Another Village Detectives romp! Chaotic to the end with plenty of red herrings to divert the reader. Witty writing bringing Inkbury to life with its diverse troop of suspects and victims. Thoroughly enjoyable, you need to let go and have the story wash over you. I love the main characters from these books and also in their previous incarnations from books gone by. Engaging and head scratching but fun.

Thank you Netgalley

3.5 stars rounded up. I am starting to like these small town cozy murders mysteries. This is the first of the series that I have read but it is a promising group of characters.

When Phoebe reads an announcement of her own death and her meddlesome postman turns up dead, there is plenty to keep Juno, Mil, and Felix busy while solving another village crime. Thank you Netgalley, I will give this series another try and read the first book, too.

The Poison Pen Letters is book number 2 in The Village Detectives series. I really enjoyed the first book, so I was excited to read this next instalment Which did not disappoint . I thoroughly enjoyed this engaging read and appreciated the author's writing style.

Started well. Good characters but left me a bit flat after one too many wild goose chases, side plots and repetitive gameplay,

3.5*

A good cozy crime mystery. When Phoebe ends up dead on her doorstep the towns crime solvers want to find out who’s the killer. It has a lot of characters, but easy to follow once you get into it. A 4 star read.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy.

Crime novelist Phoebe Fredericks receives an invitation to her own funeral. But even worse, she witnesses a death. Is she the target? It's time for the village detectives to investigate the crimes and protect their friend.
I liked Juno. She's smart and stands up for herself, especially when folks call her fat.
Felix is an unlikable character. He's disloyal and unkind, I cringed whenever he was on scene.
Mil is a loyal, protective friend. I wish Juno would get over societal norms and get together with him.
I saw the end coming, but it was the most adventurous part of the story.
The author's mention of vaping seems out of place. And the book includes tons of drinking.
I like the emphasis on community. Although Phoebe wants to hide, she finds freedom and peace with her neighbors.
I probably wouldn't read more books in this series. It's a cozy mystery but the story and characters didn't pull me in.

If you can read this book WITHOUT casting it in your head, good luck! Once I had my actors in place in my head, this cozy ran just like a BBC show! It's funny, modern and perfectly charming, as the team of village mystery solvers try to outwit the police and solve the case! With red herrings a plenty, this one will keep you guessing to the end! Don't miss this charming cozy!

The village detectives are back and what a motley crew they are .
Juno and Phoebe are the main detectives but pick up helpers along the way .
Juno has recently moved back to the UK from the USA and feels she’s lost her way , whilst Phoebe is an author and not in a good place either .
Phoebe receives the notice of her own funeral in the post which has an a negative impact on her already poor mental health .
Together with Juno she decides to investigate the poison pen letters she continues to receive, whilst also seeing her postman ( a bit of an odd character to put it mildly) murdered on her doorstep.
The characters are amiable and the humour adds an extra dimension to the story .
There are plenty of twists and turns and plenty to keep the reader interested .
It kept me guess until the end .
A well written , funny and entertaining read .
A great second instalment in the series.
Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Boldwood Books for a free copy of the book.

The plot was all over the place and the portrayal of mental health was negative and a stereotype.

The is the second of what is hopefully a series of rural murder mysteries involving the newly formed Village Detectives, led by Juno, widowed and newly returned to the West Country from the US, and Phoebe, a former journalist and columnist and now an author. There are passing references to events and characters from the first book but this story is completely independent and standalone. Also, there are no spoilers in this story relating to the first book, so, if like me you have not read the first one, it becomes another book to add to my wish list.

The story is related from the alternative perspectives of Juno and Phoebe, which provides good momentum to the story as Juno gradually unravels the truth of Phoebe’s past and the motives for her poison pen letters.

The characters and the setting of the village of Inkbury are nicely developed and there is a good balance of plot twists, red herrings and humour. I found it a compelling read that entertained me from start to finish. Definitely going to read the first book in the series, The Art of Murder, and will be looking out too for book number three.

Told from alternating perspectives this story follows Juno and Phoebe, old friends who are facing the trials and tribulations of middles age, complicated love lives, small town gossip, and now another murder. Phoebe's mental health has seen better days and her writing career, her marriage, and her social life are all suffering until her enthusiastic mailman is murdered mistakenly in what was intended to be an attempt on her life. Now the author, with the help of her friend must get to the bottom of this mystery or it may cost her her life.

I needed a light hearted read despite the genre of a gruesome murder (poisoned pen nibs), so much of vicious trolling relentless and anonymous, but the characters were so fluffy and light hearted. Juno living in an imaginary world of her being young and flirty with everyone, Mil the bar man who had the measure of all the “girls”, Phoebe deep, anxious and protective of her wastrel and philandering husband and then the miscellaneous characters sprinkled through the story. The mean and the frivolous equally interesting.

The detective work was all over the place, each person following different suspects and with no coordination, though they all wanted to solve the problem. The murderer was not someone you’d suspect as a reader because of the many believable red herrings strewn all over the place.

Nice, light hearted story.

I've previously enjoyed many of Walker's books but this is a first in this genre. The Poison Pen Letters is the second in The Village Detectives series and is a thoroughly enjoyable cosy style mystery.

The story takes place in a small village in Wexshire named Inkbury. It's home to crime writer Phoebe and a varied cast of personalities.

Can you even begin to imagine receiving an invitation to your own funeral, let alone someone having decided that tomorrow is the day you die! What would you do?

Loved the plot and I'm definitely looking forward to the next episode of the Village Detectives.

I didn't realise that The Poison Pen Letters is the second book in a series when I first started reading it, so you can totally read it as a standalone as I really enjoyed it. It's a cosy mystery but it also has a bit of a comedy crime caper about it so be prepared to laugh a lot along the way.

I loved my virtual visit to the picturesque village of Inkbury and Fiona Walker's vivid writing drew a beautiful picture in my mind. Of course the village may look lovely on the outside but something evil is lurking beneath the surface and one of the villagers ends up dead...but was that person the intended victim?

Author Phoebe Fredericks has been targeted with disturbing poison pen letters that would have had me running for the hills but her friends, the Village Detectives, are determined to find out who is writing them. Phoebe has quite a list of people she has fallen out with in the past so the detectives, led by Juno, have their work cut out for them and a road trip is on the cards.

Juno is a fabulous character; it's so refreshing to have a middle-aged protagonist and she reminded me of an older Bridget Jones, especially when her mother tries to set her up with an eligible bachelor. Juno did provide a lot of the laughs for me and I want to read the first book now just to see what she gets up to before this book.

As funny as it is cosy, The Poison Pen Letters is a witty and compelling mystery that entertained and surprised me. I will definitely be picking up the first book in the series and I will be keeping an eye out for more visits to Inkbury.

I received a digital ARC to read and review for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'The Poison Pen Letters' by Fiona Walker.

This is the second book I have read by this incredible author. It is also the second book in Fiona's 'the Village Detectives' series but can be read as a standalone. i have also read the first book in this series which is called 'the Art Of Murder' which I would also highly recommend!!

Another incredible and fun read from the fantastic Fiona Walker!!! I absolutely LOVED the first book in this series which is called 'The Art Of Murder' so I was landed when I got a copy of this and knew I was going to love it just as much! I am pleased to say that I was right in that!! I genuinely adored this fun, charming, emotive, crime packed page turning cosy murder mystery!!!! This book has been set in the stunning location of Inkbury, which Fiona ensured came to life in front of my eyes. She has created a fantastic setting for a crime series and portrayed life in a small village absolutely perfectly!! Fiona's amazing and evocative writing skills really has brought everything to life all throughout this fantastic book and I have thoroughly enjoyed every moment. The storyline is ram packed with crime, humour, friendship, drama and absolutely everything you could ask for in an absolutely fantastic page turner!!! There was no way I could finish just one chapter as even though I kept telling myself I would and then go to bed each chapter ended in a way where I just HAD to know what happened next and before I knew it I had devoured the whole book in one sitting in a few hours!!! The storyline was realistic which I always prefer as it makes it more enjoyable to read when you can see that it is something that could happen. It was a very compelling read and I would never have guessed who did what. An absolutely fantastic read filled with suspense, mystery, twists and much more. I must say I had tears streaming down my face laughing at some points which is always nice when it comes to any crime books as it lightens the mood and gives it a nice mix! This is one of those fantastic books that you could get completely lost in whether you are curled up on the sofa with a hot chocolate or laying on the beach with a cocktail. It really is a fun easy to read book filled with laugh out loud moments and you will get completely lost in the pages. If you have never read any books by this brilliant author then pick up your copy today!! Well done Fiona on yet another fantastic page turner and a great addition to this absolutely addictive series!!! I am counting down the days until the third book in this series comes out and I am really hoping I will not have to wait too long!!!

Although this is the second book in the series I would have had absolutely no problems reading it without reading book one first. Any details or events that have previously happened are mentioned in just the right amount of detail to let a new reader know what has happened and yet not too much to bore a previous reader.

