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One For Sorrow
A photographer is found dead beneath a line of fresh prints. The police say she had it coming. Two unlikely detectives must bring the truth out of the dark.
Miss Ada Tew has photographed every wedding, fete and funeral in Woodstock for fifty-two years. Her farewell exhibition was meant to be her goodbye to the town. Instead she is found on her darkroom floor, with ten photographs pegged on the line above her. Someone printed them while she lay there. The discovery pulls Hester Croft, sharp-tongued and not in the habit of being mistaken, and Gertie Bundle, landlady of the Old Pyed Bull, into their fourth investigation together.
Inspector Wallace of the Oxfordshire CID decides Ada was a blackmailer who pushed somebody too far. Hester knew Ada all her life, and she does not believe a word of it. One picture has already been taken down from the exhibition wall. Half the town saw it before it went, and nobody will say what was in it.
As Hester and Gertie start asking, the polite surface of the small Oxfordshire market town begins to crack. Plenty of people had reason to fear what Ada’s camera saw. One of them has already killed to keep it hidden.
One For Sorrow is the fourth Woodstock Mystery, a clever, character-driven whodunnit perfect for fans of classic English cosy crime.
Miss Ada Tew has photographed every wedding, fete and funeral in Woodstock for fifty-two years. Her farewell exhibition was meant to be her goodbye to the town. Instead she is found on her darkroom floor, with ten photographs pegged on the line above her. Someone printed them while she lay there. The discovery pulls Hester Croft, sharp-tongued and not in the habit of being mistaken, and Gertie Bundle, landlady of the Old Pyed Bull, into their fourth investigation together.
Inspector Wallace of the Oxfordshire CID decides Ada was a blackmailer who pushed somebody too far. Hester knew Ada all her life, and she does not believe a word of it. One picture has already been taken down from the exhibition wall. Half the town saw it before it went, and nobody will say what was in it.
As Hester and Gertie start asking, the polite surface of the small Oxfordshire market town begins to crack. Plenty of people had reason to fear what Ada’s camera saw. One of them has already killed to keep it hidden.
One For Sorrow is the fourth Woodstock Mystery, a clever, character-driven whodunnit perfect for fans of classic English cosy crime.
204 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 14, 2026
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October 29, 2026
After flying through the first three books in the Woodstock Mystery series, I found One for Sorrow surprisingly difficult to get through. Hester and Gertie’s fourth investigation centres on the death of a local photographer, but despite the familiar faces and setting, something just felt off.
The previous books had a lovely countryside warmth, an easy flow and enjoyable back-and-forth between the two women. That combination was a big part of their appeal, and I really missed it here. Hester and Gertie’s interactions didn’t give me the same pleasure, and I never quite settled into the story.
It’s difficult to put my finger on exactly why, but I simply didn’t feel as invested in either the mystery or the characters this time. Where the other three kept me happily turning the pages, this one felt like an effort.
Not a bad book, but a disappointing follow-up to three I enjoyed so much. I hope the next instalment brings back the warmth and charm that made me fall for the series.
The previous books had a lovely countryside warmth, an easy flow and enjoyable back-and-forth between the two women. That combination was a big part of their appeal, and I really missed it here. Hester and Gertie’s interactions didn’t give me the same pleasure, and I never quite settled into the story.
It’s difficult to put my finger on exactly why, but I simply didn’t feel as invested in either the mystery or the characters this time. Where the other three kept me happily turning the pages, this one felt like an effort.
Not a bad book, but a disappointing follow-up to three I enjoyed so much. I hope the next instalment brings back the warmth and charm that made me fall for the series.
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review