Okay, so… I’ve already enjoyed a few of Leigh’s novels about women of a certain age, that touch on friendship, life-long relationships, and loss, that take place in some of my favorite areas of the UK. So, when I heard she had a cozy mystery with an amateur female sleuth, who is yet again, a woman of a certain age, I knew I had to read it. Now, my regular readers know that I don’t usually go in for today’s cozy mystery series, but one with a woman my age (well, a few years younger, but just a few) was certainly a draw. I also don’t enter lightly into reading a series, and I’ve given up on several (most, actually) in the past few years. But you know, you need to give them a chance, at least for the first book.

The good news is, the Morwenna Mutton Mysteries is a series of which I’m very much looking forward to reading more. Why this and not some of the others? Well, as already mentioned, our protagonist is someone with whom I can easily identify. Second, Leigh sets up the basic premise very intelligently, where we have no reason to disbelieve why Morwenna wants to find the killer, or why she becomes endangered herself. Then there’s Cornwall… what a beautiful place in England to put a bunch of cozy mysteries! I’ve only been there once, many years ago, but I recall it very fondly, and if I ever had the chance to live in the UK, I’d probably have Cornwall at the top of my list of locations. There’s also the small-town aspect in this novel, which I also find very charming. There’s even a touch of romance in this book, but nothing that gets physical, but still leaves possibilities for future books. Finally, one of the things that Morwenna does is work at a library, and that just ticks the final box for me.

Now, since this is Leigh’s first cozy mystery, I think we can somewhat forgive her for a few gaffs that slightly spoil the final reveal here. One of them I found was that Leigh left a few too many breadcrumbs that led me too easily to the murderer. This isn’t to say that Leigh didn’t try to make these seem like red herrings, but I’m afraid I saw through those deceptions a bit too easily. Leigh did try to make a couple other people into reasonable suspects, but the suspicions against them were dispensed with a touch too quickly for my taste. I really prefer a mystery that has enough twists to put the spotlight on some of the other possible perpetrators a bit more brightly. (Suggestion: Watch a few episodes of the ITV TV series Vera to see just how many red herrings and twists are in those scripts! Inspirational.)

That said, I must praise Leigh for some of the action/danger scenes which were deftly written, and definitely had me on the edge of my seat a couple of times. There’s no questioning that this book is a truly enjoyable read, and an excellent introduction to Morwenna as a brand new, and loveable amateur sleuth. I’m sure that Leigh is still learning the genre, and that her subsequent books will be even more suspenseful, more twisty, and more difficult to figure out the answer, thereby putting my powers of deduction much more to the test. That’s why I’m warmly recommending this book, and giving it a very encouraging four out of five stars, and expecting good things to come!

librarian, baker, Cornwall, small-business, small-town, family-history, family, family-dynamics, multigenerational, murder-investigation, local-gossip, local-law-enforcement, amateur-sleuth, situational-humor, verbal-humor, cozy-mystery, tea-shop, greed, new-series, first-in-series, ghostie*****

What a lovely fun read! I love the way Morwenna simply does her own thing in her own way from attire to transportation to opinions and sleuthing. And don't forget her eighty-something mother who simply must swim regardless of the weather. There's even a ghostie in the tea room. Of course there's a murder and the guy is a right villain having many suspects to the deed. Every one of the characters certainly is.
Laughed my sox off!
I requested and received an EARC from Boldwood Books via NetGalley. Many thanks!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.

After a local businessman was found murdered on the beach In Seal Bay, Morwenna Mutton unhappy with the way the local police were investigating, took it upon herself to start her own enquiries. Does this help or hinder?

I enjoyed meeting the characters in Seal Bay and look forward to their next adventure.

A great fun read from cover to cover.

Foul Play at Seal Bay is an intriguing cosy crime set in Cornwall, featuring our main character, Morwenna, who finds herself and her family embroiled in the murder investigation into who killed a local businessman.

Morwenna is a wild swimmer, never happier than when the bitingly-cold sea works to clear her mind, which she uses to good effect to help her solve the mystery, She's a fun character - with a rich and varied life and not at all what we might expect from our sexagenarian sleuth,

The small-town atmosphere is well evoked, and I really enjoyed the mystery. I look forward to reading more in this series.

