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Berit Gardner #1
The Murders in Great Diddling
The best stories are the ones we didn't know needed to be told
The small, rundown village of Great Diddling is full of stories—author Berit Gardner can feel it. The way the villagers avoid outsiders, the furtive stares and whispers in the presence of newcomers… Berit can sense the edge of a story waiting to be unraveled, and she's just the person to do it. In fact, with a book deadline looming over her and no manuscript (not even the idea for a manuscript, truth be told), Berit doesn't just want this story. She needs it.
Then, while attending a village tea party, Berit becomes part of the action herself. An explosion in the library of the village's grand manor kills a local man, and the resulting investigation and influx of outsiders sends the quiet, rundown community into chaos. The residents of Great Diddling, each one more eccentric and interesting than any character Berit could have invented, rewrite their own narrative and transform the death of one of their own from a tragedy into a new beginning. Taking advantage of Great Diddling's new notoriety, the villagers band together to start a book and murder festival designed to bring desperately-needed tourists to their town. What they couldn't have predicted is how the new story they've begun to tell will change all their lives forever.
The small, rundown village of Great Diddling is full of stories—author Berit Gardner can feel it. The way the villagers avoid outsiders, the furtive stares and whispers in the presence of newcomers… Berit can sense the edge of a story waiting to be unraveled, and she's just the person to do it. In fact, with a book deadline looming over her and no manuscript (not even the idea for a manuscript, truth be told), Berit doesn't just want this story. She needs it.
Then, while attending a village tea party, Berit becomes part of the action herself. An explosion in the library of the village's grand manor kills a local man, and the resulting investigation and influx of outsiders sends the quiet, rundown community into chaos. The residents of Great Diddling, each one more eccentric and interesting than any character Berit could have invented, rewrite their own narrative and transform the death of one of their own from a tragedy into a new beginning. Taking advantage of Great Diddling's new notoriety, the villagers band together to start a book and murder festival designed to bring desperately-needed tourists to their town. What they couldn't have predicted is how the new story they've begun to tell will change all their lives forever.
392 pages, Paperback
First published August 13, 2024
467 people are currently reading
20491 people want to read
About the author
Katarina Bivald
12 books873 followersKatarina Bivald is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author of The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend and The Murders in Great Diddling.
She grew up working part-time in a bookshop and lives in Sweden outside Stockholm with her books and her dog.
She grew up working part-time in a bookshop and lives in Sweden outside Stockholm with her books and her dog.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 576 reviews
June 7, 2024
At its heart, The Murders in Great Diddling is really a homage to books and the people who love them – the murder mystery is just a bonus. There's an author and a book collector and an aspiring literary agent and a book festival, and it's really quite a fun and bookish read.
Be forewarned, however, that this is a meandering slow burn of a novel. There are a million tangents and pieces to the story, and if you're just looking for a quick and cozy murder mystery that gets straight to the point, well … this isn't that kind of book. There's a lot about the characters' backstories and the relationships between the villagers, and you'll learn all about how to hack together a book festival in two weeks' time. The murder mystery kind of fits in between all of these other pieces of the story. I mostly enjoyed it, but I did find myself wishing that the novel were little more concise and perhaps a hundred pages shorter.
If you're a fan of literature, however, this novel is really quite the treat. Books from various genres and eras make an appearance in the story, from a Neil Gaiman first edition to a signed copy of Oscar Wilde's works. There are literary easter eggs sprinkled throughout the text – there's a reference to Helene Hanff and her memoir The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street that's quite amusing. And, I mean, who doesn't aspire to be a Daphne? If I had a huge manor house at my disposal, I would almost certainly fill it to the brim with books too.
The mystery itself is decent but not anything particularly novel. (Ha! See what I did there?) There are multiple individuals in Great Diddling who had a reason to want Reginald Trent dead, but who actually did the deed? Berit Gardner is determined to solve the case … even if her literary agent prefers that she were focusing on writing her next novel instead. I can't say that I was particularly surprised by the big reveal, but I also didn't manage to solve it before Berit did.
If you enjoy novels filled with books and humor and heart, The Murders in Great Diddling just might be the read for you. It's not exactly a fast-paced thriller, but it is definitely entertaining.
