Murder at the Summer Fete

The Dedley End Mysteries #2

by Victoria Walters

A fete worse than death…

After finding the killer of Lucy Roth six months ago, life has settled back to normal for bookshop owner, Nancy Hunter, and her grandmother, Jane. The annual Dedley End village fete is just around the corner, and Nancy is delighted when bestselling author, Thomas Green, agrees to launch his first new novel in ten years there.

But then a series of sinister events lead Nancy to realise someone is trying to sabotage their fete, so she, along with Jane and their journalist friend Jonathan, must turn detective to discover who isn’t at all thrilled about the return of Thomas Green.

When a body is discovered at the summer fete, the death scene mirroring that in Thomas’ latest bestseller, they realise that there’s another killer in Dedley End, but can they outsmart someone who appears to have pulled off the perfect crime?

The clues are right under Nancy and Jane’s noses, if only they can find them. Because the answers to life’s questions can always be found in a book…!

A twisty, unputdownable cozy mystery that fans of Richard Osman, S.J. Bennett and The Marlow Murder Club will love.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Crime, Murder Mystery, Contemporary, Cozy

316 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 17, 2022

About the author

Victoria Walters is a full-time author living in Surrey. Victoria writes sweet and spicy rom coms including the BookTok viral hits THE LOVE INTEREST, THE PLOT TWIST and THE PARIS CHAPTER. She used to work in publishing and a bookshop, and has been a bookworm since childhood.

Victoria is also the author of the bestselling uplifting and romantic series GLENDALE HALL and the cosy crime series THE DEDLEY END MYSTERIES. Find out more about her by following on Instagram at @vickyjwalters, on X at @Vicky_Walters or on Facebook and TikTok at Victoria Walters author.

Her new grumpy/sunshine spicy romance LONG STORY SHORT is out now.

Reviews

[Lata · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think Dame Agatha Christie trained my brain to find the culprit(s) in stories, so I knew who the baddie was immediately and was tapping my foot with impatience while the too nice and sometimes naïve Nancy and Jane took longer to unmask the killer than I would like. And Nancy’s eventual romantic interest was super easy to deduce, too.

Other than that, this is a pleasant story set in the pleasant town of Dedly End in the Cotswolds, which, based on the number of mysteries set there, must have very busy undertakers.

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

[kiki · Rating 1 out of 5]

1,5☆

Книга плохая. Скажу сразу, что это ревью только про негативные стороны, потому что положительных найти мне не удалось.

На днях я слушала подкаст Галины Юзефович про книги, где обсуждалась формула хорошего детективного романа — герои+сеттинг+сюжет, где каждая составляющая, если она выпадает, то портит произведение целиком. В этой книге плохи все три.

Герои: Нэнси, ее бабушка Джейн, Джонатан. Есть ли хоть у одного из них какая-то личность, которая отличала бы их от остальных фоновых персонажей? Нет.

Нэнси подается нам, во-первых, как книжный червь и во-вторых, как любительницы детективных расследований в реальной жизни, конечно же, с большой отсылкой ее имени на Нэнси Дрю. Об этом нам говорят в первой главе и продолжают напоминать раз за разом, как будто бы мы успели забыть. Создается впечатление, что авторка книги хотела прописать главную героиню смелой, умной, интересной, но почему-то в итоговую версию романа это не вошло. Нэнси — такая же ничем не примечательная, как какая-нибудь их соседка, упомянутая один раз. Это происходит из-за того, что повествование построено криво, а именно через диалоги и монологи самой Нэнси, описаний ее характера и хотя бы действий здесь практически нет.

Джейн — еще более блеклая героиня. Иногда всплывают намеки, что она в своем пожилом возрасте не утратила тягу к приключениям и расследованиям, но таких моментов можно насчитать всего два-три. В целом, ее образ — это дополнение к Нэнси, такой некий образ второй сотрудницы их книжного магазина и жительницы дома. На этом все.

Джонатан — лучший друг Нэнси, и он описан чуть живее. Он амбициозен, на него можно положиться, да и вообще полноценный напарник девушек. Но повествование не дает нам ни малейшей возможности узнать о нем чуть больше двух поверхностных черт. Если Джейн нужна тут как утешительное плечо для Нэнси, то Джонатан — для небольших авантюр, например, поехать в соседний городок в бар.

