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The Supermarket Mysteries #4
The Missing Red Carpet Mystery
A royal visit is coming to Kingsleigh. Definitely worth rolling out the red carpet for! The only problem is no one’s actually seen the red carpet since the grand opening of the deli counter back in 2001 . . .
Our loveable amateur sleuths are on the case. Ant is searching for the carpet, but Bea and the rest of the team have another problem on their hands. A young lad is spotted shoplifting and new security guard Evan gives chase down the high street.
Later that day, the boy is found dead. Gentle giant Evan swears he let the boy go after rugby tackling him to the ground. So how did the lad wind up dead?
The Supermarket Sleuths are on the case — and hopefully they’ll find the missing carpet before the royals arrive!
Our loveable amateur sleuths are on the case. Ant is searching for the carpet, but Bea and the rest of the team have another problem on their hands. A young lad is spotted shoplifting and new security guard Evan gives chase down the high street.
Later that day, the boy is found dead. Gentle giant Evan swears he let the boy go after rugby tackling him to the ground. So how did the lad wind up dead?
The Supermarket Sleuths are on the case — and hopefully they’ll find the missing carpet before the royals arrive!
254 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 28, 2023
160 people are currently reading
72 people want to read
About the author
Rachel Ward
60 books672 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
December 9, 2023
Ceturtā grāmata sērijā par mazas angļu pilsētiņas lielveikala darbiniekiem, kuri atkal pamanās iekulties nozieguma izmeklēšanā un paralēli tam gatavoties karaļa uzņemšanai. Foršs britu humors!
February 10, 2024
This is a fun read, the first one i’ve read from this series or this author. It’s a perfect antidote to the very serious reading I’ve been doing recently. The pace is great, the characters are a mix of the sensible and the very opposite. I think it would appeal to cozy mystery lovers even though it is slightly different. All the main characters work in a supermarket and I really enjoyed the banter and backstabbing that went on supplemental to the plot. Good fun.
May 20, 2024
I started reading this novel, the 4th in a series, and I loved it so much that I bought the rest of the series.
Well plotted, humorous, a solid mystery that kept me guessing.
I liked the fleshed out and relatable characters and how this novels talks about common people living in a place which is not a very beautiful village or a touristic resort.
Well done and well plotted
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine
Well plotted, humorous, a solid mystery that kept me guessing.
I liked the fleshed out and relatable characters and how this novels talks about common people living in a place which is not a very beautiful village or a touristic resort.
Well done and well plotted
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine
December 10, 2023
Another fun romp!
Supermarket workers Bea, Dot, and Ant are very excited to learn that their brance is to get a royal visit; of course, preparations will have to be made and they need to find the red carpet used for a previous visit. However, that is the least of their problems! A young shoplifter was chased from the shop by their new security guard, Evan. When the lad is later found dead, suspicion falls on Evan and the amateur sleuths are determined to clear his name.
Whilst I haven't read all of this series (too many books!) I have read one of them and knew I was in for a good, fun read. Great characters, lots of mirth and a mystery to solve along the way - what more to ask for? Humorous and entertaining, easily worth 4* and my recommendation for those who like a good cosy mystery.
Supermarket workers Bea, Dot, and Ant are very excited to learn that their brance is to get a royal visit; of course, preparations will have to be made and they need to find the red carpet used for a previous visit. However, that is the least of their problems! A young shoplifter was chased from the shop by their new security guard, Evan. When the lad is later found dead, suspicion falls on Evan and the amateur sleuths are determined to clear his name.
Whilst I haven't read all of this series (too many books!) I have read one of them and knew I was in for a good, fun read. Great characters, lots of mirth and a mystery to solve along the way - what more to ask for? Humorous and entertaining, easily worth 4* and my recommendation for those who like a good cosy mystery.
February 14, 2024
A royal visit is coming to Kingsleigh. Definitely worth rolling out the red carpet for! The only problem is no one’s actually seen the red carpet since the grand opening of the deli counter back in 2001 . . .
Our loveable amateur sleuths are on the case. Ant is searching for the carpet, but Bea and the rest of the team have another problem on their hands. A young lad is spotted shoplifting and new security guard Evan gives chase down the high street.
Later that day, the boy is found dead. Gentle giant Evan swears he let the boy go after rugby tackling him to the ground. So how did the lad wind up dead?
The Supermarket Sleuths are on the case — and hopefully they’ll find the missing carpet before the royals arrive!
Loved the setup and execution of the story.
Our loveable amateur sleuths are on the case. Ant is searching for the carpet, but Bea and the rest of the team have another problem on their hands. A young lad is spotted shoplifting and new security guard Evan gives chase down the high street.
