The Little Black Book Killer: A Cozy Mystery Where Love, Lies & Murder Collide in a Close-Knit Community

The Village Detectives #3

by Fiona Walker

The third charming instalment in the page-turning cosy mystery series from MILLION COPY bestseller Fiona Walker, perfect for fans of Richard Osman, Janet Evanovich and Rev. Richard Coles!

Matchmaking has never been so murderous…

Juno is feeling ready – at last – to start dating again, after losing her husband some years ago. She is sure she can make time from being a Village Detective, indeed it might help distract her from her crush on hunky (but far-too-young!) pub landlord – Mil.

So she’s signed up to an exclusive new dating app and cannot wait. But when one of the founding investors in that same dating app drops dead in front of fellow Village Detective Phoebe in a nearby hotel – and then a second investor is found hanging in the local cricket pavilion just days later – Juno knows she’ll have to put her love life on hold.

Teaming up once more with Phoebe, Felix and Mil… the Village Detectives are back. And this time Juno – who’d thought she was getting under the covers with a new lover – is going undercover to catch a killer…

Wickedly funny cozy crime, from million-copy bestselling author Fiona Walker! Fans of The Thursday Murder Club and A Death on Location will love the Village Detectives!

Genres: Mystery, Audiobook, Cozy Mystery, British Literature, Crime, Fiction, Cozy

Audible Audio

Published October 8, 2025

Reviews

[Tiffany aka Chai Tea And Books]

Ehhh. This took me an absurdly long time to finish. Admittedly I had a lot going on in my personal life, but at the beginning of the book I didn’t like most of the characters. That made it hard for me to connect with them. Maybe if I had read the first two books in the series they wouldn’t have come off that way, but jumping in at this one that should be able to be read as a standalone I just was not fond of them. It started slow but eventually it did pick up. There were a lot of twists and turns, only to end up back at my beginning suspect. Overall, the cozy mystery was pretty good if you stick with it.

Juno is throwing a housewarming party, mostly to distract herself from her grief. As drinks flowed and people socialized, one of her guests died. He was not longer at her house, but she still feels somewhat responsible. Some things don’t quite add up about the crime scene, even though the police ruled it an accidental autoerotic asphyxiation. So she starts following her gut that says something isn’t right, bringing along her friends for the investigation.

Thank you to Love Books Tours for the copy, all thoughts are my own.

[Joanna]

3 stars for me.

Juno and Phoebe find themselves resolving murder once again.When bodies of investors in the same dating app starting pile up, they have a lot of suspects and secrets to unravel.

Will they get the truth?
Will they find a killer?

This cozy mystery was a fast read. Told from two POV Phoebe and Juno I also get a lot about their private life, hardships and hopes. It was a good read.

Thank you publisher and netgalley for arc.

[Chenoa]

Took me a bit to read because I backed to back the series and I grew a bit bored of it but pushed through and a few twists at the end bumped it up to a 4.

[Elizabeth Wagner]

Rounding up from 3.5 stars. I think this book did a good job of really highlighting the main character's personal situations/backstories. However, the mystery initially fell flat because I didn’t really care for the new characters that were introduced. That being said, once the story got going, I loved how the story focused on June and her struggles in finding who she is now. Watching her get dragged into the craziness of the mystery was also well done. Ending-wise, it felt a bit odd, and I’m not sure it really paid off, but it was built up well.

[Karen Stallman]

The story introduces a delightful ensemble of amateur sleuths, whose unlikely friendships are forged in the midst of murder and mystery. Matchmaking has never been so murderous… 💔🔪

The plot is engaging, with numerous twists and turns that kept me guessing until the very end. I appreciated the author's skillful pacing and character development, which made it easy to become invested in the lives of the protagonists. The novel's conclusion was satisfying, and I am eager to see how the series evolves in the fourth instalment.

Grab a hot cup of tea and curl up under a blanket and start reading this entertaining murder mystery!