Вообще, когда читаешь, понимаешь, что главные герои безликие, и от этого нет никакого единения с жанром.

Сеттинг: маленькая английская деревня. Удивительно, но авторка смогла испортить и это, хотя, кажется, что это сделать тяжело. Сеттинг здесь нужен только для безликой — снова — декорации, где будут происходить действия. Нет ни рассказа, какие люди живут тут, ни какой-нибудь прогулки по окрестностям, чтобы посмотреть на дома, поля, магазинчики, поприветствовать уличных кошек, а именно все это мы и любим в подобных местах. Никакого очарования небольшого коммьюнити здесь ждать не стоит. Из всей книги я вынесла только то, что здесь есть дом Нэнси и Джейн, их книжный магазин и сцена для фестиваля. До смешного нелепо, что это действительно так, больше нам об их деревне не говорят.

Сюжет: примерно до 70% от всего объема книги вам приходится наблюдать унылые действия героев, о которых нам заявляют уже на обложке. Убийство произойдет ровно так, как вы ожидаете, и убийцей, по мнению всех, будет тот человек, на которого вы первым покажете пальцем. Ну а дальше все еще более предсказуемое. Если вы интересуетесь детективами или тру краймом, то решите это дело за несколько секунд, а потом будете дочитывать еще более скучное расследование Нэнси. Да, основные события будут проходить в 30% оставшейся части, где 10% — разгадка, 10% — картонный монолог настоящего преступника, как будто он злодей из мультика про Скуби Ду, и еще 10% — появление персонажа из предыдущей книги в этой серии.

Отдельного негодования заслуживают постоянные повторы в мыслях Нэнси о том, как она расследовала убийство на Рождество — а это предыдущая книга — и ее родителях. Абсурдно, но это было буквально в каждой главе, причем даже в одних и тех же словах, как будто авторка думает, что напоминать об этом очень-очень важно.

Я не уверена, что в первой книге герои раскрыты лучше, возможно, так и есть, но в эту они дошли серыми и скучными. Если честно, хорошо видно, что авторка раньше не писала детективов, но у меня много претензий и к остальным составляющим. Я не получила от этой книги ничего, даже какой-нибудь незначительной детали, что мотивировало бы меня читать дальше, кроме денег, которые я отдала за бумажную версию.

Убираю подальше на полку и учусь больше не вестись на красивые обложки.

[Kristina · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved the first book in The Dedly End Mystery series, but this follow-up was a disappointment. Not only was the murderer painfully obvious almost immediately, this story was far too long, repetitive and wordy. I'm intrigued by the cliffhanger, but am not sure I'm willing to continue in the series.

[booksofallkinds · Rating 5 out of 5]

*I voluntarily reviewed this book from the tour organiser.

We are back in Dedley End, where for the last six months things have been quiet in the village, and Nancy and her grandmother Jane have focused on their lovely bookshop and their friends. With the summer fete coming up, it's all hands on deck and all eyes will be on their celebrity quest speaker, Thomas Green, a hugely successful crime writer that Nancy has organised to take part. But when someone defaces one of Thomas Green's pictures in the bookshop and threats are made against his safety, Nancy cannot help but worry that history may be about to repeat itself and Thomas could be in danger. And when a body is discovered on the day of the fete, Nancy, Jane, and Jonathan will have to don their detective hats once again to catch a killer. And just when Nancy and the community think that they can forget about the Roth family, a few familiar faces return to the village which is sure to make everyone feel on edge.

​I loved the first book in this series (Murder at the House on the Hill) so I could not wait to return to this quaint village with its wonderful collection of quirky characters. While Nancy and the gang do not want any harm to come to anyone, they cannot help but be a little excited at the prospect of solving another mystery. With plenty of twists and turns, misdirections and secrets, MURDER AT THE SUMMER FETE does not disappoint and I didn't want to put this book down, and I enjoyed it even more than the first book as I got to know Nancy and everyone on a deeper level and felt more connected to them.

A fantastic cosy mystery with every component that you could possibly want, MURDER AT THE SUMMER FETE by Victoria Walters is an amazing read, and while it can be read independently, I fully recommend buying both books in the series as they are simply wonderful.

