Another delightful book in this enjoyable series. All the essentials of a cosy mystery are here: the rural setting, lovely descriptions of gardens and walks, a retired/amateur detective,and a local tea room with tasty treats. Julia is an empathetic main character, I identify quite strongly with her, and even started a new word puzzle after reading the ones she does each day! Although it is part of a series, (and I hope there are more books to come), I think this book could be read as a stand alone novel, though it is interesting to see how characters and their relationships develop.

I liked this book more than I expected. I usually do not enjoy an old sleuth since it seems too close to copying Mrs. Marple, but the author actually did justice to Julia Bird.

The writing was good and smooth and the pace steady. I liked how the book did not delve into a lot of unnecessary details but still provide enough background of the characters to understand them and get a feel of the location.

Another thing that I appreciated was that the author didn't make Julia act childish but rather she had a presence of mind and worked in a meticulous way to solve the mystery.

This is book 6 in the series, but can be read as a standalone.

I received an advance copy of the book and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Something's wrong in Berrywick. Julia, the protagonist of this British cozy that will be just fine as a standalone- is baffled by the murder of Dr. Eve, the local vet, And then the receptionist is killed as well, forcing Julia to reset her suspect list (the list she's working in parallel with the official investigation). It's a classic cozy with a good character in Julia, a woman of a certain age, a dog or two, and a nice village atmosphere (except for that murder thing). Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

While on walk with her dog Jake, Julia finds Fergus, her vet's old dog alone and Eve dead as the result of a fall. When Eve's office receptionist meets the same fate, Julia sets out to find out what happened to the women. The police suspect suicide but Julia isn't convinced.
Her sleuthing turns up numerous clues and multiple suspects. There in lies my problem with this title. It's hard to say more without revealing the killer but Julia misses a vital clue early on that is not true to her character's usual skill. A huge plot weakness that lessened my interest in the solution of the crimes. Still, Jake, the chickens and Julia's deepening relationship with Sean keeps me reading.
Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC.

When the local village veterinarian found dead, Julia find herself, wondering who had it in for the woman. With quite a few suspects, solid motives, it’s a second murder that tells Julia this is not a coincidence. Can Julia figure out who had it in for these two people and why? Or is this one going to come back and bite her?

I greatly enjoyed this series. There’s just some thing about British cozy mysteries that are so endearing and different than American cozies. Don’t get me wrong, I love them both, but the cozies are just super cozy. Maybe it’s just a far away location, but in this series, it is the mystery and the writing that keeps bringing me back for more!

This is the 6th book of the series. Once again Julie gets to stumble over a dead body (how English, LOL), but this time, it's not the one she wants to, as it is her local vet, and co-walker. But something doesn't seem right to Julie- not how the body landed, nor why Dr Eve would harm herself. As she and the local police try to make sense out of random clues, she soon finds herself being told clues that seem like nothing, yet when strung together, offer a very different picture of what might have been going on around Dr Eve. An interesting look at family secrets, this cozy is a page turner!

This is book six in the Julia Bird cozy mystery series, though it is my first read in the series. The village of Berrywick in the UK’s Cotswolds is lovely, though far from perfect. Julia is a retired, relatively new resident in the town, putting down roots and building a friend network. One day, on a walk with her pooch, Julia discovers the body of the town veterinarian, Eve, at the foot of a local trail. Was it an accident? Suicide? Julia’s got a funny feeling and urges the police to pursue the case (with little assistance from Julia). 

This was readable as a standalone and a great introduction to the entire series. It is truly a cozy, gentle, not gory, with a solid mystery to solve.

My next reads: books one to five!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I really do love these books. A wonderful, Cotswolds set cosy crime series that has me smiling from cover to cover. If Julia Bird were a real person, I'd be a tad wary of making her acquaintance of course, or even being in the same postcode, as she does seem to attract trouble. But there is no better person to be investigating your murder, should that fate befall you, as, much like Malcolm the Mountie, Julia always gets her man. She's a fun, modern day, not remotely spinsterly, Miss Marple and if you are in trouble, you could do worse than to run to Julia for her help.

Now it's not just Julia, but her beloved, and troublesome, dog, Jake, who have a key part to play in this particular story. After a disastrously enthusiastic bout of tail wagging, Jake finds himself in quite some pain, prompting Julia to take him to the vets, and introducing us to our soon-to-be-victim, veterinarian Eve Davies. Now, as we, and Julia, both quickly discover, there is something troubling Eve, but we are yet to find out what. And discovering that is going to be somewhat of a problem, given that it's a secret Eve ends up taking to her grave ...

What I live about this series is that, whilst the subject is undoubtedly dark, and in this case sadly very relevant, the authors manage to tell the story in a way which remains light without making light of the fact that a murder has been committed. They balance the sense of scandal and gossip that you can just imagine flying around a small village like Berrywick, with a lovely vein of good humour and the passing of day to day life in Julia's world. This time around she is far more convinced that something dastardly has taken place than her friend, and local Detective Inspector, Hayley Gibson, who is quickly convinced that Eve's death is nothing more than a tragic accident. But anyone who has read any of this series knows to always trust Julia's instincts - she's seldom wrong about the what, even if the who sometimes initially evades her.

There are a good few suspects in play in this story as you might expect. Several different motives come to light, and some of Eve's friends and colleagues seem hesitant to tell the whole truth, adding an extra layer of mystery to the progress of Julia's investigation. There is no doubting something is a foot, but what and why remains a closely guarded secret. There are many clues to uncover, hints at what might be, and a surprising connection between no just the victim, but some of the suspects too. With brilliant pacing, a good dose of humour, and a few moments of threat which will keep you on your toes, it's another cracking addition to the series and definitely recommended. One of my automatic go to series when I need a little light humour but still want my delicious crime based hit.

It's no secret in Berrywick that Julia Bird's pooch, Jake, is a much loved and enthusiastic friend to all. So when he's a bit poorly, Julia quickly takes him to the very popular local vet, Dr Eve, who is on hand to diagnose and reassure in equal measure. A few days later, as they take a more sedate walk than usual, due to Jake's unfortunate injury, Julia is devastated to find another dead body.

With the villagers left reeling by the unexpected death, and the police certain there was no foul play, Julia knows it's up to her to make enquiries, and find out exactly what happened, especially as DI Haley Gibson is also looking for a peeping tom! When another body is discovered, however, the police begin to show more interest, but has Julia found out too much for them to apprehend the killer before another life is taken?

Book six seems to have come around in this series I still think of as new! Once again, the village, villagers, and countryside are as important as Julia and Jake in this lovely story, which was a great summer read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Bookouture, but the opinions expressed are my. This is an excellent series which I always enjoy. 4.5 rounded up to 5 stars.

Book 6 of the Julia Bird Mysteries. I love the Julia Bird series. It's easy reading and relaxing to read. As an older reader who owns a dog and spends time pottering in the garden amongst other things, I can really identify with Julia. She investigates the death if the local vet and gets herself in a bit if a pickle. The characters leap out of the page at you and almost seem to fall into the facts they need to find who done it. A lovely series of books, perfect for summer evening reading. Well recommended. With thanks to the author, Bookouture and Netgalley for this advanced copy to review.

Another enjoyable visit to the most deadly village in the UK

Love this series. An excellent mix of humour and cosy crime stories.

Full review on the blog tour

When the local Berrywick vet, Dr Eve Davies, is found dead at the bottom of a cliff, the police believe it’s nothing more than a tragic accident, but Julia isn’t so sure. Just a few days earlier when she took her dog, Jake, to the vets, Dr Eve said she believed something awful was about to happen. It turns out she was right…

But who would want the beloved village vet dead? Was it her mother Kay, a down-and-out gambler who stands to inherit her unwedded daughter’s home? Was it her assistant Olga, who was close to getting fired? Or was it her cut-throat tennis partner Will, with whom Dr Eve had an argument shortly before she took a tumble? And who is the stranger skulking around Berrywick peering into people’s windows?

When a second body appears in the exact spot where Dr Eve was found, Julia knows it can’t be a coincidence. Both victims were pushed off the cliff, but why? Should Julia let sleeping dogs lie, or will she be like a dog with a bone to find the murderer?

This is one of my favorite cozy series. I especially love Julia's personality and sardonic humor: "Jake was delighted to see her after their long and traumatic separation of an hour and a half." This book is enjoyable, and the only reason it's not 5 stars is that there's a pretty big, obvious clue right near the beginning that it seems weird is not pursued for most of the book. But, still a winner. I'd love to have Julia for a neighbor, and I'd even dogsit Jake occasionally :>D

Review copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is the sixth book in the series and I've read lots of the previous books.

Overall an enjoyable read of a cosy murder mystery.

Thank you for the arc.

This was my first book in the series, and it was very readable as a standalone. There are hints of long-running story threads that I'll enjoy catching up on when I go back to the start of the series, but they were easy to jump into in book 6.

This was a nice, gentle read, with a thorough investigation at its heart and plenty of relaxing time in the Cotswolds. Pet lovers in particular will enjoy this.