I highly recommend the Village Detectives to fans of cozy mysteries and amateur sleuth stories. Overall, I am excited to continue following this series and seeing where the author takes these intriguing characters next."

requested and received an Advanced Readers Copy from Boldwood Books and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Paloma]

Love love love a murder mystery in a small village. Perfect for this cozy autumn 🍂 season!

A man dies at the local hotel. His death is immediately ruled as an accident. Another death occurs, and suspicions start to rise. In comes Juno and Phoebe, the local murder detectives.

This warm and cozy read will keep you entertained and happy. The writing is fun. The characters are likable and bring you joy. The small village is pleasant and you can't help but love everything about it, minus the murders of course.

Grab a hot chocolate and a nice soft blanket and start reading this entertaining murder mystery!

Thank you, Netgalley and Boldwood Books, for this cozy eARC. All opinions are entirely my own.

[Karen Jaeckels]

I love a good cozy murder mystery, but I struggles with this one. I had not read the first two, so I came in blind. There were so many characters- solving the crime; victims of the crime and suspects. The small English village setting was appealing and so weas the plot - a dating app connection to the deaths. However, there were too many people to follow and keep straight, and the ending was very open-ended and confusing. this is one series I will not be continuing to read.

[Jeannette Attryde]

It felt like there were lots more twists and turns in this book than the last. I enjoyed the story line and character development, and I love Juno in particular, more with each book.

It felt like you got to know more of the village in this one too, both in terms of locations and residents.

Looking forward to the next.

[zoe Hitchen]

The Village Detectives are back in this enjoyable cosy mystery .
There is a new dating app that’s capturing the attention of some of the villagers and Juno feels ready to date again and decides to join up to the exclusive app.
One of the original investors is found dead and then a second one is found in similar circumstances, so the detectives have to get to the bottom of what is happening.
Juno puts herself in danger but can she with the help of her friends find the murderer?
Another enjoyable read and I think it’s the best in the series so far .
A great read for all cosy mystery fans.

[Kimberly]

Book Review: A Killer Getaway by Sienna Sharpe
Thank you to Recorded Books Inc. for my gifted ALC of this audiobook, narrated by the fantastic Justis Bolding.

There’s something deliciously wrong (and wildly entertaining) about rooting for a killer while sipping iced coffee in the sun. A Killer Getaway is a dark, twisty, genre-bending mystery-romance that puts you squarely in the morally gray corner and dares you to stay there. Sienna Sharpe gives us Lily Lennox—part lifeguard, part entrepreneur, part vigilante—and I was hooked from the first beachside body drop. Every summer for five years, Lily has walked away from her successful catering business in Cincinnati to spend a month working at the exclusive Riovan Wellness Resort in the Caribbean. What no one knows is that she’s been quietly eliminating toxic people—those who abuse power, degrade others, and leave damage in their wake. Lily is judge, jury, and occasional accidental drownings department.

Enter Daniel Black, a journalist with a strong jawline and even stronger instincts. He’s poking around Riovan and asking all the wrong questions—or all the right ones, if you’re him. Their chemistry is undeniable, even as their agendas clash. It’s a true cat-and-mouse romance, except both the cat and the mouse are smart, dangerous, and occasionally kissing.

What I appreciated most is how A Killer Getaway walks the line between thriller and romance without tipping too hard in either direction. It’s smart, sharp, and unexpectedly emotional, touching on themes of grief, fatphobia, and who gets to decide what justice looks like. Lily’s voice is wry, vulnerable, and completely compelling. “There’s something freeing about knowing exactly who you are,” she says, “especially when no one else has a clue.” That line stayed with me.

