4.25 stars. Enjoyably bonkers plot and characters once it got going. I wasn’t pulled in straight away, but once I connected with the plot and people, it really picked up. Not quite sure what to make of it, but I am definitely going to look out for book 2! I think if you like slightly comic and wacky characters, this will be right up your street. It’s definitely a strong start to a series.

I also liked that I guessed a few things ahead of the reveals, as that’s always nice.

I received a free ARC copy of this via NetGalley and the publishers in return for an unbiased review.

May Morrigan, 69, has been best friends with Dr Fletcher Redmond for fifty years since their Cambridge university days, and once again they have found themselves housemates in the Morrigan Georgian family home of Greenway in Blackheath village, south of the Thames. After the departure of her husband a year ago, May seems to be returning to her old exuberant self again. She owns the Burgos Books bookshop and leaves the day to day running to manager (Se)Bastian, a flamboyant and enigmatic character. Fletcher himself has another side to him, cross dressing into Barbara Bouvier, a romantic novelist, when she pens her bestsellers. A teenage girl, Jessica Sabine, has gone missing and Lewisham Mercury journalist Danny Fox is hoping to work on the story. When the job goes to a senior reporter, he decides to pursue it on his own, helped by Suzy from his local café and her younger sister Chloe, a schoolfriend of the missing girl. Before he can really get stuck in, he finds himself reporting on the grisly murder of a local butcher who had upset Fletcher and May, the second local death recently. Strange how those who upset May don’t seem to stay alive too long. Soon Fletcher and May team up with Danny, Suzy and Bastian for a bit of sleuthing and agree it can’t be coincidence that two other similar girls from the same school disappeared on the same night over a ten-year period. It looks like time may be running out for Jessica.
Is there such a thing as “dark cosy” as this book certainly fits that bill! Not cosy in a traditional sense as the rather deceptive cover and blurb would suggest but hugely entertaining with a whole host of vibrant and rather delicious characters. Right from the start there are hints about May’s more sinister side, from the knife concealed in her sleeve to her manipulation of her annoying neighbour’s central heating system. It’s a highly engrossing and absorbing read as the focus shifts from one suspect to another with the red herrings coming thick and fast. Wickedly funny with a cracking ending,
The narrator does a superb job of bringing all the characters to life - I love his "Barb" in particular and I am eagerly looking forward to listening to their next adventure.

This is a darkly humorous, cosey mystery with a twist! I loved the sharp wit of May and comedy of Fletcher, and their characters are just so loveable. May is one of those people who thinks outside the box, and she isn't afraid to speak her mind. She is a nonsense lady and a loyal friend. I could use some entertaining friends like these.

The writing is intelligent, witty, and very British. The plot was engaging, and I finished this quickly as i found it captivating. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Jonathan Keeble. He is excellent at portraying all the different characters and their antics. I think I could listen to him read a textbook and find it entertaining! 

I loved that this was a cosey mystery but done differently. It felt refreshing, and I'd love to see a tv adaptation of May and Fletcher. I will definitely keep up with the series as I want to see what they get up to next!

I thoroughly enjoyed this story and cannot wait for a sequel! It definitely had a unique premise with the protagonist being an elderly serial killer who volunteers at church and runs a bookshop, but I loved reading the book through her eyes and getting an anti-hero's perspective on everything! The characters were all interesting and well-developed and the murder mystery plot was expertly woven into the personal subplots of each character. 10/10 would recommend!

I just finished the audio book for this cozy murder mystery. Twisty, turny, witty and surprising. I loved everything about this (and spent time reading with my own little dachshunds!). The character development, individuality and diversity of the cast of characters kept you on your toes for the whole ride.

The narrator, AMAZING. I loved listening to him. This is the perfect story to listen to with the patter of rain on the roof, a cup of strong tea, and furry companions.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

4.5 ⭐️

I have to thank @LoveBooksTour and @KjBlack71 for having me on this tour!

What an enjoyable cozy mystery read! The story follows May, a retired librarian and bookshop owner, her best friend Fletcher, and her two dogs. It's situated in an English village with all of these quirky individuals. The audiobook was fantastic! The narrator's accent set a perfect tone for this book. He brought this story to life with the vivid descriptions. He also did a wonderful job narrating all of the characters. The story included many unexpected turns! I'm looking forward to reading the next book, A Most Malicious Messenger.

Light-hearted and funny cosy crime read where the characters are as large as life.

I loved the relationship between May and Fletcher, they make great friends and bounce off each other quite a lot making for a great read.

