The Cherrywood Murders

Cherrywood Murders #1

by Penny Blackwell

'My new favourite cosy crime series!' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

A DOLLOP OF JAM. A SPOT OF TEA. A SLICE OF MURDER . . .

It has been a year since Tess had to trade the hustle and bustle of London life for pulling pints and moonlighting as a Cher impersonator in a backwater country pub.

The sleepy Yorkshire village of Cherrywood would always be home, but a return to rural life wasn't quite the path she'd paved for herself. Still, being back with her oldest friends, Raven and Oliver , was a definite upside and she was beginning to settle into the slower pace.

That is until Clemmie Ackroyd , a stalwart member of the community, is brutally murdered. Ruled a robbery gone wrong, it's an open-and-shut case for the police, but something isn't quite adding up for Tess.

Then an unexpected face from the past shows up in the village, pointing fingers, and Tess finds herself resolving to get to the bottom of Clemmie's death - even if that means getting up to her neck in jam, Jerusalem and deadly secrets at the Women's Guild . . .

Readers LOVE The Cherrywood Murders !

'⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Truly, this was one of the best starts to a new British cosy series I have read in a while'

'⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ I loved it, and I hope this is the start of a long series of Cherrywood books!'

'⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Love the drama and romance! The lovely British setting and a great bunch of characters! Looking forward to book 2!'

'⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ I loved this British cozy mystery! And the characters were so good!'

'⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Cleverly written, with a good air of mystery . . . I really enjoyed this novel'

'⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐Wow what an amazing book! This is a great read for all the Thursday Murder Club fans'

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A wonderfully charming and quintessentially British cosy murder mystery, packed full of witty one-liners and an eclectic cast of characters. Perfect for fans of Fiona Leitch, Hannah Hendy and Robert Thorogood.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy, Cozy Mystery, Murder Mystery, Fiction

352 pages, Paperback

Published May 28, 2024

About the author

Penny Blackwell grew up in rural West Yorkshire, right in the heart of Brontë country… and she's still there. After graduating from Durham University with a degree in English Literature, she dallied with living in cities including London, Nottingham and Cambridge, but homesickness soon drove her back to her beloved Yorkshire. She lives in the shadow of the moors with her partner and two mischievous border collies.

Penny also writes romantic comedies as Mary Jayne Baker and Lisa Swift, and World War II-set sagas as Betty Firth.

More information can be found about Penny on her website at www.maryjaynebaker.co.uk. You can also follow her on Twitter, @MaryJayneBaker, or like her Facebook page by going to Facebook.com/MaryJayneWrites

Reviews

[jil · Rating 4 out of 5]

desperately need to read more cozy mysteries

[MJ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Peculiar mixture of cosy crime and modern-day romance.

[Pam Bassett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wasnt for me this book

[Sam McLoughlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bloody brilliant! Loved it!

[Elise Overd · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book was okay. A nice village vibe but pretty banal and ending super cliche. Twist was okay but not that mind blowing.

[Sam Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jam and Jerusalem with a twist and murder .

[Annie (is so far behind 😬) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved, loved, loved this first in a new series! Well-plotted, fun and with a cast of great characters, it's set in Yorkshire, a county populated by quirky, down to earth folks. Entertaining, funny and a solid mystery, it kept me guessing all the way to the end. Have bought the second in the series, and have an ARC of the third lined up.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the ARC to read an review. Another one at the bottom of my ARC TBR pile! But I'm getting there... all opinions are strictly my own.

[dnsyl57 · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Cherrywood Murders" is the intro book to a new series by Penny Blackwell.

"It has been a year since Tess had to trade the hustle and bustle of London life for pulling pints and moonlighting as a Cher impersonator in a backwater country pub.

The sleepy Yorkshire village of Cherrywood would always be home, but a return to rural life wasn't quite the path she'd paved for herself. Still, being back with her oldest friends, Raven and Oliver , was a definite upside and she was beginning to settle into the slower pace.

