosphere was just right. Themes include friendship, parent-child relationships, alcoholism, grief, secrets, and death. Relationships continue to play a major role in this series.

I recommend the novel to those that enjoy the genre. It was a fun and relaxing read and I can’t wait for the next book featuring Jodie and her family and friends. For more enjoyment, the books are best read in order, but they can be read as a standalone.

HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter and Fiona Leitch provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date is currently set for November 29, 2021. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.

I really enjoyed this! The characters were so fun to read and it was a weirdly cosy investigative murder mystery. I appreciate that romance was not at the heart of it, but a light undertone that just added a little elevation to the story. I will say that there were moments where I felt that racial stereotypes re: Japanese characters could have been avoided. Aside from this, I do think I could read more by this author and follow these characters on other journeys!

Thank you to Netgalley, Fiona Leitch and Harper Collins/One More Chapter for providing me with an e-copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

I love a good locked room mystery, and A Cornish Christimas Murder really hit the spot with its wintry English Manor setting at Christmastime. I thoroughly enjoyed it! The main characters felt real. They are fun and lovable, so much so I just might go back and read the previous books in the series. I was also entertained with the little dog, Germaine, and how her presence was woven into the story, reminding me of my own small pups. A Cornish Christmas Christmas is an excellent choice to curl up with on a cold winter's day with a throw and a cup of hot cocoa.

*Thank you for the opportunity to read this delightful book! I have posted my review on Goodreads and will post on Amazon and B&N on the release day.

3.5⭐ This was my first time reading this series by this author but I would like to read the other books at some stage as I enjoyed this story.
I enjoyed reading about Josie, her life and the trouble that seems to always pop up in a little country side village. This was a murder mystery set in a mansion where a party of guests get snowed in and murder ensues, leaving it up to our amateur detective to find the guilty party.
It was a fun, easy read great for those who have snowy cold Christmas's and like to curl up in front of a fire with a good book.
Thanks to NetGalley, HarperCollins UK and One More Chapter for the opportunity to read an advance copy and give my honest opinions.

Rating: 2.2/5

Given that this seasonal offering is the fourth book in this series, it is fair to say that I am a little late to the party. That said, I didn't feel particularly disadvantaged by not having read the previous three titles and any references to them are easy enough to understand and to put into context.

These books are billed as being a series of cosy mysteries featuring former detective, Jodie "Nosey" Parker, though I have to say that this often felt as much like a chick-lit romcom as it did a cosy murder mystery.

The writing is decent enough with ample light-hearted frivolity throughout the proceedings to the point where the actual "whodunnit" element is almost more of a sideshow. If you think along the lines of Agatha Raisin or other lightweight comedy mystery dramas that tend to pop up on television in the afternoon, then you will have the general idea.

This was a pleasant enough way to while away the hours, but it never grabbed my interest enough to make me want to read more than a chapter or two at a time before I broke off to do something else. Easy-reading, but not particularly satisfying or memorable.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. It was so much more than a cosy Christmas murder mystery: Jodie was a great main character, the humour throughout really added to the book, and the country house setting was perfect. I am now going to read the previous books in the series.

'A Cornish Christmas Murder' has a promising premise that's ruined by the book's lack of tension and personality. There are seventeen people stuck on one property and none of them have a distinctive personality — the most frustrating being the four Japanese women, three of whom the book doesn't even bother to give names, and whose culture the book makes generalizations about.

Sadly, the blurb's "pinch of paranoia" proves to be untrue — none of the characters seem at all concerned that they're trapped with a murderer; there's no finger-pointing or arguments. Everyone is blasé about the situation, and this lack of conflict is very boring. Also there weren't any compelling suspects, so it was hard as a reader to care.

Pros: Nana is funny, there's a fun twist, and I liked the killer's motive.

I would give this book 3.5/5 stars if Goodreads allowed half stars. Overall a quick read and nice to get in the Christmas mood..

What I liked:
- For a murder mystery, it was pretty lighthearted and I thought the writing was clever. If you're looking for a thriller, though, this isn't it. Love a warm, cozy Christmas mystery that you could read by the fireplace.
- The setting of the book -- trapped by snow in an old English mansion in the countryside with hidden passages and mystery -- is just what you need for a Christmas whodunit.
- The book did keep me guessing with some twists and turns, I had my suspicions of the guilty party but couldn't figure out how or why they had done it until the end of the book.
- The pacing was good and it was easy to read. I thought the characters were mostly endearing and Leitch is good at threading humor throughout the book.

What I didn't like:
- Some of the characters (specifically the four Japanese travelers who show up, three of whom don't even get names) seemed totally unnecessary to me. I couldn't figure out why the author included them.
- The only characters of color (or at least the only ones described as something other than white) were pretty stereotyped and it was almost cringey to read.
- I think this book is part of an ongoing series, and there were some references to previous books/cases that I didn't get because I hadn't read the previous books. I don't think it detracted from this story too much, though.

An ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Perfect cosy murder mystery - the festive setting definitely adding to the ‘cosy’ element! I haven’t read a modern crime novel in this genre before, it was definitely enjoyable and I’d be interested in other books by this author.

I've read a few of the series now and the books are a good read. I like the characters and enjoy the progression of their stories within each book. This one was no exception and enjoyed reading it curled up with a cup of tea.

There are twists along the way while working out 'who dunnit' and it's a lot of fun to read.

I really liked the characters in this book. I read a lot of crime - James Patterson, Agatha Christie and everything in between! This was definitely nearer the Agatha Christie end - quite a cosy crime novel. Unfortunately I found the ending a bit of a let down - it all fell into place a little too easily. Having said that, I’ll probably read the next in the series as it was a nice way to spend a Sunday afternoon! (3.5 stars to be precise!)

This is the first in the Jodie ‘Nosey’ Parker series that I’ve read and it’d encourage me to seek out the previous books as this was an enjoyable read. The detective turned chef is asked to cater a charity event – a children’s Christmas party – three days before December 25 at a 13th century abbey on Bodmin Moor. The weather is dreadful but the attendees have a ball, as do Jodie’s mum, daughter and friend who are on hand to help out. When a snowstorm descends, Jodie and her crew must stay overnight in the abbey, owned by a notorious millionaire, but they’re not the only guests. Santa is also staying (this will make sense when you read it) plus a few not so friendly faces. The next morning, one guest has been murdered and Jodie is in detective solving mood, with a little breakfast arranging thrown in. Can she question the guests – who are all now suspects – and discover who’s responsible before the police arrive? And what issue did the murderer have at the most wonderful time of the year?

Who doesn’t love a good Christmas book!? I do anytime of the year but this wasn’t my usual type of Christmas book. I enjoyed it. Well done!

I liked the cozy vibes but I don’t think it really fit with the plot of the story. The narration was quite irritating for me, but maybe I just don’t like that kind of humour, and I didn’t feel like the characters had much substance. There was also a few things I found problematic about the story, the only characters of colour (at least the only ones that are described to be of a race other than white) are highly stereotyped. I liked the pacing of the story though and it was a nice, quick read. I kinda guessed the ending but not exactly how it was gonna go down. I wish there could’ve been a bit more suspicion and less fluffy stuff.