[Sophie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I know everybody has different taste when it comes to books, but the people rating this 4-5 stars must be on something. Once again, the residents of Dedley End are written as one-dimensional characters who show no sign of character development from the previous book in the series. Nancy is also absolutely insufferable - why on earth does she hate Will Roth so much? Every time he’s mentioned, she acts as if he personally killed her father even though he literally had nothing to do with it. He was completely unaware of his family’s involvement in George’s death until it was revealed to Nancy in Murder at the House on the Hill, yet Nancy acts like he is her genuine arch nemesis, which is ridiculous. That being said, her hatred for Will is the only sign of character depth that she has, so well done to Victoria Walters for achieving that in at least one of the three main characters in this series.

The mystery in this was much worse than in MATHOTH; it was completely obvious who was behind everything. I kept expecting a twist at the end which would reveal the true killer or at least a conspirator who had worked alongside the murderer, but the final confrontation went almost exactly as Nancy and Co. Had predicted, making for a very boring finale.

I have been told that the final book is the best in the series, so let’s hope I can finally rate at least 1/3 at something more than 2 stars.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally reviewed for Chick Lit Central (www.chicklitcentral.com)

I didn’t read the first book in the Dedley End Mystery series, but that was totally fine–there was no problem with following along and gaining a strong understanding that both Nancy and Jane have a prior history with solving crimes they’d never intended to solve. It seems they’re always in the wrong place at the right time, and that’s the same premise for Murder at the Summer Fete.

What I really loved about this book is that I really didn't know who the culprit would be. I had my hunches, yet they were quickly disproven. From one moment to the next, we’re on the journey right along with Nancy, Jane, and their reporter friend Jonathan, trying to figure out not only who the culprit is, but what the motive is. I thought it was unique and clever to incorporate a murder scene from writer Thomas Green’s latest novel–the murder scene becomes the actual murder scene at the fete, which leads everyone down a potential path to discovering who the murderer might be, or might not be.

The police become an antagonistic quality during the investigation. I thought that was an interesting perspective, considering we’re often taught that law enforcement is there to help. And that is still the case regarding the murder at the fete, but due to Nancy’s involvement in finding Lucy Roth’s killer, it’s apparent that there is a bit of bad blood between the head policeman and Nancy. They’re both trying to achieve the same thing–discover the murderer from the fete–yet they are trying to achieve that in different ways, often stepping on one another’s toes in the process. It was a fun hurdle to toss into the story.

While I enjoyed putting the clues together to bring the true murderer to justice, I felt the steps in getting there took a little too long at times. The dialogue seemed to drag on in certain areas, but overall, this was an enjoyable read and a fun cozy mystery experience!

[Christine LaBatt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was the second in this cozy mystery series, but the first I read. Despite that, I loved the characters and felt like there was a lot of investigating (some cozy mysteries lack that for me). I'm also a sucker for mysteries that take place in England, especially rural England, and involve books. This one is both!

The whodunit was kind of predictable for me, but I don't mind that as much with cozies! If you are looking for a good cozy mystery to snuggle up with, this definitely fits that!

[Sian · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really really didn’t enjoy this book. I didn’t read Murder at the House on the Hill but maybe I should have (and by the end of this book I felt like I had read it). Apologies to the author and her team, but I opened the first page and immediately knew I had to get out my pencil to annotate. Listed below is my running commentary - my many, many thoughts as I read this book. (Spoilers ahead)


- It took 75 pages for Nancy to see the poster and decide to visit a writers group in the next village. It needed to get to the point quicker.

- It reads like it hasn’t been through a proper edit. This writing could be a first, second, or even third draft, but for me, this doesn’t feel like a finished novel. At the very least it needed another proofread.

- The dialogue is stilted and unnatural in places, as though Walters didn’t read it aloud to herself during her edits.

- There were many times when four words were used instead of what could’ve easily been one.

- ‘Grudge’ is repeated too often.

- It doesn’t feel like Walters trusts her reader to remember basic information - I think we’ve been told about 10 times that Thomas Green left Daggerford at 20 years old and has a successful TV show.

- Walters also needs to trust her readers to infer meaning. E.g., on page 76 we have: ‘we need to stop off at the bookshop to pick up the chalkboard so Nancy can write on it ready for the event,’ - what else is she going to do with it other than write on it? Karate chop it in half?

- Lots of stating the obvious - on page 96, after Michael has been found murdered, Jonathan says ‘Looks like it was Michael Jones who was the one in danger,’

- Page 99 reveals the solution to Thomas Green’s ‘A Perfect Murder’ which apparently is ‘The killer accidentally leaves the receipt for the book inside it,’ - to me, that sounds like an incredibly valuable and traceable piece of evidence that far from makes for a perfect murder.

- The majority of the book consisted of Nancy telling us she needed to do things rather than actually doing them.

- A lot of repeating the same phrases over and over, without taking the time to rephrase or choose different language. Walters goes round in circles feeding the reader the same information. There is no action and no plot development for the first half of the book. The prologue should’ve been taken out because it just acted as a spoiler for the most exciting part of the plot.

- There are sentences that don’t make sense. Page 133: ‘Can lightning can strike twice, though?’

- Page 154: Penelope tells them they’re destined to be detectives, but I don’t think Nancy, Jane or Jonathan have managed to uncover a single piece of evidence yet solely on their own merit. Part of detective work (in cosy crime especially) is actively sleuthing - looking for evidence and gathering clues from other people, but they’ve had help from everyone else the entire way through.

- Very little imagery or description. It’s mainly them driving about, eating dinner and repeating the same conversation.

- As of page 165 I CANNOT believe that not a single one of these book/writing-minded characters hasn’t thought of plagiarism as a motive. Even if it doesn’t turn out to be true, the amount of idle chit-chat they’ve had you would’ve thought it would come up.

- Way, way, way too many rhetorical questions.

- Completely unnecessary sentences. Page 178: ‘There was something about murder that left one cold to the very bones.’ Of course the idea of murder is going to make you feel cold to the bone!

- Halfway through the book Thomas has seemingly been written-off as a suspect by our protagonists, when he still has just as much means, motive and opportunity as Nathan.

- It comes across like our author spent a lot of her time writing this book in the mindset of ‘will the reader understand this? I’d better add this to make doubly sure.’ Or perhaps this is the editor’s doing?

- Needed more attention to the smaller details: on page 187 Nancy only seems to have goosebumps up one arm; on page 189 Nathan is paradoxically ‘sprawled’ with ‘his arms by his side’.

- There’s a fine line between keeping your readers guessing and making your characters incompetent. I think this book may have lost the line completely. For example, by chapter 36 how can three people not come up with a single possible motive for Thomas between them? Money? Blackmail? Plagiarism? There’s three. Nancy, Jane and Jonathan seem to do a whole lot of discussing nothing.

- The amount of times our protagonists refer back to ‘The Roth Case’ from Walters’ first book makes them seem arrogant and self-important. Their hatred of the police and the police investigations seems majorly hyperbolic in relation to what I understand is the context (without reading the first book).

- By the end of chapter 37 they are still seemingly taking everything Thomas has said at face value. It seems too unbelievable for them not to properly consider him a suspect at this point.

- There is an action after every single piece of speech. It doesn’t let the dialogue breathe, and it doesn’t allow the reader to infer meaning. E.g. page 239 - ‘’Oh my god,’ she said slowly as it dawned on her what she was holding in her hands.’’ The dialogue needs to speak for itself.

- Taking this long to uncover the truth doesn’t build suspense, but instead it’s making me think the characters are idiots.

- So. Many. Questions. Every character looks to the others for validation, so often that it’s getting tiring. Almost every sentence in chapter 41 ends with a question mark.

- Page 269: ‘Says the man who cried watching Titanic.’ I would be more worried if he didn’t cry. This type of sarcasm doesn’t really work unless you use a film like Despicable Me.

- There doesn’t seem to be a proper sense of identity in the writing. Pages 284-5: all of a sudden there are phrases like ‘thoroughly not a decent young man’ and ‘he is most frightfully ashamed’ - when did we time travel back to the 19th century?

- The pace of chapter 48 was good. However, there seemed to be a missed opportunity for some Nancy character development. I find it a bit too unbelievable that a woman who a few days prior was barely able to talk to Thomas Green on the phone, then managed to deliver that speech to her entire village without a single falter or hitch in her voice. It was too inconsistent with the character profile already set up for her.

