Realistic story telling. I feel like it really starts to get chilling once a body is found - the pace picks up and is hard to put down.

The setting is what hooked me from the beginning; the story kept me hooked until the end. Thank you for letting me read it!

I received an early copy of this book from NetGalley.
From the very first page, I was hooked and couldn't figure out who was behind the mysterious fires. The twists and turns kept me guessing, and the pacing was so well done—it's a real page-turner!
Judi Daykin's writing is excellent, making the characters feel incredibly realistic, and the context is vividly portrayed. If you're looking for a fast-paced thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat, this book is well worth your time!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Joffe Books for this opportunity. If you enjoy gripping mysteries with plenty of surprises, add " The Wild Thyme Farm Murder" to your reading list!

This was such a fun book! I was hooked from the beginning and had no idea who was behind the fires. All the little twists and turns were so good. I hadn't read any of the other books in this series but now I feel like I need to just so I have more to read from this author. Also, the ending had me itching for another book.

All the different characters we followed and how their stories came together worked out so well. It's been awhile since a thriller had me turning the pages to see what happened next. Most are so predictable, but this was a breath of fresh air in this genre.

I have been a fan of Judi and her work for a while now. Although I haven't quite caught up with everything that she has written, I hope to before too much longer. When I heard that Judi was due to release another book in the bestselling Detective Sergeant Sara Hirst series, I knew that I had to grab a copy at the earliest opportunity. Well ladies and gents, the wait is over because the sixth book in the Detective Sergeant Sara Hirst series is called 'The Wild Thyme Farm Murder' and it was released on 4th April 2024. I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'The Wild Thyme Farm Murder' but more about that in a bit.

I must be honest and say that it took me a little while to get into 'The Wild Thyme Murder'. Part of the problem was the fact that I was tired when I started to read and I was finding it hard to concentrate. However once I got into the story that was it and I was away as the say goes. It didn't take me long to feel as though I had reunited with an old friend in Sara Hirst and her team. I developed my own theories as to what was going to happen so of course I had to keep reading to see if I was on the right track or if I had wandered off in the opposite direction. My Kindle wasn't exactly glued to my hand but it might as well have been because it travelled everywhere with me. I couldn't bear to miss a single second of the story. I was so wrapped up in the story that I lost all track of time and just how quickly I was getting through the book. All too quickly I reached the end of 'The Wild Thyme Murder' and I had to say goodbye to Sara and her team. I found 'The Wild Thyme Farm Murder' to be a gripping and tense story, which certainly kept me guessing and kept me on the edge of my seat.

'The Wild Thyme Farm Murder' is extremely well written but then I have come to expect nothing less from Judi Daykin. Judi certainly knows how to grab the reader's attention and draw them into what proves to be one hell of a story and then some. Judi clearly cares about her characters and this shines through in the very vivid and realistic way in which she describes them. She makes her characters seem just as real as you and I. In fact I believed in the characters so much that I felt like an extra member of Hirst's team. For me, this story hit the ground running and maintained a steady pace throughout. Reading 'The Wild Thyme Farm Murder' felt like being on an unpredictable rollercoaster ride with several twists and turns along the way. I love the way in which the author makes the reader feel as though they are part of the story.

In short, I really enjoyed reading 'The Wild Thyme Farm Murder' and I would recommend it to other readers. I hope to read much more of Judi's work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Feek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

Set in the middle of a searing heatwave, DS Sara Hirst and her colleagues, DCI Hayley Hudson, DI Edwards, DC Mike Bowen and DC Ian Noble and motherly admin Aggie, at the Serious Crimes Unit in Norfolk haven’t had a major case for a while. In the meantime they are studying the spate of wildfires that have occurred in the area. Whilst some are natural and some caused by human carelessness, some are definitely deliberate and appear to have been targeted on one farm in particular, Belaugh Manor Farm, spreading to two nearby businesses, the fruit farming glasshouses of Howards UK and the family run Wild Thyme Herb Farm. There’s very little by way of clues except two reports of a moped leaving the scene and tensions in two of the families who work the farms. Then an old pub being converted into social housing goes up in flames and another moped is heard. The following night a fire destroys a barn at the herb farm, this time claiming a life. Whilst the detectives wait to establish the victim’s identity, they focus on a likely looking suspect with a good motive but are they on the right track to catch the arsonist before everything goes up in flames?
This is an engrossing and exciting read from start to finish, dealing with feuding dysfunctional families and a firestarter in addition to the murder investigation, and the reader can positively feel the heat beating down from a relentless sun. It was lovely to see Aggie and Mike now married and Sara happily making a home for herself in Happisburgh in her father’s old cottage although having her doubts about her relationship with Dante and the prospect of taking her inspector’s exams and probably having to leave the area she has come to love. Well written, it features a clever and twisty plot with plenty of red herrings to keep the reader guessing who the culprit was. The whole team of detectives are very likable, my favourites throughout this great series being Aggie and Mike, and I hope to be reading more about them soon. 5*

