The Killer in the Choir

Fethering #19

by Simon Brett

Although she hadn’t known Leonard Mallett very well, nor liked him particularly, Carole Seddon feels duty bound to attend her fellow committee member’s funeral. As she suspected, the hymns, readings and sermon are all very predictable — not unlike Leonard himself. What she couldn’t have predicted was that the deceased’s daughter would use the occasion to publicly accuse her stepmother of murder. Did Heather Mallett really kill her husband, as many Fethering residents believe? Deciding to get to the heart of the matter, Carole’s neighbour Jude joins the new community choir – and discovers that amidst the clashing egos and petty resentments lurk some decidedly false notes. At least one chorister would appear to be hiding a deadly secret — and it’s up to Carole and Jude to unearth the truth.

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

248 pages, Paperback

First published May 31, 2019

About the author

Simon Brett is a prolific British writer of whodunnits.

He is the son of a Chartered Surveyor and was educated at Dulwich College and Wadham College, Oxford, where he got a first class honours degree in English.

He then joined the BBC as a trainee and worked for BBC Radio and London Weekend Television, where his work included 'Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy' and 'Frank Muir Goes Into ...'.

After his spells with the media he began devoting most of his time to writing from the late 1970s and is well known for his various series of crime novels.

He is married with three children and lives in Burpham, near Arundel, West Sussex, England. He is the current president of the Detection Club.

Reviews

[Beata · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have been reading this series for years now. The tandem Carole and Jude seem to be drifting apart in this Book. Still, they are both consistent and I find both of them likeable, though I know that they are like chalk and cheese. Rather good mystery but not the top one.

[K.J. Charles · Rating 1 out of 5]

A book published in 2019 that equates homosexuality and paedophilia. For Christ's sake.

Moreover, as if to prove that bigotry in authors is a craft failing as well as a moral and human one, this plotline is handled with staggering crapness on a technical level, with the Clue dropped in with all the elegance and subtlety of a putrefying whale carcass plummeting from space. Eminently avoidable.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am really enjoying this cozy mystery series. It's my second book and can be read as a stand alone as that's what I have done. I jumped right in and had no problems. It's two friends who solve mysteries in a small English town, a classic cozy formula, so easy to follow. Jude is the free thinking healer and Carole is the uptight retired government employee.

This one is centered around choirs both church and private. It's one of the main sources of entertainment in a small town. The husband of one of the choir members dies falling downstairs. Gossip swirls around town speculating if it was an accident. There's a big wedding of the dead man's daughter and his wife is murdered that night. The two friends go into investigation mode.

There is nothing spectacular about this series but it is just good, cozy mystery fun that was fun to read. It's a nice break. I will read more.

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of the book in exchange for a fair review.

[Tina Loves To Read]

This is a cozy mystery, and this is the 19th book in the Fethering series. I could not get into this series. I just did not care about the main character or the storyline. I think I just did not like the writing style. So, I ended up DNFing this book after I try to get into this book several times. I am not saying this book is bad, but I am just saying it was not the book for me. It maybe a great book for you. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Black Thorn) or author (Simon Brett) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review about how I feel about this book, and I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

[Ivonne Rovira · Rating 4 out of 5]

Carole Seddon hadn’t known Leonard Mallett well, but her extreme conventionality compels her to attend the funeral. While at the funeral, Carole is intrigued by how very merry widow Heather Mallett seems; Carole’s absolutely flabbergasted when Heather’s stepdaughter basically accuses her of killing her husband!

Carole and her neighbor Jude — who are polar opposites — begin to look into the case, as they’ve done before. Author Simon Brett doesn’t disappoint in this 19th novel in the humorous Feathering Mysteries series, including plenty of twists and turns to add to the fun.

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Killer in the Choir (Fethering, #19) by Simon Brett.

I read this book a while ago and found it didn't meet up to the standards of the other Fethering book in this series. My library had a copy on CD read by the author so I gave it a try. The author was wonderful bringing each character to life in their own individual way. Loved it.
So I've decided to bring my rating up to 4 stars because of the author's splendid narration of his story.

[Skyesmum · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a bit of a slog to get into at first but I persevered and after about 15% in I was enjoying it.
Carole and Jude are an odd pair and there are lots of characters which I found confusing.
I liked the story line and it raised several issues which were dealt with OK.

Thanks to NetGalley, Simon Brett and Severn House for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

[Renita D'Silva · Rating 3 out of 5]

A wonderful mystery

[Emma Sea · Rating 1 out of 5]

well, that was not a cozy mystery, and probably needed a trigger warning. i feel a little traumatized.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book I've read in the Fethering Mysteries, even though this is #17. I will be reading more of them.

These stories feature amateur sleuths Carole Seddon and her neighbor Jude, but they do their sleuthing mostly separately, at least on this book.