In this latest outing for Julia Bird, a retired social worker, she discovers a body lying at the foot of a cliff while she is taking her dog Jake for a walk. The body is that of the local vet and appears to be just a tragic accident. However, Julia doesn’t feel that this is right and starts asking questions. When a second body is discovered in similar circumstances, she is proved correct but who did it and why?
This was another enjoyable cosy mystery with its Cotswold village setting and varied cast of characters, most of which are familiar from the previous books. Julia continues to enjoy her retirement spending her time gardening and volunteering at the local charity chop as well as taking Jake for long walks. The detail of her life and the people that she meets make this a very gently paced mystery but also give the characters depth.
The mystery is an interesting one with several red herrings to divert the reader before we begin to see the real motive for the deaths.
I loved this new visit to the village of Berrywick and hope to read about Julia and Jake again before too long.
Thank you to Net Galley and Bookouture for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Over the past year I have become quite a fan of the cozy mystery and the Julia Bird series is a big reason why. I love all the characters in these books and how Julia is very much a down-to-earth person who just has the bad luck of stumbling upon dead bodies. I chuckled when Julia makes a comment about not wanting to tell her daughter about the most recent murder because she didn't want her to think the village was full of murderers. Of the books from the series that I have read so far this murder just seemed to be the saddest. Probably because the victim's mother was so upset and blamed herself for not having been there. The author once again put together a list of possible suspects who all had a motive. I certainly didn't put it all together until Julia had her lightbulb moment. On a non-murder mystery note, it was also nice to see Julia and Sean's relationship take another step forward in a very mature and realistic way. As always, I am excited to see what comes next for Ms. Julia Bird.

This is a great addition to the series. Julia, while walking her beloved dog, stumbles upon the body of Eve, the vet everyone knows and loves. Was her death an accident, suicide, or something more sinister? When a second body is discovered, the police decide to take a closer look. But of course, Julia can't resist a little sleuthing of her own.
Love the characters, especially the four legged ones. This plot was captivating, had a great ending. Looking forward to more in this series.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Somehow we're up to book six of this lovely series. I didn't realise that there had been so many, but I've been enjoying them so much that it happened without me realising.
This time Julia finds herself stumbling over a body that seems to have died an accidental death. The local vet has fallen over a small cliff and died in the process. At first it seems as though there is no foul play involved, but Julia, being Julia, she can't help but try and find out more.
I love this series. It's just the right level of gentle countryside and murder. There's also the slowly unfolding love interest storyline with local doctor Sean. In this book, Julia starts to question how they really feel about one another.
I did manage to figure our some of this mystery, although that had more to do with the why than the who it was that was actually involved until quite close to the end. I did better than Julia though, who found herself barking up the wrong tree on more than one occasion.
I really enjoy this series and I'm looking forward to more visits to Berrywick in the not-too-distant future.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

Murder on a Country Walk is Katie Gayle’s sixth novel featuring retired social worker, Julia Bird. As always, the two young writers who jointly comprise Katie Gayle – Kate Sidley and Gail Schimmel – have done a brilliant job at inhabiting a sixty-year-old’s mind and body. Julia still feels young enough to be a little upset that her beau, Dr Sean O’Connor, almost - but not quite - tells her he loves her at the start of the book, yet is mature enough to know she doesn’t need his affirmation.

As is inevitable in this “cosy” genre, Julia finds a body - at the end of Chapter 3, this time – and it’s someone that she knows: her dog’s lovely vet, Dr Eve Davies. Equally inevitably, when the police are called, DI Hayley Gibson (Julia’s partner on all the other murder cases in her small town of Berrywick) arrives to take charge of the case. Please don’t think I’m being cynical: the attraction of such mysteries, from Sherlock Holmes through Hercule Poirot and Jane Marple, has always been the comfort provided by the series detective and assistants joining together to solve another nasty crime and restoring the rightful order, where villains get their just desserts and the world is safe for us once more. The crime doesn’t always have to be murder, but it seems that Conan Doyle and Christie are the only authors who have realised that. The danger of this approach is that it can become formulaic and I felt that Murder on a Country Walk was, if not flirting with the formula, at least giving it a thorough sniffing-over. Julia decided that various people, in turn, were the obvious suspects, based upon fairly circumstantial evidence. (For a mature ex-social worker, she does jump to silly conclusions at times!) Alibis are uncovered and suspicion moves to the next-in-line.

There is nothing wrong with that: it gives comfort to most of us, knowing that things will all be OK again by the end of the book. That’s why cosy mysteries sell so well in these unsettling times: they offer the certainty of a world where all shall be well. The key question is: how much do we enjoy arriving at that happy position? With Katie Gayle, the answer is always “Very much, thank you.” While the direction of the plot may be predictable, the details are not. The development of the plot – with another death – was well handled, as was the denouement. There is gentle humour; there were red herrings – not every aspect ended up resolved tidily – and the perpetrators were those I predicted a third of the way through the book, but I still really enjoyed the book’s development. Although the relationship between Julia and DI Gibson is professional, I enjoy the moments of informality, e.g. Julia suggesting that the DI should pop round and share an omelette for supper. The book is undemanding but the denouement was still unexpected and exciting. There are lots of digressions about designer-breed dogs with adorable examples popping up every few pages. I am not a dog-lover but I still enjoy the author’s descriptions of a puppy taking an older dog as their role-model; and a small child’s loving relationship with a tolerant dog. The emphasis on dogs in this book subtly resonates with the fact that the deceased was a vet.

If you like “cosy” mysteries, I can confidently predict you’ll enjoy Katie Gayle’s books, with their evocative descriptions of Cotswold villages and inhabitants – you just need to be tolerant of some of Julia’s wilder thinking.

#MurderonaCountryWalk #NetGalley