- I’m sorry but as much as I love a cosy crime novel in which the protagonists coax out a confession, I cannot buy the fact that a multi-millionaire bestselling author would say a single word in front of a police officer without an incredibly expensive lawyer present. Especially not a full confession. Although granted I will admit if any multi-millionaire would do such a thing it would be the crime novelist who revels in storytelling.

- Page 310: apparently Thomas killed Nathan because ‘I couldn’t let my series be taken from me,’ - if he was that desperate to keep it - to kill Nathan to keep it - why is he so willingly giving up all this information now? The game was not even close to being up before he decided to start spilling his guts. A high-powered lawyer could probably have still got him out of it somehow.

- Page 317: the DCI tells Nancy and Jane ‘you both have a knack for this sort of thing,’ - do they? Apart from the diary, everything they discovered pretty much fell into their laps, they didn’t actively seek any clues out. When they did uncover the diary, it took about 250 pages to do so.


I ended up guessing the culprit very early on in the plot and I was waiting for another twist to prove me wrong, but sadly it didn’t happen. Unfortunately I think Walters got majorly shafted by her editing team. It read like a draft and it should’ve been transformed into a more finished piece. This was a painful slog of a book for me, but in a weird way I am still glad I read it - it felt like an achievement of sorts.

[what.heather.loves · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Nancy recognised the desire building in her, as it had done with the Lucy Roth murder, to find out what had happened to a Michael at the Fête. The murder this time around was linked to books somehow and Nancy wanted to find out how. No one in the village knew more about books than her so she needed to put her knowledge to good use. She knew the police would boy take kindly to her or her grandmother - and definitely not Jonathan - poking their noses into another murder case but how could she just sit back and not look into it?"

This sees the return to fictional Dedley End in the Cotswolds to amateur detectives and crime fiction bookshop owners, Nancy Hunter and grandmother Jane and their friend Jonathan, reporter on the local paper. Following their success solving their first whodunit at Christmas time, it's now the summer fête and the return of a local author results in sabotage and another murder for the trio to investigate.

I enjoyed the first book in this series (Murder At The House On The Hill) and chose to read this whilst staying in the Cotswolds during the summer. The setting of both the Dedley Endings Bookshop and rural Cotswolds is atmospheric and picturesque. Nancy, Jane and Jonathan are likeable, engaging and feel real and the combination of bookseller, amateur detective and journalist is a great one. Other local characters return and some new ones are introduced, in the form of a neighbouring village's writing group. For me, the primary enjoyment in cosy crime is found in the setting and the characters (along with crimes that aren't gruesome and a mystery that's nicely wrapped up at the end) is not the unpredictability of the mystery necessarily, some of which I guessed. Thoroughly enjoyable, light-hearted and escapist reading!

[Bridget · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story, the second in Victoria Walters's The Dedley End Mysteries, features bookshop owner, Nancy Hunter and her grandmother, Jane. The reader is brought straight into the action in the run-up to the annual Dedley End village fete. Their shop, The Dedley Endings Bookshop, sells mostly mystery, thrillers and crime books and bestselling author, Thomas Green, will be launching his first new novel for a decade at the fete. But when the fete is held, a body is discovered, found in a similar situation to that of Green's latest book. Nancy and Jane together with Nancy’s childhood friend, a local reporter for the Cotswold Star, Jonathan Murphy, to help solve the crime.

The author's writing style is a good fit for me and the genre. The characterisation is great, right down to Nancy's dog, Charlie. An extremely enjoyable read that has me keen to pick up the first book, Murder at the House on the Hill.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Hera Books via NetGalley and this review is my unbiased opinion.

[MrsD271015 D · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found myself in a bit of a reading slump recently. Work was taking over and I couldn’t de stress enough to pick up a book. This book changed it in one weekend.

Another gripping tale from Dedley End. Nancy Hunter, her grandmother Jane and close friend Jonathan are back solving mysteries and catching killers.

I loved my first visit to Dedley End and this second trip did not disappoint.

Nancy and Jane (along with their bookshop) have become somewhat known for their part in solving the murder of Lucy Roth at Christmas. It is this game that brings Michael to their bookshop. Knowing that they will follow his clues and eventually bring justice for his father and ultimately himself.

The characters in the book are very well written. As a reader you feel part of the group - all of them likeable. There’s a subtle tension between Nancy and Jonathan and I am desperate for book three to see if it gets resolved.

