Set in post-war rural England, Poison at the Village Show has all the elements we love in a classic whodunnit: a likeable protagoinist/amateur sleuth, an endearing, open-minded sidekick and other fairly tradional secondary characters, the small village setting with its relentless rumour mill and a crime which requires a careful examination of underlying motives, based on human nature.

Martha Miller’s life isn’t easy. One day her husband Stan left for work in his London office and never came back. While Martha herself and the police are convinced he simply checked out of his loveless marriage in a cowardly way, the villagers have a different ideas. Some of them suspect Stan’s remains must be lying under Martha’s potato patch. Others simply maintain Martha must have done something wrong to drive her man away. At any rate Martha isn’t exactly welcome in Westleham, but the financial strain Stan’s abandonment left her under doesn’t permit her move away. In order to make the ends meet Martha had to take in a lodger. Luckily, it’s her sister Ruby. To supplement her income Martha started making plum gin and even donated a few bottles of it to the Village Show. Little did she know how much trouble this gesture of goodwill will get her into. When the show chairperson Alice Warren is poisoned with a glass of Martha’s gin, fingers point at Martha and she has no choice but start investigating the case to clear her name and possibly save her own life.

I really liked Martha and her character arc. She is independent and resourceful. Martha has a lot of love to give, although showing her feelings goes against the strict, emotionally stifling upringing Martha and Ruby got from their parents. One of the most satisfying developments in the book was Marta gradually opening up to Ruby. Martha also has a lot of soul searching to do in order to understand what exactly happened in her marriage. The dashing vicar Luke Walker aids her in her investigations and helps her see things from another angle, including trying to understand why some villagers may feel resentful of Martha.

The plot was well-balanced and logical. It isn’t one of those books where all the elements are there from the beginning and you just need to use your deductive powers to see the solution to the puzzle. Here we discover and analyse the significance of the clues step by step in a very engaging journey.

What I liked the most about the book is all the small and big details that set it in that particular period of time: the rationing of food and other consumer goods, the role and the position of women in society, clothes, relationships, even the crimes themselves. There’s also an adorable dog- you can only imagine how difficult it was to keep a pet at that time. If you prefer tea to other hot beverages, you’ll be pleased to discover how important it is to the villagers’ life and what a valuable source of information it can be to an inquisitive mind.

I really enjoyed this first book in this very promising new series and can’t wait to read the next installment!

Set just after the end of WWII, Poison at the Village Show introduces us to Martha Miller, the main protagonist. She is a relative newcomer to Westleham Village. Left on her own after her husband Stan disappeared a year ago, she is still the subject of village gossip, several claiming Martha is in some way to blame. There’s even a rumour Stan is buried under the potato patch. Her sister Ruby lives with her to help make ends meet since she can’t access her husband’s account.

Martha and Ruby, although siblings, are totally different people. Ruby, pretty, outgoing and confident, while Martha is much more reserved due to her upbringing and loveless marriage. Despite wishing for more contact with people she is lacking in social skills. Her constant companion is her dog.

The day of the village show didn’t exactly go as planned. Martha had donated several bottles of her home made plum gin to the committee and as the chairwoman made the toast and took a sip she promptly fell down…and died. Panic ensued and once again the villagers’ fingers pointed at Martha. Thank goodness Luke is on her side and between them they decide to make some discreet enquiries. Martha has had enough of being the scapegoat and is determined to clear her name.

Poison at the Village Show is the first in what promises to be an enjoyable cosy mystery series. The main characters are likeable — it’s good to see Martha come out of her shell as the story progresses, and witness the closeness growing between the sisters. The setting and era are depicted extremely well with Catherine Coles’ descriptions and details of post war living in a small village.

Poison at the Village Show is just the sort of delightful, gentle cozy mystery set in a sleepy English village that you want to read during a lazy afternoon.

