Death in the Long Walk

by Hilary Pugh

Good food, good company and a criminal to catch.

Jonny Cardew is bored. He’s worked hard all his life at a financially rewarding but dull job when all he ever wanted to do was to solve murders. Now he has time on his hands, but is it too late to be a detective?
A chance meeting over breakfast with three quirky characters and a dog in need of rehoming could change his life.
When a body is found at a nearby beauty spot the police believe it to be a case of death by natural causes. Jonny and his friends think differently and set out to discover the truth. On the way they meet some decidedly suspicious people all with motives to kill.

Can the Breakfast Club Detectives solve the case? Or will they uncover things that would have been better left alone?

If you like a twisty mystery, start reading now to find out.

Genres: Mystery, British Literature

240 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 20, 2023

Reviews

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars for me as I could not engage with the mix of characters and/or action even though the concept appealed to me.
It is a very simple book if one is looking for a pleasant escape.

Kindle Unlimited

[Jinny Alexander · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just discovered this author after reading a short story she's written as a prequel to this series. I really enjoyed this, not least because it's very well-written. The story is set in Windsor, not long after the Queens funeral, which grounds the story well in time and place. The breakfast club Detectives are a disparate bunch of unlikely friends but the events are woven together so well that their alliance is totally believable. That there are many characters pints of view throughout the book could have made for clunky and disjointed reading, but it is done so well it is easy to follow and never feels contrived of as if the narrator is headhopping. The story itself is nice and twisty, with some interesting new ideas that stopped the book from being 'samey' while still meeting all the elements of a good cozy crime read. I'm looking forward to the next one already.

[L.A. Sartor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun story

I had no idea what to expect, but fell in love with the characters right away. And Harold:) Looking forward to reading the next book.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

🌳🏰🌳Motley crew on the case: good & unpredictable cozy🔍

Death on the Long Walk wasn't as quick a read as I'd expected but it kept me puzzled and guessing right through to the end and featured a really great amateur investigative team, believable and from all walks of life. I think it was these characters and the way they interacted that really made this cozy murder mystery work.

My heart went out to young handyman Ivo, formerly homeless, and Jonny, a semi-retired CEO who needs people and a project to fill his empty days. Jonny's generous offer to house Harold, Ivo's dear canine companion, until Ivo finds a better housing situation made me like Jonny from the start and his easy, loving relationship with his busy politician wife made me like him even more. Then there's no-nonsense cafe owner Jasmine and, self-appointed leader of their little breakfast club, retired policewoman Katya, who's always open to a free meal or drink. Katya divvies out tasks and deadlines like a drill sergeant and gets grumpy when the others take their sleuthing off independently; her need for leader recognition and control was a bit humorous. But I chuckled even more when she was plotting how her next move could elicit a free cafe or pub meal.

The setting in Windsor was also good. I watched Queen Elizabeth's funeral procession in 2022 and yet it took me a while to make the connection and visualize that last, long tree-lined road up to Windsor Castle as the Long Walk setting for the victim's sorry end.

The starts and stops they encountered while carrying out their tasks were realistic. And I liked the last few twists regarding the victim and Stella, his barely grieving wife. Entertaining stuff. Would I read more if this Windsor-based team featured in a series? Yes.

I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

[Judy & Marianne from Long and Short Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jonny Cardew has worked his whole adult life in a financially stable and reliable job, but has been deadly bored. He’s always had a secret desire to solve a murder, and now he’s finally retired he’s eager to do so – just unsure how to go about it. When a body is found locally and the police think it’s natural causes, Jonny is determined to investigate. With some newly acquired friends and a bunch of enthusiasm, can Jonny and his Breakfast club friends really become detectives?

I’d never heard of this author nor the series, but it sounded deeply intriguing and so I bought this on a whim. I found the murder-mystery to be highly enjoyable with a strong cast of secondary characters and a realistic and relatable main character with Jonny. I thought this was a slower burn kind of mystery, while the plot and pacing was good it definitely wasn’t an action-oriented kind of story and readers should be happy to settle in for the gradual build up.

As the mystery unfolds there were a few good scenes where the action did move at a good clip, but overall, this had more the feel of “amateur sleuth’ rather than spy or espionage action heavy adventure. I thought the mystery itself was well plotted and I particularly enjoyed that there were a few red herrings – as Jonny and his crew tried to put everything together.

I found this to be an enjoyable and strongly relatable story about normal people working together and building friendships and coming together to solve a murder. A fun and well written story I’m eager to read the next in the series. Recommended.

[Sian Morant · Rating 4 out of 5]

Death In The Long Walk by Hilary Pugh is the first book in The Breakfast Club Detective Series and it is a tasty read.

The story is set in Windsor and a man walking his dog finds a man’s body in the famous Long Walk on the edge of the woods. The police find the death is unsuspicious and think the man has died of natural causes.

We are then introduced to our band of amateur sleuths who are all local. Jasmine helps run a local coffee shop, Jonathan, a semi-retired businessman, Ivo, a freelance handyman and Katya, who has recently retired from the police. They all bring their individual skills to investigate the crime.

What marks this story out is that our band of sleuths all have completely different characters, but the author cleverly interweaves them so that their banding together is completely authentic. The trope of amateur sleuths being dotty old-age pensioners is slightly overcrowded so this take is a refreshing change.

The plot is definitely cosy crime, but there are enough twists and turns to keep the reader engaged.

A four-star read with a note to self to read book 2 of the series.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

The eclectic group of characters that make up the breakfast club detectives, make this an enjoyable story to read. Jonathan Cardew "Jonny" is the retired CEO of Cardew Packing Solutions. He lives with his wife, Belinda, and is still recovering from the pandemic that was COVID. Now that he has time on his hands, he hangs out at Jasmine's for breakfast. When he talks to her about the body found in the Long Walk, they decide to investigate. Jonny has always wanted to be a detective. They meet Katya and Ivo and become the breakfast club detectives. Katya takes charge and gives out assignments as they investigate the murder. They have a few suspects and soon discover some facts about the night the man died. I liked that this book had a group of sleuths and a helpful dog! I thought it was well written.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audiobook: I enjoyed this first book in the author's new series. I was entertained by all the twists and turns which kept my attention as the group of characters tried to solve the mystery. I liked that the group was made up of unlikely individuals brought together over their belief that the person was murdered in spite of the prevailing idea by the local police that the person had died of natural causes. I appreciated the flashes of humor which added to my entertainment. I'm looking forward to the next book featuring these characters. I thought Charles Robert Fox's narration was easy to follow as he read the story. I was given a copy of the audiobook. I volunteered, without financial gain, to post this review which reflected my honest opinions regarding this audiobook.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second book of The Breakfast Club Detectives series, Death In The Long Walk by Hilary Pugh is a gentle crime tale. A dog walker finds a body on his morning walk on the edge of the woods, but police declare it a nonsuspicious death. A mixed group of locals comprising Jasmine, a young woman who runs a café; Jonathan Cardew, a wealthy package businessman; Katya, a retired policewoman; and Ivo, a young handyman with his dog, form a group of amateur detectives. As they investigate using their various skills, they are joined by Teddy Strang, a journalist investigating a local councillor, and DT a jewellery maker. The flowing engaging narrative, together with its enjoyably human characters and an interesting crime mystery, make this a four stars read rating. This is another cosy mystery featuring a group of amateur sleuths that lovers of the genre will truly enjoy. Many thanks to Story of Origin and the author, for an uncorrected advanced review copy for review purposes. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own, freely given and without inducement.

[John Hinchliffe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Death in the Long Walk is a promising start to Hilary Pugh’s new mystery series. A varied group of locals ranging from retirees to younger residents come together to unravel a mysterious death near Windsor Castle. The story is well written, with strong characters and good local detail.
Charles Robert Fox delivers a spot-on narration that brings the characters and setting to life.
Overall, a thoroughly enjoyable listen, and I’m looking forward to exploring more adventures with the Breakfast Club Detectives as the series continues.

[Minou Jolie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Loved the characters and it was well paced. However...

****SPOILER ALERT******

The character that committed the crime was not mentioned until well into the book and the ending seemed like it was just thrown in. No trail to follow, no gotcha at the end. I liked the characters and the setting and was entertained throughout but I really don't like mystery books where the author doesn't give clues and the outcome is just stumbled upon. I read the second in the series before I wrote this review just to give the author a chance but it wasn't much different.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pugh does an excellent job of developing her people and places. I can see the dark oppressive midnight woodlands and smell the fresh coffee coming from the cafe. The story was very good; tightly written; not a lot of superfluous words or details.

I was kept guessing until the end - nicely done!

Looking forward to the next installment with the Breakfast Club Detectives.

I received an ARC; this is my honest review.

