Wounded Snake, The

This was my first introduction to Fay Sampson (who apparently has a list of titles to her name), and I think I've found a new series to add to my reading list.  The Wounded Snake appears to be book 2 in the West Country Mystery series), but it could easily be a stand-alone.  Some long-running series are difficult to pick up in the middle, but I didn't feel that I was missing vital information about the characters in this book.

Hilary and her friend Veronica head to Morland Abbey for a course on writing mysteries.  As a retired teacher, Hilary has plans for a historical setting whilst Veronica is leaning towards a romance.  Unfortunately, their weekend is disrupted when first the guest of honor is poisoned and then one of the course leaders ends up dead.

Hilary and Veronica--while older ladies with adult children--do not fall into the Miss Marple mold, and are soon on the case.  Interesting story and plot twists, and the setting was well-used.  Highly recommended for those looking for their next read.

A digital review copy was provided by NetGalley.

Hugely enjoyable mystery from Fay Sampson. A crime writing weekend at the scenic and atmospheric 14th century Morland Abbey does not go according to plan for friends Hilary Masters and Veronica Taylor when a series of bizarre events unfolds and the crime becomes rather real when murder rears its ugly head. Well told and well plotted with credible characterisation and likeable protagonists, falls into the cosy genre but not, perhaps, as predictable as you may at first think. An entertaining read that I devoured in one sitting. Fans of this genre should be delighted with this.
This is book 2 in the West Country Mystery series (Book 1 being 'The Wounded Thorn' ) - worth noting is that on Amazon listings both books are listed, at time of writing, as being Book 1 in the series, annoying and potentially confusing for new readers of these very engaging books.

(Review to be published on Amazon)

Somehow I had missed reading anything by Fay Sampson and as soon as I finished this one I checked with my local library. To my delight they had an e-copy of The Wounded Thorn (2015) and soon I will have read that one, too. Hilary and Veronica are a lovely change from the vast number of 20 and 30 something female protagonists in cozies these days. I love those mysteries, too but sometimes I enjoy spending a murder investigation with amateurs closer to my age and older. This duo fits the bill very nicely.
The ladies have arrived at Morland Abbey for a writer's weekend in order to fine tune their writing, get some fresh ideas and maybe even find a new setting or two. They are excited that a well known mystery writer will be part of the weekend course but are disappointed when she falls ill and is whisked away to hospital. Was it just a bug? or was she poisoned? As she hasn't become a corpse, attention again turns to the seminar. While searching the surrounding area for setting ideas Hilary and Veronica find a body! As if that isn't enough, another killing occurs, this time it's one of the seminar organizers. There's a lot of investigating to be done and time is of the essence. As a fan of Midsomer Murder and Agatha Christie, this was a perfect fit. It didn't disappoint me. I hope there will be another entry in this series.