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Murder on Location #1
Death in the English Countryside
Even quaint and cozy English villages have a dark side . . .
Location scout and Jane Austen aficionado, Kate Sharp, is thrilled when the company she works for lands the job of finding locations for a new film adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, but then her boss fails to return from a scouting trip to England. Kate travels to England to salvage the company's reputation.
Things go from bad to worse when Kate arrives in Nether Woodsmoor, a quaint village of golden stone cottages and rolling green hills, only to find no trace of her boss. Even the rumpled, easygoing local scout they consulted, Alex, doesn’t know where he might be.
Increasingly worried about her boss and with an antsy director waiting for updates about the preproduction details, Kate embarks on a search that includes a pub-crawl and cozy cottages as well as stately country manors. But with no sign of her boss, she begins to suspect that the picturesque village and beautiful countryside may not be as idyllic as they seem.
Death in the English Countryside is the first installment of the popular Murder on Location cozy mystery series from USA Today bestseller Sara Rosett.
Location scout and Jane Austen aficionado, Kate Sharp, is thrilled when the company she works for lands the job of finding locations for a new film adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, but then her boss fails to return from a scouting trip to England. Kate travels to England to salvage the company's reputation.
Things go from bad to worse when Kate arrives in Nether Woodsmoor, a quaint village of golden stone cottages and rolling green hills, only to find no trace of her boss. Even the rumpled, easygoing local scout they consulted, Alex, doesn’t know where he might be.
Increasingly worried about her boss and with an antsy director waiting for updates about the preproduction details, Kate embarks on a search that includes a pub-crawl and cozy cottages as well as stately country manors. But with no sign of her boss, she begins to suspect that the picturesque village and beautiful countryside may not be as idyllic as they seem.
Death in the English Countryside is the first installment of the popular Murder on Location cozy mystery series from USA Today bestseller Sara Rosett.
422 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 11, 2014
2779 people are currently reading
3415 people want to read
About the author
Sara Rosett
49 books1,668 followersUSA Today bestselling author Sara Rosett writes lighthearted mysteries for readers who enjoy atmospheric settings, fun characters, and puzzling whodunits.
She is the author of the High Society Lady Detective historical mystery series as well as three contemporary cozy series, the Murder on Location series, the On the Run series, and the Ellie Avery series. Sara also teaches an online course, How to Outline A Cozy Mystery.
Publishers Weekly called Sara's books, “satisfying,” “well-executed,” and “sparkling.” Sara loves to get new stamps in her passport and considers dark chocolate a daily requirement. Find out more at SaraRosett.com.
She is the author of the High Society Lady Detective historical mystery series as well as three contemporary cozy series, the Murder on Location series, the On the Run series, and the Ellie Avery series. Sara also teaches an online course, How to Outline A Cozy Mystery.
Publishers Weekly called Sara's books, “satisfying,” “well-executed,” and “sparkling.” Sara loves to get new stamps in her passport and considers dark chocolate a daily requirement. Find out more at SaraRosett.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 670 reviews
March 26, 2018
Audio Review
First line of the blurb 'location scout and Jane Austen aficionado' was all it took to hook my interest in this new to me author, series, and narrator.
Death in the English Countryside introduces female lead, Kate Sharp. She enjoys her work, first as the assistant to a veteran Hollywood location scout, but, now, being brought on as a budding scout in her own right.
A past with a troubled family life and a recent divorce between her parents contributes to her own cautious approach to relationships in her private life whether it is friendships or dating. Kate has been looking for her own Mr. Darcy without much success, but like Darcy of the original story, she holds her men to a higher standard.
Trouble drops into her lap when her boss goes missing while scouting locations for a production of Pride & Prejudice in England. She must keep his disappearance discreet and find him quickly or the company's precarious situation will go from critical to kaput.
