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Saffron Weald #1
Village Fetes Can Be Murder
An old mystery, a murdered stranger and a notebook full of secrets turn a quaint village upside down with fear and suspicion.
At the reading of their mother’s will, the lives of twin sisters Imogen and Ophelia are changed forever. In addition to leaving them the family home in the quaint village of Saffron Weald, their mother’s last request is that they retire together in the cottage, Badger’s Hollow. Ophelia, a retired musician, and Imogen, a recently widowed mother of two grown children, jump at the chance since they are still in good health.
Their arrival coincides with the annual village fete, and they readily agree to lend a hand with the tug of war. However, when they go to the supply tent to retrieve the rope, they discover the body of a visiting young journalist. Before the arrival of the hapless village constable, the sisters scour the murder scene and discover several clues including a notebook in the girl’s bag filled with detailed notes on the villagers including one that hits shockingly close to home. Intrigued, the discovery propels them into investigating the murder themselves, taking them on a journey fraught with suspicion, startling revelations, and danger.
Will the sisters succeed in bringing the ruthless murderer to justice or will they become victims of a predator desperate to keep their dark secrets hidden?
Join these delightful and amusing elderly sleuths on their first detecting adventure and meet a whole cast of colorful and quirky characters.
Fans of Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple will fall in love with the smart and sassy sisters in this delightful new series.
At the reading of their mother’s will, the lives of twin sisters Imogen and Ophelia are changed forever. In addition to leaving them the family home in the quaint village of Saffron Weald, their mother’s last request is that they retire together in the cottage, Badger’s Hollow. Ophelia, a retired musician, and Imogen, a recently widowed mother of two grown children, jump at the chance since they are still in good health.
Their arrival coincides with the annual village fete, and they readily agree to lend a hand with the tug of war. However, when they go to the supply tent to retrieve the rope, they discover the body of a visiting young journalist. Before the arrival of the hapless village constable, the sisters scour the murder scene and discover several clues including a notebook in the girl’s bag filled with detailed notes on the villagers including one that hits shockingly close to home. Intrigued, the discovery propels them into investigating the murder themselves, taking them on a journey fraught with suspicion, startling revelations, and danger.
Will the sisters succeed in bringing the ruthless murderer to justice or will they become victims of a predator desperate to keep their dark secrets hidden?
Join these delightful and amusing elderly sleuths on their first detecting adventure and meet a whole cast of colorful and quirky characters.
Fans of Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple will fall in love with the smart and sassy sisters in this delightful new series.
207 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 15, 2024
515 people are currently reading
179 people want to read
About the author
Ann Sutton
30 books45 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 - 30 of 44 reviews
June 3, 2025
2025 bk 61. What a delightful mystery. When two older women inherit their childhood home in the village of Saffron Weald they are inundated with requests to join this/that/and the other thing. Agreeing to judge the tug of war results in the find of a dead woman in the storage tent. The finding of their mother's journal further encourages the two into 'just look into the facts' around the mysterious death - and a mysterious death that had taken place many years previously. Very well written mystery in the style of the golden age of mysteries. I also love the cover artwork.
September 30, 2024
This was a cute story, which neatly incorporated 1920s-era conventions and styles with the modern cozy mystery. Identical twins returning to a small village is a nice twist. The story includes the requisite cheesy proprietor names -- Fudgeford for the sweet-shop owners, Cleaver for the butchers, Ancien for the antiques dealer, etc.
What dropped it from a five- to a four-star rating is the sheer number of poorly punctuated sentences and word misuse. Seems someone once told Sutton that if a sentence is more than "x" words, it needs a comma in the middle. Never mind that the commas often break up thoughts, cause subsequent phrases to modify the wrong item, or are simply unnecessary. I highlighted a number of them, but not all, by far.
What dropped it from a five- to a four-star rating is the sheer number of poorly punctuated sentences and word misuse. Seems someone once told Sutton that if a sentence is more than "x" words, it needs a comma in the middle. Never mind that the commas often break up thoughts, cause subsequent phrases to modify the wrong item, or are simply unnecessary. I highlighted a number of them, but not all, by far.
April 21, 2024
Good characters, but a thrown-together denouement
I greatly enjoy Ms Sutton’s writing and the wit that appears in her “Dodo” books.
“Village Fetes” is the first book in a new series, and while I found the work
enjoyable, I felt that the ending was hurried - as if it were thrown together to complete the story or to meet a deadline.
I recommend that the author spend a bit more time with the second volume in the series.
She is a much better author than this work indicates. A new series centered around retired twin sisters who solve crimes with their very large dog could be received.
I greatly enjoy Ms Sutton’s writing and the wit that appears in her “Dodo” books.
“Village Fetes” is the first book in a new series, and while I found the work
enjoyable, I felt that the ending was hurried - as if it were thrown together to complete the story or to meet a deadline.
I recommend that the author spend a bit more time with the second volume in the series.
She is a much better author than this work indicates. A new series centered around retired twin sisters who solve crimes with their very large dog could be received.
June 24, 2024
Who says you can't go home again? Well, you can in this historical mystery set in the 1920s when twin sisters inherit the family home and honor their mother's request of living in the house once more. One a widow and one a retired musician dive into village life once more and volunteer at the fete. In the process of getting the rope for tug of war they run into the dead body of a young journalist who as been asking a lot of questions. Intrigued by the notebook found in her purse that has lots of history on the local residents including their deceased mother inspires them to delve deeper into this mystery. They find hidden secrets, old misdeeds and danger!
A nice refreshing change from the usual MCs of the hundreds of 1920s historical mystery cozies out there. Fun. The ending was a bit rushed but overall, I would definitely read another in the series.
A nice refreshing change from the usual MCs of the hundreds of 1920s historical mystery cozies out there. Fun. The ending was a bit rushed but overall, I would definitely read another in the series.
September 30, 2024
Enjoyable, Leisurely
This is a well-written, well-plotted cozy mystery with the added bonus of a different type of sleuth (or rather, sleuths): twin sisters. Although older women, they are far from elderly; there is a real spiciness to their characters. The characters of the little village that is at the heart of the mystery are varied and quirky, with a surprising depth to each slowly evolving as the twins delve into the mystery. One of the reasons I prefer cozy mysteries set in previous eras is the slower pace of the clues and solution: very little ghastly forensic evidence to deal with; careful guesswork and a knowledge of human nature solve the case. So, a truly enjoyable book.
This is a well-written, well-plotted cozy mystery with the added bonus of a different type of sleuth (or rather, sleuths): twin sisters. Although older women, they are far from elderly; there is a real spiciness to their characters. The characters of the little village that is at the heart of the mystery are varied and quirky, with a surprising depth to each slowly evolving as the twins delve into the mystery. One of the reasons I prefer cozy mysteries set in previous eras is the slower pace of the clues and solution: very little ghastly forensic evidence to deal with; careful guesswork and a knowledge of human nature solve the case. So, a truly enjoyable book.
July 31, 2025
This is a "new to me" author and I enjoyed this story. The main characters are two elderly female twins and they have just moved back to their home village after their 94 yr old mother had died. The setting is in the early 1900's and in the UK. The plot is straightforward and the premise is finding out who killed the stranger who came to their fete and why. The answers were meticulously sought out and found and the murderer is brought to justice, but I don't think many people will suss out exactly who the murderer was. I had no idea, but then I rarely do. I definitely recommend this story and look forward to the next one.
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April 22, 2024A Charming cozy village mystery featuring a formidable team of mature twins, Ophelia and Imogen, who retire to the English village of Saffron Weald and move into their late mother's house. Not long after, at the annual village fete, a young woman is found dead. When they discover a link between the victim and their mother, the twins begin to investigate, uncovering long hidden secrets and stirring up trouble.
Full of quirky characters and well-written, this is a fun, easy to read cozy mystery that I thoroughly enjoyed. I'm already looking forward to the next book in the series.
Full of quirky characters and well-written, this is a fun, easy to read cozy mystery that I thoroughly enjoyed. I'm already looking forward to the next book in the series.
July 30, 2025
The story is a step by step from reading the will, the house all its interior, meeting all the village, to getting to the fete. Page 49 and we have the murder. I'm a 50 pager, so I was relieved, I know a lot of people don't give stories that much. Then the investigating starts, again, step by step including the grocery shopping. It was twisty with the murders, but the conclusion depended on the oddest happenings.
The prologue was just the will reading, so I felt it should just have been chapter one. A scene from one of the earlier murders would have been far more interesting.
The prologue was just the will reading, so I felt it should just have been chapter one. A scene from one of the earlier murders would have been far more interesting.
September 28, 2024
Village Fetes Can Be Murder
The murder of a young woman at the village Fete sets the theme for this book. Identical twins, Imogen and Ophilia have just moved home to their late mother's house and begin to detect with the clues of the murder. Research leads them to investigate a number of village residents. Several other murders are found to be connected. You will be surprised to discover the murderer!
The murder of a young woman at the village Fete sets the theme for this book. Identical twins, Imogen and Ophilia have just moved home to their late mother's house and begin to detect with the clues of the murder. Research leads them to investigate a number of village residents. Several other murders are found to be connected. You will be surprised to discover the murderer!
May 4, 2026
I was attracted to the title of the third in this series, but thought I should start at the beginning. A third of the way in, I thought I’d made a mistake - too much explanation, convoluted sentences and ‘lovey’ was driving me mad. Either I got used to it, or it improved. It became a page turner. The ending was a bit too quick and tidy, but gives me a chance to move on to the next one. I’m starting to warm to these people - and I do want to get to the book club!
March 17, 2024
This was a very enjoyable romp through an English village with twin sisters who returned to their homes as older women. The characters were interesting and well-drawn, the protagonists were lovely, and the plot was complicated enough to keep me guessing. I can't wait for more books in this series. I enjoy all of Ann Sutton's mysteries.
May 13, 2024
An enjoyable read
I liked how the ladies were easy to like from the beginning. They were laid back and enjoyed the town around them. I like the identical sisters in how they spent their days seeking the crime clues. Although, the murderer was pretty easy to figure out and the last bit of the puzzle was too convenient.
I liked how the ladies were easy to like from the beginning. They were laid back and enjoyed the town around them. I like the identical sisters in how they spent their days seeking the crime clues. Although, the murderer was pretty easy to figure out and the last bit of the puzzle was too convenient.
June 30, 2024
Excellent
Good pace, interesting likeable characters, held my attention. It evoked a feeling for the time and the characters are well developed. The story moves along at a good pace; there is agood bit of humor. I especially like the last regular character introduced, but to say more would be a spoiler.
Good pace, interesting likeable characters, held my attention. It evoked a feeling for the time and the characters are well developed. The story moves along at a good pace; there is agood bit of humor. I especially like the last regular character introduced, but to say more would be a spoiler.
October 29, 2024
The twins find lots to do after returning to the village
One can imagine the great characters now living in the village, as the twin sisters follow clues to solving old murders. Perhaps not a good idea to visit this village, or a better plan might be to see how they settle into the village life?
One can imagine the great characters now living in the village, as the twin sisters follow clues to solving old murders. Perhaps not a good idea to visit this village, or a better plan might be to see how they settle into the village life?
December 12, 2024
Twin sisters move back to their home town after the death of their 95 year old mother. A couple of weeks later at the village fete, a stranger who claimed to be from the local paper was murdered. When the sisters follow the clues, they discover that she was actually the 3rd murder, and their mother may have been the 4th.
February 14, 2025
An enjoyable historical cozy mystery set in a small village in England during the 1920s. The heroines are senior twin sisters who have moved back to their childhood home after their mother's death. A murder at the annual fete soon leads them to question another historical death near their village. A few twists with limited suspects kept me turning the pages until the end.
April 18, 2025
I just finished this book. What a great idea. Two identical twins solving murders in the village where they grew up and are back living in, they old home. I truly enjoyed it and would recommend that everyone who loves Miss Marple read these books. Just started reading the next book in the series and can't wait to see what the twins get up to. Thank you, Ann Sutton.
March 16, 2024
Village Fetes Can Be Murder
An entertaining and enjoyable read from a respected author. I liked both the "older" and the twin aspects. Maybe because I happen be both. Looking forward to the next outing.
An entertaining and enjoyable read from a respected author. I liked both the "older" and the twin aspects. Maybe because I happen be both. Looking forward to the next outing.
September 27, 2024
Great Beginning to the Series
This is a very intriguing story. Started off a little slow, but quickly picked up the pase and the investigation started. The characters are a lot of fun and pretty good detectives. Looking forward to the next book in the series.
This is a very intriguing story. Started off a little slow, but quickly picked up the pase and the investigation started. The characters are a lot of fun and pretty good detectives. Looking forward to the next book in the series.
December 24, 2024
Charming cozy
Older identical twin sisters decide to live together after their mother passes. Charming village, interesting occupants, dead bodies past and present, clues galore. Enjoyable!
Older identical twin sisters decide to live together after their mother passes. Charming village, interesting occupants, dead bodies past and present, clues galore. Enjoyable!
March 21, 2024
Fun read. The twins are delightful.
April 2, 2024
Lovely!
Really captures the village life. Love the characters. Looking forward to reading more adventures with Imogen and Ophelia, love their names!
Really captures the village life. Love the characters. Looking forward to reading more adventures with Imogen and Ophelia, love their names!
April 17, 2024
Wonderful!
Being an old lady myself, I thoroughly enjoyed this fabulous book. I do hope there will be more, please, Ann?😘
Being an old lady myself, I thoroughly enjoyed this fabulous book. I do hope there will be more, please, Ann?😘
April 24, 2024
Bland
Nothing really grips the attention and how the final clue is found beggars belief... none of the characters are particularly likeable or engaging either
Nothing really grips the attention and how the final clue is found beggars belief... none of the characters are particularly likeable or engaging either
August 15, 2024
Quick Read Full of Good Stuff
With too much going on, I needed totally relaxing read and this series will definitely fill the bill! Loved it!
With too much going on, I needed totally relaxing read and this series will definitely fill the bill! Loved it!
September 27, 2024
Historical murder mystery. Fun reading about a small town as imagined when two older twin sisters return to their hometown.
October 14, 2024
Starts OK but very shaky period details, a host of anachronisims, terrible dialogue and unconvincing characters pretty much ruin it. Very much doubt I'll read anymore in this series.
November 7, 2024
Great start to cozy mystery series. The twin sisters are great! Loved it.
December 21, 2024
I enjoyed this charming mystery with its star characters in charge and hope there will be a sequel to follow along so I can go on to thrive on the series!!
January 15, 2025
Great story
Ends up as a satisfying read, and there are hoped that the poor research improves. Occasional slips into more modern idioms can be overlooked.
Ends up as a satisfying read, and there are hoped that the poor research improves. Occasional slips into more modern idioms can be overlooked.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews