Best Murder in Show

Sophie Sayers #1

by Debbie Young

When Sophie Sayers inherits a cottage in a sleepy English Cotswold village, she’s hoping for a quieter life than the one she's running away from. What she gets instead is a dead body on a carnival float, and an extraordinary assortment of suspects.

Is the enigmatic bookseller Hector Munro all he seems? And what about the over-friendly neighbour who brings her jars of honey? Not to mention the eccentric village shopkeeper, show committee, writers' group and drama club, all suspiciously keen to welcome her to their midst.

For fans of cosy (cozy) mysteries everywhere, Best Murder in Show will make you laugh out loud at the idiosyncrasies of English country life, and rack your brains to discover the murderer before Sophie can.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Cozy, Ebooks, Romance, Crime

218 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 1, 2017

About the author

Hello dear readers!

I hope you will enjoy my warm, witty, feel-good contemporary fiction, full of English humour and heart, inspired by life in the Cotswold village which has been my home for over 30 years. I have three series of cozy mystery novels plus various short fiction, and I've written a couple of non-fiction books too.

NOVELS

My latest book is "Death at the Village Christmas Fair", the third in my Cotswold Curiosity Shop Mystery series. The series begins with "Death at the Old Curiosity Shop", followed by "Death at the Village Chess Club". In this series, moving from the city to the lively Cotswold village of Little Pride, Alice Carroll (50) discovers that nothing is quite what it seems in her new business enterprise. Each novel in this series has at its heart an intriguing item to be found in her bric-a-brac shop, and features eccentric characters, plenty of red herrings and lots of English humour.

My Sophie Sayers Village Mystery series begins with "Best Murder in Show". Originally envisaged as a seven-book series to run the course of a calendar year in the life of the idyllic English Cotswold village of Wendlebury Barrow, it continues to grow, with the most recent addition being Sophie Sayers' ninth outing, "Driven to Murder",

My Gemma Lamb Cozy Mystery series is a mashup of romantic comedy, gentle mystery and nostalgia for classic children's school stories but aimed at adults. It focuses on the intrigues among the teachers and visitors to the school, rather than the children. "Dastardly Deeds at St Bride's" (previously published as "Secrets at St Bride's"), and is followed by "Sinister Secrets at St Bride's" (formerly "Secrets at St Bride's"), Wicked Whispers at St Bride's", and "Artful Antics at St Bride's". Two further books will follow to complete the series of six, running the course of the academic year at St Bride's Boarding School for Girls.

All of my novels are now available in ebook, paperback, hardback, and audio in English. There are also German language editions of Sophie Sayers' adventures and Italian translations of Gemma Lamb's.

SHORT FICTION

My series of comedy mystery novelettes, Tales from Wendlebury Barrow, is set in the same world as the Sophie Sayers Cozy Mysteries. The first, "The Pride of Peacocks", is available exclusively to members of my Readers' Club (visit my author website to claim your copy). "The Natter of Knitters" and "The Clutch of Eggs" are available in ebook and paperback. A Christmas special, "Christmas with Sophie Sayers", featuring festive short stories set in the same world, was published for Christmas 2023. Three more Sophie Sayers short stories appear in the charity anthologies, "Fate", "Everyday Kindness" and "The Little Shop of Murders". Look out for another one in the "Courage" anthology, coming in 2026!

My standalone novella, "Mrs Morris Changes Lanes", is a second-chance mid-life romantic comedy with a touch of magical realism, set in the Cotswolds in spring,

Earlier in my career, I published three themed collections of short stories, "Stocking Fillers", "Marry in Haste", and "Quick Change".

PLAYS

I've also now started writing scripts for murder mystery events, My debut play, "The Importance of Being Murdered", was premiered by Hawkesbury Drama Group in April 2025. The original playscript will be published later this year for use by amateur drama groups all over the world, and I'm also working on a novelisation.