While I was slow to warm to Kate- she does get stuffy at times and makes a few blunders during the investigation, I enjoyed traipsing over to England and following along as Kate tries to find Kevin with the help of the local photographer, Alex, who acted as Kevin's local consultant of fitting properties to use in the upcoming film. Things take an ominous turn and suddenly Kate is right in the thick of an investigation. She’s suspect number one and needs to give the DCI on the case to look further afield. Her gift for remember details, her strong organized mind, and her stubbornness come in good stead. Alex has been helpful and possibly something more if she’s being honest, but she holds herself in check, particularly when it occurs to her that he’s got secrets. Is murder one of them?
The village setting, local color, historical residences, engaging villagers and a delicious and delightful Alex were enough to keep me captivated. The investigation ended up being more fascinating than the mystery itself in the end. I had the solution early on, but I kept second guessing because I thought it just couldn't be that easy. Oh well. Like I say, the journey to the end was the best part, and I must say, things got quite suspenseful for the climax moment.
As I said, Sarah Mollo-Christensen was a new to me narrator. She did a pretty good job considering she had American and British, class and gender with her accents. Her timing and tone were good and worked well with a gently paced cozy like this one. Kate's character could get introspective and I thought Sarah helped keep it from going monotone. I hope she is the narrator for the rest of the series.
The first book in the Murder on Location series did the job, nicely, and I'll definitely be back for more from this series to see Kate- and Alex- in action. I think this one will definitely be a good match for cozy mystery fans who want something a little difference in this movie industry of location scouting with a murder on the side.
My thanks to Tantor Audio for the opportunity to listen to this book in exchange for an honest review.
First line of the blurb 'location scout and Jane Austen aficionado' was all it took to hook my interest in this new to me author, series, and narrator.
Death in the English Countryside introduces female lead, Kate Sharp. She enjoys her work, first as the assistant to a veteran Hollywood location scout, but, now, being brought on as a budding scout in her own right.
A past with a troubled family life and a recent divorce between her parents contributes to her own cautious approach to relationships in her private life whether it is friendships or dating. Kate has been looking for her own Mr. Darcy without much success, but like Darcy of the original story, she holds her men to a higher standard.
Trouble drops into her lap when her boss goes missing while scouting locations for a production of Pride & Prejudice in England. She must keep his disappearance discreet and find him quickly or the company's precarious situation will go from critical to kaput.
While I was slow to warm to Kate- she does get stuffy at times and makes a few blunders during the investigation, I enjoyed traipsing over to England and following along as Kate tries to find Kevin with the help of the local photographer, Alex, who acted as Kevin's local consultant of fitting properties to use in the upcoming film. Things take an ominous turn and suddenly Kate is right in the thick of an investigation. She’s suspect number one and needs to give the DCI on the case to look further afield. Her gift for remember details, her strong organized mind, and her stubbornness come in good stead. Alex has been helpful and possibly something more if she’s being honest, but she holds herself in check, particularly when it occurs to her that he’s got secrets. Is murder one of them?
The village setting, local color, historical residences, engaging villagers and a delicious and delightful Alex were enough to keep me captivated. The investigation ended up being more fascinating than the mystery itself in the end. I had the solution early on, but I kept second guessing because I thought it just couldn't be that easy. Oh well. Like I say, the journey to the end was the best part, and I must say, things got quite suspenseful for the climax moment.
As I said, Sarah Mollo-Christensen was a new to me narrator. She did a pretty good job considering she had American and British, class and gender with her accents. Her timing and tone were good and worked well with a gently paced cozy like this one. Kate's character could get introspective and I thought Sarah helped keep it from going monotone. I hope she is the narrator for the rest of the series.
The first book in the Murder on Location series did the job, nicely, and I'll definitely be back for more from this series to see Kate- and Alex- in action. I think this one will definitely be a good match for cozy mystery fans who want something a little difference in this movie industry of location scouting with a murder on the side.
My thanks to Tantor Audio for the opportunity to listen to this book in exchange for an honest review.
