Julia Bird loves a walk in the countryside. There’s nothing quite like the fresh air and green rolling hills of the Cotswolds to clear your head. Unless you come across a dead body, that is…
When the local Berrywick vet, Dr Eve Davies, is found dead at the bottom of a cliff, the police believe it’s nothing more than a tragic accident, but Julia isn’t so sure. Just a few days earlier when she took her dog, Jake, to the vets, Dr Eve said she believed something awful was about to happen. It turns out she was right…
But who would want the beloved village vet dead? Was it her mother Kay, a down-and-out gambler who stands to inherit her unwedded daughter’s home? Was it her assistant Olga, who was close to getting fired? Or was it her cut-throat tennis partner Will, with whom Dr Eve had an argument shortly before she took a tumble? And who is the stranger skulking around Berrywick peering into people’s windows?
When a second body appears in the exact spot where Dr Eve was found, Julia knows it can’t be a coincidence. Both victims were pushed off the cliff, but why? Should Julia let sleeping dogs lie, or will she be like a dog with a bone to find the murderer?
A totally gripping and charming cosy mystery set in the English countryside. Fans of M.C. Beaton, Faith Martin and Betty Rowlands will love the Julia Bird Mysteries.
My Rating:
Favorite Quotes:
The thing about a conversation with Nicky was that when it ended, you really appreciated the silence. The
Johnny had an ancient terrier who had looked to be on his last legs since Julia had arrived in Berrywick, but was still staggering gamely around the paths and fields two years later. She’d begun to wonder if he was in fact immortal.
It’s a strange fact of life that even in the most terrible circumstances, life persists in going about its business. The earth turns. Day follows night follows day. Dinner follows lunch follows breakfast.
Julia noted that Eve’s name had been transformed. She was now universally referred to not as Eve, but as Poor Eve, with a capital P.
My Review:
This satisfying and entertaining read kept me guessing and engaged. I enjoy the amusing humor and sneaky wry wit of these two clever scribes. The storylines unfolded with an easy and smooth flow and were populated with authentic, uniquely conjured, and quirky small village residents. What’s not to like about that?
About the Authors
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Katie Gayle is the writing partnership of best-selling South African writers, Kate Sidley and Gail Schimmel. Kate and Gail have, between them, written over ten books of various genres, but with Katie Gayle, they both make their debut in the cozy mystery genre. Both Gail and Kate live in Johannesburg, with their husbands, children, dogs, and cats.