AWARDS

The first St Bride's novel was shortlisted for the 2020 Selfies Award given for the best independently-published fiction in the UK. The sixth Sophie Sayers novel was shortlisted for the same award in 2021. My short story "The Alchemy of Chocolate", from "Quick Change", was a winning entrant to the April 2015 Stroud Short Stories competition, and as a result I was later invited to read it at the Cheltenham Literature Festival.

FREE EBOOK

Rec

Reviews

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was okay... the pacing was good and the story flowed but I couldn't connect with any of the characters including Sophie (main character) who is extremely naive despite her age and experience.
The setting hooked me much more than the story...I love the idea of a small English village murder mystery but sadly this wasn't enough to keep me interested.
Sorry - a lot of the elements for a cosy mystery were there but just not quite enough to make this work for me.

[Nikki the Sapphired Book Dragon AKA NixieNut · Rating 3 out of 5]

I quite enjoyed this first book in a new cozy series. I i liked the flow of the story and the main character was likeable if a bit silly sometimes. The story itself seemed a little lopsided though. We are shown the murder in the prologue and then the net 60 % of the book is the events leading up to the murder with only about 15-20% of the book revolving the solving of the murder for which we then moved to the aftermath. Whilst this was essentially a set up book , while i did actually enjoy the set up, it kind of felt like the the author had perhaps been setting up for a longer book but then changed her mid and rushed the ending and the mystery was kind of an accidental byproduct.

As far as cozys go, this seems like it could be a fun series with interesting quirky colourful village and characters and a fun, likeable main character and a little bit of romance. I think i will quite like reading more about the village and what goes on there but I am hoping the mystery will a little bit more prevalent in the next one.

Actual rating 3 1/2 stars

[Ted Tayler · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Definitely cozy"

This has all the elements needed to satisfy those cozy murder mystery fans out there. An English countryside that doesn't exist any more, a colourful mix of nondescript characters, plus food and animals. Oh, and a basic, unexciting plot. Somehow, these series attract legions of fans. It beats me.

[Kristi Duarte · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm reading a lot of cozy mysteries as research for my own series (in progress), and that's why picked up this one . It checks all the boxes for what a cozy mystery should include: amateur sleuth in a small village, colorful characters, a bloodless corpse, a bit of romance. I enjoyed the read (and am currently reading the second book), but there were a few things that kept me from giving it five stars: 1) Sophie, the sleuth, comes into the story expecting someone to be a murderer, and even disqualifies some of them before a murder takes place, 2) In what century does this courtship take place? No sexual tension, no desire, nothing. It's like reading about pre-teen love. I get that cozies don't include sex, but can they at least kiss on the mouth and THINK about bringing their new crush to bed? I'm curious to see how many years this young couple go out with each other before they want to do the dirty deed.

[Emmalynn · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a debut book it wasn’t bad, it’s the typical breakup, move, starting I’ve, new live interest etc etc. there’s a murder but it’s not really a murder because that’s not discovered until the end of the book so there’s not really any investigating. The book, while well paced is more character driven so you learn a lot about the people in the little village Sophie moved to. I do wish there was more about the actual murder so we could have seen more investigating. The reveal came out of nowhere and was disjointed to the events occurring. Having said that if you want an easy read this might be more up your alley.

[Astrid Naylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story …. Missed the why on The Who done it reveal …. Or is that in the next book in the series

[Helena Halme · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you like cozy mysteries set in the English countryside, this is the perfect book for you. Lovers of Agatha Christie will rejoice with the murder that occurs at a village fete, and the burgeoning romance included in the plot. The pace is nice and slow, yet you find yourself returning to the pages of this competently written novel any free moment you have!

[Carol Helverson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really good read; well written, humorous, with endearing characters and intriguing plot. It entices me to look forward to reading more by Debbie Young and encountering Sophie Sayers and friends in their ongoing adventures.

[Candy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Didn't finish. Read three chapters and I didn't find it interesting.

[T.E. Shepherd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Debbie Young's debut novel (she is the author already of various anthologies of short stories and non-fiction) is billed as a cosy-mystery - I would suggest the term comic-mystery - there are so many slight, humerous moments to this story that get you smiling.