The inhabitants of Westleham village are too inquisitive for their own good. The British stiff upper lip rarely quivers. The village show is the highlight of the year. And a hot cup of sweet tea is the answer to all problems. A handsome, young, and single vicar arrives at the village, making many hearts flutter. When a murder is dropped into the mix, the sleepy village is shaken up and the gossiping ladies go on overdrive.

Told from the point of view of Martha Miller, a 33-year-old woman whose husband has been missing for a year, we see how the events help bring a change in her. From a mousy, quiet woman she develops some courage to stand up for herself. She develops a fuller relationship with her younger sister, Ruby, who lives with her and helps her pay her bills.

Along with the vicar, Martha sets out to solve the murder that has made her quiet village front-page news. After many rounds of tea drinking, exchanges of gossip, and a few hair-raising incidents, she arrives at the answer. I loved the subtle wit and humour that runs throughout the story. I loved the little confusion that the author threw in at the end. I suspect she will follow up on it in the next book.

An exciting cozy murder mystery for people who want the thrill without the blood and gore!

(I received an e-copy from Rachel’s Random Resources with a request for an honest review.)

A cozy murder mystery… In a character-driven mystery, the reader gets to know Martha and her friends, and they are likeable and relatable characters. The investigation into the murder is engaging, and the broader puzzle of Martha's husband's disappearance draws the reader into Martha's world.

A simple, easy to read mystery thriller by Catherine Coles. Poison at the Village Show sets its plot in a simple village which soon turns itself into a stage of murders. If you are looking for a simple mystery to be read within a day's time, then pick it up. The characters are lovely, especially Martha Miller. Although I wanted more between Luke Walker and Martha Miller. The plot is one of those where all the characters are under suspicion and by the end the climax is totally different. I, really liked the book.

Definitely, the book deserves 4 stars. Thanks to Rachel's Random Resources, Boldwood Books and Netgalley for providing me an opportunity to read and review the book.

Catherine Coles’ Poison at the Village Show is a delightful 1940s cosy mystery I read in one sitting!

Ever since her husband Stan disappeared, Martha has felt like the village pariah. Her neighbours in Westleham look at her with suspicion and many believe that she is somehow responsible for his disappearance. Martha feels increasingly isolated and she is one of the few people in Westleham not looking forward to the village show. She doesn’t want to be given the cold shoulder and be the subject of gossip, but could the village show provide her with the opportunity she so desperately needs to turn things around and win people over?

Martha prepares some delicious homemade plum gin which she hopes will stop her neighbours from casting baleful glances her way – only when chairwoman of the village show, Alice Warren, takes her first sip of her drink she slumps down to the ground and dies! Someone has poisoned Alice’s glass and the finger of suspicion is pointing squarely at Martha! Determined to prove her innocence and clear her name, Martha decides to do some sleuthing of her own to find the real culprit. Ably assisted by the local vicar Luke Walker, will Martha manage to find out who poisoned Alice? And can the two of them discover who is behind the poisoning before it’s too late?

A fun historical cosy mystery I gobbled up in a matter of hours, Catherine Coles’ Poison at the Village Show is an entertaining and enjoyable tale ideal for fans of Miss Marple and Father Brown. Martha Miller is a determined, instinctive and intuitive sleuth and her partnership with local vicar Luke Walker will keep readers gripped and eagerly turning the pages as they find themselves desperate to uncover the next juicy revelation.

The first title in what promises to be an addictive new series, Catherine Coles’ Poison at the Village Show is a must-read for cosy mystery fans everywhere!

This was a sweet cozy mystery and I really enjoyed it. The pages flowed by quickly and the book kept me interested. This was my first book by this author and I would be happy to read more in the future. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

It's 1947 and Martha Miller is living in the village of Westleham, a small village outside of London with her red setter, Lizzie. Married Martha makes her own gin but her husband has been missing for 364 days and 10 hours. He went to work in the city, but never returned home. To help pay the bills, Martha's younger sister, Ruby Andrews lives with her and pays her rent. Ruby is employed as a factory worker and Martha used to work for the Women's Land Army but now grows fruit and vegetables. It's time for the Westleham village show but will Martha's plum gin win any prizes? And why is the chairperson of the show, Alice Warren, lying on the floor?

