This book hooked me immediately with its heartbreaking and emotional opening.

From there, it was gripping and suspenseful right up to the end.

I like how character driven this book is and I love the unlikely threesome who became amateur sleuths.

For me, this book was well-thought out, making it brilliant! Everything tied up so perfectly at the end and it left me feeling happy, knowing everything was resolved.

I am a huge for of audiobooks and enjoy when authors narrate their own books. In my opinion, who better to give life and a voice to the characters other than the author? I thoroughly enjoyed Jeremy Vine’s narration!

I highly recommend this 5 star read. It’s the first I’ve listened to by this author and I wait in anticipation, with fingers crossed, that the author will write another phenomenal mystery soon!

Thank you NetGalley, Jeremy Vine, and HarperCollins UK Audio for the opportunity to listen to this delightfully suspenseful audiobook ahead of the proposed April 24th release date.

Murder on Line One brings the cosy crime murder mystery to a new locale; a local radio station. I enjoyed listening to Jeremy Vibe read this book ,a good story .Set in Sidmouth Devon, Edward is a local radio presenter until tragedy happens, and his son dies in a hit and run, and because of his grief, he was let go.

He meets Stevie, whose Grandma dies suspiciously, and the mystery begins when they start piecing all the facts together.

It's a simple read, offering moments of levity, even if it does take a while to get going. Characters where relatable helps you to keep reading to see if they get justice.

It's perfect for fans of Reverend Richard Cole or those looking for something not too taxing to sit back, read, and enjoy.

Thanks to @netgalley , the author and publishers for the ARC.

The reason I chose this book was down to the author. Whilst I'm not the biggest fan of Jeremy Vine, I was "swept up" in the current climate of "celebs writing fiction" culture!
That aside, I did have high hopes for this book, but sadly, I just couldn't quite get into it, and if it hadn't been an ARC, I probably would've DNF'd it, as I was getting frustrated with not being able to read more than a fee pages at a time. That being said, the premis of the story is quite good, and the main character is very similar to the author himself. It does tend to get rather waffley, too.

I wouldn't dissuade anyone from reading this book but I would've preferred to have physically read the book rather than the audiobook which is how it was sent by #netgalley simply because I find the authors voice quite monotonous (even though when I listen to autobiographies I prefer the author to narrate).

I gave this a 3*/5 on @goodreads
I think this is quite generous of me considering I didn't like it, but that's not to say I don't recognise the effort gone into writing it.

I enjoy audiobooks, but did not enjoy this narration. Not a big fan of this unfortunately. I would hate to bring down the score of the reviews, but I wanted to be truthful.

*Murder on Line One* is an engaging mystery that combines suspense with human connection. The story revolves around a late-night radio host investigating a string of suspicious listener deaths while dealing with personal loss. As he delves deeper into the mystery, secrets emerge that challenge his perceptions of justice and danger. The novel features vivid descriptions, emotional depth, and a well-paced narrative that keeps readers intrigued. It explores themes of grief, redemption, and the strength found in community bonds, making it a thoughtful and captivating read for fans of mysteries and character-driven stories.

Riding the wave of broadcaster-turned-author comes Jeremy Vine’s entry into the cosy thriller genre. I had access to the arc of both the ebook and the audio version and would recommend reading rather than listening. Presenting and acting are very different skill sets and I am getting frustrated by the number of writers who are doing a terrible job of reading the audio version of their own books.

The novel’s central character, Edward Temmis, felt like self-indulgent wish-fulfilment, with the lionisation of a local radio host by his adoring fans. The plot’s twists seemed fairly obvious to me from quite early on, despite also feeling far-fetched. Overall it was okay-ish but I wouldn’t particularly recommend it or want to read another book about the same characters. Once was definitely enough.

With thanks to NetGalley, the piano the author for an arc of this book.

This is a book that has a lot going on, but it works. It took a while for the mystery to kick in, so there was time to get to know the characters and become interested in them. I found the characters likeable, and I was invested in their stories and their relationships.

There’s a little humour and quite a lot of heart to this book. There are also a few crazy moments that felt a little over the top, and some that felt too drawn out, but I went with it and overall I enjoyed the book.

I’d definitely classify this as a cosy mystery, with its Devon setting and a protagonist who worked as a local radio DJ. It was certainly a lot gentler than the mysteries and detective novels I usually read, but may be slightly grittier than I imagine many cosy mysteries to be.

I was attracted to the audiobook because I enjoy Jeremy Vine’s voice, and I always think it’s interesting to hear how an author brings their characters to life. I did find that with this, the narration had pauses in strange places and didn’t flow quite as I expected.

3.75 stars, rounded up.

My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy to review.

Radio host Edward Temmis has been off work since tragedy struck his family. When the granddaughter of one of his listeners approaches him asking for his help in investigating her grandmother's death Edward finds it difficult to refuse, leading to shocking findings.