My overall rating: 3.75 stars, rounded up.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review. Its expected publication date is August 13, 2024.
Be forewarned, however, that this is a meandering slow burn of a novel. There are a million tangents and pieces to the story, and if you're just looking for a quick and cozy murder mystery that gets straight to the point, well … this isn't that kind of book. There's a lot about the characters' backstories and the relationships between the villagers, and you'll learn all about how to hack together a book festival in two weeks' time. The murder mystery kind of fits in between all of these other pieces of the story. I mostly enjoyed it, but I did find myself wishing that the novel were little more concise and perhaps a hundred pages shorter.
If you're a fan of literature, however, this novel is really quite the treat. Books from various genres and eras make an appearance in the story, from a Neil Gaiman first edition to a signed copy of Oscar Wilde's works. There are literary easter eggs sprinkled throughout the text – there's a reference to Helene Hanff and her memoir The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street that's quite amusing. And, I mean, who doesn't aspire to be a Daphne? If I had a huge manor house at my disposal, I would almost certainly fill it to the brim with books too.
The mystery itself is decent but not anything particularly novel. (Ha! See what I did there?) There are multiple individuals in Great Diddling who had a reason to want Reginald Trent dead, but who actually did the deed? Berit Gardner is determined to solve the case … even if her literary agent prefers that she were focusing on writing her next novel instead. I can't say that I was particularly surprised by the big reveal, but I also didn't manage to solve it before Berit did.
If you enjoy novels filled with books and humor and heart, The Murders in Great Diddling just might be the read for you. It's not exactly a fast-paced thriller, but it is definitely entertaining.
My overall rating: 3.75 stars, rounded up.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review. Its expected publication date is August 13, 2024.
August 12, 2024
I enjoyed this murder mystery with a great love of books at its heart. The main character is an author, the mystery revolves around a book collection, and there is even a literary festival which involves the whole town of Great Diddling.
Berit Gardner has recently moved to the town and is hoping to rediscover her muse in the ambience of the quiet countryside. Things do not work out quite how she has planned and she ends up fully occupied by investigating a very unpleasant murder. I enjoyed her relationship with the detective on the case and hope that he pops up again in future books.
I thought this was a good mystery, nicely written and with many engaging characters. I will certainly follow this up if the series continues. My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Berit Gardner has recently moved to the town and is hoping to rediscover her muse in the ambience of the quiet countryside. Things do not work out quite how she has planned and she ends up fully occupied by investigating a very unpleasant murder. I enjoyed her relationship with the detective on the case and hope that he pops up again in future books.
I thought this was a good mystery, nicely written and with many engaging characters. I will certainly follow this up if the series continues. My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
August 6, 2025
**3.5-stars**
The Murders in Great Diddling is an Adult Mystery that follows the events in a small British village after a tragic explosion kills a unpopular local citizen.
Berit Gardner, an author, moves to town searching for inspiration. There's got to be stories just waiting to be told amongst the rag-tag group of locals. With a book deadline looming, she needs a story to pop up soon.
Berit never could've predicted she'd become a part of the story herself though, which is exactly what happens after an explosion in the village's grand manor library, where Berit, amongst others, are attending a tea party.
A man is killed and the town descends into chaos.
The citizens of Great Diddling, each more eccentric than the last, band together and come up with a plan to turn the town's new found notoriety into a windfall.
Thus, the Book & Murder Festival is created hoping to bring some needed tourists to town. Little did they know how much this would end up changing all of their lives.
I enjoyed this story quite a bit. While it wasn't exactly what I was expecting, I still found it to be entertaining and humorous. I love a bit a chaos.
I listened to the audiobook and highly recommend that format. The narration by Helen Lloyd was beautifully done and I swear, I could listen to her voice all day. It was perfectly matched to this story.
I was expecting a more Cozy feel. It def did contain some Cozy elements, but to me the tone, overall, felt more along the lines of The Thursday Murder Club as opposed to say the Nosey Parker Mystery series, in that it has some more serious issues explored alongside the actual mystery.
I feel like this was a good start to a series, although it will take me some more time to get attached to these characters.
I did love the setting. I thought Great Diddling was a lot of fun, the town struggling and then coming up with a plan to sort of reboost their economy, even if it was on the heels of a tragedy, was clever and I was rooting for them.