The new main characters in this story - authour Thomas Green and his agent Nathan Loveday are less likeable. Both well written so that you switch between complete distrust and pitty.

The plot stems 30years and sees secrets come back to haunt Thomas Green. What lengths will he go to to save his reputation and what has he already done to get where he is?

I love how the seeds are planted for the next mystery and can not wait for the next instalment.

[L.S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was wonderful to return to Dedley End and the bookshop run by Nancy and her grandmother, Jane. Since last we met, after the murder up at the house on the hill, life in the village has returned to its normal tranquillity. In fact, for both Nancy and Jane, things are a little too quiet which is why they have invested so much time and effort into the upcoming summer fete. Having arranged for a very successful crime writer to launch his latest book at the fete, the level of excitement and anticipation is high. Author Thomas Green grew up in a nearby village before getting an agent and a book deal in London.

What Nancy and Jane, and best friend Jonathan don’t realise is that Thomas Green’s return will not be so widely welcomed, especially among those who knew him in his younger days. Green is reluctant to talk about those days too, which begs the question why.

It takes an act of “vandalism” and threats to spark the sleuths’ interest in Green’s background, but not even they are ready to see another case of murder in Dedley End.

As before, the relationship between the main characters is endearing as are their endeavours to get to the bottom of things. At the outset I thought I knew the motive for the murder but the case almost seemed to be resolved … until Nancy feels the same sense of unease at justice not really having been done and so, encouraged by Jane and Jonathan, she digs further … and finds the real reason behind it. I’m glad to say my initial deductions were correct, and I applaud the author for making me second guess myself. The twisty nature of solving the crime was most enjoyable (and not just because I was proved right 🙂 )

The author picks up the trail of information we learned in book one about the culprit behind Nancy’s father’s death and now the story takes another personal twist in delivery Nancy another mystery, this time to do with her mother who left the family home when Nancy was very young. The author combines well Nancy’s personal family history with mysteries in Dedley End and that combination makes for an interesting, yet fun read, but also leaves me wanting more.

I’ll be looking out for the next book in the series.

[Kirstie May · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another book that I thoroughly enjoyed reading, and love reading more about the characters already read in the previous book. Such a great story line, with some twists and turns that I hadn't expected, against some that I did (but then I read and watch so much crime!) Can't wait to see where the next book will go; Will they find Nancy's mum? Will Nancy and Johnathan get together, as there is clearly more than friendship brewing between them!

[James Haigh-Kenworthy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is equally as good as the first installment (House on the Hill) although there was a point where I didn't think it quite lived up to it's reputation. All the main cast are at the top of their powers (just like Victoria, the author) as well as a few recurring, equally amazing, characters. The big reveal at the end of the book is probably the most tense I've ever felt reading a book! This is a very exciting read, bring on book 3 later this year!

[ghostly_bookish · Rating 3 out of 5]

CAWPILE 6.43 - 3.5 Stars

The Second in the Dedley End Mystery Series- I was really eager to get back to this charming world after reading the first book earlier on this year.
I had guessed the murderer about a third of the way into the book but I did like the way everything resolved itself and it's left itself open for the third which I have just preordered, released April 2023.
I look forward to returning to this series in the future.

[Laura Berry · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

[MimLovesReading · Rating 4 out of 5]

After Murder At The House On The Hill, I was really looking forward to another visit to Dedley End & my 2 favourite book shop owners!

And this didn't disappoint! ☺️

After 6 months of what we presume is a relatively quiet & serene period, the summer fete organised by Nancy is quickly thrown into turmoil as a visiting famous writer is targeted in the build up.

Needless to say, someone is found murdered, and the hunt to find the killer is afoot!

The writing here conjures up strong images of quintessential England, quaint cottages, village pubs & village life in the heart of summer.

The story itself is a little obvious & I can tell where it's heading pretty quickly.

But I just love the characters of Nancy & Jane, their life in the book shop & their newfound excitement for solving mysteries!!😍 This carries the book for me & I'm looking forward to learn what happens next!

[Eloise Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book! A great crime book with a small hint to romance which really appealed to me!
The book had some great twists and turns as well!

[Carol Baskerville · Rating 2 out of 5]

slow and simplistic writing - not my favourite

[Roo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yeah it's not summer anymore ik ik I tried.....much easier to understand than ones set in the 20s (which was my first murder mystery attempt) but it was kinda meh. It definitely surprised me a few times but for the length not much happened and there were a few dead ends. Or should I say dedley ends...

[Nathalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

* I was provided an arc by NetGalley in exchange for a review*

Nancy, Jane, and Jonathan are back at it after a murder happens at their summer fair in honor of Author Thomas Green's last novel. This book is the second in the series, and just like the first, it was such a fun read! What I enjoyed most is that now you're familiar with the characters, you're not only rooting for them to solve this, but it's like being with friends. I love how they're written and the mystery of who did it in this book was fun to guess at. Now Will and Richard are back, I look forward to seeing what mess this brings! I'll be waiting anxiously for the next novel!

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received a free ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review*

I love a good cozy mystery and this one was everything I could want it to be. It's got a strong mystery, great characters, and some pretty interesting twists and turns. I did figure out the one big mystery pretty early on, but that didn't interfere with my ability to enjoy the entire book. And there was one little twist at the end that I didn't really see coming. The villagers are so amusing, I loved how they were all itching for another mystery to solve. I had not read book 1 in the series before reading this and there was just enough to give me the background I needed without ruining the ending of book 1 if I wanted to go back and read it. DCI Brown is a great foil for Nancy and there is a nice little moment between them at the end. The secondary storyline with Will and Richard doesn't do much for this story but I'm sure will be included more in the next book (which I will definitely be keeping an eye out for). The villain turns out to be much more vile than you initially think he will be which was another nice little twist. Two big thumbs for this book!

[Sarahlovesbooks76 · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great lighthearted (sounds strange when speaking about a book containing murder!) read. The second in the series, I hadn't read the first but it didn't really affect the reading of this one - the author provides just enough information about it to help set the scene here but not give much away.

Nancy runs a crime bookshop, and she has arranged for a locally born crime fiction author to attend the village fete. However a murder takes place at the start of the fete - can Nancy, her grandmother Jane and journalist friend Jonathan solve the murder and help the police?

It did feel a little repetitive at times, but I really loved the characterisation - Nancy, Jane and Jonathan work well together, and I loved their relationship. I have the first book in paperback and am now going back to discover their first case!

[Jenn Webley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Murder at the House on the Hill, so I’ve been excitedly awaiting this next instalment and it has not disappointed at all. Victoria Walters has created the perfect cosy murder mystery series here, I hope we have many more mysteries to solve (via Nancy and co!)
Bookshop owner, and amateur sleuth, is hosting her first author event during the annual village fete. She’s excited as the author is a famous best seller and former local, although this excitement dims slightly when she starts receiving threats against him. When a body is discovered during the fete in the very same circumstances described in the authors latest book, all eyes look to those close to him to discover who did it and why.
After their previous success in murder mystery solving and feeling responsible for the death taking place at their event, our favourite trio – Nancy, Jane and Jonathan leap into action once again, despite several warnings from the local police officials. Nancy is keen to figure out who had it in for popular writer and knows that time is of the essence.
Not everyone is happy that the sleuths are getting involved, making it clear they should keep their noses out. This time a lot more is at stake, lives are on the line.

I love trying to figure it all out along with Nancy and her Gran, this time did seem to have less suspects than the first book although I did have an inkling who might be the culprit, I was unsure as to why. It kept me entertained throughout, mystery, drama and a lot of fun.
It well written, good plot and interesting characters. Love this series and I cannot wait for the next book for more detective work!

[Ppcfransen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not my cup of tea, as they say.

A lot of tea was drank in this story. Pretty much every time two (or more) people sat down to talk there was tea. Though on a few occassions there were G&Ts.

The choice of drinks or their quantity of intake wasn't my issue. The way all the information in this book was repeated over and over again, was. There are whole conversations that are a repeat of a previous conversation. Just because there's a new person in the conversation doesn't mean everything that was said needs to be in the scene. At these times tell, don't show is a much better rule of writing. It would have made this book about 40% short, I am sure.

Bookshop owner Nancy has invited a famous author to do a talk at the Summer Fete in her village. And he's agreed to come! Someone's not happy about that Nancy realizes as she finds a defaced poster announcing the event. She manages the track down the person and warns the author. The author isn't worried. He's coming anyway and he's bringing a bodyguard.