Perhaps unsurprising for a novel that comes from the pen of an author who is also active in the Alliance of Independent Authors (I half-expected there to be a direct mention at one of the many village meetings!) and who is the founding director of the Hawkesbury Upton Literary Festival, this is a murder mystery that exudes literary and other bookish references. Take the Sophie Sayer's name for instance. I'm really hoping that Hector Munro might become her Lord Peter Whimsy.

The story begins at the village show, a highpoint in any yearly calendar, and in the shocking discovery of murder in a manner reminiscent of those pre-opening titles moments that anyone who has watched Death in Paridise will be be familiar with. The story winds back two months to Sophie's arrival in the village to live in the house she has inherited from her aunt (has another murder taken place here too?). If I can leverage any criticism of this mystery is that much as I love reading the excentricities of the Cotswold village life I did at times want to move on to the murder and solving thereof the mystery a little bit quicker.

Sophie though, is a character with her own backstory that is not as simple as you might think (don't all detectives have a troubled backstory?) and she must grapple with her own insecurities and life as she she stumbles through her own over-active imagination about what the villagers might be like and be capable of before she can solve the mystery at hand. Surely Carol, the gossiping proprieter of the village shop who is every bit a Susan Carter out The Archers, is capable of killing people, or if not has the motivations to do so.

I shall look forward to seeing where Sophie's next adventure takes us.

[Mawson Bear · Rating 4 out of 5]

When the least-liked woman in Wendlebury Barrow collapses inside a headless Anne Boleyn costume while tied to the rail of a float in the village show, newcomer Sophie Sayers, like all the other villagers, accepts the verdict of death by natural causes.

She’s more consumed by doubts about how her great aunt May died: was she murdered by ancient neighbour Joshua who keeps popping up without warning in the garden? And what exactly are Hector the bookshop owner’s mysterious other business activities?

“What had begun as a simple proposition - to live in a rent-free cottage, in a pleasant stable community while pursuing the writing ambitions that I’d held since childhood - now seemed fraught with traps, difficulties and dangers”.

By Chapter Four, “The Alphabetical Shop”, I was so intrigued by a heroine who shops for “just the essentials” - shortbread, cake, chocolate, wine - at Carols’ shop where you find the postcards by the plums and The Times by the turnips, that I had accidentally spoiled several pages with, umm, coffee stains.

But I had to read on, regardless of meal times. Who wouldn’t want to jump into the next chapters when they're titled  “Reader, I Left Him”, “The Cream of the Bookshop”, “Writers Afloat”, or “Beware of the Wardrobe”.

By gifting us with Sophie Sayers and Wendlebury Barrow, Debbie Young entertains with barmy characters, blooming gardens, cliques within community groups, and dreams of romance in an apparently bachelor-free village .

Along the way readers are also treated with the perils of writer’s block (falling asleep in the garden, in Sophie’s case), fun with cliches, and joyous little book references such as when Hector gives Greene’s “Travels with my Aunt” to Sophie. 

Here on Good reads you can see where to get your hands on Debbie Young’s "Best Murder in Show", “Trick or Murder” and “Murder in a Manger”. But asking for them at your friendly local (or village) book shop would also be appropriate for a novel in which a very entrepreneurial book shop features prominently.

[Tess Ailshire · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you want a cozy mystery with stereotypical plotlines and a wimpy heroine with no mind of her own, this is your novel.

Sophie is constantly worried from the statement of an old freeloading boyfriend whose attention she craves and who treats her as an afterthought. When she relocates to the village, she immediately begins thinking in terms of another boyfriend, as if her life isn't complete without some - any - man.

Sophie is more than willing to believe the worst of everyone in the village. Before a murder is committed, she is concerned about Carol, Joshua, Rex, and others. She is quite willing to accept Carol's characterization of Hector above all others, and before she meets Hector. She allows others to determine what groups she will join and what roles she will fill.

Hermione Minty's secret identity, hinted in the early chapters, is no secret to any reader. The money is in the books is no secret. Joshua's friendship is no secret. The method of murder is no secret, nor is the perpetrator after the introductory paragraphs.

May's estate is being executed by Sophie's father, but she doesn't speak to her parents at all in the story. She is a "writer" who doesn't write a word during the story, and whose old pieces win accolades from a best-selling author, with no effort on her part.

In short, if you want a cliched cozy mystery though which you don't have to expend any brain cells, this is the story for you. The allure of a cozy mystery set in a British village is nowhere near enough to compensate for the flaws.

[Monica Mac · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a light and fun read, the first book by this author I have read.

Sophie Sayers finds herself permanently living in a village, after inheriting a cottage from her great-aunt May who was a famous travel writer. Hard shoes to fill and the fact that she looks like her aunt doesn't help. It's fun reading about how Sophie tries to settle into making things work in a different setting to what she is accustomed to. Sophie is kind of "finding herself" and she tries hard to figure out what she wants to do and how best to achieve it. She is also getting to know the villagers, with all their little quirks. Oh yes, there is a dead body involved along the way as well, just to add to the excitement of life in the village.

Other than the obvious drawback of everyone knowing your business, it sounds like it would be a lot of fun living Sophie's life.

This was a recommended read from me.

[Leslie aka StoreyBook Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a decent book for the first in a series.

The book starts off and we know that there is a murder, but then we learn more about Sophie and how she came to this small town. The murder doesn't happen until 2/3 of the way through the story. And then they aren't sure if it is a murder or not.

I thought it was odd that Sophie suspected the neighbor Joshua of killing her aunt near the beginning. I'm not sure why she thought anyone killed her aunt. She does learn later their true relationship.

I thought Carol was quite hilarious that she couldn't get any words right such as hippopotamus instead of Hippocratic. Or prophylactic instead of anaphylactic. You had to read between the lines to understand what she was really trying to say.

I liked Homer's character and turns out there is more to him than meets the eye.

[Nicola Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great cosy Murder mystery. Well, as cosy as a book with murder in could be! I loved the slow and steady start of this book which really allowed you to slip in and get to know your surroundings and the characters. It was a great little community with a wonderful main character. I liked Sophie and she was very easy to get behind!

Moving after her great aunt May passed, leaving her her homely little cottage, she inserts herself into village life. A writer by trade, she begins to work in the local bookshop. With a float to prepare for for the village show, it turns out to be more of a fatal event than planned…

I’ll definitely go straight on into the next book in the series I think. It was super easy to read (listen in my case, the audiobook was narrated by the author which was great. Narrated brilliantly!) and I’m excited to start the next.

[Clare Flynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not a cosy mystery reader but having really enjoyed two of Debbie Young's short story collections I decided to give it a go and was not disappointed. Confined to the sofa with a broken ankle Best Murder in Show was the perfect antidote - lighthearted, witty, full of wordplay and a great cast of characters. Sophie Sayers is a charming, naive and slightly ditsy heroine, suspecting everyone of murder and then unmasking the real culprit more by accident and design. Young writes with a light touch and a sharp wit that had me chuckling out loud and turning the pages. I was particularly taken with the Writers' Group making bunting for their float at the village show out of pages from Fifty Shades of Grey.

[Elaine Bidstrup · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sophie Sayers leaves her verbally abusive boyfriend when she inherits her Aunt May's cottage in an English Cotswolds village. She can live free, but needs a job and becomes Hector's assistant at Hector's House bookstore. She leaps into village life by joining the literary club and becoming part of the annual Village Show Committee, then convinces the members of the literary club to be on a float featuring their favorite authors. As the parade ends the body of one of the women on another float is found sewn into her costume. Sophie feels responsible and vows to find the murderer.
As an English major who secretly wants to be an author I thoroughly enjoyed this cozy mystery!

[Joan]

Reads like an American’s idea of an English village. Too many tropes, too many cliches, too many implausibilities. Village bookshop? Huge village fair with floats? A writers group with god knows how many serious writers? And worst of all someone who has never written anything thinking she can whip up a novel without even trying and make a fortune! Meh.