Overall, I found this to be engaging and amusing, even if slightly confusing at times due to the vast cast of characters.
Thank you to the publisher, Dreamscape Media, for providing me with a copy to read and review. If this series continues, I will absolutely pick up the next book!
The Murders in Great Diddling is an Adult Mystery that follows the events in a small British village after a tragic explosion kills a unpopular local citizen.
Berit Gardner, an author, moves to town searching for inspiration. There's got to be stories just waiting to be told amongst the rag-tag group of locals. With a book deadline looming, she needs a story to pop up soon.
Berit never could've predicted she'd become a part of the story herself though, which is exactly what happens after an explosion in the village's grand manor library, where Berit, amongst others, are attending a tea party.
A man is killed and the town descends into chaos.
The citizens of Great Diddling, each more eccentric than the last, band together and come up with a plan to turn the town's new found notoriety into a windfall.
Thus, the Book & Murder Festival is created hoping to bring some needed tourists to town. Little did they know how much this would end up changing all of their lives.
I enjoyed this story quite a bit. While it wasn't exactly what I was expecting, I still found it to be entertaining and humorous. I love a bit a chaos.
I listened to the audiobook and highly recommend that format. The narration by Helen Lloyd was beautifully done and I swear, I could listen to her voice all day. It was perfectly matched to this story.
I was expecting a more Cozy feel. It def did contain some Cozy elements, but to me the tone, overall, felt more along the lines of The Thursday Murder Club as opposed to say the Nosey Parker Mystery series, in that it has some more serious issues explored alongside the actual mystery.
I feel like this was a good start to a series, although it will take me some more time to get attached to these characters.
I did love the setting. I thought Great Diddling was a lot of fun, the town struggling and then coming up with a plan to sort of reboost their economy, even if it was on the heels of a tragedy, was clever and I was rooting for them.
Overall, I found this to be engaging and amusing, even if slightly confusing at times due to the vast cast of characters.
Thank you to the publisher, Dreamscape Media, for providing me with a copy to read and review. If this series continues, I will absolutely pick up the next book!
October 3, 2024
A fantastic, fun read with lots of great characters and a smashing story set in a small town in Great Britain. The murder victim is someone everyone in the town hates--an elite, selfish twit who is up to no good. There are quite a few suspects and a lot of people aren't who they seem. An author who is suffering from writer's block and a no nonsense detective from London are on the case and they soon have it all sorted out.
August 14, 2024
Book Published: 13th August 2024
What a lovely cosy mystery this one is I would rate 3.75 out of 5 Stars
Set in the small, rundown village of Great Diddling in which the villagers are suspicious of outsiders, an author Berit Gardner moves there to write her manuscript, but as the deadline draws closer and still no ideas are coming to Berit, until there's a murder. Of course Berit then throws herself into the investigation as she can feel there is a story that needs to be told, she just need to figure out what that story is and of course who the murderer is.
This is a book full of heart and grit with loveable characters, with great personalities and overly ambitious ideas.
I listened to the audio book version of this and the narrator Helen Lloyd did a wonderful job of bringing the characters to life and conveying their personalities through her narration.
If you want to curl up and listen or read a good cosy mystery, with great wit and wonderful characters this is the book for you.
Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC.
Reviews also published on:
Instagram || Threads || Coffee and Kindle Blog || The StoryGraph || Amazon
Happy to make friends on all socials
What a lovely cosy mystery this one is I would rate 3.75 out of 5 Stars
Set in the small, rundown village of Great Diddling in which the villagers are suspicious of outsiders, an author Berit Gardner moves there to write her manuscript, but as the deadline draws closer and still no ideas are coming to Berit, until there's a murder. Of course Berit then throws herself into the investigation as she can feel there is a story that needs to be told, she just need to figure out what that story is and of course who the murderer is.
This is a book full of heart and grit with loveable characters, with great personalities and overly ambitious ideas.
I listened to the audio book version of this and the narrator Helen Lloyd did a wonderful job of bringing the characters to life and conveying their personalities through her narration.
If you want to curl up and listen or read a good cosy mystery, with great wit and wonderful characters this is the book for you.
Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC.
Reviews also published on:
Instagram || Threads || Coffee and Kindle Blog || The StoryGraph || Amazon
Happy to make friends on all socials
August 10, 2024
This is an entertaining mystery set in a small village in the English countryside. Great Diddling doesn't have much going for it, and many of the merchants are barely making a go of it. A Swedish-born novelist moves to town in hopes of finding her lost inspiration. She soon becomes our curmudgeonly amateur sleuth. I really enjoyed the descriptions of the local book collector and the titles she cherished. When the village puts on a book festival, which is an amusing sham, I delight in envisioning books for sale in every shop and hearing familiar titles on everyone's lips. It wasn't hard to guess the killer, but that was okay by me. My biggest quibble was that the victims were very two-dimensional. Everyone has some redeeming qualities, and the idea of murder becomes too cavalier if the victims are presented as people no one would miss.
June 8, 2024
Curmudgeonly author Berit Gardner moved from her longtime home in London to an isolated village in Cornwall to shake things up. Her writer’s block had been going on for months, and Berit — an egalitarian, she insists everyone call her by first name — thought a change of locale would provoke a change in mindset. Well, Berit’s more shaken than she bargained for: On the same day, she gains an unwanted assistant and a front row view to a literally explosive murder.
Now any reader could see the loathed Reginald Trent, a greedy, arrogant financier from London, was the obvious victim. (No spoilers, as he’s blown to bits early in the novel.) But the real treat is to follow Berit and her darling but insecure assistant, Sally Marsch, as they investigate the crime. Funny, clever and with a laser focus on the foibles of villagers high and low, The Murders in Great Diddling filled me with joy to read and even more joy to discover that it’s the first in a new cozy mystery series. Highly, highly recommended.
Katarina Bivald is herself a Swedish author, making this book even more fun. Unlike Berit, Ms. Bivald remains happily at home in Sweden, just outside of Stockholm.
In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press in exchange for an honest review.
Now any reader could see the loathed Reginald Trent, a greedy, arrogant financier from London, was the obvious victim. (No spoilers, as he’s blown to bits early in the novel.) But the real treat is to follow Berit and her darling but insecure assistant, Sally Marsch, as they investigate the crime. Funny, clever and with a laser focus on the foibles of villagers high and low, The Murders in Great Diddling filled me with joy to read and even more joy to discover that it’s the first in a new cozy mystery series. Highly, highly recommended.
Katarina Bivald is herself a Swedish author, making this book even more fun. Unlike Berit, Ms. Bivald remains happily at home in Sweden, just outside of Stockholm.
In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press in exchange for an honest review.
October 18, 2024
This was just a tad over just okay for me. I liked the mystery well enough but this was definitely longer than it needed to be to tell the story it told. The characters were well outlined but there wasn't enough charm for this to be so drawn out. I don't know if I'd read the next should it be translated.
August 26, 2024
4.5 STARS!! Upped it a half star for all the bookish things-a manor house full and then a village full of books! The Great Diddling Book festival turned out so wonderful - what a fun event that would've been in real life! So needless to say, this book hit two of my favorite themes- books and British murders! I was hoping that this would become a series but there is no indication of that happening. The quirky cast of villagers, Berit, the Swedish author with a bit of writers block, and Inspector Ahmed make for a great cozy type mystery.
September 5, 2024
Berit is supposed to be writing her next story, but that hasn’t happened. Yet. She is sure the story is here. She just needs to find it. Her manager is slightly concerned and sends a junior assistant to keep her on task.
While attending a garden tea party at the village’s grand manor, Berit finds herself in the middle of a mystery when a local man is murdered. The tale that unfolds kept me listening into the wee hours as Berit investigates, much to the chagrin of the local constable.
Meanwhile, the local merchants are trying to strum up business and decide to hold a book Murder festival, complete with signing authors… advertising begins, despite no authors’ willingness to attend. Let the games begin.
I adored Berit and the quirky, eccentric townsfolk. The author pulled me in with a delightful murder and soon had me wishing to visit the village of Great Diddling. I laughed and enjoyed trying to solve the murder while tagging along with Berit. Bivald blends the feel of a cozy mystery with that of the Thursday Murder Club, and I cannot wait for the next audiobook.
Helen Llyod’s narration was delightful and enhanced the story by bringing these colorful characters to life. I highly recommend listening. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer
While attending a garden tea party at the village’s grand manor, Berit finds herself in the middle of a mystery when a local man is murdered. The tale that unfolds kept me listening into the wee hours as Berit investigates, much to the chagrin of the local constable.
Meanwhile, the local merchants are trying to strum up business and decide to hold a book Murder festival, complete with signing authors… advertising begins, despite no authors’ willingness to attend. Let the games begin.
I adored Berit and the quirky, eccentric townsfolk. The author pulled me in with a delightful murder and soon had me wishing to visit the village of Great Diddling. I laughed and enjoyed trying to solve the murder while tagging along with Berit. Bivald blends the feel of a cozy mystery with that of the Thursday Murder Club, and I cannot wait for the next audiobook.
Helen Llyod’s narration was delightful and enhanced the story by bringing these colorful characters to life. I highly recommend listening. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer
July 8, 2024
This is a terrific story and a good mystery. The main murder takes place during a tea party; an explosion in a manor house library. It does not get more British than that. Now that the village has been given a bad reputation, the town council decides to throw together a book and murder festival! Our heroine, an author only recently moved to Great Diddling, focuses her attention on solving the crime instead of writing her next book...
August 31, 2024
This was not bad, but it was sloooow moving. I wished it had been shorter and more to the point. I liked the idea of interweaving all the authors and book mentions in the story. It was just so slow! I was glad to finally get through it.
I see there are more books in the series, and I really can’t imagine reading another of these (if they are translated to English).
I see there are more books in the series, and I really can’t imagine reading another of these (if they are translated to English).
September 13, 2022
”Morden i Great Diddling” av Katarina Bivald är första delen i hennes mysdeckarserie med Berit Gardner i huvudrollen. En fantastisk bok med ingredienser som en by på den engelska landsbygden, en samling udda personligheter, byintriger, ett brott i afternoon tea-miljö och så mängder med böcker på det. En alldeles lysande kombination att njuta av.
En charmig mysdeckare där vi får läsa om kreativa lösningar för att locka turister, lära känna färgstarka karaktärer som bär på många hemligheter och där oförrätter puttrar under ytan. Boken är en perfekt blandning av mys och rys. Och böcker om böcker älskar man ju.
Berit Gardner är en härlig karaktär som jag ser fram emot att följa även i nästa bok och jag längtar redan.
En charmig mysdeckare där vi får läsa om kreativa lösningar för att locka turister, lära känna färgstarka karaktärer som bär på många hemligheter och där oförrätter puttrar under ytan. Boken är en perfekt blandning av mys och rys. Och böcker om böcker älskar man ju.
Berit Gardner är en härlig karaktär som jag ser fram emot att följa även i nästa bok och jag längtar redan.
August 17, 2024
Thanks to Dreamscape & NetGalley for providing an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This one just wasn't it for me: it was trying very hard to be many things and not succeeding at any of them. Is it a cozy mystery, in a little English village full of quirky characters? Or is it a feel-good piece about a town making a name for itself by putting on a doomed book festival? Or is it the story of a police detective with a sad dating life, or a writer struggling with writer's block? It is, unfortunately, all of these in one book. Too many characters, none are particularly compelling, tough to keep everyone straight or care about them. By the time the extremely sidelined mystery was solved, I no longer gave a crap who dunnit. The book was very slow moving, even on audio. The voice acting was capable enough, but not compelling enough to create a touchstone character (presumably that would be Berit, but we get much more of the inner workings of pretty much everyone else but not our supposed protagonist).
Meh. 2 stars
This one just wasn't it for me: it was trying very hard to be many things and not succeeding at any of them. Is it a cozy mystery, in a little English village full of quirky characters? Or is it a feel-good piece about a town making a name for itself by putting on a doomed book festival? Or is it the story of a police detective with a sad dating life, or a writer struggling with writer's block? It is, unfortunately, all of these in one book. Too many characters, none are particularly compelling, tough to keep everyone straight or care about them. By the time the extremely sidelined mystery was solved, I no longer gave a crap who dunnit. The book was very slow moving, even on audio. The voice acting was capable enough, but not compelling enough to create a touchstone character (presumably that would be Berit, but we get much more of the inner workings of pretty much everyone else but not our supposed protagonist).