Later that day, the boy is found dead. Gentle giant Evan swears he let the boy go after rugby tackling him to the ground. So how did the lad wind up dead?
The Supermarket Sleuths are on the case — and hopefully they’ll find the missing carpet before the royals arrive!
Loved the setup and execution of the story.
December 10, 2023
Definitely my least favourite of the series.
August 10, 2024
Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.
The Missing Red Carpet Mystery is the fourth Supermarket village cozy mystery by Rachel Ward. Released 28th Nov 2023 by Joffe Books, it's 254 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free. The first books in the series are also currently available on KU.
This is a well plotted quintessentially British village mystery. It's full of quirky characters and village charm. The story is lighthearted and flows well, and in good cozy fashion, the language is clean and the violence occurs off-page.
Although it's the fourth book in the series, the mystery is self contained and the author is adept enough at providing the necessary character backstory, that it works perfectly well as a standalone. The story, climax, denouement, and resolution are all satisfying and cleverly wrought.
Four stars. It would make a good choice for public library acquisition, as well as for mystery book club selection, and for fans of classic British mystery. Quite well written.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes
The Missing Red Carpet Mystery is the fourth Supermarket village cozy mystery by Rachel Ward. Released 28th Nov 2023 by Joffe Books, it's 254 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free. The first books in the series are also currently available on KU.
This is a well plotted quintessentially British village mystery. It's full of quirky characters and village charm. The story is lighthearted and flows well, and in good cozy fashion, the language is clean and the violence occurs off-page.
Although it's the fourth book in the series, the mystery is self contained and the author is adept enough at providing the necessary character backstory, that it works perfectly well as a standalone. The story, climax, denouement, and resolution are all satisfying and cleverly wrought.
Four stars. It would make a good choice for public library acquisition, as well as for mystery book club selection, and for fans of classic British mystery. Quite well written.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes
November 29, 2023
Cozy mysteries are some of my favorite reads specially when it’s gray and rainy outside. This is book 4 in a series but can be read as a standalone since you can understand the characters and the relations between them perfectly.
The story is set in Kingsleigh and the focus is on the supermarket where the main characters (Bea, Ant, and Dot) work. While getting ready for a royal visit of the current Queen and King and finding the missing red carpet another incident occurs. The town troublemaker Harley, a sixteen-year-old boy who was spotted shoplifting, is found dead. The main suspect is Evan, the new security of the shop is the prime suspect, so that’s when Bea and Ant try to clear Evan and start investigating the murder.
This story will be full of suspense, detective work and you’ll be getting an unexpected twist. I adored the setting and the relationships between the characters, the drama behind the royal visit and the British humor.
It’s an amazing story for everyone who enjoy cozy mysteries with a little bit of drama and some surprises that I’ll have you hooked until the very end.
Thank you NetGalley & the publisher for approving me to read this arc and write this review.
The story is set in Kingsleigh and the focus is on the supermarket where the main characters (Bea, Ant, and Dot) work. While getting ready for a royal visit of the current Queen and King and finding the missing red carpet another incident occurs. The town troublemaker Harley, a sixteen-year-old boy who was spotted shoplifting, is found dead. The main suspect is Evan, the new security of the shop is the prime suspect, so that’s when Bea and Ant try to clear Evan and start investigating the murder.
This story will be full of suspense, detective work and you’ll be getting an unexpected twist. I adored the setting and the relationships between the characters, the drama behind the royal visit and the British humor.
It’s an amazing story for everyone who enjoy cozy mysteries with a little bit of drama and some surprises that I’ll have you hooked until the very end.
Thank you NetGalley & the publisher for approving me to read this arc and write this review.
November 27, 2023
*I received a free ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review*
This was the first book in the series that I read but I didn't find that to be a problem. There is enough about the characters, their relationships to one another, and some of what happened to them in the previous books to get me up to speed so that I could jump right in. I really enjoyed the chemistry between the characters and thought there were just the right amount of humor to keep the story from getting too dark. I loved Bea and Ant as a team - I will definitely need to go back and read the previous books to find out why these two are only friends. I also want to learn a little more about Neville - even though he is a bit much most of the time, I did feel so bad for him when he had his breakdown. That part also showed what a good guy Ant was. I was definitely kept on my toes when it came to solving the mystery part of the story. And I will say that when the murderer was found out it was someone I hadn't even considered until they made their appearance in the scene. I am going to be keeping an eye out for the next book in the series because I am officially hooked!