[JOAN SALLEY · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amateur sleuths and a retired detective create the "Breakfast Club Detectives" and try to solve a mysterious death. Quite the combination of characters, the members of the club each have their own tasks to perform in determining whether the victim was actually murdered or died from natural causes.

Definitely a must-read.

I received an ARC of this book and this is my honest review. Looking forward to reading more books by this author.

[Jane litherland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Mystery from this prolific author, Hilary’s writing is so fluent it flows so smoothly and I haven’t read anything she’s ever wrote and not loved it. This is no exception. Enough twists, turns and loops to kit out a fairground with rollercoasters.Jonny Cardew and his friends beg to differ when natural causes is announced , wonderful characters brought to life , such an immersive experience. Loved it !
I read an advance copy and my review is my own words and voluntary

[Robin Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four individuals from different backgrounds meet at a restaurant and become a sort of detective agency, calling themselves the Breakfast Club. Each character has a distinct voice and personality and the mystery kept me guessing until the end. Filled with reality and some humor, I plan to continue with this series. I received an ARC of this book from StoryOrigin, and this is my honest and voluntary review.

[Lorna Cox · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not my usual type of book as I prefer historical mysteries, but had to read as I grew up in the area where the book is set and I think the setting acts as an extra character. I really liked the characters, and the writing is good. To be honest I engaged with the characters more than the plot, which seemed to take second place behind the development of the relationships. Will probably read the next book to see how the characters develop.

[Linda Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an interesting & intriguing Murder mystery. It’s quite complex, with many twists & turns. There’s a number of sleuths & an ex-copper with an insider contact. So much is going on. And there’s red herrings. You will be entertained for hours. The dog is a star!
I received an Advanced Reader Copy from the author & I am writing a voluntary honest review

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful blend of cozy mystery and police procedural in a different approach. Enjoyable characters that come alive and interesting twists and turns.

I’ve read other books by the author and continue to enjoy them all. This new series is a great addition.

I received a free copy for review. My opinion is voluntary and my own.

[Anne Newman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A mystery man is discovered dead on the Long Walk in Windsor Great Park. A very mismatched group of people come together to try & solve the mystery, was it a natural death or murder? I found this book easy to read & luckily, when it got closer to the end, I was able to finish it before I went to sleep. It would have definitely kept me reading until the end whatever the hour.

[Sherri Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jonny had always wanted to be a detective, and now that he was retired that desire was more present than ever. When he meets some new friends, he may just get what he wants. Wonderful, appealing main characters and puzzling mysteries make this a fun and very promising series starter! I’m ready for more!

[Marsha Lawton · Rating 5 out of 5]

An engaging read with memorable characters

Here we have a story unlike any other I’ve read. Is it even a murder mystery…? But we do have a mysterious death, a collection of unlikely but likable investigators and a satisfyingly convoluted plot. I immediately ordered the next in series as soon as I finished it!

[Lavender Jade · Rating 5 out of 5]

A promising series debut. It has a gripping plot full of surprises, lovable and interesting characters, and an adorable dog. A satisfying read for cozy mystery lovers everywhere.

A review copy of this book was sent to me by the author. All of the above opinions are my own.

[Kevin Royston · Rating 5 out of 5]

it's a good introduction to a new group of crime detectives. The book follows their friendship begining and gives good backgrounds to the leading characters. This book inspired me to read the full series.

[Laura Poppenwimer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun cozy mystery, easy to read and hard to put down. The characters are an odd group of diverse people who get together when they wouldn't typically travel in the same circles. Their differing background add to the plot and make it more interesting.

[Julie Burnett · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this new series and getting to know the characters. Can't wait for the next one.

[Karin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who killed Raymond Pierce and why??? The All-Day Breakfast Detectives are really on the ball, aren't they??? Bribery, blackmail and betrayal??? I enjoyed this story and recommended the book.

[Sue Diamond · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great cast of characters

Yes, a hodge podge crew but each a unique asset, capable and lovable. Jonny reminds me of Ian Skair. A fun whodunit with a heart warming bonus at the end!

[lloyd tewcragg · Rating 5 out of 5]

a very good read

It is really nice to read a story that has great amateur sleuths which solve the mystery. Great group look forward to reading the next one.

[S. Maddalone · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not my cup of tea. Too much simple dialogue. Gave up after page 30.

[Angie Bostock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amusing and easy to follow, just the thing for a Sunday morning lie in

Would recommend this, can't wait for the next one I love the characters , and story lines are easy to follow