Good to see Sara and team hard at work investigating a series of fires in the scorching hot Norfolk summer. Some accidental, some clearly not. All heats up when a body is found amidst the debris of one such fire. Family feuds and history abound. Well written, the characters are realistic, context feels real and hot. Another good read from the author. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy.

Yet another winner from @joffebooks, I can highly recommend #thewildthymefarmmurders by @judidaykinauthor. This was my first DS Sara Hirst read, definitely adding the series to my ever-growing list. I enjoyed the multiple POVs, both in terms of the police and the farmers (for lack of a better term). I appreciate delving into everyone's backstory (including the detectives) so we understand what got them to the point in the story; yet you're not lost if you haven't read 1 -5. A few twists and turns make for an excellent read.

P.S. Thanks to #netgalley and @joffebooks for the ARC.

The DS Sara Hirst books started me reading my way round Britain with various detectives and their authors, and it's been great to catch up again with Sara and team. Although I had several ideas of who and how might be the cause of the fires they're investigating, constant little plot turns and wrinkles kept me guessing until very near the end - always a good sign of excellent mystery writing. Added to the detailed procedural information woven in and often driving (rather than dragging) the story progress, a great sense of locale and scenery, not to mention the realistic characters and behaviours, this has been an enjoyable and satisfying Sunday read. Thanks to Joffe books for the advanced copy via Netgalley.

Another addition to the Detective Sara Hirst series by Judi Daykin. The books do work as stand alone but I am sure you will want to read the whole series to learn about the characters. I love this series and this book is a brilliant read.

Sara and her team are investigating a series of fires in the area. It is the hottest summer on record and wildfires are a big risk but these fires are arson and risk spreading out of control. So Sara and her team are working hard to find the culprit. Then everything changes. A big fire at Wild Thyme Farm takes all the local resources to put out and when the fire investigators can get inside the building they find a body. So badly burned identification is going to be difficult. Now they are investigating murder as well as arson.

The characters continue to develop and I like how their personal lives are seamlessly made part of the story. I love how the team is built of totally different personalities that all bring something to the story.

A very enjoyable read that has a lot going on all the way through. Dysfunctional families play a large part in this book for different reasons and makes the whole story interesting. Loads of suspense and intrigue as the investigation progresses and Sara realises that there is a tangled web of lies and revenge that needs to be untangled to access the truth.

A brilliant read that I recommend to anyone who likes crime fiction.

A good mystery, solid and gripping. There's enought twists and surprises to keep you reading and the characters are well rounded
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

DS Sara Hirst wasn't the only one feeling the heat. The summer was relentless with its ability to make everyone sluggish. To top it off, there were fires starting during the night, with the fire brigade rushing to each one - a barn, a shed, a thatched roof building - and the police invariably following as they proved to be deliberate. But it was when the barn burnt down during one hot night at Thyme Farm that the seriousness of the situation heightened. The body was so badly damaged it took some time to identify it.

Jean, her daughter Faye and Faye's husband Darren, ran Thyme Farm, selling herbs among other things to the willing public. The two women in the cafe kept the cool drinks - and the cups of tea - up to the visitors, while Jean kept her medical condition to herself. But things were looking dire. And at the building site where young Kyle worked as an apprentice, under the calming eye of Eric, the fire stopped their work in its tracks. What was going on? Who was lighting the fires? And why - with the oppressive heat, there couldn't have been a worse time...

The Wild Thyme Farm Murder is the 6th in the DS Sara Hirst series by Judi Daykin and I devoured it. Each book to date has been excellent, and this one is another exceptional read. I enjoy Hirst's character as she's settling into her new workplace, after working with the Met in London. She has some good strong characters to back her up, though there are a couple of dodgy ones! I can't wait for #7 and recommend this one - and the series - highly.

With thanks to NetGalley & Joffe Books for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Joffe Books and NetGalley for allowing me to receive this ARC

This is a great addition to this series. It is a great fast paced read and is well worth your time. Looking for a great series give Judi Daykin a read. You won't be disappointed.

