What do you think?
Rate this book
Much Winchmoor Mystery #2
Rough and Deadly
Everyone knows Abe Compton’s Headbender cider is as rough as a cider can get. But is it deadly?
When self-styled ‘lady of the manor’, Margot Duckett-Trimble, announces she wouldn’t be seen dead drinking the stuff, who could have foreseen that, only a few days later, she’d be found, face down, in a vat of it?
Kat Latcham’s no stranger to murder. Indeed, the once ‘sleepy’ Somerset village of Much Winchmoor is fast gaining a reputation as the murder capital of the West Country and is ‘as sleepy as a kid on Christmas Eve’ when it’s discovered there’s a murderer running loose in the community again.
Kat has known Abe all her life, and she is sure that, although he had motive, he didn’t kill Margot. But as she investigates, the murderer strikes again. And the closer Kat gets to finding out who the real killer is, the closer to danger she becomes.
This second Much Winchmoor mystery is once again spiked with humour and sprinkled with romance – plus a cast of colourful characters, including a manic little dog called Prescott whose bite is definitely worse than his bark.
When self-styled ‘lady of the manor’, Margot Duckett-Trimble, announces she wouldn’t be seen dead drinking the stuff, who could have foreseen that, only a few days later, she’d be found, face down, in a vat of it?
Kat Latcham’s no stranger to murder. Indeed, the once ‘sleepy’ Somerset village of Much Winchmoor is fast gaining a reputation as the murder capital of the West Country and is ‘as sleepy as a kid on Christmas Eve’ when it’s discovered there’s a murderer running loose in the community again.
Kat has known Abe all her life, and she is sure that, although he had motive, he didn’t kill Margot. But as she investigates, the murderer strikes again. And the closer Kat gets to finding out who the real killer is, the closer to danger she becomes.
This second Much Winchmoor mystery is once again spiked with humour and sprinkled with romance – plus a cast of colourful characters, including a manic little dog called Prescott whose bite is definitely worse than his bark.
- GenresMysteryHumorCozy Mystery
233 pages, Paperback
Published March 8, 2019
31 people are currently reading
47 people want to read
About the author
Paula Williams
7 books24 followersPaula Williams has been writing since she was old enough to hold a pencil but she's been making up stories since she was old enough to speak, although her early attempts were more of the "It wasn't me, Mum, honest. It was him" genre.
Her first 'serious' effort was a pageant she wrote at the age of nine to celebrate St George's Day. Not only was she the writer, but producer, set designer and casting director, which was how she came to have the title role. She also bullied and blackmailed her three younger brothers into taking the supporting roles, something they still claim to be traumatised by.
Many years later, this pageant became the inspiration for her first publishable short story, Angels on Oil Drums, which she sold to the UK magazine Woman's Weekly. Since then she's had over four hundred short stories and serials published in the UK and overseas. She also has a number of novels in large print which are available in libraries.
With the changing face of the magazine market, Paula now focuses her attention on her first love, crime fiction and is busy planning and writing a whole series of Much Winchmoor mysteries. She is a proud member of both the Crime Writers' Association and the Romantic Novelists' Association. She also writes a monthly column, Ideas Store, for the UK writers' magazine, Writers' Forum and for the last five years has written the pantomime for her local village Theatre Group. She still hasn't run out of things to write about and is waiting for someone to invent the thirty hour day.
She has two grown up sons, two beautiful daughters-in-law and three gorgeous grandchildren. She lives in Somerset with her husband and a handsome rescue Dalmatian called Duke who is completely bonkers and appears frequently on her blog. (The dog, not the husband!)
Her first 'serious' effort was a pageant she wrote at the age of nine to celebrate St George's Day. Not only was she the writer, but producer, set designer and casting director, which was how she came to have the title role. She also bullied and blackmailed her three younger brothers into taking the supporting roles, something they still claim to be traumatised by.
Many years later, this pageant became the inspiration for her first publishable short story, Angels on Oil Drums, which she sold to the UK magazine Woman's Weekly. Since then she's had over four hundred short stories and serials published in the UK and overseas. She also has a number of novels in large print which are available in libraries.
With the changing face of the magazine market, Paula now focuses her attention on her first love, crime fiction and is busy planning and writing a whole series of Much Winchmoor mysteries. She is a proud member of both the Crime Writers' Association and the Romantic Novelists' Association. She also writes a monthly column, Ideas Store, for the UK writers' magazine, Writers' Forum and for the last five years has written the pantomime for her local village Theatre Group. She still hasn't run out of things to write about and is waiting for someone to invent the thirty hour day.