That is until Clemmie Ackroyd, a stalwart member of the community, is brutally murdered. Ruled a robbery gone wrong, it's an open-and-shut case for the police, but something isn't quite adding up for Tess.

Then an unexpected face from the past shows up in the village, pointing fingers, and Tess finds herself resolving to get to the bottom of Clemmie's death - even if that means getting up to her neck in jam, Jerusalem and deadly secrets at the Women's Guild . . ."

My thoughts:
Ms. Blackwell has woven a very complex tale filled with unthinkable secrets that some of the sleepy villagers are keeping.

The murder of Clemmie Ackroyd rocks the village and it sets off an investigation into her life and the Ackroyd family history to find a possible reason for the murder. While searching for clues, other secrets of the village come to light!

The book has some rather dark moments as past events are revealed. Haunting, cruel and heartbreaking to say the least.

Thankfully, there is also much levity in the book. The banter between Tess, Raven and Oliver can be touching but also made me laugh out loud. Oliver may be a young vicar but he als0 gets some hilarious lines and thoughts! Raven can be a bit of a diva but also has a heart of gold and is loyal to her friends - despite misunderstandings. The relationships between Tess, Raven and Oliver were forged in nursery school so they know each other very well - or they think they do! Tess, hadn't actually told anyone the full story behind her return from London but when a face from her past shows up in the village, she has to rethink that plan. Oh what a tangled web!

The ultimate reveal of the killer was both chilling and heartbreaking.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book! I can't wait to see what happens when the next book is released in late October 2023!

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

When much loved retired school teacher and Women's Guild member Aunty Clemmie is murdered, its up to Tess Feather, her best friends Raven (heiress to Cherrywood Hall) and Oliver (vicar of the local church), and a blast from Tess's past to solve it.

The Cherrywood Murders is Penny Blackwell's debut mystery, however she's better known for her women's fiction as Mary Jayne Baker and Lisa Swift (among other pen names).

This book is a cosy mystery however its full of the same wit, banter and charm. I absolutely adored the relationships between Tess, Raven and Ollie. The trio have a solid friendship having known each other since they were toddlers and the ease they have with each other, even with Tess returning after years in London. There were times I cackled with laughter with some of their teasing. Think 'sacred Evian' and 'vicar dress'.

Blackwell is so talented at creating a vivid and entertaining world. I really felt like I was in Cherrywood, eavesdropping in the pub or at Women's Guild meetings. I also loved the cast of characters in the Women's Guild, and the solidarity and empowerment the members give each other within their safe space. In one scene, Raven's grandmother firmly puts a young woman in her place talking about the Guild marching for women's rights during the first wave of the feminist movement. You go, Guild women!

The mystery was equally compelling, with a satisfying resolution. This book is compelling, hilarious and cosy with lashing of sass. More please, Ms Blackwell.

Thanks to Headline and NetGalley for the ARC. I have since bought a copy as well as the audiobook.

[Sophie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The cover and synopsis of this book is what drew me in initially as the cover is just so lovely and the synopsis just sounded so intriguing.

Then I started reading and I was just hooked by this, it was so great from the start. The humour in this had me laughing out loud at times.

There was shock surprises and twists throughout right until the end and I found myself gasping at some.

The variety of characters and their different relationships were also really great.

I loved the setting of the small village of Cherrywood and it was a setting that everyone seemed to know everything about everyone and everyone seemed to know everyone’s business.

This book is so written and I found it was so easy to read and flowed so well and the pacing was great too. I feel like the way this was written also really helped with being able to vividly picture the story and the characters and setting.

I would definitely recommend this book. I will also be reading more by Penny Blackwell and look forward to the next book in this cosy mystery series.

Thank you to Headline and NetGalley for the eArc and #gifted copy in exchange for an honest review and thank you to Headline for asking me to take part in the blog tour.

[E Dod · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting read for me, never having read any of Penny Blackwell's novels. I did enjoy it.

We meet main character Tess who has swapped her life from being in a busy city to going back to her roots and living in a sleepy little village aptly named Cherrywood. She is back and nestles in the support of her long time friends and works in the local pub.

A murder rocks the quaint little village but Tess believes that it wasn't the presumed robbery that went wrong but actually a murder by someone in the village. Tess searches for answer and she is extremely good at it.

I really enjoyed reading about Tess and the characters in the village and how they really were different but complemented each other beautifully.

Cleverly written, with a good air of mystery around the entire writing I really enjoyed this novel. I hope that Penny Blackwell will write more about Cherrywood and its inhabitants.

Thanks to Netgalley, Penny Blackwell and the publishers for allowing me a copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

[Anne-Louise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Highlights 📝
• ‘“You see how much easier life is when we all just communicate?’”’ 🙂‍↕️
• ‘“You do start to accept that death is a part of life, and if you have faith that it’s not the end, you know you’ll see the person again.”’❤️

Rating ⭐️
3.5

Review ✍🏼
Okay, I thought the book was okay. I think it definitely could have been very good, but it also might not have been quite my thing.
There was a lot of information given pretty quickly and this continued throughout the book. For experienced mystery readers I think very enjoyable, but I actually couldn't remember it all which made it all quite complicated.
In the end it makes sense who committed the murder(s). I think if you read the book again, it really does make a very good storyline. But for me it was just a little too much information and connections at once with not enough clear repetition.
It does otherwise have everything: family ties, friendships, relationships, exes. It was never really boring.

[Sian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tess has been back in the village of Cherrywood for a year, not out of choice, she's slowly getting back into village life and being surrounded by her best friends Raven and Oliver. Tess is starting to embrace the quiet village life and return to normal.

Until a local member of the community is murdered, but its an open and shut case, a robbery gone wrong, not planned at all.

However when a face from Tess's past storms into the village calling it a murder, she finds herself dragged into solving the case and trying to put all the pieces together.

A nice little read, it really makes you feel what small village life is like and how a traumatic event can affect everyone and how hard it is to point fingers at people when you've known them their whole life. I liked the main characters and enjoyed hearing their story.

[LittleRead · Rating 4 out of 5]

Going backwards isn’t always easy, as Tess finds out when she heads home to Cherrywood from London. Yet somethings will always be the same, and her friends are the balm to her soul as they always have been.

When an older resident is murdered, Tess doesn’t believe it was a robbery like it’s being claimed. Soon she finds herself working with gardener Liam, an undercover police officer, to find out what really happened and solve the case.

Truly, this was one of the best starts to a new British cosy series I have read in a while. I love the rural setting, the characters and the witty banter. I’m looking forward to seeing more escapades with Tess, Liam, Raven, Oliver and the Women’s Guild.

[Rachel Gilbey · Rating 4 out of 5]

There was one moment in this book that had me completely and utterly laughing out loud.

Besides that it was a rather surprising cosy mystery, where everyone in Cherrywood seems like they could be a suspect and they definitely all have things they are hiding.

Some rather more sinister than others.

It was a tricky initial murder to solve that Tess was sure the police had arrested the wrong person, but equally really wasn't sure who had murdered Clemmie.

But teaming up with the person she had never wanted to see again, starts to get them well some answers and more questions.

It's a well written book and a great start to a brand new series.

Thank you to Headline Accent and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

[Vivien Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cosy village mystery with a big cast of characters, most of them members of the Women's Guild and suspects when a much loved old lady is brutally murdered, unleashing tragic secrets from the past. Local barmaid Tess also has to confront her own past when ex lover and undercover detective Liam turns up disguised as a gardener to try to crack the case. In the end,they do it together, the ending opening the way for the possibility of more stories featuring the pair. Enjoyable, although I found many of the characters too similar to each other and hard to tell apart for a while. Young vicar Oliver was a notable exception, a character I would love to meet again.

[Dezaray Millentree · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is definitely the definition of a cozy murder mystery. I enjoyed it very much. I gave this 4 stars for a few reasons - first, sometimes it was difficult to understand who was speaking. There would be several lines of quotations without identifying the character who was actually talking. This happened quite a bit in the book. Second, from the get-go there are a lot of characters so in the beginning it was a little hard to remember who was who. However, overall, I enjoyed the plot, how the story progressed, and the end with all loose ends being tied up.

My first read from Netgalley - thank you for letting me read in advance of publication date!

[Rosemary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. Although a murder mystery there were some real laugh out loud moments. Many twists and turns throughout the story. Didn't figure out the murderer until the reveal which is always a sign of a good story.

Tess, the Cher impersonator/bar maid/ ad-hoc detective was a really good character and then Raven the best friend. Liam the ex and private detective and Oliver the reluctant reverend. A well rounded mix of characters who felt real and those who were supposedly friends since childhood came across as such.

[CJ Eve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Now I initially enjoyed this one it started off well but then half way through I really struggled as it went a bit flat and didn't appear to be going anywhere however I stuck with it and it gained in its momentum again.

It's cosy mystery set around the demise of a member of the woman's guild it has a lot of humour and some interesting and entertaining characters. The character writing and development was my most preferred part of the writing.

[Jenn Webley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny, charming and fun. This cosy crime story had everything; small community where everyone knows everyone else’s business, characters that made me laugh out line and a plot that kept me guessing and was full of interesting turns.

Tess lost everything and went back to the village where she grew up. When tragedy strikes she’s dubious that they have found everything out and that the wrong person is getting the blame. When an old face unexpectedly pops up, her past starts catching up with her present.

Hope there is more to come, thoroughly enjoyed this.

[Tiana Skinner · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a cozy murder!
I found this such a good read, well written, and with great characterisation. This was a perfect pick-me-up for my reading slump!

With short chapters, I was engaged the whole time. But the stakes weren’t so high that I dreaded being sucked into the narrative again.

Do prepare yourself for a large pool of characters, especially at the start of the novel.

Overall, good read. Would recommend. Might have to read the sequel…

[Annarella · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a highly entertaining, a well plotted and solid cozy mystery that feature a cast of quirky characters.
I had a lot of fun in reading it, the solid plot kept me guessing and liked the style of writing.
It's highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book up in a blind date with a book and it was described as a cosy murder mystery. And that is definitely accurate. The author did a good job at describing the town of Cherry Wood. At times it was a little difficult to keep track of all the characters because there were a lot! However there were many twists and turns within this book and it kept you guessing the whole way through!

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book - so much that I bought the second in the series as soon as I finished it. I liked the friendship between Tess, Raven and Oliver, and how the three of them look out for each other. A cosy crime story which was easy to read, with likeable characters, and side-plots which will hopefully develop further along with the series.

[Joe Logan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did enjoy this book as I love a mystery story, but it did take me a while to get into and I thought the whole thing was quite low stakes, I personally prefer a mystery with a bit more tension. I am however tempted to read the next book in the series to see how Tess and Liams relationship develops!

[Liza · Rating 3 out of 5]

I needed something to get my mind off some things and this book made it happen. It is truly a cosy mystery, however I would have preferred some less obvious hints at times. Also the first few chapters were hard to read — the language and characters interactions felt a bit off. But I decided to keep reading and I don’t regret that.

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

5⭐️
Just what I needed after back to back classic books. 😌 Couldn't put it down,as always with crime/detective story,you have to know who did it. The plot was actually interesting and there's something about british murder mystery that just makes it feel so cozy to me...perfect end of the month. 📖🥰

[Vikki Climpson · Rating 5 out of 5]

As cosy crimes go, this is up there with the best of them. I loved this tale of murders in the Women's Guild, set in the village of Cherrywood. Fun, lovable characters, who you really don't want to be either the murderer or the next victim!

[Janiska nordstrom · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to this book as audiobook. The narration was wonderful. I thoroughly enjoyed this cozy mystery. The characters were interesting and likable. I did not know who the murderer was until the end.

[Millie Mulroy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny and enjoyable, although I knew who was the murderer relatively soon. And kept wondering, how would the investigators overlook all those clues? 😂 But I really did enjoy the characters and the writing style. So much, I immediately book the 2nd book.