The story was a classic traditional mystery, with lots of suspects, and a few twists along the way. I enjoyed it.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The trouble with the Fethering books is that the characters never change. Carole will withhold her emotions and be rigid; Jude will be open and flexible. Yet they are besties as well as neighbors, even if Carole gets competitive about crime solving. One of Carole's fellow committee-men dies and so of course she goes to the funeral. His widow seems to have been liberated by his death. Jude finds out, in confidence, that he was abusive and brutal. After the widow plans her step-daughter's wedding, she's killed, too. But can the duo find the killer when Jude feels she must keep important information from Carole?

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

The mystery was good but their was a lot of sorrow in this book as well. Not as light as the series usually is.

[Elaine Tomasso · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to thank Netgalley and Severn House for an advance copy of The Killer in the Choir, the nineteenth novel in the Fethering series.

When Carole attends fellow committee member, Leonard Mallett’s funeral she is astonished to hear his daughter Alice accuse her stepmother, Heather, of murdering him. She and her neighbour, Jude, who have experience in amateur sleuthing decide to investigate and to this end Jude joins Heather’s choir.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Killer in the Choir which is a fun trip through middle class England with a good mystery as a bonus. It is told exclusively from Carole and Jude’s points of view so everything is viewed through their prejudices with Carole being the repressed martyr to social niceties while Jude is the touchy-feely healer with a rather contrary streak of common sense and practicality. The interplay between them is amusing and knowing.

I liked the whodunnit aspect of the novel. As with most novels in the series there is a plethora of suspects with all members of the choir coming under suspicion at some point. Our intrepid investigators take on solo missions with Jude concentrating on family secrets and emotions and keeping much of what she learns from Carole who turns her attention to the more peripheral characters and uncovers hidden and not so hidden grudges. Their debriefings lead to the solution.

There is a darker tone to this novel with some nasty family secrets coming to light. Fortunately it is the empathetic Jude who is the recipient of these confidences so her solutions are practical and supportive. Mr Brett does not make light of these revelations but his general upbeat tone and gentle humour do not allow them to cast too dark a shadow.

The Killer in the Choir is a fun read which I have no hesitation in recommending.

[Bobbie Kirkland · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of THE KILLER IN THE CHOIR by Simon Brett in exchange for an honest review. Carole Seddon, retired from the home office, becomes curious about the death of a local Fethering man when his wife makes no pretense of being sad at his passing. The widow buys a new wardrobe and chooses to sit in the choir at the funeral rather than sit in the audience where one would expect to find a grieving widow. Carole enlists her neighbor Jude to aid in her investigation; however, Jude’s duties as a healer soon put her at cross-purposes with Carole. What really happened to Leonard Mallett? When Carole’s primary suspect is murdered, Carole’s search intensifies because she must now discover whether the deaths were related. Carole keeps being confounded because the village is filled with quirky characters who are all protecting secrets of their own.

I recommend this book to fans of irreverent cozy mysteries. Though not graphically detailed, there are dark themes addressed in this story.

#TheKillerInTheChoir #NetGalley

[Annarella · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent mystery, darker than the usual cozy.
I read it as fast as could because it's gripping and entertaining. I made me laugh and it made me think.
I love Carol and Jude and I love the quirky cast of characters, well written and fleshed out.
There's a lot of humour in this book and there're moments when it make you think.
I appreciated the empathy toward the victims and how the author describe an abuse without too many details, just an overview that makes you understand the drama.
The mystery is great, full of twists and turns, and the ending came unexpected.
It's the second book I read it this series and I think it can be read as a standalone.
I look forward to reading the next instalment in this series.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to Severn House and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm kind of sad to finish this Fethering mystery. Now I have read (or listened to) all of them. I had enjoyed Geoffrey Howard readings of earlier books in this series. Howard died in 2014 so it was a safe bet that he would not be the narrator for a book published in 2019. When I saw that Simon Brett was the narrator, I expected to be a little disappointed. However, he did a great job. I thoroughly enjoyed the way he voiced all the characters. A choir brings together a lot of people who would not normally spend time together in their regular lives. One member is murdered. This provided lots of threads for Jude and Carole to pursue, mostly separately. In a bit of a twist for this long running series, Jude and Carole did not share every piece of information.

[Hannelore Cheney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Severn House for the eARC.
This is the 19th in the Fethering series and, as usual, another enjoyable read. The tone is a bit more serious, covering domestic abuse and PTSD, but still light and amusing.
Overly serious Carole and easygoing Jude are friends despite their differences. The only thing they have in common is their sleuthing, but that's fine, it makes for fun reads.
This time the soprano of a choir is murdered and the game is on! Love this series, haven't missed a book yet and always look forward to the next one.
Definitely recommended!

[Barbara Nutting · Rating 4 out of 5]

Of course Carole is tone deaf and Jude sings like an angel, but in harmony they solve another Fethering mystery.

This is #19 in the series, I’m just wondering how many bodies have been discovered on that beach???? I still have a few more to read, I think I’ll start counting them.

[Valerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. It's a very dry form of cozy mystery. It doesn't move that fast but its good at getting to people. I was surprised by who the bad guy in the end was. It all seemed to go badly for him. #TheKillerintheChoir #NetGalley

[Charlotte Pawson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The village of Fethering is very much like a local Miss Marple village with plenty of murders and all the locals know all the gossip. We have Carol ex Home Office who is very much reserved and likes to keep her private life private. The opposite is Jude a local healer very outgoing who joins in local activities like the choir. The death of Leonard Mallett will become the 1st murder. Carol and Jude come at the investigation from opposite ends with Jude getting the locals to open up about their secrets. These two characters are neighbours and friends but their quirkiness leads to very enjoyable mystery.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I "needed" a cozy mystery for a book challenge I am doing this year and this one fit the bill well. It takes place in a small town where the most popular activity seems to be gossiping about one's neighbors and acquaintances and trying to pretend to one another that no one has secrets or is lonely. The author did a good job sowing enough doubt about multiple possible murderers to keep you guessing until the end.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love the Fethering series and this was no exception .

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great series continues

[Richard · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although I love these Fethering mysteries this was not one of the best. I feel a little let down by the plot. That said I loved the rift caused between Carole and Jude and the cast of characters were interesting.
The author is familiar with this series and incorporates all the aspects fans have become used to and delight in learning about. From Ted at the Crown and Anchor to matters of local gossip. It was also clever the way some home truths were registered with Carole and how her personality changes in investigation mode.
I was also very pleased to read the sensitive way in which relationships were dealt with. From abusive partners, the difficulties moving on after divorce. Elderly parents and living up to parental ambition. This allowed for domestic violence to be alluded to and the adjustments in army veterans with PTSD.
However, for all the praise I can lavish again on Brett’s writing I am left a little dissatisfied with the ultimate plotting and motive for murder.
I have read each of these adventures and the relationship between Carole and Jude is the reason for the success. This sadly is not one of the better books, but that in no way detracts from the quality of the writing or the talent of this author.

[Sid Nuncius · Rating 3 out of 5]

Simon Brett is always reliable and you know pretty much what you’re going to get in the Fethering series; a well written, fairly light-hearted mystery with some rather shrewd characterisation and comments on village life. The Killer In The Choir is firmly in this mould, although I didn’t think it was one of his best.

This time, Carole and Jude look into the death of a local businessman, whose wife is a stalwart of the church choir. There is the usual nice contrast between Carole’s prim, direct manner and Jude’s more easygoing understanding of people and the enjoyable characters of Fethering. I did have some reservations, though. The story touches on some quite dark themes of sexual abuse and PTSD, which didn’t sit quite comfortably with the generally light tone of the book. I also thought the red herrings were a little overdone and the denouement a bit silly, to say the least.

This is a light, easy read and fine for a couple of hours distraction, but perhaps not quite as enjoyable as some of Simon Brett’s work.

(My thanks to Severn House for an ARC via NetGalley.)

[☺Trish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Never read this author, Simon Brett, before reading the Killer in the Choir: one of his many Fethering cozy mysteries. I really enjoyed his mc Jude (mc Carole Sneddon, not so much). The characters being "of a certain age" definitely enhanced my enjoyment.Will definitely seek out more titles in this series.

[Nathalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was fun looking up the hymns, poems and music mentioned in the book!

[Marissa Morrison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty dark motives.

[Anna Robinson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Saw the ending coming a mile off, everything happened too quickly and characters weren’t developed.

There was a really sad storyline about sexual abuse and pedophilia that was really not written well and didn’t give the victims a chance to really speak their truth.

[Toni · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Stars

This is the nineteenth book in the Fethering Mystery series by Simon Brett.

This is the first book I have read in this series and I wonder why any of these people like each other enough to attend the same church much less be in the same choir together. As a former choir member in my old church and a current worship team member of my current one, I am totally familiar with the dynamics shown here. We usually have to team old familiar hymns with new contemporary Christian songs that the younger people hear on the radio. It is not usually an either/or question. You need to appeal to the entire congregation not just a select few. This enhances their worship experience. They learn new songs and get to sing old favorites at the same time. The majority of a congregation these days is usually over 60 years old. They put in new contemporary songs in order to appeal to younger people and draw them to church.

I was uncertain about the plot of this book. I have never heard of a choir singing at someone’s wedding, especially a new and untrained choir who couldn’t read much or sing much in harmony. In my church choir I was one of only a few harmony singers. Getting something like this book talks about off the ground is quite a large task.

The two sleuths in this seemed less like a tag team and more like they were competing with each other. I don’t know why there needs to be two sleuths plus the police. Lot of people investigating and not a lot of people being suspected of murder. I thought the plot was a bit convoluted. But choirs are more convoluted than anyone realizes. You spend more time with these people than anyone else in your life usually. Someone is usually always angry at someone else. And there is always that one person who gets so much joy from being in the choir yet can’t seem to hold a note on tune to save their life. There are always the standout singers and the ones who don’t have the confidence to project their voice more than a whisper. I think this book got the choir dynamics right but I felt the motivation of the murders fell flat.

I had a lot of hopes for this story but came away thinking it was just a decent book.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.