She has two grown up sons, two beautiful daughters-in-law and three gorgeous grandchildren. She lives in Somerset with her husband and a handsome rescue Dalmatian called Duke who is completely bonkers and appears frequently on her blog. (The dog, not the husband!)
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
May 16, 2019
Favorite Quotes:
I’m parched and it doesn’t do for people of my age to get de-hibernated.
She gave a small, tinkly and oh-so-feminine laugh. How did she do that? If I tried it, it would come out as somewhere between a hiccup and a sneeze.
I kid you not, if someone sneezed at one end of the village, someone at the other end would hear it and speculate as to what they’d been doing to catch a cold, where, and with whom.
He was a short, dapper little man, who looked more like a bank manager than a policeman. The sort of bank manager who would take great pleasure in calling in your overdraft.
She’s also got a new coffee machine – that she has no idea how to work – even though she thinks coffee is the drink of the devil and it gives her ‘paltry-patians’.
My Review:
While a continuation of a series and picked up shortly after the first book Murder Served Cold ended, it did not appear necessary to have read the previous book as the story had strong legs and could dance well enough on its own. Although, it was an amusing and fun read and I’d recommend reading it anyway. The storylines were highly amusing, pleasantly entertaining, and contained several interesting unrelated yet clever twists along with an unpredictable and well-plotted mystery.
Katie was still ensconced in her childhood bedroom within her parents’ home; still struggling to find full-time employment; still deeply in debt after her louse of a boyfriend took off with her car, money, and Dr. Who swag; and after crashing her mother’s car, her transportation was limited to a pink bike she’d received on her thirteenth birthday. Her dad was eager for her luck to improve as he had plans for her room that involved a snooker table.
Unable to find a full-time job, Katie was taking on small jobs to at least make payments on her looming overdraft, and one such position was as a helper to the injured and elderly Elsie who appeared to be the town’s epicenter of information and gossip, the crankiest of residents, and the owner of Prescott - the most annoying and yappiest of little dogs.
This tiny village hosted a bevy of the quirk and was a hotbed of gossip. Adding to the mix and delighting the residents with something new to speculate about was the arrival of Katie’s rather vile Aunty Tanya, an opportunistic and pink obsessed drama queen who apparently enjoyed blackmail, stirring up trouble, a lavish lifestyle, gross exaggeration, and who somewhat resembled and dressed like a skinny Dolly Parton with a deflated chest.
After indulging in several tense thrillers, I enjoyed the generous dollops of humor and snickered and smirked my way through this delightful tale. I also scored three new additions to my Brit Word List with po-faced – which is a solemn facial expression; trolleyed – drunk; and she’s no better than she should be – a woman with loose morals. I’m not sure about the last one but I’d much rather be trolleyed than po-faced.
I’m parched and it doesn’t do for people of my age to get de-hibernated.
She gave a small, tinkly and oh-so-feminine laugh. How did she do that? If I tried it, it would come out as somewhere between a hiccup and a sneeze.
I kid you not, if someone sneezed at one end of the village, someone at the other end would hear it and speculate as to what they’d been doing to catch a cold, where, and with whom.
He was a short, dapper little man, who looked more like a bank manager than a policeman. The sort of bank manager who would take great pleasure in calling in your overdraft.
She’s also got a new coffee machine – that she has no idea how to work – even though she thinks coffee is the drink of the devil and it gives her ‘paltry-patians’.
My Review:
While a continuation of a series and picked up shortly after the first book Murder Served Cold ended, it did not appear necessary to have read the previous book as the story had strong legs and could dance well enough on its own. Although, it was an amusing and fun read and I’d recommend reading it anyway. The storylines were highly amusing, pleasantly entertaining, and contained several interesting unrelated yet clever twists along with an unpredictable and well-plotted mystery.
Katie was still ensconced in her childhood bedroom within her parents’ home; still struggling to find full-time employment; still deeply in debt after her louse of a boyfriend took off with her car, money, and Dr. Who swag; and after crashing her mother’s car, her transportation was limited to a pink bike she’d received on her thirteenth birthday. Her dad was eager for her luck to improve as he had plans for her room that involved a snooker table.
Unable to find a full-time job, Katie was taking on small jobs to at least make payments on her looming overdraft, and one such position was as a helper to the injured and elderly Elsie who appeared to be the town’s epicenter of information and gossip, the crankiest of residents, and the owner of Prescott - the most annoying and yappiest of little dogs.