The opening chapter of Murder On Line One by Jeremy Vine is an intriguing one with Edward Temmis, a local radio talk show host approaching a boy's football match and cheering on his son. Mystery surrounds why he is avoiding all of the other parents - and then the chapter ends with a sucker punch.

We learn that Edward has been off work for almost a year and in that time new management has made a clean sweep of all the older presenters, with Edward quickly following. While at his new job in the local garden centre Edward is approached by a young woman asking him to help her look into her grandmother's death. Stevie is convinced that her grandmother was murdered and it is connected to Edward's radio show. Edward doesn't see how the death and his show can be linked but agrees to help.

The investigation surrounding the death takes Edward down a number of different avenues, some of which are dead ends. Not only does he come across some red herrings but there is also someone actively conspiring against him discovering answers. I thoroughly enjoyed the direction the story took once it was clear what crime had taken place.

When the villain is finally uncovered the author takes the opportunity to add another layer, or two, to the story, making the conclusion even more unexpected and exciting. Overall, what started out as a slow burner turned into a gripping thriller once it got into its stride. It's also difficult to categorise this, my initial thoughts had it down as cosy crime but some of the elements are a bit grisly.

Sorry I couldn’t get past the first couple of chapters, I’m sure the story is fine but I think it should have been read by a professional narrator rather than Jeremy Vine as it just didn’t work.

I can only sum this up by saying great concept but poor execution. This was way too much of a slow burn for me as well as the dialogue and character development were both clumsy and boring in my opinion. I honestly think this one was just too quirky for me and the narrators voice was distracting

Edward Temmis has not been on air since his son’s death. A trauma he finds it difficult to cope with. Stevie comes to him after her Nan dies. She was one of his listeners and the investigations will commence. More listeners are found to have been conned out of thousands of pounds but who is responsible?

A murder mystery written and narrated by Jeremy Vine (I listened to the audiobook). Good characters in a radio presenter mystery. Who caused the death of Edward’s son and how did Stevie’s Nan die? Read to find out.

Late night talk show host Edward finds himself without a job, when he struggles to cope with the death of his son. Feeling like a washed-up has-been, he is keen to get stuck in to solving a mystery when he is approached by the granddaughter of one of his listeners, who died in a house fire, with the granddaughter believing there may be more to it than an accident.

I am a big Jeremy Vine fan so I was keen to listen to this, especially as Jeremy is also the audiobook narrator. It's a great story, a little too cozy crime for my usual taste and the plot was quite slow and drawn out, but there was a lot more to it than I had expected and lots of twists and unexpected revelations.

The character development was excellent and I felt immersed in Edward's life, as well as the other characters involved in the story. The relationships between them all are portrayed with just the right level of emotion and the setting of Sidmouth was gorgeously described.

3 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Jeremy Vine and Harper Collins for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Unfortunately this story was overshadowed by the narrator. Just because he is good on the radio (I love him on the radio) I was excited by this book, it sounded really good. Sadly I was very distracted by his voice and consequently could not concentrate on the story. I will be picking up a paper copy but the audiobook is not for me.

Murder on Line One follows Edward, a radio host with a devoted audience as he tries to solve the mystery of who is targeting them. When we first meet Edward, he’s at a low point in his life and trying to figure out what he can do next. Initially unaware of anything nefarious, he’s approached by Stevie who is looking for answers around her grandmother’s recent death. Why Edward? Well, her grandmother was one of his doting audience. This kicks off what is a large-scale operation targeting the pensioners of Sidmouth.

On paper this book has everything that should captivate me, mystery, conspiracy, and murder all set up around a radio station. However, I found it extremely hard to engage with the story. For me it came down to the following things: Dialogue, character, and conclusion.

The dialogue at times was very heavy handed, to the point where it took me out of the story. An example being a character who had a loved one die in a horrific manner being explained in detail how that death happened, quickly followed by a half-hearted apology and then no reaction from the character being spoken to. The purpose felt only to inform the reader what happened (despite already knowing all the details) and not to build characters further.

On the characters it felt as if each was loaded with traumatic backstory, as if this would give them depth. For me this left many of them feeling very flat and hard to connect to. This was a pity as there so much potential to explore for each of them.

The twist at the conclusion was not a surprise for me. About halfway through I had figured out who was behind everything. As for their motives though, it felt entirely based on stereotypes, rather than something more genuine.

Overall, while the writing wasn’t bad and I did really enjoy the premise, I struggled to connect with the characters and spent the second half of the book frustrated while it slowly got to the reveal. With that I can’t say I would recommend the book to others.

2.5*

Another celebrity novel. Here the author immerses himself in the world of radio, with which he is familiar.