This was the first book in the series that I read but I didn't find that to be a problem. There is enough about the characters, their relationships to one another, and some of what happened to them in the previous books to get me up to speed so that I could jump right in. I really enjoyed the chemistry between the characters and thought there were just the right amount of humor to keep the story from getting too dark. I loved Bea and Ant as a team - I will definitely need to go back and read the previous books to find out why these two are only friends. I also want to learn a little more about Neville - even though he is a bit much most of the time, I did feel so bad for him when he had his breakdown. That part also showed what a good guy Ant was. I was definitely kept on my toes when it came to solving the mystery part of the story. And I will say that when the murderer was found out it was someone I hadn't even considered until they made their appearance in the scene. I am going to be keeping an eye out for the next book in the series because I am officially hooked!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 22, 2023
This was an enjoyable cozy read. The main set of characters work in a supermarket and when the security guard is accused of killing a teenager, Bea and Ant decide to carry out their own investigation.
I liked Bea and Ant. They came across as genuine real life characters. Although this is the fourth book, it read fine as a standalone. I hadn't read the earlier books and it didn't make any difference. Alongside the killing, there's also the distraction of a royal visit and it was quite funny in how the preparations for this impacted different people. Overall it was a gentle easy read , steady in pace and built up gradually to the final reveal which came as a surprise.
My thanks to Joffe Books for a copy of this and this is my honest review.
I liked Bea and Ant. They came across as genuine real life characters. Although this is the fourth book, it read fine as a standalone. I hadn't read the earlier books and it didn't make any difference. Alongside the killing, there's also the distraction of a royal visit and it was quite funny in how the preparations for this impacted different people. Overall it was a gentle easy read , steady in pace and built up gradually to the final reveal which came as a surprise.
My thanks to Joffe Books for a copy of this and this is my honest review.
November 27, 2023
THE MISSING RED CARPET MYSTERY by Rachel Ward.
The Supermarket Mysteries boom 4.
Meet the workers of Kingsleigh Costsave. There’s Bea, a maths whizz with a heart of gold. Ant, a hapless high-school drop-out. And wisecracking Dot, in her late fifties and always beautifully coiffed.
A royal visit is coming to Kingsleigh. Definitely worth rolling out the red carpet for! The only problem is no one’s actually seen the red carpet since the grand opening of the deli counter back in 2001 . . .
I really enjoyed this book. I did like the characters Bea and Ant. How they tried to help Evan. It wasnt who i though it was. This is the first book by this author I have read. I will be looking at the others. I do hope there is more to come. 5*.
The Supermarket Mysteries boom 4.
Meet the workers of Kingsleigh Costsave. There’s Bea, a maths whizz with a heart of gold. Ant, a hapless high-school drop-out. And wisecracking Dot, in her late fifties and always beautifully coiffed.
A royal visit is coming to Kingsleigh. Definitely worth rolling out the red carpet for! The only problem is no one’s actually seen the red carpet since the grand opening of the deli counter back in 2001 . . .
I really enjoyed this book. I did like the characters Bea and Ant. How they tried to help Evan. It wasnt who i though it was. This is the first book by this author I have read. I will be looking at the others. I do hope there is more to come. 5*.
December 26, 2023
This definitely was cozy and I thought the cast of characters working at the store was great, but sadly that's most of the good things I have to say about it. It was verrrryyyyyyy English (not in a bad way, per say), but the mystery and ending both were a little lackluster in my opinion. It didn't really feel like they were actually investigating, kind of just there while the truth came out slowly, so that took away from it for me too.
As an aside, and not part of my actual review of the book - The glossary at the end for US readers…. What is that??? Does the author think Americans are dumb or…? Like do you really feel the need to define “gran,” “bloke,” and “mobile phone”?????? (Just a few of MANY definitions as I was glancing through that gave me pause)
As an aside, and not part of my actual review of the book - The glossary at the end for US readers…. What is that??? Does the author think Americans are dumb or…? Like do you really feel the need to define “gran,” “bloke,” and “mobile phone”?????? (Just a few of MANY definitions as I was glancing through that gave me pause)
January 25, 2024
Another winning Supermarket Mystery!
I just love Bea, Ant and all the loveable Supermarket Mystery characters! Rachel Ward has a gift for writing characters I have genuinely come to care about - they are so real, so diverse and loveable, and each of them are ‘growing’ as real-life people ought to, through their adventures, adversities and successes. I’m a grandmother in the United States - living in TN - and I LOVE these books. I found the description of the ‘American’ style breakfast Bea and her friends encounter in The Missing Red Carpet Mystery HILARIOUS!!! Love and celebrate the differences between our countries! I’m also a huge fan of Veronica Heley’s mysteries, also published by Joffe.