This tiny village hosted a bevy of the quirk and was a hotbed of gossip. Adding to the mix and delighting the residents with something new to speculate about was the arrival of Katie’s rather vile Aunty Tanya, an opportunistic and pink obsessed drama queen who apparently enjoyed blackmail, stirring up trouble, a lavish lifestyle, gross exaggeration, and who somewhat resembled and dressed like a skinny Dolly Parton with a deflated chest.
After indulging in several tense thrillers, I enjoyed the generous dollops of humor and snickered and smirked my way through this delightful tale. I also scored three new additions to my Brit Word List with po-faced – which is a solemn facial expression; trolleyed – drunk; and she’s no better than she should be – a woman with loose morals. I’m not sure about the last one but I’d much rather be trolleyed than po-faced.
August 24, 2019
Having greatly enjoyed the first book in this series I was looking forward to reading this one. If anything I liked it even more. It’s very entertaining and just what I was hoping for after the dark thrillers I’ve been reading. It’s humorous, fast-paced and kept me guessing. Kat’s a great character and the tight-knit, gossipy West Country village setting is perfect for the story.
May 13, 2019
This is the first book I've read by this author and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it - I'll definitely be looking out for more by her in future.
The murder mystery is set in the village of Much Winchmoor in Somerset - and yes, there's someone there who makes cider! That person is Abe and he's the prime suspect for the police when the lady who tries to act like she's the lady of the manor, Margot Duckett-Trimble, turns up murdered, especially because she'd been threatening to have his cider making shut down and days later is found in one of his cider vats!Katie Latchman now prefers to be known as Kat. She's a local lass who escaped the village but has returned after things didn't work out for her in Bristol. She's a freelance journalist who some of the locals are nicknaming Miss Marple after she helped bring a murderer to justice. Her detective skills are going to be needed again to help clear Abe and find out just who the real killer is!
This story has a great village community with an eclectic mix of characters all adding to the enjoyment of reading this story. There are secrets, a blackmailer, romance, threats, a noisy dog called Prescott and so much more in this dramatic story. Even though it is a murder mystery, the story is told with humour and there are plenty of laugh out loud moments in it, the only worry is will Kat manage to solve who the murderer is without getting killed herself?
I requested and was gifted a copy of this book and this is my honest review after choosing to read it.
The murder mystery is set in the village of Much Winchmoor in Somerset - and yes, there's someone there who makes cider! That person is Abe and he's the prime suspect for the police when the lady who tries to act like she's the lady of the manor, Margot Duckett-Trimble, turns up murdered, especially because she'd been threatening to have his cider making shut down and days later is found in one of his cider vats!Katie Latchman now prefers to be known as Kat. She's a local lass who escaped the village but has returned after things didn't work out for her in Bristol. She's a freelance journalist who some of the locals are nicknaming Miss Marple after she helped bring a murderer to justice. Her detective skills are going to be needed again to help clear Abe and find out just who the real killer is!
This story has a great village community with an eclectic mix of characters all adding to the enjoyment of reading this story. There are secrets, a blackmailer, romance, threats, a noisy dog called Prescott and so much more in this dramatic story. Even though it is a murder mystery, the story is told with humour and there are plenty of laugh out loud moments in it, the only worry is will Kat manage to solve who the murderer is without getting killed herself?
I requested and was gifted a copy of this book and this is my honest review after choosing to read it.
March 5, 2021
Another fast paced and entertaining instalment to this series. I loved the setting and the village life and drama. A crime thriller with humour and intrigue. Great characterisation and a story that keeps you turning page after page.
August 5, 2020
I have just finished the second in Paula Williams series of novels set in Much Winchmoor, Rough and Deadly. Having said that, the book works perfectly well as a stand-alone.
I have read and enjoyed the first book in the series, Murder Served Cold and it was fun to be re-united with Kat Latcham, her on/off boyfriend Will, friend Jules and her parents. Kat’s mother is still running her salon from the front room and her cooking has not improved. However, that is not the only catering issue in the village. Everyone knows Abe Compton’s Headbender cider is as rough as a cider can get. But when the lady of the manor, Margot Duckett-Trimble is murdered, she is found face down in a vat of his cider, a drink she volubly disliked.