Edward Temmis (often asked “as in Wimbledon” as his surname is misheard as tennis) is a radio presenter at the local station. He runs the evening programme and has an incredibly loyal following of geriatrics (women, mainly)

However, a year ago he suffered the loss of his young son through a hit and run accident, which naturally left him traumatised, and now he is laid off by the radio station. A natty young woman takes over his slot and his listeners are not amused (I mean, you really don’t want to upset a load of ‘crumblies‘ – sadly rather stereotyped!). He takes a job at a Garden Centre, where he is approached by a young woman, Stevie, who is adamant that her grandmother had made contact with him through one of his evening programmes, whereby she had alerted him to on-going drama in her life. He has no recollection. Now, that grandmother – Rebecca ‘Riva’ Mason (a very old-fashioned name that sets this grandmother firmly in the very old person category, apparently) – is dead, having jumped head first from a second storey window in her home in order to escape a fire. The description of her head hitting the ground is probably meant to be darkly humorous. It isn’t. Stevie implores Edward to look into the case, because she is convinced there is more to her death than meets the eye.

Edward is a conscientious and good natured sort of bloke, who has bought a run-down home, which is on the cusp of falling off a cliff (erosion due to climate change, just one of the themes in the novel which also include, romance scamming, drones and domestic abuse..). He had a very brief and lustful fling with the estate agent who sold the house to him (there’s clearly life in the old dog yet) but otherwise he has a tendency to keep himself to himself.

Various characters file through the narrative and there is an incredible level of description and observation which is engaging – but only up to a point (take the young man working at the radio station who has unruly ginger hair – oops, another stereotype). In some ways it’s enjoyable to observe what is going on through the eyes of the author but clearly Vine, during his day-to-day life, has amassed a stockpile of observations and is now determined to slide them into the narrative, which can make the prose feel over-written at times. He is trying far too hard, over-egging the pudding.

There is a fine line between humour and fatuousness, and some of the quips teeter precariously between the two. There are just TOO many similes, employed to add a level of wry jocularity – I felt swamped by them, as they whipped through their ribald paces. Of Rebecca’s farmhouse he says: “The large front porch jutted proud like the chin of a champion boxer…” Errr.

Goodness, there are some not-so-funny tropes that feel well worn: for example, confusing the Japanese/Chinese; and introducing a female character with Tourette’s Syndrome, who hails from a religious family. Her pronouncements and utterances garner cheap laughs as she melds the godly with profound swearing. Really, the publishers let this through? The titter-worthy moments can be rather cringeworthy.

Look, there is a decent story at the heart of the novel and some interesting writing, Overall this a soufflé of ideas and characters which hold together reasonably well, but the narrative is peppered with a lot of unappealing constructs.

Sidmouth and Devon come through loud and clear.

A superbly executed cosy thriller centring around a radio host, who has been let go from his job following a personal tragedy. When Stevie gets in touch regarding her beloved gran, who passed away and was an avid listener of the show, it soon becomes apparent that her death may not have been the accident it was made to seem. With the help of Kim, a local estate agent, the trio soon uncover a web of deceit, and a deathly money making scheme, all linked somehow to the radio show. Someone is targeting the vulnerable listeners, and it is time they were stopped. An intelligent and twisty crime with loveable amateur detectives at its core. The audiobook ties in well with the radio show format. A hit thriller and hopefully there will be more from this trio in future. #murderonlineone #jeremyvine #netgalley #cosycrime

This is a quirky story that,I think would appeal to a male reader with it's details of the type of various machines. It is quite clever with a red herring or two. It also follows the advice of write about what you know and so is centred on a radio show presenter who stumbles in to a world he’s unprepared for.

After reading Murder On Line One I felt the story had well written twists and turns leaving it unpredictable. The story line draws you into the centre of the plot. The deeper I became into the books centre the more I felt a sense of escapism from the outside world. This was a welcome feeling. I found myself engrossed with the characters emotions. The main down side, I thought it was a little slow to begin with, then it started to pick up pace. In conclusion, if you like murder and mystery I'm sure you will enjoy this book. Especially if your main objective is to escape from the world around you, this will be a read made for you.

My first book by this author, the story was good but occasionally he dragged out the revelation of certain bits of information just a bit too far to the point that couldn’t believe the characters themselves weren’t shouting oh for gods sake just spit it out!!! But the story was good and for this reason I would read this author again and just skim the occasional dragged out bits

So I enjoy watching Jeremy Vine on his channel 5 show and was looking forward to reading a novel by his quirky self.

Edward Temmis is a local radio host who is let go by his employer after struggling with the grief of losing his son.

He is approached by a young woman one day who asks for his help investigating her grabdmothers death. Her gran was a regular listener to his show and she has reason to believe she was murdered. This leads to finding out about other suspicious deaths of Edwards listeners and so the sleuthing starts.

I listened to this audio and found the first few chapters long winded and hard to get into. It did improve but there's possibly a bit more editing required for this story.

Thanks Netgalley for this audiobook