"Daphne Brewster has left London behind and is settling into her family’s new life in rural Norfolk, planting broad beans in raised beds and vintage hunting for their farmhouse."
This book was a real refreshing take on the 'cosy mystery' genre because when the village headmaster is murdered and Daphne's new friend Minnerva is accused Daphne does her best to find out what really happened before village gossip persuades the police to arrest an innocent woman.

The author, a black woman who left the rat race of the city for a quieter life in the Norfolk countryside surrounding herself in ‘cottage core’ aesthetic writes about a black female protagonist who leaves the rat race of the city for a quieter life in the Norfolk countryside recycling furniture in shabby chic style.
Self indulgent, egotistical or just plain lazy?
I did not like this book at all but I need to quantify that statement so, both the writing and narration scream ‘BBC English’ which is neither relatable nor easily flowing. I did wonder if this were set in the 1940’s but modern day references kept popping up - indeed the author does mention the actual year at one point, so that excuse went out of the window. The many references to Boden (are they on commission?) when describing a character’s appearance were jarring. As for the audio, too many mispronunciations to count which were highly irritating - a female pig is sow as in cow not as in sew. Back to the writing, the ‘white’ characters are insulting caricatures of the ‘English White Middle Class’, the text slow, over flowery and in the whole unnecessary in its descriptions which left me screaming ‘get to the point!’ And on that issue, I want a book to pull me in from the first chapter, especially a murder mystery book, which should rely on intrigue rather than references to Pashley bicycles (is the author after a free one?). The murder in this book is painfully slow in arriving then even more painfully slow in its unveiling, described at great pains from all angles. The plot is simple with no true red herrings and a reader of cosy crime will spot that the doctor is a wrong ‘un from the offset. Had this not been an advanced reader copy which required a review, I would have given up about 5 minutes in. In a word - Dreadful.

Thank you Netgalley and Dialogue Books for this arc.
I enjoyed reading this book and I liked the writing style. The chapters 'meeting the villagers' and 'locations in the story' were very helpfull. I liked the characters and their development. I saw that this is the first book in the series so I'm really excited to read the next books that are coming. If you like cosy crime/murder mystery books, I really recommend this one!

A ‘cosy’ whodunnit mystery. Somewhat reminiscent of Richard Osman’s style of writing. However, I predicted the murderer from the start as well as the method. Despite this, there were still a lot of twists and turns in the story that were great.

Daphne left Lon don to give her family a better life. Then the local headmaster is killed in his potting shed. Her friend Minerva is accused of the murder Daphne decides to prove her innocent. She then finds that a lot of the villagers all have secrets

I thoroughly enjoyed this well written book and engaging story. The main characters are quickly introduced and I particularly liked the list of village characters and places right at the start which helped set the scene including identifying the murder victim.

I was drawn into the story from the first page. Daphne is a strong character and her relationships with other villagers are nicely developed. There are many suspects and each have their own backstory. There is a nice balance of humour with interesting plot twists.

A very enjoyable read and I hope that further books will follow.

Allotment gardening is a genteel, calming activity. And a cosy, homely shed is a welcome retreat. Until someone murders you in it! When the body of the local primary school Headmaster, Charles Papplewick, is found in just such a shed, in just such an allotment, it causes consternation, but for along time it is not clear why he has died, and natural causes is high on the list. For Daphne Brewster, however it is decidedly unnatural. Daphne and her husband and children have moved from South London to rural Norfolk to escape, at least in her case, from noisy, dirty dangerous South London, in which she has been trapped in the rat race. As an escaped Londoner, Daphne would be a “stranger” (local argot) anyway, but perhaps a bit more so given her Grenadian heritage and mixed-race family. However, the family settle in very quickly, kids at the school, local friends like Ptolemy (the old doctor living next door), Minerva (one of the “witches” from the woods), Marianne (Sloaney with ideas above her station), the Warburton sisters (gossip central) and Augusta (unsatisfied wife of the aforementioned Headmaster.) But settling in involves finding things out about other people and Daphne is intensely inquisitive. Not surprisingly, she starts to put her observations and intuitions together as she ponders how to solve the murder. Of course, such activities can lead her into the peril of being the next victim.
This is a cosy crime story, set, as it is, in an idyllic rural (and silvan) nook, a tiny village next to a small town. The plot and overall structure are not particularly complex and the twists, of which there are a few, are not hugely surprising. The characters are all easily identifiable, although there is a Dramatis Personae at the beginning, but a bit stereotypical. Grace is the exception, in that she is not drawn as typically West Indian, nor as a typical city dweller dropped into a bucolic backwater. However, she does perform as a typical amateur sleuth. The writing style is rather twee, quaint, mannered, not to my taste but I’m sure there are people who love it. It is also very repetitive, with lots of unnecessary memory prompts to keep the reader on track. Overall, it is quite an enjoyable and undemanding read. I think 3.5 is about right, which will round to 4.
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review.

Easy going cosy crime mystery. A multitude of characters are embroiled in murder in an English village.

After a move from the bustle of London to the quiet of Norfolk, Daphne is shocked to find her idyllic new existence disturbed by a local murder. This book is a quaint, cozy murder mystery but I felt like it was a bit too formulaic. Nothing was a genuine surprise, so I didn't enjoy it as much as I wanted to. A cute read though!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

A very English murder mystery!

Daphne Brewster and her family have had enough of life in London - it's so expensive for one thing, and they feel very much as if they're part of the rat race. So they move to the village of Pudding Corner, to a slower pace of life with a decent local school and neighbours who talk to you. Then the local headmaster is found dead on his allotment and local gossip is on fire. What is going on? When Daphne's new friend is accused of being the guilty party, she finds herself getting drawn into finding out who the perpetrator is . . .

I really enjoyed this one, it was refreshing to read a book with different races where it wasn't the main focus of the book. Daphne Brewster was a delightful character and I really hope this develops into a series. It's an enigmatic read with several very plausible red herrings and I decided, many times over, 'whodunnit' only to find myself thwarted at every turn. Never would I have suspected the real culprit! An excellent read and one I'm happy to recommend to all readers of good cosy mystery fiction. 4.5*.

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley; this is - as always - my honest, original and unbiased review.

Daphne and her family have left London behind and moved to rural Norfolk. Their new home is a a historic farmhouse in a seemingly idyllic village that even has a name to match - Pudding Corner. But when the primary school's headteacher is found dead, Daphne realises that all may not be quite what it seems. And she gets even more involved when one of her new friends is implicated in the death. Mr Papplewick was on the verge of retirement after a career spent in the village - could it be that some one from his past wanted him dead, or is it one of the other parents at the school?

I really enjoyed the setting and the characters, but I will admit that I had the murderer pegged pretty early on, but then I read a lot of murder mysteries and this is a debut so I forgive it that, especially as it feels like they’re setting up for a series. So as I liked the premise so much, I will definitely comeback for more if more is offered to me. This is written by Paula Sutton, aka Instagram‘s Hill House Vintage and as well as the murder mystery this also has dollops of her vintage style included in the novel. This has blurb comparisons to Richard Osman and Richard Coles and I think that’s pretty fair, but also some of the American cozies themed around hobbies and handicrafts.

A cosy murder mystery ! I love when a book tells the story from multiple POV's which this book does, it really had be gripped from the very first page!

Daphne moves her family from London to rural Norfolk for the quiet life. Things are not what they seem when the local headmaster is murdered and a series of secrets unfold. The depiction of the rural village, charmingly named Pudding Corner had a vintage type feel I would have expected given Paula Sutton’s, Hill House Vintage instagram page. Of course the village itself had many of the stock characters you would expect from a Miss Marple type novel, shopkeepers, wives, doctors and a bumbling police force. Good connections to the history of the area were introduced.
Daphne, our main character’s first impressions of meeting the inhabitants of the village and trying to settle into her new life and suss out the characters felt realistic with all the snobbery and superficiality going on. Although many of the characters such as Augusta become more complex as the story develops. Daphne has the makings of an excellent sleuth, interviewing suspects, gathering some clues. Some of the secrets were quite juicy and well thought out.
However, I felt the story got a bit lost in parts with pages of being told information and what the character was thinking. The novel could have benefited from more dialogue, direct action and direct thoughts of the character on the page. The latter was where the novel worked best for me. I’d have been happy to have the whole novel from Daphne’s third person view point as I would have liked to know more about her past life and personality. The head hopping at times was a little sprung upon the reader. So glad I read to the end for the twist though. Yes, it was a trope but it rounded the whole book off nicely. 3.5+stars

a familiar concept, escaping busy, hectic London for the slower paced, tranquil surroundings of village life, but murder is just around the corner...

The story is told from multiple character's POV, which I really enjoy, and think it must be such a skill for writers to write in different tones and styles.

I really enjoyed this, being introduced to such a large cast of characters felt like setting up for a series, which I really hope happens.

A great cosy mystery that stands up well in the genre.

The Potting Shed Murder by Paula Sutton is a thoroughly genre-busting cosy mystery and I am absolutely here for it. I adore cozy mysteries, they are perfect for a Sunday afternoon with a cuppa, but Paula Sutton has created her own space in the genre with a new type of sleuth

I have said previously that my favourite Cozy Mysteries are based in the annuls of history, the Regency and Victorian eras and early 1900s and that I was open to exploring more contemporary titles and I am so glad I have as there is a wonderful new wave of Cozy's of different, unique styles and this is one of them

Daphne Brewster is our FMC and she decides to leave London behind to move to a slower pace of life in Norfolk. However, Daphne's new friend Minnerva is accused of murdering the local school's headmaster and leaving him in his potting shed so what is an amateur sleuth to do? Get on the case! But, instead of snooping and investigating, Daphne immerses herself in the community, learning, watching and listening

I really enjoyed this cozy as the writing style flows beautifully and each character has an interesting story, coming together in a highly descriptive, highly immersive cozy. Paula Sutton is going right on to my Cozy authors to watch list and I am looking forward to the next in the series

Thank you to Netgalley, Dialogue Books | Renegade Books and the author Paula Sutton for this wonderful ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

A bit of a mess really, nor the murder, I am afraid, but rather, this country murder mystery tale.
Paula Sutton's novel is attempting to be a cosy murder mystery set in rural Norfolk, but with the added twist of involving an incomer family from London, with a feisty young Black woman, Daphne as it's amateur sleuth.
Several plot devises are extremely unlikely, and, by page 251 of 350 pages it was very obvious who the murderer was.
Sadly, I will not be reading any more of what it is obviously hoped will be a "Daphne Investigates" series

I was sent an advance proof copy of The Potting Shed Murder by Paula Sutton to read and review by NetGalley. This is quite a nice little foray into the lives of the community in a sleepy Norfolk village. There wasn’t anything that particularly grabbed me about this novel, the characters were quite well drawn, if a little stereotypical, and the descriptions of the surroundings and the buildings were positively idyllic. I did feel that there was rather too much emphasis at times on protagonist Daphne coming from South London – we had been told this at the beginning and I didn’t feel I needed to be reminded quite so often. There were a few twists and turns, one of the main ones I did happen to guess fairly early on, which was a shame, but all in all if you want a pleasant easy read then why not give it a go!

Still Waters..
The very first outing in the Hill House Vintage Murder Mystery series, set in the village of Pudding Corner, finds Daphne Brewster adjusting and settling into rural life. The last thing that she, or anyone else, expects is murder most foul - although still waters run deep and nothing is ever quite as idyllic as the surface depicts. An enjoyable and entertaining cosy mystery with a frothy plot populated by an eccentric and eclectic cast of characters and with a well imagined backdrop. An engaging start to a new series,

Daphne comes too close for comfort to a serious crime and decides to move her family from London to Norfolk in search of a quieter life.
In true Midsomer Murders/Agathie Christie style, the local headmaster's body is discovered in his potting shed, surrounded by his prize cabbages.
The Potting Shed Murder is a good read with some interesting characters.

The Potting Shed Murder is a modern take on the murder in the small village trope. Pudding Corner is a scenic village in Norfolk, populated with eccentric characters forming a close-knit community. Everyone has their secrets. Eventually, one of these secrets will lead to murder.
This book was a cosy murder mystery sub-genre. The plot was a little predictable, but this didn't stop the enjoyment of the book. I thank the publishers and NetGalley for sending me a copy of this book to review.