Four amateur sleuths investigate a missing farmer. Did Joe run away due to his overbearing mother in law or is there something more sinister behind his disappearance...?
A Harvest Murder is the third book in the Ham Hill series by Frances Evesham. It is the first book that I have read of the series so it works as a standalone. There are some mentions of things that had occurred in the past and I think there is some relationship and character development in the first books that I would benefit from reading.
The four sleuths are two couples: Imogen and Dan, Adam and Steph. This adds an extra dynamic to the plot as they compare themselves and their relationship to the other couple. It also allows us to see a different, more personal aspect to their character.
Farmer Joe goes missing as does one of Dan's donkeys. Both return but Joe is poisoned before he can explain his disappearance. This book fits firmly into the cosy murder mystery genre. However, the death takes second place to the tension between Imogen and Dan as their relationship crumbles.
Dan finds himself the target of a campaign of increasingly dangerous incidents and this is given equal prominence in the plot. There is little violence or detail about the death. The English village setting and the occasion of Apple Day provides the backdrop to the plot.
A Harvest Murder is an enjoyable murder mystery novel.

I was hooked from the start! It kept me guessing. All the characters were interesting and I loved the setting. Loved how the characters worked together. Will definitely read other books in this series

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the ebook. I was able to find the audio version through my local library.
I enjoyed this novel. It was a cute cozy murder mystery and it is perfect for this time of year since it takes place in the fall.

I received this book for free from netgalley for an honest review.

Got to this a little later than I expected but I really enjoyed it. Great characters.

I have read a few of this authors books and they are very enjoyable Murder mystery books. This one had my attention and I wanted to keep reading

A Harvest Murder is the third book in the Ham Hill murder cozy series by Frances Evesham. Released 21st June 2022, it's 256 pages and is available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free (along with the previous books in the series).

This is a charming and quaint village cozy series. Protagonist Adam (ex-detective and proprietor of the local pub) and his amateur sleuth friends look into the strange disappearance, reappearance, and sudden suspicious death of a local farmer, uncovering some of the less salubrious and generally hidden currents of village life along the way. It's an ensemble cast, including a nice group of supporting characters who are appealingly well rendered (and with the realities of middle age). The language is clean, there is no graphic sexual content (there's a little light romance and minor associated drama, but not objectionably much), and the violence is off-scene and relatively restrained.

The buildup is well done and the denouement and resolution are satisfying. There were a few twists along the way which I didn't anticipate. Although it's the third book in the series, it works perfectly well as a standalone. With three books extant at this point, it would make a good choice for a weekend binge/buddy read.

Four and a half stars, a lovely engaging cozy read. Fans of Merryn Allingham and Clare Chase will find a lot to like with this series.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

frances Evesham is always an author who’s books are worth reading, she hits the nail on the head every single time and never disappoints

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. I have chosen to write this honest review voluntarily and it reflects my personal opinion.
I have read some books from the Exham-on-sea series, but none of this series so the characters are new to me. I thought the romances and relationships added an interesting plot theme to the mysteries of disappearances and murders, although Imogen was rather quick to make a shallow decision about Dan, it seemed a little unrealistic. In general I liked this book as much as I enjoyed the other series, and would recommend it as a good cosy mystery with many interesting subplots and lovely characters.

Cosy crime readers will fall upon Frances Evesham’s latest novel A Harvest Murder with glee. The third stand-alone title in her Ham Hill series, A Harvest Murder is a fun, addictive and thoroughly enjoyable read perfect for Midsomer Murders and Agatha Raisin addicts.

In Lower Hembrow, a beautiful village nestled beneath Ham Hill in Somerset, the villagers’ plans to enjoy the autumn festivities of the English countryside end up going awry when local farmer Joe Trevillion vanishes off the face of the earth. With six children and a farm to run, Joe certainly has got plenty weighing on his shoulders, but he couldn’t just have disappeared…could he? Local publican and former detective Adam Hennessy is convinced that there is more to this case than meets the eye and, alongside his pals, plans to do some sleuthing of his own…

When a vicious campaign of vindictiveness begins to take hold in the village, Adam and his friends realise that maybe the local community knows more about Joe’s disappearance than they are letting on. As they begin to look into their neighbours’ lives, they find themselves shocked to their very core to discover that many a dark and twisted secret lurks behind the villagers’ closed doors. As they seek to expose who is the mastermind behind this cruel smear campaign, will Adam and his fellow sleuths manage to stop a murderer in their tracks? Or will they only manage to find a dangerous killer by looking deep into their own past lives?