Justis Bolding’s narration adds real depth to Lily’s inner world and the slow-building tension with Daniel. The story isn’t about shock twists or over-the-top kills; it’s about the weight of secrets and the power of survival. I finished it in a day, slightly horrified and thoroughly satisfied.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 stars)
#AKillerGetaway #SiennaSharpe #AudiobookReview #JustisBolding #FemaleAntihero #RomanticThriller #SummerReads #MorallyGray #BookReview #SerialKillerRomance #SourcebooksLandmark #RecordedBooks #BeachReadsWithBite #DarkHumorReads #VigilanteFiction

[Sandysbookaday (on indefinite hiatus)]

EXCERPT: The ambulance arrived while they were walking back to the car park, paramedics leaping out to hurry inside.
Minutes later, it overtook Dennis's Range Rover at speed as he and Phoebe headed back to Inkbury on the Old London Road, rushing Wayne to Wexshire General Infirmary, blues and two flashing.
'You're going to put this evening in a book, I take it?' Dennis asked cheerily, pulling the Range Rover back out into the carriageway after letting it past.
Frank Sinatra was blaring 'Mack the Knife' from the stereo.
'Unlikely.' Phoebe had briefly contemplated making Lucia Vance a cold-blooded assassin in her next novel, but now she repeated Juno's 'life is for living' mantra in her head. 'There wasn't a murder for a start.' She added a quiet prayer that poor Wayne pulled through and got to meet his 'best girl'.
Ahead of them the blue lights were fading from sight.
Through the car speakers, Frank was singing about a body on the sidewalk oozing out life.
'There is just one strange thing,' Phoebe thought about it.
'What's that?'
'Wayne's date. She didn't turn up, did she?'

ABOUT 'THE LITTLE BLACK BOOK KILLER': Matchmaking has never been so murderous… 💔🔪
Juno is feeling ready – at last – to start dating again, after losing her husband some years ago. She is sure she can make time from being a Village Detective, indeed it might help distract her from her crush on hunky (but far-too-young!) pub landlord – Mil.

So she’s signed up to an exclusive new dating app and cannot wait. But when one of the founding investors in that same dating app drops dead in front of fellow Village Detective Phoebe in a nearby hotel – and then a second investor is found hanging in the local cricket pavilion just days later – Juno knows she’ll have to put her love life on hold.

Teaming up once more with Phoebe, Felix and Mil… the Village Detectives are back. And this time Juno – who’d thought she was getting under the covers with a new lover – is going undercover to catch a killer…

MY THOUGHTS: Flippant, implausible, but fun!

The Little Black Book Killer is the third, and I think the best so far, of the Village Detective Agency series. I don't think it entirely necessary to have read the previous two books as I think this could work as a stand-alone.

When two men, both investors in a dating app, die in quick succession, Juno's spidey senses come alive. Only, no-one else seems bothered by their deaths - they are more concerned by the headstones in the local graveyard being adorned with underwear on a regular basis, especially when some of it seems quite familiar. But then there is a third death in bizarrely similar circumstances to the second and all bets are off.

At just under 400 pages, this is a very long cosy-mystery with numerous sub-plots which are all tied together at the end. I don't know if I could call the tying together tidy, though.

The story is told from the points of view of Juno and Phoebe, old friends who have ended up living in the same village and who have a penchant for solving mysteries aided by Phoebe's husband Felix and the local publican, Mil.

While I can't say I found the ending satisfying, getting there was fun, if a little long-winded - Fiona Walker definitely took the scenic route!

⭐⭐⭐.5

#TheLittleBlackBookKiller #NetGalley

MEET THE AUTHOR: FIONA WALKER was born in 1969 on the Isle of Wight. She studied drama at the University of London before taking a job in advertising. Her first novel was published when she was in her early twenties. Walker lives in rural Warwickshire with her partner, two daughters and a menagerie of animals.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Boldwood Books via NetGalley for providing an e-ARC of The Little Black Book Killer by Fiona Walker for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

I combined reading with listening to The Little Black Book Killer (The Village Detectives #3) written by Fiona Walker and narrated by Christine Mackie. I definitely preferred the audio to the e-book, mainly because of Christine Mackie's narration - she really brought the characters to life.

https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...

