What do you think?
Rate this book
Libby Sarjeant #14
Murder Out of Tune: An addictive cozy mystery novel set in the village of Steeple Martin
The fourteenth book in the Libby Sarjeant series of British murder mysteries which features a retired actress as the female sleuth and are based in the picturesque village of Steeple Martin.
A member of a local ukulele group is found dead in Steeple Martin's churchyard. Libby's first reaction is relief that the victim isn't anyone she knows. She and the usual suspects have other things to occupy them as they are gearing up for a Christmas concert and pantomime in the Oast Theatre but when Libby's cousin gets romantically involved with a man in whom the police are taking an interest, she can't help asking a few questions – and getting into trouble…
A member of a local ukulele group is found dead in Steeple Martin's churchyard. Libby's first reaction is relief that the victim isn't anyone she knows. She and the usual suspects have other things to occupy them as they are gearing up for a Christmas concert and pantomime in the Oast Theatre but when Libby's cousin gets romantically involved with a man in whom the police are taking an interest, she can't help asking a few questions – and getting into trouble…
252 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 30, 2014
38 people are currently reading
132 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
January 22, 2015
I have always been a fan of mysteries, especially British ones. I can't explain what it is about them, but they just draw me in and keep my interest through out the entire thing. The characters are fun and different, I love the names of the towns/villages (and pubs), and the writing feels like a favorite blanket. You see, I grew up on British television, especially British mysteries. My mom was a big fan of things like Sherlock Holmes and Agatha Christie, and that love was not only passed on to me, but has spread to include all kinds of things, including Midsomer Murders. And that is what this book felt like to me.
This is the first time that I have met Libby and her friends, and after I got through the first chapter, getting used to the author's writing style and figuring out who everyone was, I really got into the book - so much so that I read it in one sitting. (If you're not used to British writing, that first chapter - and the fact that there are a lot of conversations going on throughout the book - may seem a bit tedious, but give it a chance.) Having not read the first thirteen books, there were a few things I didn't understand, but that had nothing to do with the story or the author, and everything to do with my lack of knowledge for things that happened before, so I wouldn't say that these are stand-alones - the mystery itself is, but there is a lot of talk about things that happened before, and Libby is very stand-off-ish when it comes to this mystery, wanting nothing to do with trying to solve it.
The characters are an interesting group of people, some very different than the others, but all friends just the same. The village of Steeple Martin reminds me, as mentioned before, of a place I would come across in the TV series Midsomer Murders - the kind of place you would like to visit just to check out the scenery and enjoy the quiet and solitude of such a place. The mystery - a murder - begins in the very first paragraph of the book and it was great fun (for lack of a better phrase) trying to figure out who did it.
There were a couple of things that the author added at the beginning of the book that I really liked and felt were very useful. The map is great and it helped to have an idea of the layout before I got started. Also, she does a "Who's Who" where she lists out the characters and gives a bit of back information on them. I find these very helpful, especially when you have a lot of characters, and it also makes it easier to keep track of different characters as you go through a series.
This is a series I definitely plan to catch up on - and one I recommended to my mother (she is pretty picky when it comes to books, so that says a lot).
Note: I received a copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Please remember that this is my opinion based on my own personal interpretation of the book.
This is the first time that I have met Libby and her friends, and after I got through the first chapter, getting used to the author's writing style and figuring out who everyone was, I really got into the book - so much so that I read it in one sitting. (If you're not used to British writing, that first chapter - and the fact that there are a lot of conversations going on throughout the book - may seem a bit tedious, but give it a chance.) Having not read the first thirteen books, there were a few things I didn't understand, but that had nothing to do with the story or the author, and everything to do with my lack of knowledge for things that happened before, so I wouldn't say that these are stand-alones - the mystery itself is, but there is a lot of talk about things that happened before, and Libby is very stand-off-ish when it comes to this mystery, wanting nothing to do with trying to solve it.
The characters are an interesting group of people, some very different than the others, but all friends just the same. The village of Steeple Martin reminds me, as mentioned before, of a place I would come across in the TV series Midsomer Murders - the kind of place you would like to visit just to check out the scenery and enjoy the quiet and solitude of such a place. The mystery - a murder - begins in the very first paragraph of the book and it was great fun (for lack of a better phrase) trying to figure out who did it.
There were a couple of things that the author added at the beginning of the book that I really liked and felt were very useful. The map is great and it helped to have an idea of the layout before I got started. Also, she does a "Who's Who" where she lists out the characters and gives a bit of back information on them. I find these very helpful, especially when you have a lot of characters, and it also makes it easier to keep track of different characters as you go through a series.
This is a series I definitely plan to catch up on - and one I recommended to my mother (she is pretty picky when it comes to books, so that says a lot).
Note: I received a copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Please remember that this is my opinion based on my own personal interpretation of the book.
October 17, 2014
I read this during the course of an intense 4 day residential training course and it was just what I needed. Crime fiction is a genre I enjoy anyway but when your brain can't take much more information this is the sort of cosy book which I find ideal. Not too taxing and some eccentric characters. probably not for others within our Goodreads group!
September 2, 2017
Another good story
Love the characters and settings in this series. I am sad to be nearing the end of the series. We have been going through a stressful time and these characters and their stories have been my escape and kept me company along the way. Steeple Martin has been a great place to escape from the stresses of the day.
Love the characters and settings in this series. I am sad to be nearing the end of the series. We have been going through a stressful time and these characters and their stories have been my escape and kept me company along the way. Steeple Martin has been a great place to escape from the stresses of the day.
June 8, 2016
A member of a ukulele group is found dead in Steeple Martin's churchyard and Libby feels guilty that she is relieved it isn't anyone she knows. She doesn't feel obliged to investigate until her cousin becomes involved with one of the murder suspects though her time is taken up by a Christmas concert organised by Sir Andrew McColl and by the pantomime to be performed in the Oast Theatre.
Libby and Fran are soon investigating almost against their better judgement and life suddenly becomes rather dangerous when most members of the ukulele group seem to have secrets which may or may not be relevant to the murder. It seems Libby has an enemy in the village - an elderly lady who is a menace on a mobility scooter - who blames her for everything which has happened in the village lately.
I really enjoyed this mystery and totally failed to identify the murderer until almost the end of the book. I liked the background of the theatre and the tensions which occur between the ill assorted members of a group which only have one interest in common. I also liked the fact that Libby's cousin, Cassandra, is far from perfect and is apt to trample to over everyone to get what she wants. The interaction between her and Libby is made more realistic because Libby doesn't just accept her bad behaviour and challenges her over it whenever it affects her or her friends.
This is an excellent series with intricate plots and realistic and all too human characters. If you like crime stories with amateur detectives who manage to work reasonably well with the police and which are set in rural England then you may enjoy this series. The books can be read as standalone novels but are probably best read as a series in the order in which they were published.
Libby and Fran are soon investigating almost against their better judgement and life suddenly becomes rather dangerous when most members of the ukulele group seem to have secrets which may or may not be relevant to the murder. It seems Libby has an enemy in the village - an elderly lady who is a menace on a mobility scooter - who blames her for everything which has happened in the village lately.
I really enjoyed this mystery and totally failed to identify the murderer until almost the end of the book. I liked the background of the theatre and the tensions which occur between the ill assorted members of a group which only have one interest in common. I also liked the fact that Libby's cousin, Cassandra, is far from perfect and is apt to trample to over everyone to get what she wants. The interaction between her and Libby is made more realistic because Libby doesn't just accept her bad behaviour and challenges her over it whenever it affects her or her friends.
This is an excellent series with intricate plots and realistic and all too human characters. If you like crime stories with amateur detectives who manage to work reasonably well with the police and which are set in rural England then you may enjoy this series. The books can be read as standalone novels but are probably best read as a series in the order in which they were published.
February 14, 2015
This is the first book I've read in this popular and long-running series which features middle aged Libby Sarjeant, who is very nosy and can't help getting involved in discovering who would murder a very quiet and unassuming local man.
My first thought is that there were so many characters in the series but, luckily, there is a very handy who's who guide in the front of the book, which I needed to refer back to several times during my read!
However, once I'd got used to the very narrative driven story I was soon engrossed in this mystery and was eager to find out the culprit, as there were so many red herrings, and suspects that I didn't have a clue who the murderer was.
A very enjoyable read, there were several mentions to past murders, but I didn't feel that I was missing out by not reading those.
Some of the local village names had me tittering, such as Shott, Itching and Bishop's Bottom! These names are typical of some of the smaller towns in England.
From ex-rock stars to local battleaxes, there were lots of quirky characters, some endearing, some nasty, all of which made this an entertaining mystery.
From my book blog Carole's Book Corner
My first thought is that there were so many characters in the series but, luckily, there is a very handy who's who guide in the front of the book, which I needed to refer back to several times during my read!
However, once I'd got used to the very narrative driven story I was soon engrossed in this mystery and was eager to find out the culprit, as there were so many red herrings, and suspects that I didn't have a clue who the murderer was.
A very enjoyable read, there were several mentions to past murders, but I didn't feel that I was missing out by not reading those.
Some of the local village names had me tittering, such as Shott, Itching and Bishop's Bottom! These names are typical of some of the smaller towns in England.
From ex-rock stars to local battleaxes, there were lots of quirky characters, some endearing, some nasty, all of which made this an entertaining mystery.
From my book blog Carole's Book Corner
October 11, 2014
I adore Libby Serjeant and her group of friends which she adds to with every story. I'm never disappointed and now feel I'm meeting up with peoe I know in a familiar setting (but not always!) Simply fabulous can't wait till the next one!
Read
September 30, 2016I gave this 50 pages then i skipped to the end - when will i learn not to jump into series mid way (in this case 14 books in) even if you've already read book one in it. Still at least it was a library book not one I'd paid for...
December 13, 2014
A predictable but enjoyable Libby Sarjent cozy mystery. Same cast of characters.
February 18, 2016
another great book from the popular series....
July 14, 2022
Listened to on Audible
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews