This was such a good book. I absolutely enjoyed it and look forward to reading other books by this author in the future. Great writing and wonderful storyline.

Morwenna, an amateur sleuth, is hoping for a quiet life after her last investigation, but when local DJ Irina asks to meet and share information about suspicious activities, Morwenna can’t resist. However, Irina never shows up for their planned drink. Instead, her body is found washed up on the beach, apparently the victim of an accidental drowning.

As a keen wild swimmer herself, Morwenna knows something doesn’t add up—Irina was an experienced swimmer who knew the local waters well. Driven by curiosity and a sense of justice, Morwenna begins to dig into Irina’s life, uncovering a dangerous secret and searching for answers about who would want her dead and why.

amateur-sleuth, contemporary, Cornish-coast, cozy-mystery, family, family-dynamics, family-history, festivals, friends, ghostie, librarian, local-gossip, local-law-enforcement, multigenerational, murder, pet-cat, read, situational-humor, small-business, small-town, swimming, teashop, TV-personality, verbal-humor*****

There's nothing better after a difficult day than coming to the Cornwall coast and having a good time swimming in the surf with Morwenna, her tea shop, the ghostie, and the latest murder investigation. I love the way Morwenna sets about doing her own thing in her own way from attire to transportation to opinions and sleuthing. And don't forget her eighty-something mother who simply must swim every single day regardless of the weather. This time the victim is a local news personality who was about to air someone's dirty laundry. For everyone who likes her, there are two others who dislike and/or fear her. Serious business, but lots of fun to be had, too!
I requested and received a free temporary uncorrected proof copy from Boldwood Books via NetGalley. Thank you!
Avail Jan 04, 2025 #TheCreamTeaKiller by @JudyLeighWriter #MorwennaMuttonMysteriesBk3 #NetGalley @BoldwoodBooks #CozyMystery #Cornwall

Enter Morwenna..
The third outing in the Morwenna Mutton series of mysteries finds Morwenna happily ensconced in Seal Bay, Cornwall, hoping that life will soon be back to normality. That, however, is not to be as a body is about to be washed up on a local beach. Enter Morwenna, stage left, and let the investigations begin. Wholly entertaining with an eclectic cast of well drawn characters, a well imagined backdrop and a plot laced amply with humour. A worthy addition to this enjoyable series.

3.5 stars

The third entry in a contemporary cozy series set in Cornwall featuring 4 generations of the tough, outspoken Mutton women. The main character is Morwenna, the grandmother, who helps her daughter run a tea shop when she's not working at the library. Morwenna is hardy and rides her electric bike all over as her main method of transportation.

She is one of a group of mostly women who do wild swimming - jumping into the frigid ocean - once or twice a week to blast their senses and get some exercise. She also seems to trip over dead bodies fairly often.

What's to like: strong female characters, tight-knit community, nice glimpse into Cornish customs and geography. I did grow weary of usually decisive Morwenna's romantic angst having to do with her ex-husband who lives across the street, which seems to be an ongoing theme in the three books I have read.

Morwenna's friend Irina, a local radio personality, is in pursuit of a big story and promises to spill all over a drink with Morwenna. But she never shows, and her body washes up on the beach and is found by Morwenna, who has an implausible relationship with the local police. Although they constantly warn her off of pushing into their investigations, they clearly don't really mean it.

The action is a bit over the top at times but nicely paced. The small town feeling is well-portrayed. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

'The Cream Tea Killer' by Judy Leigh.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I love this series of books. This one is probably my favourite of the series. I love the added addition of Blessed, she's brilliant. I felt like this one was a lot more fast paced then normal but I enjoyed that. And I like the added twists at the end, I wasn't expecting them.
If you love cosy crime and a beautiful location then give this series a read.

Morwenna Mutton should be living the quiet life of a librarian and grandmother in Cornwall’s beautiful Seal Bay – if only dead bodies would stop turning up…
After the excitement of her last investigation, amateur sleuth Morwenna is looking forward to things getting back to normal. When local DJ Irina asks to meet however, desperate to share information she has discovered regarding nefarious goings-on, Morwenna can’t resist.
But Irina never arrives for their drink – instead her body is washed up on the beach, an apparent victim of an accidental drowning. At once keen wild bather Morwenna knows something is amiss as Irina was a strong swimmer who knew the local conditions well. What had Irina uncovered and who would want her dead?
When the local news dubs Irina’s murderer The Cream Tea Killer in honour of Cornwall’s famous delicacy, the clock starts ticking. Now the murderer knows Morwenna is on their trail, no one in her family is safe. She must get to the truth before the killer gets to her…

I usually absolutely love Judy Leigh’s books however this one, although good in places, really didn’t grab my attention. I did finish it but it’s really not a book for me!

Thank you to Netgalley the author and publishers for an arc in exchange for an honest review

I didn't realize when I picked this book up that it was the second in a series. Though it was apparent that several relationships were set up in the first, I didn't feel that lost while reading. I must say that I'm really enjoying the trend of cozy mysteries having the lead sleuth be a senior citizens. The main character, Morwenna is so lively and quick witted. But she is also the type of character to go into the woods alone in a scary movie. It's both ridiculous and a lot of fun in a mystery. I had a lot of fun reading this novel and I can't wait for the next installment.

This is the second of this series that I have read. I like the setting a great deal, and the MC is a strong, independent woman in a community filled with strong women. That is refreshing. I did not love the mystery itself in this book, but I would recommend this series to readers of cozy mysteries.

Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC!

Well written with an enjoyable mystery. I really like the fact Judy Leigh peoples her books with more mature characters and Morwenna is one of my favourites After all the recent excitement and investigatiuons, Morwenna Mutton is hoping that life will get back to normal. But what she hasn't realised is that THAT is now normal for her . . . This was another great entry in the Morwenna Mutton Mystery series, it had that concept that I enjoyed from the previous book I read in this series. As well as the humour and wit in her novels and the fabulous characters and stories, Judy Leigh's settings are excellent too. In the Morwenna Mutton series, Seal Bay comes to life with its coast, all the little shops around and the people who live and work in the area. It’s all so easy to picture and you feel like you are there, right in with all the action.

This was another great entry in the Morwenna Mutton Mystery series, it had that concept that I enjoyed from the previous book I read in this series. Judy Leigh wrote this strongly and was engaged with what was happening. The characters had that concept that I was looking for and glad I got to read this.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC! I thoroughly enjoyed this cosy mystery and felt myself transported to a warm (and rainy) day on the Cornish coastline.

Morwenna is the towns amateur sleuth and she always has her nose in the air searching for trouble. When an acquaintance turns up dead and the mystery deepens she steps up and begins her own investigation which ends with fiery and intense final showdown! I loved the familial bonds that the Mutton family have with lots of strong independent women who aren’t afraid to express themselves, as well as the ties to some very modern day issues for both Cornwall and the country as a whole.

Overall this was a fun, cosy read and I hope to hear from Morwenna again; because I’m absolutely certain this won’t be the end of her sleuthing!

A cozy crime book? Say less. I loved it. It was the perfect book to read as the months get colder and darker. I read it in one sitting. It ended up feeling like I wasn't even reading. If you want a cozy murder crime vibe, This is your book.

Morwenna Mutton is one of those amateur sleuths that I find both intriguing and maddening. She's smart and clever about sorting out clues but, well, sometimes doesn't show much common sense in how she gets them. This go-round, she finds her snooping may put not just her but those she loves in danger, too. That's one angle you don't see often in cozy mysteries, the fact that an even semi-intelligent murderer might not hesitate to harm your loved ones if you get too close, so kudos to Judy Leigh for going there. Morwenna is also almost 63 year-old, so she's hardly got youth as an excuse. Even more amazing, she seems to be on friendly working terms with Jane, the local investigator, so her habit of not sharing until she finds out just one more thing, so to speak, seems foolhardy.

Nonetheless, Morwenna is determined to see justice done, using her wits and smarts to find out, in this case, who killed radio DJ Irina. She's told Morwenna she was on the verge of uncovering something important but didn't share. You guessed it. She had one more thing to verify before sharing. Bad move. They plan to meet the next morning. Irina is a no-show. Initially Morwenna doesn't think too much about it, expecting she'd been detained, but when her efforts to locate Irina prove fruitless, she pretty much begins investigating without much thought. That's when the trouble... and danger.... begins. Irina's body is found washed up along the shore near where Morwenna and a group of avid swimmers meet to share their love of the sport, even when the water is frigid. Brr. Cornwall isn't exactly a tropical spot in England. In any case, she's pushy and has the help of Ruan, her ex-husband who just happens to live across the street. There's a love-triangle of sorts involved, too, although quite frankly, I'm on Team Ruan. All that aside, putting herself into some dicey situations, usually with Ruan along, Morwenna slowly uncover the secret Irina died without revealing.

I won't detail any more of the plot but it was far more intricate than expected. I liked Morwenna although, sigh, a little bit of her, oh, so talkative grand-daughter went a long way. Toss in Morwenna's attraction to Barnaby, a monied plastic surgeon, while obviously harboring feeling for Ruan wore on me. I like Ruan's calm, always-there-for- her presence. That said, I didn't dislike even the annoying grand-daughter, who desperately wants a real dog, but just wished for less of her. Seal Bay seems an intriguing place, full of interesting characters, and, oh, yes, there's that little matter of whether the library Morwenna works at is haunted. Louise, a friend and co-worker, is on Team Ghost, I'll note. And let's not forget Brenda, the cat, who seems to have the ability to sleep peacefully through almost everything, even gun shots. Bottom line, an intriguing multi-level mystery with likable, interesting characters, even if I do think I'd pass on the swimming sessions. And, oops, almost forgot, thanks #BoldwoodBooks for not only allowing me an early peek at Morwenna's latest adventures but including that handy glossary of terms. I'm happy to say that I didn't much need it as they mostly made sense, but was handy to have.

Morwena is asked by local DJ for a meeting as Inna wanrs to share information she has uncovered. However,
Inna never shows uo and is reported missing. When Inna's body is wased up to the beach, the death is ruled
as an accidental drowning. Morwena is suspicious as Inna was a strong swimmer and is determined to find out
what really happened. As her investigation continurs, she poses a real threat to the killer.
Supportive family and friends - enjoyable cozy.
#TheCreamTeaKiller #BoldwoodBooks #NetGalley

I particularly enjoyed the Cornwall setting of this book. Also the mystery has a good balance of menace and romance.

After all the recent excitement and investigatiuons, Morwenna Mutton is hoping that life will get back to normal. But what she hasn't realised is that THAT is now normal for her...

When Irina's body washes up on the beach after she fails to meet Morwenna for a pre-arranged drink and a chat to discuss some suspect goings-on. Morwenna is duty bound to investiagte what happened to her.

But, yet again, Morwenna's pursuit of the truth puts her famnily in danger...

Another excellent addition to this delightful series