I love to start a brand new cosy mystery series and this one by Catherine Coles is just tickety-boo! Martha's friend is the village’s new vicar, Luke Walker and he helps out Martha when she is implicated in Alice's murder. The terrific character cast as a whole contributes to the great amateur sleuth narrative. The historical timeframe, the small details and the feeling of post-war rural England all positively add to the overall tale. The plot and pacing are good and there's abundant fodder for future instalments. I'm excited about book two.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Boldwood Books via NetGalley and this review is my unbiased opinion.

I love a good cosy crime and this was a great introduction to the author and series. I love the character of Martha and I felt awful for her upon finding out about her husband Stan - he 'left for work' one day and never returned. During the book, I hoped we might find out what happened and there was some investigation into this but I guess it will follow on into the next book.

She is now living with her sister Ruby and is struggling to afford life in general. She grows her own food and makes her own gin, some of which was kindly donated to the village show. However someone soon drops dead - not long after drinking some of her gin! Martha knows she is not to blame and, with the help of the new village vicar Luke, tries to find out who the culprit actually is. I did not expect who it was at all!

I really like Martha, Ruby and Luke and I can't wait to see more from them!

I don't normally read mystery stories but I will be reading the whole of this series as the books appear. Great story and very well written, I enjoyed reading this. Worth every one of the 5 stars I can give this.

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for this e ARC

I read other cosy mysteries by Catherine Coles and liked them. This is the start of a new historical cosy series and there’s plenty of potential.
I’m sure it will become a favourite as I enjoyed this story and liked Martha and Luke.
Martha is an interesting character and I liked how the author developed her character and her backstory. She’s considered a sort of black widow/scarlet woman by the village busybodies and that was a very interesting aspect of the story as it reflects an aspect of the historical mindset
The plot is easy to follow and I thoroughly enjoyed and liked how Martha and Luke interacted.
It’s a solid mystery and it kept me guessing.
The end leaves some loose ends (not on the mystery side) and I can’t wait to read the next book in this series.
Recommended.
Many thanks to Boldwood Books, Rachel’s Random Resources, and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

A brilliant start to a new mystery series that i for one can’t wait to read more of! Brilliant characters and gorgeous settings. Cleverly plotted too.

Can Martha Clear Her Name?

Catherine Coles has started another Fantastic Series in "Poison at the Village Show (The Martha Miller Mysteries Book 1)". It's set in the 1947 village of Westleham.

Abandoned by her husband, Martha makes her income by selling her Plumb Gin. When it appears to kill a lady, Martha sets out to find the real Murderer. She's helped by her Sister, the Vicar, her Neighbor, & the Police.

Like any small community, news & gossip spread very fast in Westleham. I enjoyed getting to know the different Story Characters, & how they interacted.

I ❤️ed all the historic details. I ❤️ed the twists & turns involved in solving this Mystery. I also ❤️ed that there is the beginning of a Romance in this 📗. I ❤️ that I was surprised by "who done it" at the end, like in other CC Stories!

The 📗 has a slow start, but then become a Page-Turner, you Have To Keep 📖ing. I Highly Recommend You 📖 this Historic, English, Cozy Mystery, to see how Martha proves her innocence! ❤️ed📖ing ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Catherine Coles is one of my very favourite cozy mystery writers - I think I've read all her books. This had everything I would expect from one of her fab books - brilliant writing, excellent characters, and a cracking mystery..

Many thanks to NetGalley and to the publisher for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this Advanced Reader Copy and the opportunity to review “Poison at the Village Show.” All opinions and comments are my own.

The first thing you learn about Martha Miller, our heroine in this new historical mystery series, is that her husband has been missing for a year. The second is that she has no skills and she’s broke. It’s not surprising; its 1947, woman weren’t expected to do much except stay home and keep the home fires burning, even two years after the war. So, she lives with her sister to make ends meet, in a small village outside London.

Readers also find out that someone is vandalizing her neighbor’s gardens. Not hers, though. She feels guilty, because the village fair is coming up and some of the villagers think she should be a suspect. Friendly folks, they are. Martha has a lot of problems (and boy, do you get to read about them), and life in Westleham is not a whole lot of fun. So, when the fair’s chairwoman dies from poisoned gin, a gin that came from Martha, guess who’s suspected for that, too? Of course, she’s got to find the culprit, to clear her name.

She gets help from village vicar Luke Walker, and sparks start flying. But there’s that “still married” thing in the way. We get to hear about this throughout the book. Her sister, Ruby is quite the character, too, and their growing family relationship is made much of.

There’s a few clues to time and place. Rationing is mentioned, for instance. And our author, Catherine Coles does “fill in the blanks” of these characters, making Martha more likeable as the story goes along (she doesn’t start out that way, in my opinion). Luckily, she has someone to talk to -- her dog. Best listener ever.

Finally, there’s a Martha brainstorm and a plan’s set up to catch a killer, one that’s found out to have war-time ties. A wicked murderer, covering up a wicked crime to get something that’s wanted. But the doing comes at a cost; a rift with Vicar Luke. Still, things are looking up; her sister has a new boyfriend -- the police do come in handy, in “Poison at the Village Show.”

This is a comfortable historical mystery with romance undertones; what’s going to happen with that vicar, and where’s that husband, for instance? Will Mr. Miller wander back in just as Luke and Martha restore their friendship? And how many more bodies can Martha stumble upon in Westleham? Well, we know that “plenty” is usually the answer for that.

July 1947. Martha Miller, 33, lives in the village of Westleham in Hampshire. Looked on with suspicion by many of the inhabitants as her husband disappeared a year ago. So no surprise when a death occurs the finger is pointed at her. Even though Detective Inspector Ben Robertson investigates she feels the need to find the killer to clear her name.
An entertaining cozy mystery, well-written with its varied and engaging characters. A good start to the series.
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Martha Miller is an oddity in the village of Westleham in Berkshire – a married woman whose husband Stan simply disappeared one day on his way to work a year ago. No one knows if he’s alive or dead. Martha herself thinks he ran off with another woman. Some of the villagers, including the abrasive Ada Garrett, thinks Martha did away with him. Without his income, Martha struggles, living off the vegetables she grows and was overjoyed when her younger sister Ruby Andrews came to lodge with her. It’s 1947 and the day of the first annual village show since the war. As her deputy Martha is heavily involved assisting Chairwoman Alice Warren in the proceedings. Then tragedy strikes. As she makes a toast to the winners, using Martha’s homemade plum gin, Alice drops down dead. The police, led by DI Ben Robertson from Slough, arrive and the cause is revealed as poisoning. But who could have wanted Alice dead? When suspicion falls on Martha, she decides that the only way to prove her innocence is to uncover the real culprit. She persuades dishy new vicar Luke Walker to help her and sets off on the trail. There are plenty of hopeful suspects to question, and suddenly Martha finds something strange happening – she starts to make friends and is no longer the woman suspected of burying her husband in the potato patch! Together with help from a nosey neighbour and a village gossip, she begins to assemble the clues. But will she be in time to stop the poisoner from striking again?
This is a lovely cosy murder mystery, full of very engaging characters, intrigue and a little romance for good measure. It’s well written and is a great way of losing a few hours lost in a bygone era where people had different worries and a slower way of life but human nature still leads to dark deeds being committed. It had a lovely ending but the question remains – what has happened to Stan? I’m looking forward to more stories in this series. 4.5*

This is my first book by this author and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Set in post war Britain, it’s a fun cosy mystery with great characters. I really liked Martha and the vicar and her close neighbours too. It is the first book in a new series and I’m really looking forward to reading the next one and seeing how the characters and their relationships develop Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for letting me read and review this book.