I just love Bea, Ant and all the loveable Supermarket Mystery characters! Rachel Ward has a gift for writing characters I have genuinely come to care about - they are so real, so diverse and loveable, and each of them are ‘growing’ as real-life people ought to, through their adventures, adversities and successes. I’m a grandmother in the United States - living in TN - and I LOVE these books. I found the description of the ‘American’ style breakfast Bea and her friends encounter in The Missing Red Carpet Mystery HILARIOUS!!! Love and celebrate the differences between our countries! I’m also a huge fan of Veronica Heley’s mysteries, also published by Joffe.
December 30, 2023
This was a fun, lighthearted mystery. It is unique that the cast is centered around a grocery store, but it works well. I was rooting for the characters! I think it took a little bit to get going, but that could be because I haven't read the other books in this series. I think I also would have liked a little more explanation or logic at the end, but it's possible that I just zoomed right on by that part.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!
November 29, 2023
A quirky crew of supermarket workers are caught up in discovering the murder of a sixteen-year-old boy, at the same time getting the store ready for a royal visit. Bea and her friends work hard to clear the name of the security guard who has been charged with the murder at the same time dealing with the drama of a royal visit.
December 14, 2023
This is an interesting story about a "family" of associates who work in a grocery store. Most appear to be very content in their jobs and positions. I like the way they interact and have connected. The murder was unfortunate and Evan, the guy everyone believes is the killer seems like the perfect scape goat. I enjoyed the story and getting to know the characters.
December 28, 2023
I have been waiting for book no 4
I really enjoy this series so glad I found it. It makes a pleasant change to have a crime series which involves ordinary people with ordinary issues, council houses, unemployment, homelessness, mental health issues. I hope there will be another one soon.
I really enjoy this series so glad I found it. It makes a pleasant change to have a crime series which involves ordinary people with ordinary issues, council houses, unemployment, homelessness, mental health issues. I hope there will be another one soon.
December 24, 2023
This was a fun, entertaining cosy mystery. I thought the characters were fun and relatable, and it was quite a humorous read. I would say it's also light enough to read in one sitting, if you want to.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy to review.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy to review.
January 5, 2024
another good read from Rachel Ward.
I did wonder why it was called the Missing Red carpet, really like the characters and the easy read. Looking forward to Bea and Ant’s next adventure.
I did wonder why it was called the Missing Red carpet, really like the characters and the easy read. Looking forward to Bea and Ant’s next adventure.
November 27, 2023
Fun cozy mystery set in the town of Kingsleigh. The murder solving is a bit weak, but the characters are warm and enjoyable to be around. Highly recommend!
December 5, 2023
Another winner
Love the characters in this series. I keep hoping Ant and Bea will hook up but I'll just keep hoping.
Love the characters in this series. I keep hoping Ant and Bea will hook up but I'll just keep hoping.
December 8, 2023
Great series!
Love the story line and the characters! They are characters you can relate to. Keeps the reader interested. Keep them coming!
Love the story line and the characters! They are characters you can relate to. Keeps the reader interested. Keep them coming!
December 15, 2023
Ok
More soap than murder mystery . Enjoyable, but you really need to read the earlier book's in the series. Hopefully there is more to follow.
More soap than murder mystery . Enjoyable, but you really need to read the earlier book's in the series. Hopefully there is more to follow.
January 2, 2024
I enjoyed this mystery by Rachel Ward, but not blown away. This is the fourth in the Supermarket Mysteries, but it was easy to jump into the series which has a lot of characters. It was very descriptive, but I liked the characters and the humor, making the book an easy read. The mystery was so so and felt it was more about the characters than the mystery overall. I would recommend to those who like light British mysteries like Agatha Raisin!
August 16, 2025
From Book 1 thru 4
What great reads. You instantly love Bea and Ant.
Twists turns and the other characters make you never want to leave.
What great reads. You instantly love Bea and Ant.
Twists turns and the other characters make you never want to leave.
October 6, 2025
GREAT READ!
Kept u on the edge of ur seat! Well written! Could have left out some bad words though! Can’t wait to start the next one!
Kept u on the edge of ur seat! Well written! Could have left out some bad words though! Can’t wait to start the next one!
October 21, 2024
The teenager shouldn't have been murdered, but the store employee who chased him and THOUGHT he was doing the right thing was NOT responsible regardless of what the angry mob/riot made of it here in Bristol/Somerset. The staff of the supermarket want to help by finding out who DID do the deed and WHY, but The Royals are coming to THEIR store, and everyone is all atwitter! Fine read!
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected proof copy from Joffe Books via NetGalley. Thank you!
#SupermarketMysteries4
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected proof copy from Joffe Books via NetGalley. Thank you!
#SupermarketMysteries4
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews