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Piddlington Gazette #1
The Body on the Roundabout
The start of a hilarious British cosy crime series set in Dorset. Perfect for fans of Richard Osman, The Reverend Richard Cole and Ian Moore.
It's all kicking off in Piddlington Minster...
Harry Hedges is a desperate man. Desperate to be a journalist again. Desperate to pay off his overdraft. And desperate to find a decent coffee. In a paper cup. With a lid on.
There's not much chance of that in Dorset, where he's trying to revive an ailing weekly newspaper and claw his way back to journalistic civilisation, after losing his swanky London job.
All he has to do is take on the town busybody, locate his proprietor's lost sister, and help solve the mystery of the body on the roundabout.
How hard can it be? With a news-team that includes a Gen-Zer with a secret, a truculent pensioner and a flea-ridden Labrador, the answer is very...
It's all kicking off in Piddlington Minster...
Harry Hedges is a desperate man. Desperate to be a journalist again. Desperate to pay off his overdraft. And desperate to find a decent coffee. In a paper cup. With a lid on.
There's not much chance of that in Dorset, where he's trying to revive an ailing weekly newspaper and claw his way back to journalistic civilisation, after losing his swanky London job.
All he has to do is take on the town busybody, locate his proprietor's lost sister, and help solve the mystery of the body on the roundabout.
How hard can it be? With a news-team that includes a Gen-Zer with a secret, a truculent pensioner and a flea-ridden Labrador, the answer is very...
347 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 18, 2025
124 people are currently reading
70 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
January 18, 2026
Lovely cozy mystery.
The characters who grew on me, and ultimately I was sad to say goodbye and wistfully hoping for a Book Two.
Pacing was a little slow to start but that’s a cozy read.
The characters who grew on me, and ultimately I was sad to say goodbye and wistfully hoping for a Book Two.
Pacing was a little slow to start but that’s a cozy read.
October 19, 2025
Harry Hedges is giving big “oops, my career exploded” energy and I am so here for this brand of low-stakes, high-chaos redemption arc. Fresh out of prison for a crime he definitely took the fall for (insert dramatic piano sting), Harry crashes into the sleepy village of Piddlington Minster armed with nothing but a battered Mini Cooper, a tweed jacket too heavy for September, and the kind of self-sabotaging charm that gets you both fired and forgiven in the same week. He’s been banished from London journalism like a Victorian governess with a scandal, and now he’s trying to revive a dying local paper with a staff made up of exactly zero normal people.
Let’s talk about the newsroom first because it’s giving... community theatre production of Spotlight, but everyone’s hungover and allergic to responsibility. There's Hattie, a young journalist who is one motivational quote away from stabbing someone with a dry biro. Ray, who is too busy betting on horse races to show up for work (relatable). And Ignatius, the dog, who might be the most respected employee on the payroll and absolutely stinks of wisdom (and also fleas). I’m obsessed. This is a support group masquerading as a news team.
Now enter Sergeant Ophelia Starsky, whose name alone tells you she’s going to slap you with a parking ticket and then haunt your dreams. She’s intense, emotionally stunted, and absurdly hot in that angry neck-bun kind of way. The chemistry between her and Harry is immediate, weirdly hostile, and gave me just enough “enemies to reluctant colleagues who might someday kiss in a cupboard” tension to keep me clutching my metaphorical pearls. When she barks “Move” at him and shoves him out of a crime scene with the grace of a rugby player on a bad date, I fell a little in love. I get it, Harry.
The actual mystery? Deliciously British. There’s a body (at least one). On a roundabout. As advertised. And what unfolds is less "gritty thriller" and more "accidental amateur hour with emotional depth." Which is the best kind. This book isn’t just about red herrings or twisty reveals (though there are those, and I did gasp), it’s about the messy lives bumping up against the edges of the investigation. The hoarders. The town gossips. Everyone here is a little broken, a little weird, and trying not to drown in their own emotional cup of tea.
Harry’s arc is low-key beautiful. He’s a screw-up, sure, but a lovable one who’s genuinely trying. The weight of what he’s lost hangs over every scene like that weird stain on his trousers (don’t ask), and the more he connects with this quirky town, the more you see the soft gooey center under his snarky exterior. He’s not a hero. He’s not even a particularly good editor. He makes some really bad choices. But he wants to be better, and that cracked my cold dark heart right open.
Yes, some pacing moments hiccup. Yes, the resolution feels a tiny bit rushed. But honestly? I didn’t care. I was too busy rooting for this chaotic little newsroom, this grumpy hot cop, and one man’s desperate quest for a decent coffee in a town that runs on sub-par caffeine options and secrets.
Solid 3.5 stars. This cozy didn’t just charm me, it recruited me. I would absolutely read book two with a smug mug of Builder’s tea and a box of digestive biscuit.
Whodunity Award: For Most Dramatic Use of a Roundabout Since the Invention of the British Highway Code
Massive thanks to Bonnier Books UK and NetGalley for the ARC of The Body on the Roundabout. I laughed, I gasped, I genuinely considered adopting a flea-ridden office dog and solving crimes with him. You absolute legends handed me a cozy mystery with emotional damage and tea-stained chaos, and I devoured it like a stressed-out journalist in a pastry shop. Can’t wait to see where the Piddlington Gazette goes next, preferably somewhere with espresso.
Let’s talk about the newsroom first because it’s giving... community theatre production of Spotlight, but everyone’s hungover and allergic to responsibility. There's Hattie, a young journalist who is one motivational quote away from stabbing someone with a dry biro. Ray, who is too busy betting on horse races to show up for work (relatable). And Ignatius, the dog, who might be the most respected employee on the payroll and absolutely stinks of wisdom (and also fleas). I’m obsessed. This is a support group masquerading as a news team.
Now enter Sergeant Ophelia Starsky, whose name alone tells you she’s going to slap you with a parking ticket and then haunt your dreams. She’s intense, emotionally stunted, and absurdly hot in that angry neck-bun kind of way. The chemistry between her and Harry is immediate, weirdly hostile, and gave me just enough “enemies to reluctant colleagues who might someday kiss in a cupboard” tension to keep me clutching my metaphorical pearls. When she barks “Move” at him and shoves him out of a crime scene with the grace of a rugby player on a bad date, I fell a little in love. I get it, Harry.
The actual mystery? Deliciously British. There’s a body (at least one). On a roundabout. As advertised. And what unfolds is less "gritty thriller" and more "accidental amateur hour with emotional depth." Which is the best kind. This book isn’t just about red herrings or twisty reveals (though there are those, and I did gasp), it’s about the messy lives bumping up against the edges of the investigation. The hoarders. The town gossips. Everyone here is a little broken, a little weird, and trying not to drown in their own emotional cup of tea.
Harry’s arc is low-key beautiful. He’s a screw-up, sure, but a lovable one who’s genuinely trying. The weight of what he’s lost hangs over every scene like that weird stain on his trousers (don’t ask), and the more he connects with this quirky town, the more you see the soft gooey center under his snarky exterior. He’s not a hero. He’s not even a particularly good editor. He makes some really bad choices. But he wants to be better, and that cracked my cold dark heart right open.
Yes, some pacing moments hiccup. Yes, the resolution feels a tiny bit rushed. But honestly? I didn’t care. I was too busy rooting for this chaotic little newsroom, this grumpy hot cop, and one man’s desperate quest for a decent coffee in a town that runs on sub-par caffeine options and secrets.
Solid 3.5 stars. This cozy didn’t just charm me, it recruited me. I would absolutely read book two with a smug mug of Builder’s tea and a box of digestive biscuit.
Whodunity Award: For Most Dramatic Use of a Roundabout Since the Invention of the British Highway Code
Massive thanks to Bonnier Books UK and NetGalley for the ARC of The Body on the Roundabout. I laughed, I gasped, I genuinely considered adopting a flea-ridden office dog and solving crimes with him. You absolute legends handed me a cozy mystery with emotional damage and tea-stained chaos, and I devoured it like a stressed-out journalist in a pastry shop. Can’t wait to see where the Piddlington Gazette goes next, preferably somewhere with espresso.
November 17, 2025
(This review originally appeared on CozyingUp.com .)
Dorset is both geographically and culturally far from London. For some, a chance to get back into journalism after taking the blame for someone else is worth whatever they has to do (or suffer).
In Faith Eckersall's The Body on the Roundabout, Harry Hedges is fresh out of prison after being set up at his London based reporter job. His former manager has connected him with a job as the editor at a small weekly newspaper in the village of Piddlington Minster in south west England.
His ancient Mini (formerly his mother's) doesn't always start on first try. As Harry steps out of his car in front of the Piddlington Gazette's office, his first impression of the place is tempered by the fact that he firmly plants his foot into a rather large bit of dog excrement.
His two employees include Hattie (a young woman who frequently disappears for long periods of time) and Ray (a hefty, wizened man who may enjoy visiting his bookie a bit too much). The office also is home to Ignatius, a oversized chocolate Labrador who everyone but Harry loves.
As someone who used to work in media, I chuckled when Harry first encountered the meddling townswoman who was obsessed with condition of the village roundabout and a derelict house. That Gladys Kravitz type of person is everywhere and works well in this book. Since she doesn't like the situation, everyone else is suppose to fix it for her.
Add into the mix the mysterious owner of the newspaper who is an incredibly wealthy man living in a nearby estate that the long time residents have never seen. He invites Harry to his home to ask (or rather order) the editor to find his long-lost sister despite a private investigator not being able to do so.
Soon, a body is discovered on the overgrown roundabout and Harry meets the uniquely named Sergeant Ophelia Starsky of the local police force. Things get even weirder when a second body is discovered within days at the same location.
Throughout the book, Eckersall does a great job describing the characters and locations. I've watched enough British television and movies to get the type of posh, London professional that Harry is as the story begins. Her experience as a journalist serves her well in both relating the feel of a small newspaper office and having a way with words.
I was less pleased with the constant trials that Harry has to suffer through. There's a slapstick feel with some events that made me think of him being a cross between Jack Tripper from "Three's Company" and Job. He kept having so many bad or awkward things happen to him. The term "putting a hat on a hat" came to mind.
All in all, I enjoy the relationships and settings of The Body on the Roundabout. I will definitely seek out future adventures of Harry and the residents of Piddlington Minster.
3 lattes out of 5
Disclaimer: This eARC was provided by Bonnier Books UK | Embla Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Dorset is both geographically and culturally far from London. For some, a chance to get back into journalism after taking the blame for someone else is worth whatever they has to do (or suffer).
In Faith Eckersall's The Body on the Roundabout, Harry Hedges is fresh out of prison after being set up at his London based reporter job. His former manager has connected him with a job as the editor at a small weekly newspaper in the village of Piddlington Minster in south west England.
His ancient Mini (formerly his mother's) doesn't always start on first try. As Harry steps out of his car in front of the Piddlington Gazette's office, his first impression of the place is tempered by the fact that he firmly plants his foot into a rather large bit of dog excrement.
His two employees include Hattie (a young woman who frequently disappears for long periods of time) and Ray (a hefty, wizened man who may enjoy visiting his bookie a bit too much). The office also is home to Ignatius, a oversized chocolate Labrador who everyone but Harry loves.
As someone who used to work in media, I chuckled when Harry first encountered the meddling townswoman who was obsessed with condition of the village roundabout and a derelict house. That Gladys Kravitz type of person is everywhere and works well in this book. Since she doesn't like the situation, everyone else is suppose to fix it for her.
Add into the mix the mysterious owner of the newspaper who is an incredibly wealthy man living in a nearby estate that the long time residents have never seen. He invites Harry to his home to ask (or rather order) the editor to find his long-lost sister despite a private investigator not being able to do so.
Soon, a body is discovered on the overgrown roundabout and Harry meets the uniquely named Sergeant Ophelia Starsky of the local police force. Things get even weirder when a second body is discovered within days at the same location.
Throughout the book, Eckersall does a great job describing the characters and locations. I've watched enough British television and movies to get the type of posh, London professional that Harry is as the story begins. Her experience as a journalist serves her well in both relating the feel of a small newspaper office and having a way with words.
I was less pleased with the constant trials that Harry has to suffer through. There's a slapstick feel with some events that made me think of him being a cross between Jack Tripper from "Three's Company" and Job. He kept having so many bad or awkward things happen to him. The term "putting a hat on a hat" came to mind.
All in all, I enjoy the relationships and settings of The Body on the Roundabout. I will definitely seek out future adventures of Harry and the residents of Piddlington Minster.
3 lattes out of 5
Disclaimer: This eARC was provided by Bonnier Books UK | Embla Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
December 14, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 deliciously British stars!
Harry Hedges has a problem, well, many of them, actually. Hopelessly stuck in Dorset after a major personal setback, he’s trying to rebuild his journalism career as the new editor of the Piddlington Gazette. It’s a far cry from the polished London life he’s used to. His staff has a habit of disappearing from the office, the town busybody complains endlessly, and a mangy chocolate Lab with fleas and terrible gas has decided to attach itself to him.
As if that weren’t enough, not one but two bodies are discovered on the town roundabout, and the mysterious owner of the newspaper tasks Harry with a very personal request. Can Harry make a journalistic comeback with so much weighing him down? Will his unfocused team help solve the mystery? And most importantly, will he ever rid the office of that blasted, smelly dog?
Full of eclectic personalities, The Body on the Roundabout is a character-driven mystery that makes for an easy, cozy read. Despite Harry’s evident flaws and constant inner refrain of “I’m better than this,” he’s a genuinely lovable protagonist who shows real growth over the course of the story. The quirky cast and their relationships add warmth and heart, while Eckersall’s clever plotting keeps the mystery engaging and rarely dull.
Fans of Lillian Jackson Braun’s The Cat Who series will delight in the parallels between characters and story. I highly recommend this first book in what I hope is the beginning of a long-running British mystery series. I can’t wait to visit Piddlington Minster again!
The Body on the Roundabout
Written by Faith Eckersall
Between the Rows at Hill Street Gardens
Reviews on Instagram
Harry Hedges has a problem, well, many of them, actually. Hopelessly stuck in Dorset after a major personal setback, he’s trying to rebuild his journalism career as the new editor of the Piddlington Gazette. It’s a far cry from the polished London life he’s used to. His staff has a habit of disappearing from the office, the town busybody complains endlessly, and a mangy chocolate Lab with fleas and terrible gas has decided to attach itself to him.
As if that weren’t enough, not one but two bodies are discovered on the town roundabout, and the mysterious owner of the newspaper tasks Harry with a very personal request. Can Harry make a journalistic comeback with so much weighing him down? Will his unfocused team help solve the mystery? And most importantly, will he ever rid the office of that blasted, smelly dog?
Full of eclectic personalities, The Body on the Roundabout is a character-driven mystery that makes for an easy, cozy read. Despite Harry’s evident flaws and constant inner refrain of “I’m better than this,” he’s a genuinely lovable protagonist who shows real growth over the course of the story. The quirky cast and their relationships add warmth and heart, while Eckersall’s clever plotting keeps the mystery engaging and rarely dull.
Fans of Lillian Jackson Braun’s The Cat Who series will delight in the parallels between characters and story. I highly recommend this first book in what I hope is the beginning of a long-running British mystery series. I can’t wait to visit Piddlington Minster again!
The Body on the Roundabout
Written by Faith Eckersall
Between the Rows at Hill Street Gardens
Reviews on Instagram
November 22, 2025
It's all kicking off in Piddlington Minster...
Harry Hedges is a desperate man. Desperate to be a journalist again. Desperate to pay off his overdraft. And desperate to find a decent coffee. In a paper cup. With a lid on.
There's not much chance of that in Dorset, where he's trying to revive an ailing weekly newspaper and claw his way back to journalistic civilisation, after losing his swanky London job.
All he has to do is take on the town busybody, locate his proprietor's lost sister, and help solve the mystery of the body on the roundabout.
How hard can it be?
With a news-team that includes a Gen-Zer with a secret, a truculent pensioner and a flea-ridden Labrador, the answer is - very...
REVIEW
A great cosy read crime mystery, the first in a two
Book series. I wasn’t too sure at first when I started to read The Body on the Roundabout. Harry seemed like a wet lettuce and let everyone boss him about and walk all over him but eventually as you got to know him he had such a wonderful character even if he was a bit clumsy at times.
I loved Hattie and did wonder why she kept disappearing and doing what she pleased but she had her own good reasons. OMG, sweet Ignatious, the village dog - what more can I say
Ray didn’t really have too much to say but once his problems came to light, he was such a likeable character.
It was great how Harry finally figured everything out and enjoyed his new editorial job.
It was also really interesting reading about how a newspaper house operated and communicated with the locals and the stories. It was also interesting to read that Faith, the author used to be a reporter and feature writer before gaining her MA in Creative writing. This is her debut and am looking forward to seeing what else she comes up with
Thanks to #LBTTours for gifting the book and having me on the tour.
Harry Hedges is a desperate man. Desperate to be a journalist again. Desperate to pay off his overdraft. And desperate to find a decent coffee. In a paper cup. With a lid on.
There's not much chance of that in Dorset, where he's trying to revive an ailing weekly newspaper and claw his way back to journalistic civilisation, after losing his swanky London job.
All he has to do is take on the town busybody, locate his proprietor's lost sister, and help solve the mystery of the body on the roundabout.
How hard can it be?
With a news-team that includes a Gen-Zer with a secret, a truculent pensioner and a flea-ridden Labrador, the answer is - very...
REVIEW
A great cosy read crime mystery, the first in a two
Book series. I wasn’t too sure at first when I started to read The Body on the Roundabout. Harry seemed like a wet lettuce and let everyone boss him about and walk all over him but eventually as you got to know him he had such a wonderful character even if he was a bit clumsy at times.
I loved Hattie and did wonder why she kept disappearing and doing what she pleased but she had her own good reasons. OMG, sweet Ignatious, the village dog - what more can I say
Ray didn’t really have too much to say but once his problems came to light, he was such a likeable character.
It was great how Harry finally figured everything out and enjoyed his new editorial job.
It was also really interesting reading about how a newspaper house operated and communicated with the locals and the stories. It was also interesting to read that Faith, the author used to be a reporter and feature writer before gaining her MA in Creative writing. This is her debut and am looking forward to seeing what else she comes up with
Thanks to #LBTTours for gifting the book and having me on the tour.
October 20, 2025
Being taken from your place of work in handcuffs when you're a journalist at a major London newspaper and charged with breaches of the data protection act means your career is pretty much over. Harry Hedges didn't think he'd ever write any copy again until his old boss pointed him in the direction of the Piddlington Gazette and their vacancy for an editor. Born into a privileged background, Harry isn't used to slumming it, or at least he wasn't, but unfortunately, life hasn't finished with him yet! Now he has quirky new colleagues and locals to work out, a paper to fill with stories, and the identity of a body found on the roundabout to discover and that's before things start to get complicated! Can he find the killer and persuade the local police detective that he isn't the dangerous womaniser she's certain he is, all while actually keeping his new job?
I was able to read an advanced copy of this thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Bonnier Books UK/Embla Books, but the opinions expressed are my own. This is the first in a new series, and already I can't wait for book two. Although Harry's introduction to Piddlington was a little more slapstick than I'd imagined, it definitely got me reading, and I thoroughly enjoyed every word. There is plenty going on, the other newspaper employees are easy to like, and Ignatius is just brilliant. I really hope the second outing, released on 26/05/26, will continue this positive start. I will definitely be giving it a go. Recommended.
I was able to read an advanced copy of this thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Bonnier Books UK/Embla Books, but the opinions expressed are my own. This is the first in a new series, and already I can't wait for book two. Although Harry's introduction to Piddlington was a little more slapstick than I'd imagined, it definitely got me reading, and I thoroughly enjoyed every word. There is plenty going on, the other newspaper employees are easy to like, and Ignatius is just brilliant. I really hope the second outing, released on 26/05/26, will continue this positive start. I will definitely be giving it a go. Recommended.
November 18, 2025
A quirky, joy of a book. There was so much this book to take to your heart and enjoy a fun, easy to read adventure. Harry Hedges is fresh out of prison after a serious error of judgement his former London based reporter job. Ready for a fresh start he takes the editor job at a small weekly newspaper in the village of Piddlington Minster. The name alone makes you smile!
But Harry is angling for a really big story, to salvage his reputation and propel him back into the big time working for a large paper in London.
Then we meet the fabulous, well drawn, beautifully crafted characters in the book. A village of eccentric people, a town busy body who likes to meddle in everyone's lives, the wealthy man who lives on a nearby estate, and the local police officers.. And of course, Ignatius, an oversized chocolate Labrador who everyone in the village loves, except for Harry.
The discovery of a body on an overgrown roundabout, brings exactly the type of headline grabbing news that the paper, and, Harry needs to raise his profile. And then there's more, so much more to get to grips with.
I loved the locations that are described in the book. You really feel like you are in the middle of the village.
I enjoyed the humour in the book. We are also introduced to some emotional elements in the book that balanced out the funny parts and the mystery aspects of the book.
It was a really great adventure. The characters were heart warming. I will definitely seek out future adventures of Harry and the residents of Piddlington Minster.
But Harry is angling for a really big story, to salvage his reputation and propel him back into the big time working for a large paper in London.
Then we meet the fabulous, well drawn, beautifully crafted characters in the book. A village of eccentric people, a town busy body who likes to meddle in everyone's lives, the wealthy man who lives on a nearby estate, and the local police officers.. And of course, Ignatius, an oversized chocolate Labrador who everyone in the village loves, except for Harry.
The discovery of a body on an overgrown roundabout, brings exactly the type of headline grabbing news that the paper, and, Harry needs to raise his profile. And then there's more, so much more to get to grips with.
I loved the locations that are described in the book. You really feel like you are in the middle of the village.
I enjoyed the humour in the book. We are also introduced to some emotional elements in the book that balanced out the funny parts and the mystery aspects of the book.
It was a really great adventure. The characters were heart warming. I will definitely seek out future adventures of Harry and the residents of Piddlington Minster.
November 17, 2025
‘The Body on the Roundabout’ is the first book in the Piddlington Gazette series and it’s off to a great start. Firstly, what’s not to love about a town called Piddlington Minster! The author really sets the scene quite early on and the town springs to life with all its eccentric characters.
Harry, an outsider, arrives to take on the editor role at the local paper. He has dreams of getting back to London and restarting his career there but before he can do that he has a few mysteries to solve in this little village. Who are the bodies discovered on the roundabout? Where is Lional Green's long lost sister? Will he ever get to go on an actual date with Sergeant Ophelia Starkey? Who does Ignatius actually belong to and can the owner of the inn he is staying at read minds?
It’s a really enjoyable romp through a small English village and I am looking forward to any future books in the series.
Harry, an outsider, arrives to take on the editor role at the local paper. He has dreams of getting back to London and restarting his career there but before he can do that he has a few mysteries to solve in this little village. Who are the bodies discovered on the roundabout? Where is Lional Green's long lost sister? Will he ever get to go on an actual date with Sergeant Ophelia Starkey? Who does Ignatius actually belong to and can the owner of the inn he is staying at read minds?
It’s a really enjoyable romp through a small English village and I am looking forward to any future books in the series.
November 18, 2025
This was a quick, cosy and quirky read that I read in one sitting.
The book is well written, with a style that engaged me from the beginning and all the way through. It gripped me from the first sentence and had me in its clutches until i finished it a couple of hours later. The story line made me laugh out loud at times and as soon as I finished I was left wanting more, and, the characters are well developed and some of them I will adore until my dying day - Ignatius you know its you buddy, we walk at dawn, and I loved Harry as a main character. I also think that it needs mentioning that even side characters in this book are incredible and could totally all have main character energy. It reminded me very much in that way of The Thursday Murder Club books.
This is my first book by this author but it definitely won't be my last, I am already chomping at the bit for book 2
The book is well written, with a style that engaged me from the beginning and all the way through. It gripped me from the first sentence and had me in its clutches until i finished it a couple of hours later. The story line made me laugh out loud at times and as soon as I finished I was left wanting more, and, the characters are well developed and some of them I will adore until my dying day - Ignatius you know its you buddy, we walk at dawn, and I loved Harry as a main character. I also think that it needs mentioning that even side characters in this book are incredible and could totally all have main character energy. It reminded me very much in that way of The Thursday Murder Club books.
This is my first book by this author but it definitely won't be my last, I am already chomping at the bit for book 2
November 19, 2025
This is a great cosy crime mystery, I throughly enjoyed its humour and storyline.
It’s a book that I started reading and it only felt like 5 minutes and I was 150 pages in so thought I’ll just carry on reading for a bit and suddenly I’ve finished 😂
So much fun I loved the characters from Harry, Sargent Starsky (great name 😂) and all the side characters, their personalities just shone through.
A body on a roundabout in Piddlington Minster, Harry now working at the Piddlington Gazette is determined to get to the bottom of it, I was hooked! the names and the mystery just worked so well together and top notch banter to boot, what better way to cosy on the sofa with a hot chocolate and escape to a small English village and forget the real world for a bit.
It’s a book that I started reading and it only felt like 5 minutes and I was 150 pages in so thought I’ll just carry on reading for a bit and suddenly I’ve finished 😂
So much fun I loved the characters from Harry, Sargent Starsky (great name 😂) and all the side characters, their personalities just shone through.
A body on a roundabout in Piddlington Minster, Harry now working at the Piddlington Gazette is determined to get to the bottom of it, I was hooked! the names and the mystery just worked so well together and top notch banter to boot, what better way to cosy on the sofa with a hot chocolate and escape to a small English village and forget the real world for a bit.
January 1, 2026
This book was an absolute joy. From the moment I read the blurb, I was eager to read it. It’s a classic trope, big city dude moves to a small village in the hopes of getting their life back on track. Harry is a stellar protagonist. World weary and willing to do whatever it takes to make it. The story (and in fact Piddlington Minster) is filled with delightfully quirky characters and is so full of heart and wit. I’m as desperate for book two as Harry is for a decent coffee in a paper cup with a lid. This book would translate brilliantly into a TV series. It’s definitely something I would watch - poking fun at itself with just the right amount of jeopardy for a cosy mystery. I loved it. You don’t want to miss this one
November 22, 2025
This was a fantastic cosy crime read. I love a good murder mystery but what I really enjoyed about this book was that it was more than that. As well as the expected (given the title) body on the roundabout there was also separate mysteries including a beautifully sentimental one which I really wasn’t expecting.
I really liked the main character - seeing home grown through the book was wonderful and I really was cheering him on - he deserves to find happiness.
I also really enjoyed the other main characters in the book - especially Hattie and Cassandra.
I would love to read more from this author.
I really liked the main character - seeing home grown through the book was wonderful and I really was cheering him on - he deserves to find happiness.
I also really enjoyed the other main characters in the book - especially Hattie and Cassandra.
I would love to read more from this author.
November 25, 2025
The body on the roundabout is a great read with all those elements you want in a cosy crime book!
You have Harry who is a down on his luck journalist trying to find his way back to the big pages and his sidekicks at the Piddlington Minster Gazette. Oh and not forgetting Ignatio the dog of course.
Then you have the aforementioned body (or is it bodies) on the roundabout and the amateur sleuth with the (probably just as amateur) police.
This is such an easy read and a book that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Can’t wait for book two in the series.
You have Harry who is a down on his luck journalist trying to find his way back to the big pages and his sidekicks at the Piddlington Minster Gazette. Oh and not forgetting Ignatio the dog of course.
Then you have the aforementioned body (or is it bodies) on the roundabout and the amateur sleuth with the (probably just as amateur) police.
This is such an easy read and a book that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Can’t wait for book two in the series.
December 11, 2025
This book was provided to me as an advanced reader copy from NetGalley and Bonnier Books UK for review. This book released November 18, so a fairly new release. In this book Harry Hedges was convicted of a crime which caused him to lose a successful journalism career in London. He starts a job at a struggling newspaper Dorset UK with the hopes that turning the paper around will get him his job back in London. What he finds at his new job is a really outdated publication and two “lazy” coworkers and a flee-bitten dog. Soon after arriving a body is found in the town’s roundabout. Harry hopes that breaking this story open will be just what needs to get his life back on track.
I like the character arc in this book. As Harry starts working in the town, he learns more about the residents and their struggles. He starts seeing them less as one-dimensional and starts seeing their complexities and problems. He begins to start focusing less on what will only help himself and starts looking at what will help his coworkers and the town residents.
The downside of the book is that I don’t think it focuses enough on the original mystery of the body in the roundabout. It gets pushed to the background as Harry starts pursuing other stories.
Overall, this is a good light-hearted story, and I would recommend this to fans of the cozy British mystery. It was okay for me.
I like the character arc in this book. As Harry starts working in the town, he learns more about the residents and their struggles. He starts seeing them less as one-dimensional and starts seeing their complexities and problems. He begins to start focusing less on what will only help himself and starts looking at what will help his coworkers and the town residents.
The downside of the book is that I don’t think it focuses enough on the original mystery of the body in the roundabout. It gets pushed to the background as Harry starts pursuing other stories.
Overall, this is a good light-hearted story, and I would recommend this to fans of the cozy British mystery. It was okay for me.
December 29, 2025
A delightful cosy crime novel. A selection of fab characters and murder mystery. It’s cute. It’s very British. I thought it was a great book to read over the holidays. I received this as an ARC from NetGalley but I seemed to miss it and the publication date. I started it and liked it so much I also purchased it.
November 15, 2025
The author is very descriptive, whether it’s about a hoarder’s house, the newspaper office, the large home of the newspaper’s owner or the town itself. Some very interesting characters in this book, including a dog! A fun read.
November 27, 2025
Heartfelt mystery.
Thoroughly enjoyed Faith's first mystery. You warm to the characters and village very quickly with her descriptions. This book made me titter and kept me intrigued to the end.
Thoroughly enjoyed Faith's first mystery. You warm to the characters and village very quickly with her descriptions. This book made me titter and kept me intrigued to the end.
January 19, 2026
I don’t normally read cosy crime books but I’m so glad I gave this a shot. Although a little predictable, I really enjoyed the story and grew fond of all of the characters. Really looking forward to the next book and finding out what everyone is up to
January 21, 2026
Took me a while to get into this book but I’m glad I persevered as it was worth the effort. Some witty moments lightened the slower moving parts.
Harry Hedges is an inept and bumbling but likeable character. I’ll be interested to read the second book when it is published.
Harry Hedges is an inept and bumbling but likeable character. I’ll be interested to read the second book when it is published.
December 1, 2025
This is a fun, chaotic, cosy mystery wth a cast of quirky characters and a dog. I am looking forward to the next book in this series.
December 4, 2025
3.5 ⭐ This was fun, although a little predictable and repetitive. I'd gladly read some more from this series
December 13, 2025
I just had to read a book which features a body on a roundabout. Turned out to be a lil twee but still ok.
December 14, 2025
A gem in its genre, loads of twists and turns and a genuine warm glow. Can’t wait for no 2
January 14, 2026
so cozy. Our protagonist is a down on his luck journalist who finds himself in Piddlington, as editor of the weekly paper. The ending was great but it was a slooow start. I'll definitely read #2.
January 27, 2026
I enjoyed this immensely. Fantastically funny with plenty of twists and turns on the way.
February 3, 2026
This was an entertaining listen on Audiobooks. Love the narrator.
December 5, 2025
Set in Dorset, Harry Hedges is fresh out of prison after being set up in her former job and is starting a fresh at the Puddlington Gazette. Her employees and the town folk are an eclectic mix. When not one but two bodies are found murdered on the same roundabout in a matter of days things take a strange turn. The book is well written with the perfect pace. I really enjoyed this read.
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