Poison at the Village Show by Catherine Coles takes us back to July of 1947 in Westleham, Berkshire where Martha Miller resides. Her husband disappeared a year ago and Martha is still subjected to gossip. Some people believe he is fertilizing her potatoes. Martha’s sister, Ruby moved in to help her with the bills. Alice Warren is the chairwoman of the Westleham Village Committee with Martha as the deputy chairwoman. It is the first village show since the end of the war and everyone (well, most everyone) is looking forward to it. Martha has provided the plum wine for the event. Alice proposes a toast and, after drinking the plum wine, she collapses and dies in Martha’s arms. Martha is the prime suspect since she made the wine. Martha is determined to prove her innocence and gets assistance from the handsome new vicar, Luke Walker. Can Martha and Luke uncover who killed Alice? Will the killer strike again? Poison at the Village Show by Catherine Coles is a swell new British cozy mystery. I appreciated that we are provided a list of characters at the beginning of the book along with their roles. I found it to be very helpful. I like the author’s engaging writing style. I found myself drawn into the story. The pacing varied in the story. It is a little slower in the beginning as we meet the characters and visit the village. The pacing increases as Martha with assistance from Vicar Luke Walker investigates the crime. There are some quirky secondary characters that are cliched (they go with the small village where gossip is a sport). I like Ruby, Martha’s sister who is more outgoing than Martha. I also liked Detective Inspector Ben Robertson who seems smitten with Ruby. The mystery is straightforward. I enjoyed following Martha and Luke as they questioned people in the village. The clues are few, but there are enough to solve the crime. I kept hoping there would be a twist that would surprise me. There are two secondary mysteries in the story. One involves the destruction of the village vegetable gardens. People are subtlety accusing Martha of doing the deed so she can win the awards at the village fete. The other mystery is regarding Martha’s missing husband. He went off to work one day to never return. There is speculation in the village that Martha killed him and buried him under her potato patch. People are jealous because Martha has a flourishing vegetable garden in her backyard. There is some repetition in the story especially regarding Martha’s missing husband and the handsome new vicar. Martha and Luke got along from the beginning. I believe they could be good friends if there was not the spark of attraction. They must be careful how much time they spend in each other’s company because of the local gossips. Poison at the Village Show is a cute cozy mystery that I enjoyed reading. It is lighthearted and fun to read. Poison at the Village Show is a spiffing tale with a deceased chairwoman, a vegetable vandal, a dashing detective, a sorrowful spouse, rampant rumors, a charming clergyman, and a partner who has taken a powder.

Set in post world war two rural England, the first Martha Miller mystery has all the ingredients of a compelling cosy mystery. A gossipy village community, a mysterious disappearance, a murder, and a likeable and intelligent amateur sleuth. Martha is already the subject of village conjecture when her husband leaves for work one day and doesn't return. Some villagers believe she was lacking as a wife, some believe something sinister is afoot, and Martha is the instigator. So the chance to help with the village show an opportunity to enjoy everyday village life after the war is taken eagerly by Martha, but things do not go to plan.

Finding herself the subject of villagers' insinuations once again, Martha sets out to find out who wanted to kill the head of the Village show committee and why? Helped by her sister and the attractive, kind new vicar, the mystery unfolds with numerous suspects.

In a character-driven mystery, the reader gets to know Martha and her friends, and they are likeable and relatable characters. The investigation into the murder is engaging, and the broader puzzle of Martha's husband's disappearance draws the reader into Martha's world.

The well-described postwar rural setting makes it easy to visualise the characters and the village. This book is a promising start to the Martha Miller Mystery series.

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