[Dawn Brookes · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first reading of a cosy mystery. Enjoyable, light read with absorbing characters and plot. Looking forward to the next one.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pleasant surprise starting a new series. Well written easy read with great characters and a good, if rather cliched, setting in the Cotswolds.

[Les Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book! There as only been one book by this author that I didn’t like and that was “ dastardly deeds at Saint brides.” Which I stopped reading About 2/3 thirds through.

[Fanny · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️

[Chantel · Rating 3 out of 5]

A wee bit cringe-worthy

First of all, the story begins in the middle - with the murder. Then it goes back in time, lolls about for ages, then poof! back to right after the murder. Annoying? Yes. I'd also forgotten some about the murder. Then the climax/resolution was anticlimactic and didn't fill a whole page. Yawn. The main character touts herself as a writer but has nothing to show for it - like, nothing. No short stories she's kept, essays, notes, diddly. You've got to write to be a writer! She has no trust in anyone in town. She thinks everyone is going to poison her. How did she live on her own for so long thinking this way?! Sorry for another gripe, but I've got to. The attractive -single -shopowner -posing-as-gay as been done and overdone. If this is a first try for the author, it's not horrible, but ...

[Sandra Knapp · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice gentle "cozy" mystery, but I have to admit. It had me going. The reason? Well, I was maybe 3/4 of the way through the story before the murder occurred. That was rather unusual.

Supposedly these stories are considered not only lite mysteries but also rather amusing. OK, in one scene a comment was made that actually did cause me to laugh out loud. But it was the highlight comedic moment of the entire story. I didn't actually see very much amusement at all. On the other hand, I'm very hard to please in that category too.

All in all, it was a "nice" little story. And more of a story, IMHO, than a mystery. But I will leave that to the rest of you readers to decide. I enjoyed it, and that is all that matters to me.

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

The 1st book in a new Cozy Mystery series set in a very English village, if the rest of the series is as good as this book then I'll not be disappointed.

Sophie has moved into her Great Aunts Cottage, left to her when she passed away. Village life is very different to that in Germany where she's been living for a few years.

She gets a job in the village and all is going smoothly until the annual village fair and parade. A murder occurs and Sophie is on hand to help solve it.

Laughs and romance together with a mystery to solve, some interesting characters help make the book a good read.

I'm looking forward to the rest of the series.

[Julie Cordiner · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first Debbie Young Book, but it certainly won’t be the last. I really enjoyed following Sophie’s experiences as she arrives to take over her Auntie May’s cottage and lands a job in the local book shop. The puzzle of an untimely death in the village sets her up nicely as an amateur sleuth for this series and Debbie has drawn all the characters so skilfully to make this an entertaining and endearing read.

[Anne/ Roebbes_reads_and_treats · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ich habe das Hörbuch gehört und die Sprecherin war prima, sie passt gut zum Genre, das ich generell sehr gerne mag.
Das Buch war leider nichts für mich. Die Geschichte war vorhersehbar und eher langweilig. Mit der Protagonistin konnte ich auch nicht viel anfangen. Ihr ständiges Misstrauen war weder nachzuvollziehen, noch unterhaltsam. Insgesamt gab es eher wenig Ermittlung, dafür viele glückliche Zufälle.

[Gena · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very enjoyable read and a fantastic first novel! The style was warm and engaging, the characters lovingly developed. The book reminded me of the Agatha Raisin series, which I enjoyed a while back.

I look forward to delving back into cosy village life and giggling at Billy's eccentric quips in the sequel!

[Brad Borkan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished Best Murder in Show. It an absolutely wonderful, and entertaining book. Lots of compelling characters and real insights into life in a small English village.

Definitely worth reading and have already been recommending it to my friends. Looking forward to reading more books by the author, Debbie Young.

[J · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a really great short read! I absolutely loved the characters, the setting and the plot line! The fact that the protagonist is a struggling writer makes the story more interesting!