Meh. 2 stars
November 29, 2024
Set in the small, rundown village of Great Diddling in which the villagers are suspicious of outsiders, an author Berit Gardner moves there to write her manuscript, but as the deadline draws closer and still no ideas are coming to Berit, until there's a murder. Of course Berit then throws herself into the investigation as she can feel there is a story that needs to be told, she just need to figure out what that story is and of course who the murderer is.
This is a book full of heart and grit with loveable characters, with great personalities and overly ambitious ideas.
I listened to the audio book version of this and the narrator Helen Lloyd did a wonderful job of bringing the characters to life and conveying their personalities through her narration.
If you want to curl up and listen or read a good cosy mystery, with great wit and wonderful characters this is the book for you.
Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC.
Reviews also published on:
Instagram || Threads || BSky || Coffee and Kindle Blog || The StoryGraph || Amazon || Bookmarks
Happy to make friends on all socials
This is a book full of heart and grit with loveable characters, with great personalities and overly ambitious ideas.
I listened to the audio book version of this and the narrator Helen Lloyd did a wonderful job of bringing the characters to life and conveying their personalities through her narration.
If you want to curl up and listen or read a good cosy mystery, with great wit and wonderful characters this is the book for you.
Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC.
Reviews also published on:
Instagram || Threads || BSky || Coffee and Kindle Blog || The StoryGraph || Amazon || Bookmarks
Happy to make friends on all socials
April 20, 2025
A dear friend gifted me book money after learning of a difficult month of health issues and migraines. I choose this one and I enjoyed every minute with this book. Location: Cornwall. Characters: an entire town and Berit, Sally and FCI Ahmed. Book themed. Fabulous cozy mystery!
Favorite quotes:
“It is a truth universally acknowledged among book clubs that at least half the time will be spent talking about something other than books and that was definitely the case here.” (Hat tip, Jane Austen)
“Margaret flinched. "You know that Margaret Atwood isn’t really going to be there tonight, don't you? It’s some sort of trick. Or a joke.”
"Well, whatever it is, I want to see it. I've heard that hundreds of book-lovers are already here- in my little village! Who would have thought it?”
Favorite quotes:
“It is a truth universally acknowledged among book clubs that at least half the time will be spent talking about something other than books and that was definitely the case here.” (Hat tip, Jane Austen)
“Margaret flinched. "You know that Margaret Atwood isn’t really going to be there tonight, don't you? It’s some sort of trick. Or a joke.”
"Well, whatever it is, I want to see it. I've heard that hundreds of book-lovers are already here- in my little village! Who would have thought it?”
December 2, 2024
With a definite Agatha Christie like feel, "The Murders in Great Diddling" was an enjoyable cozy mystery which will be particularly loved by bibliophiles.
Swedish author, Berit Gardner, lives in the tiny Cornish village of Great Diddling. Currently she is suffering from writer's block and for the most part, she keeps herself to herself..
Her agent is worried about the fact that she is not writing, so sends her daughter Sally to stay with Berit and hopefully act as her assistant - who will coax her into writing.
During Sally's first day with Berit, they attend a village tea party at Tawny Hall which ends on a disastrous note. There is an explosion in the manor's library which results in the death of the nephew of Tawny Hall's current owner, Daphne Trent. Berit reports this 'murder' to the local police and thus becomes enmeshed in the resulting investigation, much to Detective Inspector Ian Ahmed's chagrin. Berit's keen powers of observation will prove invaluable.
The word 'diddling's true meaning plays a huge part in the events that transpire as there is more than one 'con' taking place here.
Daphne, the lady of the manor was quite an interesting and extremely eccentric character. Her house was filled to the rafters with books of every type. She would forgo necessary roof repairs to buy even MORE books...
The villagers, wanting to cash in on the murders' notoriety, and replenish the struggling village's coffers, decide to have a 'Book and Murder Festival'. Much hilarity ensues when they cannot get any real authors to take part, so invent some based on real authors such as Ian Rankin and Elly Griffiths, giving locals new wardrobes and haircuts to fit the bill.
Helen Lloyd's excellent narration brought the quirky and eccentric villagers to life.
This is the first title in a prospective series featuring Berit Gardner (and I hope Inspector Ahmed). This novel was charming and humorous, and I'm sure the eccentric characters who reside in Great Diddling have many more stories to tell.
Swedish author, Berit Gardner, lives in the tiny Cornish village of Great Diddling. Currently she is suffering from writer's block and for the most part, she keeps herself to herself..
Her agent is worried about the fact that she is not writing, so sends her daughter Sally to stay with Berit and hopefully act as her assistant - who will coax her into writing.
During Sally's first day with Berit, they attend a village tea party at Tawny Hall which ends on a disastrous note. There is an explosion in the manor's library which results in the death of the nephew of Tawny Hall's current owner, Daphne Trent. Berit reports this 'murder' to the local police and thus becomes enmeshed in the resulting investigation, much to Detective Inspector Ian Ahmed's chagrin. Berit's keen powers of observation will prove invaluable.
The word 'diddling's true meaning plays a huge part in the events that transpire as there is more than one 'con' taking place here.
Daphne, the lady of the manor was quite an interesting and extremely eccentric character. Her house was filled to the rafters with books of every type. She would forgo necessary roof repairs to buy even MORE books...
The villagers, wanting to cash in on the murders' notoriety, and replenish the struggling village's coffers, decide to have a 'Book and Murder Festival'. Much hilarity ensues when they cannot get any real authors to take part, so invent some based on real authors such as Ian Rankin and Elly Griffiths, giving locals new wardrobes and haircuts to fit the bill.
Helen Lloyd's excellent narration brought the quirky and eccentric villagers to life.
This is the first title in a prospective series featuring Berit Gardner (and I hope Inspector Ahmed). This novel was charming and humorous, and I'm sure the eccentric characters who reside in Great Diddling have many more stories to tell.
December 27, 2024
I liked the fact that the plot centred on books, but the characters were largely unsympathetic and the writing was much too wordy. I found myself skipping over paragraph after paragraph of description to get to the end.
August 4, 2024
Много, много добро попадение за фенове на спокойните кримки тип Мис Марпъл!
Известна писателка от шведски произход се опитва да се отърси от творчески блокаж в малко селце в Корнуол. Местната много възрастна аристократка се оказва запален библиофил и собственик на ценна колекция книги. Самото село прави всичко възможно да спаси потъващата си икономика. На този фон шведската писателка Катарина Бивалд ни поднася заплетен сюжет, включващ две убийства, няколко измами, стари грехове, нови амбиции и интересна картина на взаимоотношенията в една малка общност в дълбоката английска провинция. Всичко е поднесено с чудесно чувство за хумор и мярка, което прави книгата изключително приятна за четене.
Ако нещо ме подразни, то това беше възприетата в превода форма на обръщение между героите. Ясно, че шведите си говорят на "ти" и писателката е шведка, но някак не можах да възприема такава фамилиарност между англичани в българския превод. Но това е много дребен детайл, който не разваля удоволствието от една отлична криминална история.
Известна писателка от шведски произход се опитва да се отърси от творчески блокаж в малко селце в Корнуол. Местната много възрастна аристократка се оказва запален библиофил и собственик на ценна колекция книги. Самото село прави всичко възможно да спаси потъващата си икономика. На този фон шведската писателка Катарина Бивалд ни поднася заплетен сюжет, включващ две убийства, няколко измами, стари грехове, нови амбиции и интересна картина на взаимоотношенията в една малка общност в дълбоката английска провинция. Всичко е поднесено с чудесно чувство за хумор и мярка, което прави книгата изключително приятна за четене.
Ако нещо ме подразни, то това беше възприетата в превода форма на обръщение между героите. Ясно, че шведите си говорят на "ти" и писателката е шведка, но някак не можах да възприема такава фамилиарност между англичани в българския превод. Но това е много дребен детайл, който не разваля удоволствието от една отлична криминална история.
July 26, 2025
A fun little mystery with a charming cast of characters.
September 2, 2024
A cozy murder mystery set in a small Cornish village that's perfect for book lovers.