Frances Evesham writes engaging cosy mysteries that once you start reading, you simply cannot put down and A Harvest Murder is a delightful, witty and suspenseful read I polished off in a matter of hours. Hard to resist and even harder to put down, A Harvest Murder thrums with long-held resentments, desperate secrets and unexpected revelations that will keep readers frantically turning the pages.

Fun, fast-paced and fabulous, readers who loves cosy mysteries will love Frances Evesham’s latest novel, A Harvest Murder.

One of the first jobs I ever had was a freelance gig writing pieces profiling towns for Sussex Life magazine. The money was fine – scarily this is at least 20 years ago and I doubt I could earn as much freelancing now as I did then – but what was really interesting was the opportunity to go nosing about the villages of the Home Counties and trying to pry under their skin a bit.

I’m not exactly sure what it is in crime fiction which attracts us to these small, rural villages but from Agatha Christie through GK Chesterton via Margery Allingham and right up to some of the writers working today – Fiona Leitch, Isabella Muir, Anna Legat and Simon Whaley – readers can’t get enough of peering behind the net curtain and white washed walls of the small English village.

Frances Evesham here provides another accomplished entry into the genre. Lower Hembrow is everything this sort of village should: picturesque, nicely appointed church, local pub.

And, obviously, dark undercurrent with disappearances and dark secrets from the past threatening to raise their ugly heads.

I know Raymond Chandler wanted to take murder out of the drawing rooms and put it back in the streets, but in the same way that Chandler was a Dulwich College educated public schoolboy, I like my murders cozy and my villages adorning the pages of Somerset Life.

Heartily recommended for fans of Midsomer Murders, Miss Marple and Poirot, A Harvest Murder arrives at the best time of year and should allow you a pleasant read as the workers gather the crops around you.

I am not a big fan of Cosy mysteries. They are mostly sedate with not much of a thrill. But A Harvest Murder is different from the other cosy mystery I have read till now.

The story has a precise premise and the story comes full circle from start to finish. It also never deviates from the pattern it sets itself at the onset of the story. There are a couple of mysteries which take place in the village and the sleuthing ametuer group reconvene to find out what really happened.

They also manage to do that without being insensible and/ or acting out of their purview of limitations. I love the history shared by the main characters and liked knowing where they are in their personal lives now. Evesham is an author whom I definitely won't mind reading more of.

What a cute cozy mystery. If you enjoy cozy mysteries, I think you will enjoy this one. It is interesting but a little slow at times. The mystery was well plotted and the characters enjoyable. Well done.

Fun cosy crime read, with a touch of romance.

This is the 3rd in the series - I’ve read the 1st and although this is written like a standalone novel, I think if I’d read both previous books I would have enjoyed this more - feel like I may have missed some background from the previous story in the series.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my review.

When curmudgeon farmer Joe Trevillion disappears, returns and suddenly dies, ex-detective Adam Hennessy and his pals search for answers. While Adam, Steph, Imogene and Dan search for clues in Joe's death, odd incidents begin happening to Dan. A fire in his studio, splashed paint on his exhibited paintings and other disturbing things happen, Adam worries about his friend and who could be behind these threats. I've enjoyed other books by Frances Evesham, but have not read this series before. Very enjoyable and look forward to others in the series.

I enjoyed book three in the Ham Hill Mystery series. I read the first one but not the second but will do so. This is a short quick read, not complicated. Lower Hembrow reminds me of the village of Ambridge on The Archers but with murders added in. The only thing that bugged me a bit was Dan’s guilt trip, it was a bit much, especially for no real reason.
I have also read a book in the author’s other series which is very similar. This was an easy read and I liked it.

A Harvest Murder is one of those books that the minute you begin reading you just know you’re in for a great read. I really enjoy a well written cosy mystery, you really get involved with the relationships. This little band of sleuthing villagers are just wonderful people. There’s Friendship, love, not love, a bit of jealously and a bit of superb country life thrown in. It has it all and the perfect murder included, what could go wrong? Well seemingly quite a lot.

This is an utterly engrossing read with plenty of mystery and strange goings on. A village full of people who know everything about everyone until there’s death and strange disappearances. Then no one has a clue yet they all have an opinion. Adam and his friends need to get to the bottom of everything, if only to stop the rumour mill spinning out of control. What they unearth is quite something, but oh no I’m not falling into that trap of telling you what. This is where you get a copy and do some digging for yourself.

Frances Evesham is great at evoking a sense of place and the people with it that place. Everything is written with a gentle quality that draws you right in. This book is a case of not only wanting to find out why a death occurred but also about the fabulous characters within this beautiful Somerset countryside. I loved it. Every single brilliantly written page. Epic!

A Harvest Murder is the third of the Ham Hill mysteries. It can be read as a stand-alone, but I think, like most series, you get a fuller feel for the characters if you read them in order.

We have two mysteries here. The first is the missing farmer. It’s no surprise he ends up dead – the title is A Harvest Murder – but who killed him is unclear. The second mystery is who is harassing Dan, the local artist. First, one of his donkeys is kidnapped and brought back, then one of his paintings in a gallery is destroyed.

Our sleuths are Imogen, who owns the local hotel, and former detective, Adam, who owns a local bar. A lot of the scenes take place in those locations, where people gather and talk and air their suspicions. The mysteries are well done, with several clues and enough suspects to keep you guessing. The townsfolk are a typically mixed bunch of nosy do-gooders, gossipers, and those trying to keep their secrets out of the public eye, which is almost impossible in a small town.

The one thing that both annoys and charms me is our sleuths’ love lives. Imogen is dating Dan. Adam is dating the fourth member of their team, Steph. It’s a little too sweet, too perfect. And of course, they’re all four nice and smart and work well together. On the other hand, the ending made me smile, so what do I know.

A Harvest Murder is a typical British cozy mystery. It’s a very seasonal mystery, one to read in the fall, with its Cider Festival and Guy Fawkes night.

5 Word Review: Community, secrets, family, mystery, belonging.
Grab yourself a nice hot drink and settle down for a cosy mystery that's all about community spirit. I kind of wish I'd read this in autumn, as the setting is perfect for getting you ready for fall. It may be midsummer but I am ready for cold rain and falling leaves.

I'm pretty sure this is apart of a series, but I don't feel that I've lost out by reading A Harvest Murder by as a standalone. The characters were fleshed out with history and their own stories and dramas. I feel like Adam was the main character, but his narrative time is shared with his friends so much that's it's more an ensemble. And I loved it, I loved the variety of perspectives we saw.

I loved all of the small dramas that thread through the story, the messiness of personal relationships, friendships and family life. So much is happening that you can't help but keep reading - you need to know how it's all going to end.

I loved the setting, the way that the village itself was almost a character, and particularly the hotel. I loved how much care the proprietor Imogen put into the place and its grounds, how generous she was with her time. The setting is so idyllic, and I want to go and have a pint in The Plough.

This is perfect for fans of Midsomer Murders who are looking to get their teeth into a new mystery, and it is very very British. And I will definitely be reading more by Frances Evesham.

I'm always happy to travel to Ham Hill and catch up with Adam, Imogen, Steph, and Dan. This is one of my favorite series and I always throughly enjoy this stories.
This is one is a bit darker and complex than usual as past and present mixes and some changes in the autum air bring the series to a new stage.
I had a lot of fun, read it in one sitting, and the solid mystery kept me guessing.
I wish I was in Somerset in autumn as the weather would surely be nicer. The lovely setting, the quirky inhabitants, and the well developed plot are compelling and entertaining.
It was a good read, and I enjoyed it. I can't wait to read the next novel in this series and I'm sure there will be a lot of exciting news.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to Boldwood Books, Rachel's Random Resources, and Netgalley for this arc, all opinions are mien

You don’t need to have read either of the two previous Ham Hill Murder Mysteries to enjoy A Harvest Murder but, having read and enjoyed A Racing Murder last year, I was thrilled to pop back to Lower Hembrow to see what was going on with Imogen, Adam and the crew.

Sadly, all is not well. One of the couples who seemed to be growing closer previously is fraying around the edges and one of the local farmers is having trouble in his business and his marriage. Then there is a disappearance, and Imogen and Adam’s detective instincts are on high alert again to get to the bottom of what is going on. As is typically the case in small villages, rumours and gossip abounds, feuds and rivalries raise their heads and it takes some digging to get to the truth. And there are donkeys. Sounds like a great read, doesn’t it?

Well, it is and I was not at all disappointed by my second foray into the world of this small Somerset village and all the deadly goings on. I love a cosy murder mystery and this author has managed again to incorporate all the elements that make these types of story so appealing. Great setting that you might want to move to if it were a real place (and people didn’t keep getting murdered in the vicinity!); fantastic characters in whose lives you are really invested and who have fully rounded experiences; twisty, turny plot that you are eager to unravel; great pacing that keeps you glued to the page; flowing writing that is easy to read.

After reading two book I can safely say I have become a huge fan of this series and I am eager for the next one to come out. A fast, fun read that was a welcome change from my recent diet of romcoms and something I can highly recommend. Will appeal to fans of Midsomer Murders and Miss Marple.