Morwenna’s First Case..
Morwenna Mutton’s first case arrives in appropriate style in this first in series. When Morwenna finds a dead body on the beach, in her idyllic Cornish village of Seal Bay, she is under no illusion that the local DI will be able to solve the case. Nope, it will surely fall to Morwenna to crack this one. A delightful cosy mystery with an entertaining and frothy plot, populated with an eclectic and eccentric cast in a nigh on perfect setting. An uplifting and delightful start to a new series.

Loved the originality of this book. I found the story to be engaging and enjoyable. This book will stay with the reader long after they have finished the last page.

This is a fast paced, funny, cozy mystery with lively and unique characters and a beautiful setting. The killer was a bit more obvious than is usual in a cozy mystery, but the motive was a bit more of a mystery for me. Truly enjoyed from cover to cover.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

If I have to sum up this book in a sentence, I will say: What a proper ansom novel, my bewty.

I loved, loved, LOVED every bit of this fantabulous, gorgeous (setting and characters), enjoyable, captivating, and entertaining cozy series debut by Judy Leigh.

From Morwenna's colorful leggings to the murder mystery to the list of suspects to red herrings to mind-blowing twist in the second half to the eclectic mix of characters with a dash of gorgeous setting, Foul Play at Seal Bay by Judy Leigh is a smashing series debut.

The mystery behind the murder kept me guessing till the end. A twist in the second half of the story blew my mind. I was like... whaaa????? NO!!!!!

What are you waiting for, my bewty. Go on, chop chop. Read this proper ansum cozy series debut by Judy Leigh today!

I fell in love with the wonderfully named Morwenna Mutton from the opening lines of this book, as she cycled in her funky clothes to her part-time job at the library, musing that people in the village will be talking about how she does not act/ dress/behave the way a 61-year-old woman should do at her time of life. She laughs and doesn't care. She is also passionate about wild swimming in Seal Bay and co-owns a tea room with her mother and her daughter. Her daughter, Tamsin, is a single mum who is engaged to a newcomer to the village. The rich businessman in town has been putting pressure on the three woman to sell the tea room so he can turn it into a pizza joint for his son. They are resisting his pressure. They have an an engagement party on the beach, but things quickly take a dark turn when the businessman is found with one of the bread knives from the tea room sticking out of his back. Unsurprisingly, the local policeman is not up to the task--no one seems to have any respect for the guy--so Morwenna steps up to investigate, with the help of her friends and family.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was funny at times and the characters are delightful. I was interested in them and their lives. I did know who the culprit was at the halfway point or a little after, so it turned into a 'whydunnit' instead of a 'whodunnit' but it was no less enjoyable for all that. This is the first book in a new cozy series and I am looking forward to the next one. I will definitely continue reading about Morwenna Mutton and the rest of the villagers in Seal Bay.

This cosy murder mystery is a fun, action packed light read. I loved the strong female characters and it has almost persuaded me to go swimming in the sea at any time of the year! The beach descriptions are beautiful . I thought the Cornish setting was a bit heavy handed - I’m sure people in Cornwall have a more diverse vocabulary than ‘dreckly’, ‘emmet’ and ‘bewty’.

Morwenna is in her sixties. She loves wild swimming, bright clothes, and her family. She works at the local library and helps at her daughter, Tamsin's, tea shop. The shop has been in the family for thirty years having been started by Morwenna's mother. Business is slow and there are concerns about how long Tamsin can keep it going. When Alex, an aggressive business man who plans a pizza parlor for the shop, makes an offer, Tamsin is tempted to sell since she's soon to be married. The history of the three women and Tamsin's small daughter make the decision difficult. When the Alex is murdered at Tamsin's engagement party with a bread knife from the tea shop Morwenna steps in to prove that none of her family is involved. She'll do whatever it takes to protect her family when danger strikes close to home.
The characters are well-drawn but the guilty party is pretty obvious from the start.
Thanks to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for the advanced reader's copy.

The protagonist is likeable and her larger-than-life character is a key element to the storyline. It's also evident that this is a small, close-knit community who are not used to having to deal with a murderer amongst them I struggled around 2/3 of the way through the book. I'd worked out who the culprit was and the story kind of took a turn that I didn't relate to. I'm sure that many others will return for the next one and the community of this little Cornish village.

Just a note that can't see the connection to Miss Marple as she is a much gentler sleuth, so perhaps a little misleading as a reference.

It was 2.5 out of 5 on the enjoyment scale.

With thanks to Netgalley, Boldwood Books and the author for my advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review

What an awesome start to a new series! Morwenna Mutton, a sexagenarian librarian and a swimming enthusiast, is the best person to solve what happened to a business man who was found with a bread knife sticking in his back on the beach. With lots of suspects, little clues and ineptness on the police force, Morwenna feels a calling to help. The story moves along at a great pace. The reader gets hooked and enjoys the ride! Thanks for this delight! I want more! Thanks #Netgalley and #Boldwoodbooks for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine.

Foul Play at Seal Bay is a cozy mystery set in Cornwall, with a amateur slueth, a 61 year old woman who swims in the frigid sea for fun. I did not love this book. I had figured out the bad guy about halfway through, and I felt the setting (Cornwall) could have been more subtly crafted. I felt the Cornish aspects were a bit cliche (certain words that required a glossary and that everyone ate pasties all the time). I liked the protagonist. Her stage in life seemed to be drawn realistically, and her loyalty to family rang true. I would recommend this to people who love cozy mysteries.

What a wonderful start in this brand-new series, which is set in a small Cornish village. Sexagenarian Morwena Mutton is a part time librarian who also helps out at her family teashop, that her daughter runs. A local businessman is persistent with offers to buy the teashop and is not happy when they turn him down. When he turns up dead at her daughters engagement party, Morwena uses her sharp mind to ferret out the killer.
This is a light hearted cozy with a very likeable main character in Morwenna. Her elderly mother is a real firecracker too. This was a page turner that had me from page one. I can't wait to read the next book in this series.

A cozy whodunnit set in a colorful, small town where everyone knows one another and some even are 'wild' swimmers. The Mutton women are not to be underestimated and even made me laugh out loud.

However, there were some stereotypes: the artist being overly emotional and drinking whiskey at eleven in the morning, the knitting sisters prone to gossip. Even though it wasn't malicious, it still wasn't in tune with the rest of the description of characters...

And then I can't help but think it was a bit flat regarding diversity when it comes to skin color, sexual orientation, religion, history, cultural background, and chronics, but I could add that to a lot of reviews on books I've read recently...

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book.

Foul Play at Seal Bay by Judy Leigh

It was meant to be the start of quiet season in the sleepy Cornish village of Seal Bay, but not for sexagenarian librarian and wild swimming enthusiast Morwenna Mutton. Because when a local businessman is found on the beach with a bread knife is his back, bungling police officer DI Rick Tremayne is soon out of his depth. Morwenna knows it’s going to be down to her to crack the case.

I love that Judy Leighs characters in all her books are slightly unconventional older ( mostly library loving ) woman , throw in beautiful settings for the book and your into a winner title for me.
Nothing grisly in this book and I enjoyed how Morwenna, with a little help cracked the case.
Loved it.

A new genre for Leigh, this is a funny mystery. I knew who did it pretty quickly but that didn't detract from following the sleuthing of 60yr old Morwenna in the small Cornish town of Seal Bay as she attempts to find a killer. Fun characters and an enjoyable read.

#FoulPlayatSealBay #NetGalley is the first book I've read by this author.
Morwenna Mutton is a delightful character, her quirky personality made her very likable. Morwenna lives in the Cornish village of Seal Bay, working at the local library as well as her daughter's tea shop.
A wealthy resident is determined to buy the shop, but it's owned by Morwenna, her daughter Tam, and Morwenna's mother. No one wants to sell but the buyer becomes insistent and when Morwenna finds his body on the beach at her daughter's engagement party, the trio of women are put at the top of the suspect list.

I really liked this story, Morwenna is a great character, I could picture her riding her bike around town, in her zany outfits, having a wild time.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of the book.

This was a great cosy read with a lot of Cornish warmth and a good main character in Morwenna and an interesting family dynamic. Morwenna found herself at the centre of a murder investigation when she stumbles upon a local character who has been stabbed. Along with a great mix of local characters Morwenna does her best to try to work out who the culprit was especially as few people have little faith in the local police officer. This was a very relaxing read, for me it was very obvious who the culprit was as the clues are definitely there but it was enjoyable none the less.