Clear your schedules and pick up this fantastic and page turning book in this absolutely promising series!!!

I loved meeting all the characters again or for the first time. Each and every character has a delightful mix of personalities with intriguing backgrounds and each one was very compelling. The 'Village Detectives' very quickly became like friends to me and I adored watching their interactions throughout along with the rest of the characters! Fiona's evocative writing skills really have brought each of these characters to life throughout this book and I am looking forward to continuing my friendship with them all in the future books in this epic series! A great group of realistic, strong and unique characters that I have loved getting to know in these amazing books and that I cannot wait to meet again and again!!!

Congratulations Fiona on yet another absolutely addictive and unputdownable cosy crime book, an absolutely brilliant addition to a fantastic and addictive cosy crime series! Here is to your next guaranteed success!!!

Overall an intriguing, charming and laugh out loud addition to this epic series!

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The blurb, the title - The Poison Pen Letters - and the book cover piqued my interested, so much so that I decided on the spot that I just had to read it immediately.

The Poison Pen Letters is book number 2 in The Village Detectives series but the first in this series that I have read. It's also my first by this author. No matter. I found I didn't need to have read the first book, The Art of Murder to fully appreciate this novel. Although having done so now, I've added The Art of Murder to my wish list.

I like to think I am on an adventure of discovery when I read fiction. I love well-researched historical fiction because I most times learn something new and interesting. Cozy fiction is, for me, more entertainment than educational so I was delighted to find that more than once, I had to look up references made in the text, and that made this novel all the more enjoyable; a rung above the usual cozy mysteries that I enjoy.

I found The Poison Pen Letters entertainingly humorous, as well as a real brain-teaser. There are so many threads to follow that I can't tell you how many times I changed my mind as to who the murderer might be, and their motives, and I was completely caught off guard when they were revealed.

I would whole-heartedly recommend The Poison Pen Letters to readers who enjoy a slightly more challenging cozy mystery.

The Village Detectives have their next case, but this time, one of them is under threat. Phoebe, the novelist with many secrets and a husband she loves but cannot trust, receives an invitation to her funeral. A former journalist who has experienced death threats and social media trolls before with dire consequences for her career but not her life is only mildly unsettled until the demise of her postman, killed by poison pen nibs meant for her. The village detectives need to protect their own, so they have to investigate. What follows is a twisty investigation full of suspects, investigative trips, and frustrating false leads. The relatable characterisation immerses the reader in this quirky and often humorous story. I like the characters and their individuality, the classic murder mystery vibe and the frequent humour that balances the crimes.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

I really enjoyed Book 1 of this cosy mystery series and this second book is even better! The characters feel more settled and revealing more of themselves – Phoebe and Felix with their intense, idiosyncratic relationship; warm-hearted, impulsive Juno and amiable, doggedly loyal Mil. They make a great investigative team (although a little more honest communication wouldn’t go amiss!) and engaging main characters, all with their own secrets and motivations.

Juno’s dating escapades are slapstick romcom territory, as are her mother and Dennis living their best lives in a retirement community, loving it up with champagne and hot-tubs, whereas Phoebe and Felix provide a more serious, dramatic tone fraught with heartbreak, self-doubt and misunderstood love.

The mystery is fascinatingly bizarre, featuring a mixture of online trolls and ingenious-but-deadly gadgetry that had me breathlessly reading on ‘just one more chapter!’ into the early hours of the morning because I HAD to know what was going on. And I did manage to work out some of the clues before our intrepid/inept sleuths, but not the whole mystery, so that was perfectly balanced for me.

This is an immensely fun murder mystery read with memorable characters and a solid (if far-fetched) plot and I am definitely looking forward to the VD’s next outing, unfortunate initials and all!

The next instalment of the Village Detectives find them investigating a funeral notice that Phoebe had received in mail. The mailman, who helps Phoebe by reading the drafts of her books) is killed by poison pen nibs when delivering her mail the next day.

Mil, Juno, Felix and Phoebe are looking in to her past and anyone that has held a grudge. which is proving to be interesting!

Another great read in this series!

Ideal for curling up on the sofa with under a blanket, this is a cute, cosy mystery and the second in the Village Detectives series. It's quite charming and has that picture postcard depiction of the perfect village life...sans threats and dead bodies, of course.
Phoebe, Juno, Mil and Felix are well-formed characters, but I don't feel I got to know them properly, particularly Juno, which is a shame.
The plot is great, with red herrings and twists. If you read a lot of crime you may well work out who's behind the threats, but there's enough here to keep you reading until the end.