The group that comes together to solve the case of the missing girl which is possibly linked to other unsolved crimes is quite a mix of characters and personalities.

Jonathan Keeble, the narrator of the audiobook is great and kept my interest when I was listening.

I’m a big fan of cosy crime and this is no exception.

A Most Unusual Demise is the first book in The Most Unusual Mysteries series. This twisty cozy mystery is set in an English village where the FMC is a retired librarian and bookstore owner. It is told from multiple POVs and most chapters end on a cliffhanger keeping you in suspense and wanting to read more. It has the most unusual, quirky, relatable, diverse cast of characters that worked so well together and were just fabulous. Each character brought their own unique set of skills and dark humor to the group. This story takes the phrase “Respect your elders” and takes it to a whole new level!

The British narrator, Jonathan Keeble, did an incredible job at giving every character their own unique voice. His accent and tone really helped set the mysterious mood. I really enjoyed listening to the story and the narrator’s voice, but I also followed along on my Kindle because there were a few times I wasn’t able to figure out what was happening in the story by just listening to the audiobook. I don’t think this was due to the author nor the narrator, more due to me not being familiar with some of the UK wording used. Needless to say, I learned a few new words that are used in the UK that aren’t used in the US and some words that mean something completely different.

A Most Unusual Demise by KJ Black.
Narrated by Jonathan Keeble.
I did enjoy this audiobook. I did love the narrator. The different voices. I did like May and Fletcher. I thought the voices were spot on. I loved how they just came together. They are a perfect crimesolving team. I listened to this in 2 days. I loved the storyline and plot. Very witty and hilarious I'm looking forward to listening to the rest of the series now. Definitely recommend.

Genre: Cosy Crime
Length: 6 hours 58 minutes
Publisher: Bloodhound Books


Blurb.
A well-read old dear has an unhealthy interest in murder in this sharp, witty and refreshingly original cozy crime novel.
Retired librarian and bookshop owner May Morrigan lives in the affluent village of Blackheath with Fletcher, her best friend since they met decades ago, and May’s two dogs. What could be more normal? But May is not your average little old lady . . .
After an unpleasant church volunteer and an annoying local butcher meet their untimely ends, Fletcher and May team up to do some sleuthing. Soon, the elderly pair start working with a young journalist to investigate the case of a missing girl and its possible link to previous unsolved crimes. May finds this new project quite intriguing. She’s never met a murderer before—and now she just may get the chance, if they play their cards right . .

@kjblack71

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A Most Unusual Demise by Katherine Black is book one in The Most Unusual Mysteries. If you like unmissable, humorous, dark humor, cozy crime mysteries then you will love this book.

May Morrigan is a retired librarian and owner of the local bookshop in the village of Blackheath. She lives with her best friend Fletcher and her two adorable dogs. A local teen goes missing around New Year’s, while several villagers meet their untimely demise around the same time, so May and Fletcher decided they are going to investigate. They believe the missing teen and another crime are linked in some way, so they are on a mission and taking matters into their owns hands. The cops aren’t taking them seriously, so they decide to team up with a local news reporter to solve this case themselves.

I enjoyed this audiobook so much Katherine did such an amazing job with the story. I thought the storyline and plot were good although I wouldn’t call it a “cozy” mystery. I didn’t want to stop listening to the audio there were so many twists and turns, lots of secrets, made me laugh, and I thought I had the mystery solved, turns out I was wrong. It did start off kinda slow but that didn’t last long because it picked up quickly. I thought Jonathan Keeble did a great job with the narration. I overall enjoyed this book and can’t wait for book 2 in the series. Thank you to NetGalley, Love Book Tours, Bloodhound Books Audio, and Katherine Black for letting me listen to this audio in exchange for my honest thoughts and opinions.

A fun quirky read that keeps you guessing all the way to the end. The main characters are charming and I find them very intriguing. I found the book very entertaining and full surprises. Definitely recommend.

This was such a lovely, cosy mystery right from the start. I thoroughly enjoyed the audio version and was hooked by chapter one, and the last sentence was a 😲 moment. A quirky, funny, dark and thrilling cosy mystery. This was a clever, layered story with many twists and turns - I thought I knew what direction the story would take but was utterly wrong.

The characters steal the show. The two old friends May and Fletcher turned detectives, and Bastian, Danny, Suzy and Chloe all provide an eclectic group who come together to solve the mystery. I enjoyed learning about each character’s backstory and the secrets they hold/hide. This really adds tension to the plot.

What a great debut, brilliant plot and an easy writing style.

The narrator for the audiobook was outstanding. Their performance, characterisations and pace were terrific.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it to all cosy mystery fans looking for a fresh and fun take on this genre.

This was amazing audiobook especially when I was not feeling very with chronic illness. The author and the audiobook team definitely choose the correct narrator for this book. He bought his own personality to the book as well as bringing the characters to life in a great way. I loved the plot line for this which had loads of twists that I was not expecting to have - yes we had the main plot line however there was two or three underlying plot lines as well. Katherine Black knows how to create characters and exciting plot line, can not wait to get to the second book.

This audiobook has so many things that I love about a cozy mystery. It is set in an English village full of quirky and interesting characters and there is a bookstore plus the main character is a retired librarian that is enlisted by friends to solve the mystery. May and her best friend Fletcher, a retired professor, are drawn in to solving the death of the local butcher and end up joining forces with a local reporter to look into a case of missing girls. Can they figure it out before it is too late? May and Fletcher were delightful characters with unexpected secrets that add to their appeal for me. The outcome kept me guessing. I can't wait for the next book in this mystery series.

I listened to this on audio and the narrator did a good job bringing the story to life. His accent added authenticity and was understandable for listeners unused to the accent.

I found this book a little unusual and slow to get into. There is a lot of bad language, so maybe not for you if this bothers you. About halfway through, it picks up pace, and I become more interested in the quirky characters. Some twists in the book and its finishes leaving you ready for book 2! I listened to this on @NetGalley_UK but I think I needed to have a paper copy to read it.

Reminded me somewhat of the Richard Osmand books, because of both the writing style and also the cover, which is not a bad thing. I liked the pace of the book and the plot worked seamlessly within this. The characters were interesting and the twists throughout kept me gripped. Have recommended to friends

My first auiobook and I chose well!
I love a cosy crime and this one is packed with marvellous characters and a fascinating serial killer, with the pressure on to hunt him down before his deadly deadline runs out.
Uniting multiple generations the focus on knowledge and education to achieve your goals is subtle, but as each clue is only revealed because of some learned expertise, becomes clear as the novel progresses.
Heaving with surprises and cleverness; I can't wait till the next in the series is released.

A young girl has disappeared and there are similarities to previous disappearances. Retired librarian May Morrigan decides to help a local journalist uncover what has happened.

A Most Unusual Demise by Katherine Black was originally published in paperback and ebook format back in 2023, the audiobook is now available. I really was surprised at how much I enjoyed listening to this story, helped immensely by the brilliant narration from Jonathan Keeble. The story is definitely cosy crime and the opening chapter sets the scene perfectly; a quaint English village, a retired librarian, and set around a bookshop. Everything comes across as old-fashioned and twee - until you get that final sentence and you sit bolt upright, your attention grabbed.

May Morrigan has retired from working at the British Library and now owns a bookshop in a sleepy village. She shares her home with her best friend Fletcher. Fletcher is a larger-than-life character, in more ways than one, and is just one of the wonderful characters that pepper the story. The important thing about May is that she doesn't suffer fools gladly, as we learn pretty early on in the story. Woe betide anyone who upsets her, or any of her friends, as May will seek revenge.

The disappearance of a teenage girl is being investigated by Fox, a young journalist. He believes that the girl was targeted via an online game and the case has links to previous murders, including a friend of his. When May, Fox and Fletcher join forces they are able to uncover a suspect and it becomes a race against time to save the missing girl.

It is the slightly dark, slightly twisted take on cosy crime that hit the mark for me with this audiobook, along with the mix of eccentric characters. I'll certainly be checking out the sequel, A Most Malicious Messenger.

I found this book fascinating; a whole host of characters that were truly unique and unlike any I have read before and I thoroughly enjoyed meeting them. This one took so many turns that it kept me guessing the whole way along, the bond between May and Fletcher was brilliant and truly accepting of each other in all aspects of their lives. Its hard to elaborate on that without giving anything away. I am excited to see what is next for them.

A retired librarian living in the lovely village of Blackheath with her friend Fletcher and dogs. Should be a quiet rural existence but death seems to be a part of existence. A church volunteer dies and so the investigating begins. Can they identify the murderer without getting into danger themselves?

Very well written and well narrated novel (I listened to the audiobook). Loved these new characters for me to enjoy. A murder mystery that has plenty of twists and turns. A very enjoyable read.