November 23, 2023
Kate trabaja para una compañía como "buscadora de locaciones" para películas y series de tv en Los Angeles, USA. Pero cuando su jefe desaparece en una pequeña villa en Inglaterra, a ella las envían en su búsqueda. Lo que no espera Kate es verdad envuelta en la investigación del domingo de su jefe. Pero con la ayuda del buscador local, Alex, intentará descubrir el quien y el por que de la muerte de su jefe. Podrá unir todas las piezas del rompecabezas? Cómo logrará hacerlo?
Es un libro entretenido, sencillo, con una investigación bastante fácil de adivinar, casi desde el comienzo. Los protas son bastante completos, y aunque me gustaría saber más de Alex, para ser el primer libro de una serie está muy bien.
En fin, seguro que leeré otro de esta serie más adelante.
Es un libro entretenido, sencillo, con una investigación bastante fácil de adivinar, casi desde el comienzo. Los protas son bastante completos, y aunque me gustaría saber más de Alex, para ser el primer libro de una serie está muy bien.
En fin, seguro que leeré otro de esta serie más adelante.
October 6, 2018
Not for me the fluffy, flat character romance/women’s fic that wears a mystery-genre mantle. It’s more romantic suspense than mystery, and not a standout in that genre, so it’s not what I hoped for. Not really suspenseful, didn’t hold my interest on a plot or character level.
July 3, 2018
Kate Sharp, Hollywood location scout, is sent from Los Angeles to the English countryside to do damage control when her boss goes missing. Only Kate and one other person know that Kevin is a recovering alcoholic who has been known to go on benders once in awhile. Kate is thrilled to be visiting England, land of Jane Austen. Her journey takes her to the village of Nether Woodsmoor in Derbyshire where a Hollywood mogul hopes to shoot a new adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. A tiny bit of Kate hopes she'll find her own Mr. Darcy waiting there for her. She does encounter a man- Alex Norcutt, a fellow American and photographer working for the same production company but he's hardly Mr. Darcy! Kate has bigger things to do than search for a man who doesn't exist. Her search is for a hopefully living man- her boss, before the tabloids find out and the company fired.
I really wanted to love this book. What's not to love about a Jane Austen fan traveling through the English countryside? I just felt like something was missing. Even though the mystery was intriguing, I did guess who pretty quickly. There are a few red herrings that threw me off though so I wasn't positive and some of what happened was a big surprise. The mystery goes on a little too long and I had to skip some of the details to get to the reveal.
The worst part of the book is the beginning while Kate is still in L.A. discussing Jane Austen with her co-workers. The conversation surrounding Mr. Dracy's wet shirt and brooding nature drove me crazy. The "recent" movie adaptation was in 2005 so please pinpoint that year unless you think there's another recent movie in the future and then say movies. I gathered later that the conversation was meant to illuminate the different reasons why people love Jane Austen but Mr. Darcy in a wet shirt is not Jane Austen--it's Andrew Davies. Yes I enjoy that scene and was excited to see THE SHIRT but I know that's not the real Jane Austen. Later on in the book Kate reveals more valid reasons why she loves Jane Austen. Other than that and the film location scouting, the connection to Jane Austen is tenuous. I did love the English village but the stereotypical speech of the locals and the obvious Americanness of the author (not everyone in England tosses around says "bloke" and "me mate", etc.) drove me a little nutty and I'm not even English.
Kate is described by everyone as a Jane Austen and Regency expert. She claims she's far from it and I would say she's correct. She never once utters anything profound that hasn't already been stated by millions of people or even displays any knowledge of the Regency period. I would have liked more Austen and Regency or get rid of it all together and stick with death in the English countryside no connection to Austen. It would have been nice to explain WHY the locations were right/not right for Longburn and Netherfield the way it was briefly touched on why a location was perfect for Rosings but not Pemberley. Why is each room they visit in a certain house the right look? What makes it that way? The details are too superficial for this Regency aficionado.