Berit Gardner is a semi-famous author who hates being famous. She's struggling with her next novel, so to escape her public and her agent she moves to a cottage in the rundown village of Great Diddling. At an outdoor tea party on the grounds of the local great estate, Berit--along with almost everyone else in town--witnesses a murder.
Though the local and district police are involved in the case, Berit can't help but use her great observational skills to try to solve the murder herself. She has a little help from her new assistant and shares her discoveries with DCI Ian Ahmed. Everyone in the village is hiding their past and almost everyone hated the murder victim.
The fun of this murder mystery, as with many cozies, is in the villagers' shenanigans. It's also fun to see how Berit lets herself get roped in to helping her neighbors deflect the cops and organize an ill-advised murder mystery book festival.
I really liked getting to know the characters and seeing how Berit began to integrate herself into the village. I hope the future holds more books set in Great Diddling.
Narrator Helen Lloyd did a good job distinguishing among the characters and rendering subtle accents when needed. She delivered on the humor and held the plot's surprises and twists close.
Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.
Berit Gardner is a semi-famous author who hates being famous. She's struggling with her next novel, so to escape her public and her agent she moves to a cottage in the rundown village of Great Diddling. At an outdoor tea party on the grounds of the local great estate, Berit--along with almost everyone else in town--witnesses a murder.
Though the local and district police are involved in the case, Berit can't help but use her great observational skills to try to solve the murder herself. She has a little help from her new assistant and shares her discoveries with DCI Ian Ahmed. Everyone in the village is hiding their past and almost everyone hated the murder victim.
The fun of this murder mystery, as with many cozies, is in the villagers' shenanigans. It's also fun to see how Berit lets herself get roped in to helping her neighbors deflect the cops and organize an ill-advised murder mystery book festival.
I really liked getting to know the characters and seeing how Berit began to integrate herself into the village. I hope the future holds more books set in Great Diddling.
Narrator Helen Lloyd did a good job distinguishing among the characters and rendering subtle accents when needed. She delivered on the humor and held the plot's surprises and twists close.
Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.
September 8, 2024
Много добра. Невероятно добра!!
July 14, 2024
This book took me almost a month to read. I just didn’t enjoy it. Too much description and not enough action.
I liked the idea of the murder.
I did not engage with the characters and was just not keen.
I liked the idea of the murder.
I did not engage with the characters and was just not keen.
January 18, 2025
Does a cozy murder mystery need to be 1100pages long? No. It does not.
August 31, 2024
A charming mystery to add to your TBR collection. Quirky characters, a quaint village, and lots of books in this murder investigation. Bivald mentions that she was inspired by a village, Hay-on-Wye, and after looking up images of this location, I can see why! I would like to see this continue as a series.
January 10, 2025
Good mystery filled with humor and plenty of red herrings. I thoroughly enjoyed the people of Great Diddling and wished I could spend more time in the village. Bonus: One of the main characters was an eccentric book hoarder who had some extremely valuable books hidden away.
February 7, 2024
Mysig läsning men ganska lam upplösning.
September 19, 2024
Ok guys so on Monday I was like “omg I should join a book club” so I found this cozy mystery book club and was like sign me up but it met TODAY and it’s only once a month so I was like omg I have to be there. So I went out and bought the book and then had to speed read it. My lunch break was somehow so stressful bc I was trying to read as fast as humanly possible. But it was worth it bc book club was SOOOOO fun!! I’m obsessed with them and can’t wait to read more.
So the book itself: love. Probably 4.5 stars. Felt EXACTLY like knives out so if you like funny, quirky characters, and murder mystery, this is for you!
So the book itself: love. Probably 4.5 stars. Felt EXACTLY like knives out so if you like funny, quirky characters, and murder mystery, this is for you!
September 9, 2025
An enjoyable book with an obvious murderer!! My favorite!!
June 4, 2025
3.4 stars (Audible). Based on the following categories, I expected to give this a higher rating, but the story dragged at times + I found the little voice in my head saying "OK! Let's get on with it!" Still a solid mystery + good story + characters.
Categories I love:
Author FMC
Small UK villsge
A collection of rare books/huge library
A Murder
Quirky characters
Categories I love:
Author FMC
Small UK villsge
A collection of rare books/huge library
A Murder
Quirky characters
Displaying 1 - 30 of 576 reviews