A Murder at Thimblewick Hall: A delightfully British cozy murder mystery novella

by Frieda Buchanan

In the sleepy Cotswold village of Thimblewick, murder is hardly on the agenda—unless you’re a member of the Purl & Poison Society.

When war hero Sir Archibald Trench is found dead in his study a few days after a cryptic announcement about his will, the villagers are quick to call it natural causes. But retired schoolmistress and amateur sleuth Edith Tibbs suspects something far more sinister. After all, there are plenty of people with reason to want him dead, and foxglove doesn’t just wander out of the church garden on its own…

As the local police bumble about, Edith and her knitting circle of sharp-eyed ladies begin to unravel the threads of a cleverly plotted crime. With gossip and eagle-eyes as their weapons, they’ll need every stitch of intuition to expose the truth and catch the killer.

Charming, clever, and delightfully British, A Murder at Thimblewick Hall is a cozy mystery novella with Ladies in Lavender vibes that will appeal to fans of Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers.

97 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 3, 2025

Reviews

[Ingrid Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a lovely read with interesting characters.

There were a few instances that didn't come across as very believable or real, but all in all it is a nice mystery with a more mature MC, which I loved.
There were also quite a few small typos that should have been caught in beta or alpha reading, but I know I'm fussy about that, so others may not even notice it that much.

I did love the reveal of the culprit with all suspects in one place and I will certainly look into other books by this author in time.

[Giovanni Jacobs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely stunning
Ladies in Lavender meets Midsommer Murders
This had me in stitches as I read Edith's dry humour and astute assertions. Couldn't get enough of the intellectual but witty prose. The mystery was also thick and we got into the action right away. Each plot beat being so well narrated by Edith that I felt like i was there. Looking forward to the next one.

['Manda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It is everything I enjoy about a village cosy mystery. The characters were well written, the pace of the story good, with a great ending. I did know who the murderer was and I appreciated the method of demise. I hope that the author will write more in this series, although one note of caution - proof reading is a must, but it does not detract from a very good read!

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an enjoyable book! A fairly quick and easy read that had great characters and a murder to solve.
I will definitely be looking for more from Ms. Buchanan.