The Case in the Vicarage Gardens

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

[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!

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.