The Case in the Vicarage Gardens

Lady Matilda Investigates #1

by Catherine Coles

A village tea party, a poisoned victim, and a silent killer

When the sleepy village of Little Biddington gathers for its annual tea party at the vicarage, no one expects a murder to mar the festivities—until a body is discovered beneath the garden arbour, an overturned teacup the only clue to the victim’s final moments.

Lady Matilda Farnworth, reluctant society hostess turned amateur sleuth, sets out to sift through the unlikely suspects and uncover the clues to the murderer’s identity.

As she unearths hidden secrets, Matilda begins to suspect that nearly everyone has something to hide—and someone will do anything to keep her from uncovering the truth.

Will her quick wits and a keen eye for detail be enough to unmask the killer before more than just the tea goes cold?

196 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 29, 2026

About the author

The daughter of a military father, Catherine was born in Germany and lived most of the first 14 years of her life abroad. She spent her school years devouring everything her school library had to offer!

Her favourites were romance and mysteries. Her love for the Nancy Drew books led Catherine to check out every mystery story she could find. She soon found Agatha Christie who quickly became Catherine's favourite author.

Catherine writes cosy mysteries that take place in the English countryside. Her extremely popular Tommy & Evelyn Christie mysteries are set in 1920s North Yorkshire. Her new series, the Martha Miller cosy mysteries, are set in the years following the Second World War in Berkshire.

Catherine lives in northeast England with her two spoiled dogs who have no idea they are not human!

You can connect with Catherine on her website - www.catherinecoles.com

Reviews

[Beki · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you enjoy cosy mysteries with likeable characters, a gentle dash of humour, a 1920s English setting, and a thoroughly satisfying mystery, then this book is definitely for you!

As an avid reader of Catherine Coles’s books, I was delighted to receive an advance copy — and it certainly did not disappoint. Lady Matilda Farnworth, her companion Hetty Trelawny, and, of course, her faithful basset hound Wellington find themselves investigating the death of an unpleasant woman and self-appointed village gossip, who inconveniently drops dead at the local Vicarage Garden Tea Party. Unsurprisingly, there is no shortage of possible suspects, and it takes plenty of sleuthing, along with a few enjoyable twists and turns, to uncover the truth and catch the murderer.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am already looking forward to spending more time with Matilda, Hetty, and Wellington!

[Becky Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lady Matilda lives in Little Biddington and her husband has been deceased for a couple of years. Her companion is Hetty and is a bit of a gossiper. Gertrude comes to see Matilda and demands her to help with the Vicarage Garden tea party. Gertrude is really a bossy demanding woman and not many people like her. One thing she does is get the scoop on people and keeps them in her little notebooks. Iris is Gertrude’s sister and completely dependable on Gertrude for all the decisions. Suddenly, Gertrude ends up dead at the tea party so Matilda tries to figure out who was responsible for the murder. There are several people for her to secretly question. And, of course Hetty is right there to help.

I received this ARC from the author for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lady Matilda is just starting to rejoin village life after the death of her husband a couple of years earlier. She is accompanied by her companion, Hetty. Lady Matilda this time has been roped into assisting with the vicarage garden party by Gertrude, who is a force to be reckoned with in the village. What lady Matilda was not anticipating was that she would find Gertrude dead at the garden party. In her own rather comical way, Hetty assists Lady Matilda in tracking down the killer. This is a delightful spinoff from the Tommy and Evelyn series and I am looking forward to reading more about Lady Matilda and Hetty. This was a fun read with enough red herring Xan twists to keep me reading and set in a small English village several decades ago. My favorite setting for a cozy mystery!

[Roger · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Case in the Vicarage Gardens (Lady Matilda Investigates Book 1), my fifth read from author Catherine Coles. Another entertaining, well-written historical mystery with captivating primary characters. There are so many cozy mysteries out there and so many authors writing them, but they're popular, I enjoy them & read more than my share of them. “I received a complementary Kindle copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review." The gifting of this book did not affect my opinion of it. I look forward to more from this author & since I own 10 other books by her that shouldn't be a problem. High on my TBR list is Murder at the Village Fete : A 1920s cozy mystery (A Tommy & Evelyn Christie Mystery Book 2). (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 - July 24, 2018).

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

1924. Little Biddington. The annual vicar's tea party sees a murder occur. As Lady Matilda and Hetty ask questions it would seem that the victim was known for recording any interesting information about the villagers, so would have many enemies. Can they find the murderer before Inspector Middleton.
An entertaining and well-written cozy mystery with its likeable main characters. A good start to this new series.
I received a free copy of this book from the author via BooksFunnel and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[J Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good series starter.

Lady Matilda reluctantly attends Little Biddington’s annual tea party at the vicarage. It is an enjoyable event with beautiful gowns and tasty treats to accompany the tea until one of the attendees is found dead in an arbor. Lady Matilda suspects foul play and sets out to uncover the truth in a case that could have deadly consequences.

This is an enjoyable mystery. Lady Matilda is an excellent sleuth, and Hetty kept me laughing. It’s perfect for a relaxing day curled up with a good book.

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

First in the Series

It must be hard to begin a new series of books. Aside from setting the scene, the characters must be introduced, personalities and all. That is why it took me a while to get into this book. Once that was established, I could begin to enjoy the story. Lady Matilda and Hefty are quite a pair. Hefty seems to say what others might say, but a totally different vocabulary. Looking forward to the next book.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who knew rural living was so fraught with intrigue, long held secrets, and murder! This was a great start to a new series I'll be excited to read. Once I began reading it ~ I was hooked! Wonderful characters who totally support each other with backstories I'm wanting to hear. Matilda has some challenges coming but Hetty will be there. Perhaps not a village I'd want to live in but definitely one for a well crafted mystery!

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gertrude was over-the-top obnoxious but was that really reason enough to murder the woman? I guess someone certainly felt it was.

I did enjoy Lady Matilda and Hetty and Hetty's malapropism makes me laugh. A good read and I will certainly be looking out for, and looking forward to their next adventure.

[Dwayne Keller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lady Matilda and Hetty are enjoying the vicarage gardens. Gertrude, a bossy busybody, demands Lady Matilda helps with the tea party. Gertrude drops dead and Lady Matilda suspects foul play. Gertrude was hated by everybody so there is no loss of suspects. Follow along as Lady Matilda collects the clues and pieces together who the true killer is.

[Maryann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of Loose Ends

Harmless cosy but the humor isn’t really funny, there’s no real explanation for why the Lady is a sleuth and the wrap up is very incomplete. The murderer and the red herrings aren’t really explained at the end. There are a lots of references to an earlier mystery Lady Matilda solved before but this is the first book in the series.

[marita lazarus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book 1 of a new series

very entertaining and easy to follow along. The characters need a little more fleshing out and the ending a little more explained.... We know why the murderer chose his victims, but the last victim, you have to remember what you quickly read over to know the why on murder #2

[Joanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

As always I really enjoyed this book. Catherine does a great job building up her characters. Some dramatic and some a bit quirky. Really enjoyed the mixed up sayings that come out during the story. Looking forward to the next Lady Matilda investigates story.

[Amanda Reads Cozies · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lady Matilda is such a fantastic lead, and Hetty had me laughing out loud the whole way through. The mystery itself was incredibly well-plotted and kept me guessing with its great pacing. I really enjoyed this one and highly recommend it for a fun, historical escape!

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun new series introducing Lady Matilda. I love the village, Little Biddington, that Catherine Coles has created. Lady Matilda proves to be a successful amateur sleuth. Her companion Hetty provides laughs as they solve the murder. Explore Little Biddington and the secrets that hide there.

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing story that will keep you intrigued. A surprise murder that ruins a tea party at the Vicarage. Will the case be solved before there are any more murders committed. Love any books by this author.

[Lee Brothers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lady Matilda is a natural born detective and in this first book she proved herself. There were several people on the suspect list and I did not catch all the clues. It's OK I enjoyed the book anyway!!

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lady Matilda Book 1

It was an enjoyable read. I would wish to know why, but I might just have missed in reading. I'm old, I forget.

[Julie Burnett · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well written mystery, a small british village with the usual type of characters. Fun to figure out who did the deed.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this new historical mystery series. Lady Matilda and her companion Hetty are a great combination. Intriguing mystery for them to solve. Very enjoyable.

[Tanvi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am loving the new series. The mystery was good and the relationship between Matilda and Hattie was really admirable.

[John Keeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting

A quick read and interesting. I will admit that I was sure who the murderer was fairly soon as I think most readers will.

[Bente Dissen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lady Mathilda and her companion Hetty are at the vicarage garden party when Mathilda finds Gertrude in obvious distress on a bench, just before she falls down dead. Gertrude was universally disliked, a brash and rude busybody who had to be in control. There are several suspects, from the local solicitor to a newcomer in the village, and Mathilda and Hetty set out to investigate.
I must admit I had the murderer in my sights for a little while before the case was solved and the murderer arrested - but that did not make the story less enjoyable.

[Wendy Pinney · Rating 5 out of 5]

As with every one of Catherine's books, this one gripped me from the start. I am really enjoying Lady Matilda as a new protagonist, and you really get the feel of small village life from all the characters.