I wanted to like Kate because she's a fellow Janeite but she is a bit superficial and hard to get to know. Since she's busy trying to find her boss, there's not a lot of character development. I liked her enough to think the Inspector was too hard on her but not enough to want to be her friend. I did like Alex for the most part. In the beginning of the book he's interesting and interested in helping Kate but later he disappears and reappears randomly making me wonder if this was going to echo Pride and Prejudice. Also, I wish the author had introduced his dog much earlier. She's on the cover! That would have made me like him much more.
The English villagers are an eccentric lot. The family at the inn are nice enough and mind their own business. I really liked Beatrice and how uninterested in titles and circumstance she was. Her husband is such a dear! The Inspector is really tough. He's doing his job but he doesn't take into consideration that Kate is from a different country where we have different laws and different ways of doing things. Of course that gives her the impetus to investigate on her own making this a typical cozy mystery. Becca Ford is entirely unlikable. She's posh trying to look like she's not. I understand why she wants her house in the film but her motives are not all that unselfish. Becca is a man-eater, pushy and determined-not a good combination! Eve is even worse. No one seems to like her much at all. Her uncle is charming but he is elderly. Does he really need a film crew and subsequent tourists invading his home? I'd have to slightly agree with Eve on that one. She could be nicer about it though.
The L.A. office staff Kate works with are not all that pleasant. Marci is very efficient but I don't get much warmth coming from her. I suspected her of underhanded dealings. Lori is a shallow, nosy gossip and Zara didn't like Pride and Prejudice! Kevin, aside from his problem, seems to have been a decent guy, especially for Hollywood.
I'm not sure this book is for the die-hard Janeite but if you like superficial connections to Jane Austen and a decent cozy mystery, this is good enough. I don't know yet whether I want to read more about Kate and Alex.
I really wanted to love this book. What's not to love about a Jane Austen fan traveling through the English countryside? I just felt like something was missing. Even though the mystery was intriguing, I did guess who pretty quickly. There are a few red herrings that threw me off though so I wasn't positive and some of what happened was a big surprise. The mystery goes on a little too long and I had to skip some of the details to get to the reveal.
The worst part of the book is the beginning while Kate is still in L.A. discussing Jane Austen with her co-workers. The conversation surrounding Mr. Dracy's wet shirt and brooding nature drove me crazy. The "recent" movie adaptation was in 2005 so please pinpoint that year unless you think there's another recent movie in the future and then say movies. I gathered later that the conversation was meant to illuminate the different reasons why people love Jane Austen but Mr. Darcy in a wet shirt is not Jane Austen--it's Andrew Davies. Yes I enjoy that scene and was excited to see THE SHIRT but I know that's not the real Jane Austen. Later on in the book Kate reveals more valid reasons why she loves Jane Austen. Other than that and the film location scouting, the connection to Jane Austen is tenuous. I did love the English village but the stereotypical speech of the locals and the obvious Americanness of the author (not everyone in England tosses around says "bloke" and "me mate", etc.) drove me a little nutty and I'm not even English.
Kate is described by everyone as a Jane Austen and Regency expert. She claims she's far from it and I would say she's correct. She never once utters anything profound that hasn't already been stated by millions of people or even displays any knowledge of the Regency period. I would have liked more Austen and Regency or get rid of it all together and stick with death in the English countryside no connection to Austen. It would have been nice to explain WHY the locations were right/not right for Longburn and Netherfield the way it was briefly touched on why a location was perfect for Rosings but not Pemberley. Why is each room they visit in a certain house the right look? What makes it that way? The details are too superficial for this Regency aficionado.
I wanted to like Kate because she's a fellow Janeite but she is a bit superficial and hard to get to know. Since she's busy trying to find her boss, there's not a lot of character development. I liked her enough to think the Inspector was too hard on her but not enough to want to be her friend. I did like Alex for the most part. In the beginning of the book he's interesting and interested in helping Kate but later he disappears and reappears randomly making me wonder if this was going to echo Pride and Prejudice. Also, I wish the author had introduced his dog much earlier. She's on the cover! That would have made me like him much more.
The English villagers are an eccentric lot. The family at the inn are nice enough and mind their own business. I really liked Beatrice and how uninterested in titles and circumstance she was. Her husband is such a dear! The Inspector is really tough. He's doing his job but he doesn't take into consideration that Kate is from a different country where we have different laws and different ways of doing things. Of course that gives her the impetus to investigate on her own making this a typical cozy mystery. Becca Ford is entirely unlikable. She's posh trying to look like she's not. I understand why she wants her house in the film but her motives are not all that unselfish. Becca is a man-eater, pushy and determined-not a good combination! Eve is even worse. No one seems to like her much at all. Her uncle is charming but he is elderly. Does he really need a film crew and subsequent tourists invading his home? I'd have to slightly agree with Eve on that one. She could be nicer about it though.
The L.A. office staff Kate works with are not all that pleasant. Marci is very efficient but I don't get much warmth coming from her. I suspected her of underhanded dealings. Lori is a shallow, nosy gossip and Zara didn't like Pride and Prejudice! Kevin, aside from his problem, seems to have been a decent guy, especially for Hollywood.
I'm not sure this book is for the die-hard Janeite but if you like superficial connections to Jane Austen and a decent cozy mystery, this is good enough. I don't know yet whether I want to read more about Kate and Alex.
October 11, 2018
A cozy mystery of a more serious turn than those I last read. I enjoyed it for the scenery, for the people, and for the inside view into location scouting. I might read on.
The narration of the audio version is very good.
The narration of the audio version is very good.
April 17, 2018
Star rating: 3 Stars
After finding out that her boss Kevin has gone missing while scouting out a location for a new movie rendition of Pride & Prejudice, Kate Sharp packs her bags and heads to England to find out what's happened to him. Instead of finding him 3 sheets to the wind, languishing in a pub, Kate finds his rental car in a river and a whole lot more questions left unanswered. When his body is found not much farther upstream, Kate finds herself as the main suspect in his murder inquiry. Determined to clear her name and find justice for her boss, Kate jumps into the investigation ready to find out who murdered Kevin.
Honestly I feel like this book was just that... A book. There was nothing spectacular about it, but there was also nothing horrible about it either. The plot takes its leisurely time to get off the ground but the writing was amazingly solid. While I liked the main character Kate, her possible love interest Alex was a bit one dimensional. He's never really given any background story and Kate implicitly trusts him the minute she meets him. Overall I'm not really sure if I want to read the next novel in this series. While I didn't hate this book, I didn't love it either. It felt more like a fluffy filler between more serious reads. I'm going to have to read some reviews for the second novel and decide its fate after that.
After finding out that her boss Kevin has gone missing while scouting out a location for a new movie rendition of Pride & Prejudice, Kate Sharp packs her bags and heads to England to find out what's happened to him. Instead of finding him 3 sheets to the wind, languishing in a pub, Kate finds his rental car in a river and a whole lot more questions left unanswered. When his body is found not much farther upstream, Kate finds herself as the main suspect in his murder inquiry. Determined to clear her name and find justice for her boss, Kate jumps into the investigation ready to find out who murdered Kevin.
Honestly I feel like this book was just that... A book. There was nothing spectacular about it, but there was also nothing horrible about it either. The plot takes its leisurely time to get off the ground but the writing was amazingly solid. While I liked the main character Kate, her possible love interest Alex was a bit one dimensional. He's never really given any background story and Kate implicitly trusts him the minute she meets him. Overall I'm not really sure if I want to read the next novel in this series. While I didn't hate this book, I didn't love it either. It felt more like a fluffy filler between more serious reads. I'm going to have to read some reviews for the second novel and decide its fate after that.
December 18, 2015
This is a book that will thrill any P&P fan. The premise is a new movie version of P&P will be made and the locations scout has joined the producer to find the perfect homes for locations.
When he fails to return his colleague is sent to Derbyshire to find out where he went. She hopes he has merely fallen off the wagon; alas there is a much darker explanation.
She is swept up into a plot of intrigue and murder.
When he fails to return his colleague is sent to Derbyshire to find out where he went. She hopes he has merely fallen off the wagon; alas there is a much darker explanation.
She is swept up into a plot of intrigue and murder.
January 31, 2019
This was a fun, fast-paced and easy read. Combining a Jane Austen aficionado, Kate Sharp, who happens to be a location scout, in search of her missing boss in the English countryside, certainly made for entertaining reading. Her love life though leaves much to be desired.
"I've discovered that candidates with even a smidgeon of Mr. Darcy-like potential are extremely thin on the ground in modern Los Angeles." (quote from the book)
I enjoyed the idyllic and picturesque descriptions of the Nether Woodsmoor and the stately homes within the vicinity. I felt the whole premise was well developed and the mystery surrounding her missing boss interesting. I felt I was watching an episode of 'Midsomer Murders' on the BBC. As this is the first book in the series, I look forward to reading more about Kate in the future!
December 27, 2015
Good plots twists although the characters are not developed.
March 11, 2021
Delightful. A cozy mystery with a good mystery and interesting characters. Kate arrives in Britain looking for her boss who was scouting locations for an interpretation of Jane Austin's Pride and Prejudice. Suspecting he has 'fallen off the wagon' she tries to find him on her own until Alex, a local location scout who had been helping her boss, helps her with her search.
As the story progresses we meet people from the town, people who are hoping to make money by allowing filming in their homes and people who hope the 'film people' go away and leave them alone.
There are a couple of subplots in this story and I really enjoyed how it all came out. I really like Kate and the possible romance between her and Alex and her friendships with some of the townspeople, has me really looking forward to the next book.
As the story progresses we meet people from the town, people who are hoping to make money by allowing filming in their homes and people who hope the 'film people' go away and leave them alone.
There are a couple of subplots in this story and I really enjoyed how it all came out. I really like Kate and the possible romance between her and Alex and her friendships with some of the townspeople, has me really looking forward to the next book.
February 6, 2019
I wanted to like this more. It's a unique premise for a cozy, the protag being a movie location scout for a JANE AUSTEN adaptation - right up my alley - but I found myself skipping along. Scenes dragged and paragraphs of explanation that should've been inner thought or narration were made to be dialogue, resulting in strange, inorganic conversations. I wouldn't be averse to the next book in the series if the author improved, though - her afterword proved she's dedicated to the research end, at the very least.
November 25, 2018
Death in the English Countryside by Sara Rosett was an intriguing cozy mystery set in a small village called Nether Woodsmoor. With a quickly paced plot, likable characters and a challenging mystery, I found this to be an enjoyable read and plan to continue this series.
May 1, 2019
I'm not a huge fan of cozy mysteries but this one wasn't terrible
November 15, 2022
A light enjoyable cozy mystery.
September 3, 2019
I really enjoyed this clean cozy mystery set in England. The wonderful descriptions of the countryside reminded me of the England that my Air Force family resided in during my childhood in the 50's.We lived in the rural Cotwolds area, where my dad was stationed at Fairford RAF in
Gloucestershire. Beautiful, beautiful country and villages. The two places we lived in were the honey colored stone cottages.
I was quite drawn into this mystery and invested in the very well developed characters. I absolutely will read book-2 -"DEATH In An English Cottage"!
Gloucestershire. Beautiful, beautiful country and villages. The two places we lived in were the honey colored stone cottages.
I was quite drawn into this mystery and invested in the very well developed characters. I absolutely will read book-2 -"DEATH In An English Cottage"!
February 8, 2015
I received this book for free courtesy of Patchwork Press-Cooperative via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review of the book.
Sara Rosett sets this tidy mystery between Los Angeles and Nether Woodsmoor, England. Film location scout, Kate Sharpe, is tasked with locating her missing boss, Kevin. Kevin was on location scouting potential sites for the filming of a Jane Austen movie. The small production company she works for cannot afford to have a missing owner who may have slipped into his bad habits. Kate arrives full of worry over the disappearance of her mentor, intrigued with locations as any devote of Austen would be, and struggling to find her way in small town intrigues. When Kate finds Kevin's luggage without any trace of his film equipment she suspects something sinister may have occurred here. She encounters local scout, Alex, who had worked with Kevin and is equally puzzled over his disappearance. Rosett sets beautiful scenes, captures pub life, and introduces the reader to a colorful cast of secondary characters. Kate navigates through this world, slowly learning not all small town residents are trustworthy..some have secrets to hide.
I found this to be a straightforward, easy read. The book was full of anecdotes on village life in the English countryside along with beautiful scenes. It was not full of graphic violence and tended to focus more on the details of mystery. I look forward to reading the next in the series as Rosett leaves the reader wondering what will happen next for Kate and Alex.
March 21, 2015
I didn't think this was a bad start to a new series. The Jane Austen theme didn't take over the entire book and it wasn't another attempt to rewrite P&P again, so I was willing to give it a chance.
The main character has some spark and is the type of personality that can adapt to different situations easily, So I don't think there will be a problem with her leading this series into further stories.
The mystery wasn't impossible to solve, but there were enough possibilities that I didn't guess one hundred percent correctly about the motive right from the beginning.
The author did a good job with descriptions of the surroundings and made the setting feel genuine. I wasn't certain of the language used at times though. For being English, some of the local character's speech didn't come across as particularly British.
Overall I thought this was an interesting start to a promising new series and liked the way the author handled her set up.
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
The main character has some spark and is the type of personality that can adapt to different situations easily, So I don't think there will be a problem with her leading this series into further stories.
The mystery wasn't impossible to solve, but there were enough possibilities that I didn't guess one hundred percent correctly about the motive right from the beginning.
The author did a good job with descriptions of the surroundings and made the setting feel genuine. I wasn't certain of the language used at times though. For being English, some of the local character's speech didn't come across as particularly British.
Overall I thought this was an interesting start to a promising new series and liked the way the author handled her set up.
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
January 16, 2016
Car In The Creek
Kate travels to England to search for boss Kevin. She hopes to keep his disappearance a secret to save his company. At the hotel,l she meets Alex the location scout he was meeting. The village of is prefect for the shooting of a new movie of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE. The plot is thin while the descriptions put you in the area. The killer is easy to spot early in the book. This is the first books in this series.
Any book by Sarah Rosett is sure to be a ood read. I have read most of them.
Kate travels to England to search for boss Kevin. She hopes to keep his disappearance a secret to save his company. At the hotel,l she meets Alex the location scout he was meeting. The village of is prefect for the shooting of a new movie of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE. The plot is thin while the descriptions put you in the area. The killer is easy to spot early in the book. This is the first books in this series.
Any book by Sarah Rosett is sure to be a ood read. I have read most of them.
November 3, 2018
A nice English flavored cozy with a little Jane Austin sprinkled on top. I enjoyed it a lot.
May 21, 2020
Very enjoyable. I liked the characters and the setting, and I'll definitely continue with this series.
February 14, 2024
I thoroughly enjoyed this cozy mystery. Great setting, great characters, and interesting plot. I look forward to reading more in this series with Kate and Alex.
March 5, 2019
I found a lot to like in this one. Perhaps not so heavy in the mystery aspect but enjoyed it nonetheless.
July 16, 2018
Halfway through the book, I got really excited because I thought this was a book that was going to be about P&P and also have a P&P-ish plot to it, especially during the middle bit when Alex came under suspicion and DCI Quimby started being nice to Kate. What if DCI Quimby was actually the Darcy-esque character while Alex was Wickham? After all, the whole first half of the book seemed to foreshadow some sort of "appearance is very different from reality" theme which Kate apparently wrote some thesis about.
But such a plot twist was not to be. Instead, DCI Quimby is just another police officer and the romantic hero is still Alex.
The plot trudged along predictably enough, and I wasn't even surprised by the revelation of the murderer. I'd have pegged Eve as the most uninteresting suspect from the start, because she'd be so predictable. When Kate started getting excited about various details falling into place (but deciding that Eve definitely had to be the one who had sent her Kevin's camera because of the way she folded wires, really? Because no one else could fold wires in that same way? Talk about jumping to conclusions), I was actually bracing myself for a bigger plot twist at the end. What if it hadn't actually been Eve, and Kate had let her prejudices get in the way and suspect the wrong person when in fact it was actually someone that no reader would've suspected, a la Agatha Christie murder mystery. Unfortunately, again, that fell flat.
The premise of the book was really interesting, and for that I'd give it the 2 stars. It failed to impress with the conclusion of both the romantic and the mystery plots, however.
But such a plot twist was not to be. Instead, DCI Quimby is just another police officer and the romantic hero is still Alex.
The plot trudged along predictably enough, and I wasn't even surprised by the revelation of the murderer. I'd have pegged Eve as the most uninteresting suspect from the start, because she'd be so predictable. When Kate started getting excited about various details falling into place (but deciding that Eve definitely had to be the one who had sent her Kevin's camera because of the way she folded wires, really? Because no one else could fold wires in that same way? Talk about jumping to conclusions), I was actually bracing myself for a bigger plot twist at the end. What if it hadn't actually been Eve, and Kate had let her prejudices get in the way and suspect the wrong person when in fact it was actually someone that no reader would've suspected, a la Agatha Christie murder mystery. Unfortunately, again, that fell flat.
The premise of the book was really interesting, and for that I'd give it the 2 stars. It failed to impress with the conclusion of both the romantic and the mystery plots, however.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 23, 2015
Don't bother with this book. Poor writing, poor plot, poor characters in fact poor everything. Boring story. Poor old Jane Austen gets dragged in unwillingly again through no fault of her own, the main character supposedly looking for a location, allegedly in England and looking for a colleague who has disappeared. An American author trying to write about England and it doesn't work-sorry. I found myself getting irritated with English people speaking American. Advertised as a "cozy" hmmm. I'll go back to Agatha
September 21, 2018
rather 3.5/5, not because it's extraordinary but because it is so charming about the english countryside that i had the feeling it extended my holidays - not that i ever had a crime scene on my holidays, but the setting of this book was nice - the plot was good as well, i almost figured out who the culprit was, but had a change of mind - my mistake -
i look forward to reading the other books in this series, it's relaxing and not gloomy, that's a change
i look forward to reading the other books in this series, it's relaxing and not gloomy, that's a change
April 6, 2015
Fun! Great to be back in England again. I like Kate Sharp, the character who had to make trip to England, and I like Alex, another character who luckily lives in a village in England. Looking forward to see how and what Kate and maybe Alex do in their mystery.
October 19, 2016
Very enjoyable. I believe I received this as a freebie on Kindle. Now that I've read this first in series, I will definitely buy and read the rest of the books. The characters are likeable, the setting gorgeous, and the premise appealing.
January 1, 2016
I LOVED this! British whodunit, and with one of my all-time favorite characters - Slink, the Greyhound!
October 23, 2020
I’m always pleased to find a new mystery series! I liked Kate, loved the Jane Austen references, and was surprised by a couple of twists.
August 29, 2019
“Fun" little murder mystery; a quick and easy read.
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