[Meg]

4.5 stars. This is my favorite in the series thus far. I loved that Phoebe was more engaged and supportive of Juno rather than the other way around as in the previous two books. Juno is planning a housewarming party in part to help her get through her 25th wedding anniversary. She still misses her husband Jay who died seven years ago while on assignment as a journalist. She gets terrifically drunk at her party and can't remember much when it turns out that Rich was found dead late that night. He was dressed up in women's lingerie and found in a compromising position. He was the husband of her friend Debra from exercise class and they were not well liked because they had money and didn't associate with the locals much. But Rich had found his way into many women's bedrooms over the years and Debra knew all about them and stayed with him despite his wandering eye. But she was upset that he was on the dating app for men who wanted to have extramarital affairs with married women. He swore to her that once he sold the app that he'd no longer have to be on it for testing but he had lied. When another man who was an investor in the app dies the Village Detectives see a pattern. They are also able to find ties to two deaths in the previous year and a half of people who were also early investors. Cosmo's wife died after crashing her car into a wall and Wayne's death in a pub was blamed on a heart attack but what if it was poison. Were the men being lured by a killer on the app to their deaths? They manage to track down the original developer of the app and he admits that he stole the idea from his son's school project. Except it wasn't really his son's work either and it turned out to be Cosmo's stepdaughter who was the brains behind the project. She blamed the app investors for stealing her idea and for her mother's death since she was on the app when she crashed her car. She was now using her knowledge of the app to set up dates with the men where she would drug them, dress them up in lingerie and take photos of them to post on social media and expose them. But she swears that she did not kill them. Pheobe figures out that Rich accidentally killed himself while trying to seek sexual pleasure from auto-asphyxiation. The insurance company would not pay out his life insurance since his death was self-inflicted so Debra had to kill another investor to make it look like there was a serial killer in order to get the insurance money. A good mystery!

[Katherine]

The Little Black Book Killer is book 3 in Fiona Walker's series, The Village Detectives.

When two men who are linked through business interests die unexpectedly, Juno, Phoebe, Felix and Mil (otherwise known as the Village Detectives or VD for short), are compelled to investigate as they feel there is something strange going on. But that's not the only mystery, they've also been asked to catch whoever has been repeatedly vandalizing the local cemetery.

The story is told from two points of view, those of Phoebe and Juno, two long time friends who now live in the same village, and who both have a bit of a knack for getting involved in mysteries.

I really love the characters in this series, and how the gossip amongst the villagers drives the investigation. The relationships and interactions with the other villagers almost take over the story at times and you forget that there's a mystery to solve. I think Juno is my favourite of the Village Detectives, she is hilarious and full of life.

The story is relatively slow paced, but not uninteresting, for much of the first three quarters of the novel, but near the end the pace ramps up significantly to race to the end and catch a killer. Speaking of which, I did love the story, but the end of the mystery was a bit of a let down if I'm honest.

The Little Black Book Killer was a quick, fun read and I think it would appeal to most traditional and cozy mystery lovers. This was the second book I've read in the series and I will be watching for future books by this author, and in this series.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Lata]

The wonderful Juno has decided to throw a party for herself, inviting all of the village. She's also decided she wants to be in a relationship, as it's been some years since her beloved Jay died. And Mil, bar owner and cricket player, doesn't seem interested in her.

So, on the advice of a friend, and fellow Clubbercise member, Juno creates an account on a matchmaking site called Dapper and Discreet, which is devoted to bringing women and wealthy men together. She's matched with someone who goes by Green Man (whose interactions with her gave me the heebie jeebies).

Phoebe, meanwhile, is working on a book, and worried about Juno, as she knows that Juno, for all her heartiness, is still grieving Jay.

When the wealthiest man in the village dies in a very compromising way, the Village Detectives, or mostly Juno, thinks something is going on (her "detective itch" goes off).

Though the death is ruled a suicide, Juno becomes increasingly convinced the man's death is connected to one some weeks earlier, and she's only more certain when yet another person, Green Man, is also killed.

When it turns out that all the men were angel investors for the Dapper app, the Village Detectives really get going, unearthing connections between various families in town, and animosities, and the true purpose of the dating app.

The story wraps up with the case solved, and Juno convinced she's not using apps for dating anymore, as she realizes she still needs time to deal with her grief.