It’s a record breaking, scorching summer in Norfolk. Tempers are short, energy is failing, air conditioners are running hard and a series of fires has plagued the county. Farm buildings, an old pub, thatched roof buildings have all been destroyed by an unknown arsonist. DI Sara Hirst and the team at Wymondham HQ are on alert, trying to find a link between the fires in this rural area. After an abandoned barn at the Wild Thyme herb farm is burned down, a body is found in the ruins. Now an arson case becomes murder and Sara and her fellow officers must find the arsonist before there is another death.

Judi Daykin is a master of the British police procedural. The sense of place here dominates the plot. You can feel the heat rising off the sun dried ground. You sense the lethargy of the farmers who keep to their routines regardless of the drought. And you recoil from the hateful rage between mother and daughter, boys and grandfather, and the frustration of an overworked DCI. It is both physical and emotional tinder, just waiting to blaze. The cover blurb describes The Wild Thyme Farm Murder as “ An Absolutely Gripping Crime Thriller.” I couldn’t say it better. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Joffe Books and Judi Dayton for this ARC.

Interesting well written plot, that was easy to get into. . Enjoyed having a female
Detective working a case and learning about her team. A good crime thriller
that I recommend. Given arc by Net Galley and Joffee for my voluntary review.

This was the first Judi Dayton book I have read. I was very pleased though and will search other books out. The book started out slow and maybe it is because I wasn’t familiar with her style or characters. But it ramped up quite nicely and made for a great story! I loved that it wasn’t gruesome but descriptive. This book does jump from person to person, but to me, that keeps me intrigued and guessing. I will definetly be looking into this author more.

rural, law-enforcement, family-dynamics, family-drama, procedural, small-town, small-business, fire, firefighters, series, suspense, arson, relationship-issues, relationships, investigations, secrets, friction, Norfolk*****

DS Sara Hirst left London’s Metropolitan Police Force to work Norfolk Police’s Serious Crimes Unit.
With a slow start and a cool welcome from team, it begins with a hot summer and multiple grassfires but one. That one looks deliberate and has a murder victim who was locked in from the outside. There are many things going on with many of the characters that add to the wicked twists until the surprise twist at the end. Riveting.
I requested and received a free temporary EARC from Joffe Books via NetGalley. Thank you!
#DSSaraHirstBk6 *Available 04 Apr 2024

I could not get in to this book. I tried reading a few chapters- sorry! I have not read her other books so maybe if I had some insight I would have been able to get into it.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Joffe Books for an advance copy of The Wild Thyme Farm Murder, the sixth novel to feature DS Sara Hirst of Norfolk Police.

A series of fires amid the hottest summer on record have caught the team’s eye. They are trying to work out which ones are accidents and which ones may be deliberate when a body is found in a burnt out barn at Wild Thyme Farm.

I enjoyed The Wild Thyme Farm Murder, which is a relatively straightforward police procedural that centres around arson and murder. It doesn’t have many twists, preferring to follow the investigation as it narrows in on a suspect. The novel is mostly told from Sara’s point of view, while giving time to other involved characters, notably Jean Simpson, the farm’s owner, and Claudia Turner, who has links to many of the characters.

The plot is quite slow to get started as it takes its time introducing the characters and setting the scene, even body identification takes a few days. It ramps up slightly in the second half when the reveals come and the big picture emerges, but it’s still a low key narrative. The one exception may be the fraught relationship between Jean Simpson and her daughter, Faye, which is full of misunderstandings from start to finish and neither of them come out of it well, although Faye is the one with the big surprise at the end in a kind of ironic twist. Claudia, on the other hand, is a helper, doing her best to support those that need it. She’s much more likeable.

The Wild Thyme Farm Murder is a good read that I can recommend.

Thank you to Joffe Books and NetGalley for the eARC of this book

This is the sixth in the DS Sara Hirst series and the best. It's been a long hot and dry summer in Norfolk. Everyone's on edge and it's been made worse as fires keep breaking out. Some are naturally caused, some are accidents, and more worryingly, some are arson. Sara and her colleagues work for the Serious Crime Unit and have been tasked with investigating a string of arson attacks near a small community. Initially it's property damage until the barn fire at Wild Thyme Farm reveals a body.

Normally I'm not a fan of books where the narration jumps from person to person, but in this case the transition is so seamless I barely noticed that was happening. I could really feel the uncertainty and despair as livelihoods are threatened, and eventually the guilty exposed. In my opininion this is Judi Daykin's best book yet. I am so looking forward to the next. 5 stars.