Alas, the threats were not empty. There is a murder at the Summer Fete. The scene looks exactly like the murder scene in the author's latest book. It even seems the murderer has made the exact same mistake as the murderer in the book.

This leads to a quick case closed by the police. But something is bugging Nancy. No surprise, she was named after a famous fictional detective (this is mentioned twice). At this point something else was bugging me: what car was Thomas driving after Nathan took off with his car? Does Dedley End have a rental service? A used car lot? Did he buy it on eBay?

I admit, I read on to find out out about the car. And to find out if I had picked the motive of the murderer correctly. At this point in the story I was no longer all that interested in it. This became worse when Nancy and her friends make an important discovery through a clue left to them by the victim. That's not sleuthing! I read cozy mysteries for the sleuthing, and this story hardly had any sleuthing in it. Nancy tracked down the man who defaced her poster and later gains illegal access to his house, but that was it. That was all the sleuthing there was in this story.

For that reason (and because most people in this story get way to hung up about the value of a story idea) this was not my cup of tea.

Also, the car is not mentioned again.

I read an ARC through NetGalley.

[Keith Chen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was hot on the heels of this 2nd installment after having read and enjoyed the first book. In this cozy mystery, Victoria Walters raised the stakes even higher : an author and a complex murder.

It was very engrossing and I read it within 1 day. By no means it was a simple mystery. The plot is more complex than the first book. I love this book and I think now every new mystery by Victoria Walters is an auto-read for me.

One of the reasons why I like the 1st book was also because it was my 1st cozy mystery and what was even better was the fact that the book was easy to get through because it was so simply written. The 2nd book is the same. However, there are several portions of the book that was quite confusing and I have to go back to read it several times. I guess it's because of the British style of writing and the placement of punctuation marks etc in the sentence. It just makes me feel that those portions were a bit unpolished. and can be further simplified. I also wish that there are more murder suspects in this story because it was pretty easy to guess who the murderer is. Once that was determined, I was just waiting for the story to unfold on why and how the murder was committed. Having said that there are also several surprises that I didn't see them coming. .

Overall, I like this 2nd book better because it was so gripping, more complex and I hope the third installment will be released this year and would even be better because I can't wait for it. I will give this book 4 to 4.5 stars

[LittleRead · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nancy is finally hosting her first author event at the village’s annual fete and she’s excited. A famous author with a very popular series is holding his first event for the 10th book in teh series with Nancy and Deadly End. When a body is discovered at the fete, it turns out that someone has staged the murder to mimic that in the author’s newest release.

Feeling responsible for the fiasco to some extent, Nancy, Jane and Jonathan find themselves sleuthing once again…hoping to figure out why anyone would threaten the beloved author, or kill another person at the fete. Can they solve another murder in Deadly End? They sure hope so, though the killer may have an alternate ending for them, a Deadly Ending.

The second entry in this cozy series is even better than the first…and the first was great! British cozies always have special place in my reading list and heart and this one is right up there at the top. Can’t wait for the next saga with Nancy and the gang.

[Chrissy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Murder at the House on the Hill so I was excited to read the sequel on Netgalley! It's so much fun with lots of twists and turns. I love Dedley End and all the characters there. This one is all about an author visiting the village so book lovers will really enjoy it. I wish I could visit the bookshop in this book! It's brilliant cosy mystery, I didn't guess how it would all turn out at all. If you like Richard Osman's books or Agatha Raisin then make sure you read this series, I love it and I really hope there will be a third one to come soon...

[Eszter Szika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Murder at the Summer Fete was a nicely done, twisting mystery. I was always interested in the entertaining type of murder mysteries like Agatha Raisin, and this book was just as fun to read as it’s plot and cover made me think that.

At first sight I fell in love with the colorful cover and the promising plot of Nancy Hunter’s story. I didn’t read the first part of the series but it wasn’t a problem for me to enjoy this one, and finish in a day.

I recommend this book for everyone who wants to read some cozy mystery.

Thank you for NetGalley for the advance copy.

[Trinity Clarke · Rating 1 out of 5]

The writing was almost childish and unrevised. No flow to the words or sentences, and punctuation was no where to be seen which made it all really hard to read. The characters weren’t really interesting, either. The pace of the book & the plot was good but I couldn’t get into it because of the writing and characters.