I enjoy the dynamics amongst the characters, and just love how bighearted and kind Juno is. Thank goodness Phoebe provides a nice contrast to Juno in their investigations. The story's all very cozy (and very funny -- the Dire Straits music played with screaming guitars for the funeral had me laughing) and happily resolved, and I look forward to their next outing.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Boldwood Books for this ARC in exchange for my review.

[Janette]

This is the third book in the Village Detective series and was another enjoyable case for the four friends.
When a man dies at the local posh hotel, his death is treated as accidental however, when another inhabitant of the village dies in very strange circumstances, the Village detectives begin to wonder if the two cases are connected.
The mystery itself was fun to read although quite complicated with a lot of different characters to keep track of. I loved the inclusion of little bits of village life such as the rivalry over the local cricket team and the store of clothes for the local jumble sale. There’s quite a bit of humour in the book too which means that it is en entertaining read.
My favourite character in this quartet of amateur detectives is Juno who is rebuilding her life after the death of her husband. I really love her impetuous nature and the way that she throws herself into everything. I hope that the attraction between her and Mil comes to something before too long. I enjoyed the relationship between all four of them although Felix remains a more shadowy figure than the other three.
This was a fun read and I am very grateful to Net Galley and the publishers, Boldwood Books, for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Steph Warren]

The Village Detectives are back again with another investigation into suspicious local deaths and some sleazy gravestones on the side, but this time Juno completely steals the show, eclipsing even the mystery and drama with her outward exuberance and hidden struggles.

Her grief at the loss of her husband, her self-sacrificing kindness and generosity, her loneliness and longing for love, her resilience in the face of mockery and her willingness to laugh at herself all shine through throughout the whole book and made me irresistibly fall in love with her as a main character in her own right instead of as Freddie/Phoebe’s comic relief sidekick.

In comparison, Freddie/Phoebe remains clever and aloof and Mil and Felix mainly seem focused on their respective jobs (and getting hammered!), but nobly deign to join in a few brainstorming sessions here and there.

The mystery plot kept me interested and guessing, and had a satisfying reveal, but Juno was definitely the star of this show and I can’t wait to see what shenanigans she gets up to next and whether she will ever get her well-deserved second-chance at love. If you enjoy cosy mysteries then this one won’t disappoint (and I recommend getting books 1 and 2 in the series too!).

[Tina Chilton]

Third book of the series and just as gripping, engaging and fun as the last two. A great cosy murder mystery, with a twists as you go along whilst delving in to more lives & deaths of the Inkbury residents and the Village Detectives there to solve the mysteries once again. Anyone that has used a dating app will know how vulnerable you make yourself, and this book shows you just how dangerous they can become especially when the app is for ex-marital affairs that lead to possible murder! One of the 'users' of the dating app drops dead whilst at a dinner at one the most prestigious hotels in the area, another found dead at the cricket pavilion and another found dead again the hotel but this time in his room, all of them after being spiked with some drug. Also not knowing if a previous car accident killing another user of the app was murder too. Watching the Village detectives try to work out what the motive is, are they all connected and who is next to be killed was gripping and exciting. Lots of codenames, village secrets and questions to be asked caused high intrigue and the lovely ending finding out Juno had become Grandmother to a baby girl :-) Great storyline, great characters, great plot, great read!

[Leanne]

A glittering river, a dating app, and a cricket pavilion murder — welcome back to Inkbury, where matchmaking meets murder in the most charmingly British way.

In this third installment of Fiona Walker’s Village Detective series, Juno is ready to re-enter the dating world. But when two app investors meet untimely ends — one in front of fellow sleuth Phoebe, the other swinging from the cricket pavilion — romance quickly takes a back seat to mystery. With Phoebe, Felix, and the ever-distracting Mil by her side, Juno dives into a case that’s as twisty as it is entertaining.

Walker’s writing is wickedly funny and full of heart. The village setting sparkles with gossip and secrets, and the characters feel like old friends you’re thrilled to see again. It’s a cozy crime with bite — clever, warm, and just the right amount of scandal. Fans of Richard Osman and Janet Evanovich will feel right at home, but Walker’s voice is distinctly her own: witty, affectionate, and quietly sharp. I adored every page and already miss the Village Detectives.

A delightfully escapist read with a killer sense of humor.

With thanks to Fiona Walker, the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

[Sara Oxton]

What an entertaining five-star read. This one is the third in the Village Detective books, but they could be read as stand-alone, as they each deal with a different mystery, but they are great read as a series as you pick up on all of the background details, and they feel more filled in and rounded when you do. These are such fun stories, they will make you chuckle and smile. The dating app has many twists and turns, and its so shady that you cant help but feel there is so much truth to it, I have loved the series and loved how we hear about not just the main characters, but people like Junos son as his journey, its those little background details that pull this story together and have you following several breadcrumbs, and giving you hints without spoiling the story, just leaving me desperate for the next mystery, will Felix be revealed as something we don’t know, or will someone else be unmasked. This is a great read that everyone should pick up.

[Maggie]

In the quiet village of Inkbury and its locale people are dying, men are dying? What is the connection ? As the village detectives decide these are not accidents they intend to find out who is behind them.

I found that the story combined things that didn't sit right. A cosy mystery and autoerotic asphyxiation seemed odd bedfellows! I understood Juno's grief but I thought that her constant pandering to the awful Debra's demands stretched believability. I liked the people in the Village detectives although Mil's name caused me some confusion- don't know why! The author did create a believable setting that made you feel you could imagine walking the streets and lanes.

I am quite fond of a cosy mystery which drew me towards this book to start with. This is the third in the series and perhaps if I'd read the earlier ones I might have enjoyed it more- on the other hand I mightn't have picked it up at all! Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

[livros100fim]

I started this series with no particular expectations and here I am, already on book three.
If you enjoyed The Thursday Murder Club, this series sits in similar territory. An unlikely group, dry British humour, and a mystery that builds at its own pace without rushing to land the next twist.
This instalment centres on a dating app designed for extramarital affairs. When investors start turning up dead, the suspect list grows quickly and no one comes across as entirely innocent. The premise is sharp and the plot delivers enough to keep you engaged.
It is not an intense thriller. Do not come in expecting edge-of-your-seat tension. What it offers instead is a well-balanced mix of crime and comedy that makes it genuinely easy to read, especially when you want something entertaining rather than demanding.
A solid choice to alternate with heavier reads. And if you have not started the series yet, book one is a good place to begin.

@livros100fim

[Agatha Marplewood]

Fiona Walker’s The Little Black Book Killer, the third in the Village Detective series, is a cozy mystery with depth and plenty of heart.

The story revolves around Juno and Phoebe, the detecting duo from the charming village of Inkbury, joined by Felix and Mil in a loose-knit team. After two previous cases, Juno is ready for something new and tries dating via an exclusive app.

What follows is a clever tangle of deaths at the local cricket club, secrets, and suspicious villagers, with the plot soon spinning from romantic hopes to murder investigations.

The mystery itself is solid as the clues and red herrings pile up, allowing you to guess along.

All in all, it gives a smartly plotted puzzle and a village teeming with secrets.

With thanks to NetGalley for the early copy in return for an honest review.

[M.J.]

The Little Black Book Killer is the third book in the Village Detective Series, and I definitely think it's my favourite so far. I laughed so hard at one line in particular, and I think all readers will love it.

Freddy is out of her 'funk' (which has been a running theme). Juno is certainly 'dialled down' a few notches (yay), and their switching narratives ensure the reader almost always knows what's happening. The characters involved in the actual mystery are a delightful mix of local villagers who all bring something to the table. The graveyard vandals and the missing underwear also add a delightful side story.

The mystery itself is quite complex, and there are a tonne of red herrings (yay), so I didn't work out all the elements of the resolution, which I always appreciate.

As I said, this is the third book in the series, and my favourite so far.

[Misfits farm]

This is the third in the series but happily stands alone (I haven’t read the second one- yet). Juno has gone onto a dating app, one that is rather exclusive. She then finds that one of the investors in this app lives locally and is found dead after a party where many of the locals were attending including her friend and fellow Village detective Phoebe, who days ago also found another body- no such thing as coincidence? What is going on and why?

This is a great series and a lightheated one- there’s a smile on most pages. I loved finding humorous comments such as “ Mrs potato head” (refers to someone for a reason). It's cleverly written and an easy read. Funny and charming, entertaining and page turning. A well crafted read with several twists I most thoroughly enjoyed.

[Vintagebooklvr]

3 1/2 stars. Most English village cozy mysteries could take place in a number of decades, and maybe even in the last hundred and 20 years or so if you strip away some of the technology, dress, and some social awareness. But this one is very much a modern story with a side character making money gaming online and the main story about investors in a new dating app being killed off. It makes for an interesting and different story than you usually read about in an English village.

Top it off with good characters that you become quickly enmeshed with their hopes, hardships and maybe romances this is a series that I want to read more of.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

[Melanie]

This was an enjoyable cozy mystery.

Set in the English countryside, Little Black Book Killer brings together Pheobe, Mil, Felix and Juno as the village detectives determined to solve a murder. The story revolves around Juno, who is ready to re-enter the dating world and signs up for a dating app. When the death of the co-investor shortly follows the mysterious death of the dating app investor, the village detectives jump into action.

Fiona Walker balances humour, intrigue, and a good sense of village dynamics. The mystery unfolds slowly but satisfyingly, with well-drawn relationships and intrigue that keeps you turning the pages. Enjoyable series so far, and a recommended weekend read.

Thanks to Netgalley for the E-Arc.

[LittleRead]

Well, it looks like Juno is ready to enter back into the dating pool. It’s a tough decision. Maybe it’s not the right decision because we’re the founder of her dating service passes away right in front of her and then another investor is found dead, she steps back into her Soothing roll. Along with her buddies why love was so unlucky for these people. But can they do it before they run out of luck themselves? That’s the question.

This is a really cute cozy. Mr. these people there’s nothing about it, but it was harsh at all. It’s one of the coziest cozies you read it’s got all the makings for a perfect cozy, a little bit of humor, a little bit of snark and a whole lot of red herrings, twists and turns will keep you guessing to the end.

[Jocelyn]

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC!

After I got myself up to date on the first 2 books of this Village Detectives series (VD), I'm getting to know everyone in the village better, Juno has also made more friends in the village, even joining exercise classes and plus exciting progress of her becoming a grandmother, while trying to find love!

And of course, despite being a small village, unnatural death happens and the village detectives get some action trying to solve the murders, for each of their own reasons. I am happy to see Phoebe coming out of her isolation more and more, and Felix becoming one of the main characters around, to both protect Phoebe and and to also do some detective work himself.

I am very much looking forward to Book 4!

[Jan]

This is a fast-paced twisty cozy centered in Inkbury village in the North Wessex Downs. The four good friends/sleuthing cohorts comfortably known as the Village Detectives are back and investigating the double murder of a pair of app producers who are pushing a new dating app. The story is as twisty as it is entertaining and the humour is there on nearly every page.
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected digital copy from Boldwood Books via NetGalley. Pub Date Oct 08, 2025
#TheLittleBlackBookKiller by #FionaWalker #VillageDetectivesBk3 #theboldbookclub
#Britishhumour #cozymystery #matchmaking #newdatingapp #writer #friendship

[Louise]

“Love can be murder…”
In The Little Black Book Killers, Juno and Freddie return to investigate the suspicious deaths of wealthy men linked to a shady dating app for married men. Set in the charming village of Inkbury, the mystery is full of wit, quirky characters, and clever twists. With help from Freddie’s husband Leo and pub landlord Mil, the team dives into secrets and scandal. It’s light-hearted but thoughtful, with Juno’s grief adding depth to the story. The third in a strong series, it’s a fun, engaging read. A confident 8/10 for cosy crime fans.