The story follows Edward, a former radio host who's dealing with the loss of his son when he's approached by Stevie, who believes he holds the key to solving her grandmother's death. Their investigations lead them to finding that Stevie's grandmother wasn't the only victim of crime.

This book took a while to pique my interest, but it was an interesting story once I got into it. It was apt to have the main characters being connected to the local radio station. There were a lot of likeable and varied characters. However, I found some of the friendships in the story to be quite forced. A lot of detail and similies were used to set some of the scenes that were not really relevant ot the story, and I felt this made the story drag a bit.

I would say that it's worth a read. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

#MurderOnLineOne #NetGalley

I feel that there is divided opinion on this author in his broadcasting career, and I feel there well be divided opinion on this, his debut crime thriller but, surprisingly I loved it.
Looking at the cover it is generally not a book I would pick up in a bookshop as it, for me gives off a cosy crime feeling. I would not class this book as cosy crime but, then again, I am not sure in which sub-genre of crime fiction this would be a good fit.
Whilst reading the book I did not get the feel of Mr Vine's voice but from what is said in the acknowledgments it appears that he was given the idea for the book by his agent. I really do hope it is not another celeb getting on the ghost-writing scene.
Having said the above I loved the factual elements of the issues discussed and the use of the accuracy in the location. I do not know the area where the story is based but I got a good feel for the place.
The characters were very friendly and it was easy, as a reader, to build up a picture of them. The story covers so many subjects from loneliness in older age, a love story and love shared in a variety of ways but also many other social issues. There were a number of surprising twists and turns along the way and I am looking forward to see what comes with the next book, and I looking forward to hearing interviews about his writing style.
This is definitely going to be in my consideration for my top reads of 2025 list.
Many thanks to HarperCollinsUK, NetGalley and the author for providing me with an electronic advanced copy of the book in return for and honest and unbiased review.
The book has been publisehed today and is available in e-book, audiobook and hardback formats

2.5/5 stars! The setup for this story is fun and interesting. I just wish it paid off more. There was a great deal of humor in the story, but the characters aren't super likable. I did think the coverage of radio and radio shows to be compelling and unique. Overall, an average read.

Like a lot of media personalities, Jeremy Vine has turned his hand to writing and has chosen a cosy crime whodunnit as his genre. Set in the world of radio, an investigation into an elderly listener’s suspicious death opens up a dark underbelly of deception and fraud in an otherwise cosy community beloved by retirees. A secondary plot involving the tragic death of the presenter’s son is also woven into the narrative, giving it a darker feel than your average cosy crime. I found this book to be distinctly average and predictable, having guessed the perpetrator of both crimes fairly early on in the book. There wasn’t much depth or interest to the characters and the plot was predictable. The most memorable and different thing about it was the local radio setting.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Enjoyable read though I did guess the twists

I enjoyed this book from Jeremy Vine, I think he’s great so I was glad to get a chance to read the book.

Edward Temmis is the host of a local late night call-in show. It’s a popular show with all the locals; he is a local celebrity and even has his own fan club. For some of the listeners, it feels like he is the only person they can open up to, which is how he gets pulled into the mystery of the death of a local lady, Rebecca ‘Riva’ Mason. Her granddaughter, Stevie, meets Edward and asks him to find the letter that Riva sent into the show.

Stevie is blunt and this causes some resentment between her and Edward, but Edward’s Estate Agent and one time lover, Kim, is on hand to keep the trio together.

As romance scams that many locals had fallen prey to are revealed, I really felt for the stories which felt all to real. I did guess, quite early on, who was behind the scams, but it didn’t spoil the ending for me. In fact, I prefer it when clues are peppered through the story rather than the reader being blindsided by new information when the protagonist is revealed.

As I was born and bred in Devon it was nice to see a shout out to a lot of local places, and some that were created for the story.

Darkness comes to sunny Sidmouth, when, unable to cope after a devastating tragedy, late night radio talk show host Edward Temmis is let go from his beloved job. Cast adrift, his outlook is bleak – until he meets Stevie, whose grandmother, a devoted listener, died in a suspicious fire last year. Well, nobody hurts his listeners and helping Stevie might just give him the purpose he needs. When their investigation stalls, they enlist local estate agent Kim, with whom Edward had a doomed fling last year. Working together, they discover Stevie’s grandmother wasn’t the only one of his listeners targeted.
This was a case of half listening to the audio book & half reading & I much preferred listening as the narrator brought life to the book. A slow start to the book & I think if I’d just been reading I would have given up but the narrator saved it for me. I think this book shows that there isn’t a book in all celebrities
I voluntarily read and reviewed a special copy of this book; all thoughts and opinions are my own

I took a while to get into this book, but I’m glad I persevered as it got better. I’m afraid I guessed the perpetrator quite early on, the dialogue in Edward’s garden gave it away. Sidmouth and its surroundings were well described, it’s an endearing place, which comes across nicely. There were a few ‘ooh’ moments when the plot surprised me. I’m wondering if this is the first in a series, and how the characters will develop?

Murder on Line One by Jeremy Vine and narrated by himself, was a "very slow" burn audiobook. I was looking forward in listening to this audiobook especially as I love Jeremy Vine's radio and TV shows etc which is he famous for. However, I could not get into it, I found it disjointed and I could not connect with the main characters and the story! Jeremy was monotoned and the story was boring. . . . There was nothing that drew me into the story. Shame though as I was looking forward to his book/audiobook.

I was confused what this book was gene was meant to be!: was it a romance? a cosy mystery, or a thriller.
All these different styles of writing within this book, do not work well together, particularly the romance parts they were dire, which could have fitted well into this story, should of rounded this book up!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK Audio | HarperCollins for my ARC's

The story is set in Sidmouth, on the coast of Devon. Late-night radio talk show host Edward Temmis is interested in a crime that comes to his notice - an unsolved murder. Edward has been sacked from his job and he meets Stevie, whose grandmother was a fan! Edward, Stevie and an old friend, Kim, decide to investigate this mystery and uncover other crimes, where his listeners have been targeted. Who? Why? How? These amateur sleuths are an unlikely trio. It is full of twists and turns, which leads to an explosive ending.

A really enjoyable read. Edward Temmis is a popular radio host, working on a local Devon station on the evening phone in show. Following the tragic death of his son 11 months ago, Edward has been on compassionate leave. Summoned to a meeting with his boss, Edward's job is no more. However this can't be a simple meeting; drama follows him wherever he goes. When young adult Stevie tracks him down as she thinks he can throw light on the death of her grandmother, more adventures begin. Edward, Stevie and local estate agent Kim form an unlikely trio. Lots of adventures and although I guessed early on who was behind the schemes, I enjoyed the way it was unveiled. Great characters and a story.#netgalley #murderonlineone

Late night radio talk show host Edward is let go from his job and feels as though he is adrift. He then meets Stevie whose grandmother, a listener of the show, passed away in suspicious circumstances. Edward uses this as an opportunity to have a purpose and enlists others to get to the bottom of the mystery but discovers there may be more listeners following a similar fate than first believed.

I was interested to read this due to the premise. The mystery surrounding listeners of a radio show sounded compelling and I was keen to see where the author would take this. Even though this was a good concept, I sadly found the story quite a trudge to get through, mainly due to the slow pace, repetition and overly descriptive language. I feel like this would have benefited from being shorter.

I also found that I struggled to connect to the characters, which combined with the writing style, meant my interest was never properly held and it ended up predictable. Even though this wasn’t for me at the time of reading, most likely as I have read quite a few similar style novels recently, I appreciate what the author was trying to do and can see others really enjoying this, especially those who are a fan of the author and like a cosy crime mystery with a clever concept. 2.5 stars rounded down. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in return for an honest review.

A lot of information and characters especially in the first few chapters, but keep with it as it’s a fabulous read.
Keeps you on the edge of your seat with it’s intricate plot and well developed characters
Found the main character very similar to the author himself
Perfect for fans of Richard Osman or Janice Hallett
Thanks @thejeremyvine @harperfiction & @netgalley for the fabulous eARC

I love Jeremy Vine so I was very excited to read this book, there were up and down moments but overall I enjoyed the twists and turns and I enjoyed the second half better.

A masterful addition to the 'cozy crime' genre, amusing and tragic in equal measures.

A dreadful tragedy threatens to overwhelm Edward, a late night local radio host, causing him to loose his job. Cast adrift and very much alone, the outlook for Edward is dismal until he is contacted by Stevie. Stevie's beloved grandmother, a huge fan of Edward and regular caller to his show, died in a house fire. Stevie struggles to believe the fire was accidental and enlist's Edward's help to try and prove otherwise. Joined by Kim, a local estate agent, the trio discover a pattern involving many of Edward's faithful listeners. Against all the odds, can they solve this conundrum before time runs out?

The first few pages were a tad confusing however I soon realised the author has cleverly set the scene to help the reader immediately understand the mental anguish Edward is struggling with. Starting off fairly slowly as it introduces many of the characters, the story picks up pace before it reaches its dramatic conclusion. Within the drama are enough twists to keep the reader interested whilst also exploring the emotional roller coaster of grief and the guilt that often consumes when tragedy strikes. Edward's memory has blocked out the actual event and the emotional impact this has on him is sensitively documented, In amongst the appalling crimes and sadness are some entertaining and humorous moments, many as a result of Stevie's way of speaking.

Jeremy Vine's descriptions of life and the people inhabiting a small, coastal town are excellent. Living in a town where everybody seems to know you, or knows someone who knows you, can be suffocating. The author's descriptions of the narrowness and claustrophobia this evokes are very realistic. The scene has definitely been set for this to be the start of a very entertaining series, fingers crossed there will be more mysteries for these three amateur sleuths to investigate.

With many thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollinsUK for my advanced reader copy in return for my honest and unbiased review.

When Edward loses his job on the radio, a year after the death of his son, he tries hard to move on with a new job at the local Garden Centre. But when his old faithful listeners start to come to him with different stories of woe, he begins to piece them together and wonders if there is somehow a link in his previous job.
I liked the characters in this book and Edwards relationship with Stevie, who had lost her grandmother, and blank the estate agent for whom he had a soft spot. This is an easy, enjoyable read.

i requested this book more for the author than the story as i wanted to see if he coupd write... I really struggled with this i found it really slow to get into put once i got through ot started to pick up pace a little the story is interesting and the end was good .

I’ve been reading this book for two weeks now and I’m not getting anywhere with it. It has obviously been written by an elderly gentleman, because of the way older aged euphemisms he uses. But I couldn’t get a grip on what the story was supposed to be about. I understand in the opening pages you introduce the characters and it takes awhile for the gist to be given. But I still had no idea who the characters were or what their stories are, even though I got quite a way through the book.

I would’ve loved to have gotten more out of this book as I was really excited to have had it recommended from NetGalley, but I am so disappointed in it. As you can gather, I didn’t finish it Which is a shame as it’s probably quite good when you get closer towards the end. I know Jeremy Vine has written books before, so I actually expected more from this book but it really didn’t give me anything, not even pleasure.

An OK read but wasn't for me. I felt that Vine was trying to write literary fiction rather than good crime fiction and managed neither. As a first novel I'm sure he has learnt a lot and I look forward to his next one.

Always good to write from insight so using a radio station as a backdrop to this book was a good move for radio and television broadcaster Jeremy Vine. Not the best of its kind I have read but absorbing none the less. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to ARC this book.