Kat’s aunt, comes to stay because she has separated from her husband, Kat’s uncle Richard. She may have known Margot from a previous meeting. The little Somerset village of Much Winchmoor is fast gaining a reputation as the murder capital of the West Country and Kat’s Aunt Tracy decides to stay.
Soon, it is found there is a murderer running loose in the community, but when Abe is arrested, Kat who has known him all her life, is sure that, although he had motive, he didn’t kill Margot. She is determined to investigate but the murderer strikes again. As Kat gets nearer to finding out who the real killer is, the closer to danger she becomes.
This second Much Winchmoor mystery is once again full of humour and sprinkled with romance. The cast of colourful characters, known and new include a manic little dog called Prescott whose bite is definitely worse than his bark.
I really enjoy Paula Williams novels and Rough and Deadly is no exception. I highly recommend it to all who enjoy a good mystery tied up in a well written book.
The Author
Paula Williams has been writing since she was old enough to hold a pencil but she’s been making up stories since she was old enough to speak, although her early attempts were more of the “It wasn’t me, Mum, honest. It was him” genre.
Her first ‘serious’ effort was a pageant she wrote at the age of nine to celebrate St George’s Day. Not only was she the writer, but producer, set designer and casting director, which was how she came to have the title role. She also bullied and blackmailed her three younger brothers into taking the supporting roles, something they still claim to be traumatised by.
Many years later, this pageant became the inspiration for her first publishable short story, Angels on Oil Drums, which she sold to the UK magazine Woman’s Weekly. Since then she’s had over four hundred short stories and serials published in the UK and overseas. She also has a number of novels in large print which are available in libraries.
With the changing face of the magazine market, Paula now focuses her attention on her first love, crime fiction and is busy planning and writing a whole series of Much Winchmoor mysteries. She is a proud member of both the Crime Writers’ Association and the Romantic Novelists’ Association. She also writes a monthly column, Ideas Store, for the UK writers’ magazine, Writers’ Forum and for the last five years has written the pantomime for her local village Theatre Group. She still hasn’t run out of things to write about and is waiting for someone to invent the thirty hour day.
She has two grown up sons, two beautiful daughters-in-law and three gorgeous grandchildren. She lives in Somerset with her husband and a handsome rescue Dalmatian called Duke who is completely bonkers and appears frequently on her blog. (The dog, not the husband!)
Val Penny
I have read and enjoyed the first book in the series, Murder Served Cold and it was fun to be re-united with Kat Latcham, her on/off boyfriend Will, friend Jules and her parents. Kat’s mother is still running her salon from the front room and her cooking has not improved. However, that is not the only catering issue in the village. Everyone knows Abe Compton’s Headbender cider is as rough as a cider can get. But when the lady of the manor, Margot Duckett-Trimble is murdered, she is found face down in a vat of his cider, a drink she volubly disliked.
Kat’s aunt, comes to stay because she has separated from her husband, Kat’s uncle Richard. She may have known Margot from a previous meeting. The little Somerset village of Much Winchmoor is fast gaining a reputation as the murder capital of the West Country and Kat’s Aunt Tracy decides to stay.
Soon, it is found there is a murderer running loose in the community, but when Abe is arrested, Kat who has known him all her life, is sure that, although he had motive, he didn’t kill Margot. She is determined to investigate but the murderer strikes again. As Kat gets nearer to finding out who the real killer is, the closer to danger she becomes.
This second Much Winchmoor mystery is once again full of humour and sprinkled with romance. The cast of colourful characters, known and new include a manic little dog called Prescott whose bite is definitely worse than his bark.
I really enjoy Paula Williams novels and Rough and Deadly is no exception. I highly recommend it to all who enjoy a good mystery tied up in a well written book.
The Author
Paula Williams has been writing since she was old enough to hold a pencil but she’s been making up stories since she was old enough to speak, although her early attempts were more of the “It wasn’t me, Mum, honest. It was him” genre.
Her first ‘serious’ effort was a pageant she wrote at the age of nine to celebrate St George’s Day. Not only was she the writer, but producer, set designer and casting director, which was how she came to have the title role. She also bullied and blackmailed her three younger brothers into taking the supporting roles, something they still claim to be traumatised by.
Many years later, this pageant became the inspiration for her first publishable short story, Angels on Oil Drums, which she sold to the UK magazine Woman’s Weekly. Since then she’s had over four hundred short stories and serials published in the UK and overseas. She also has a number of novels in large print which are available in libraries.
With the changing face of the magazine market, Paula now focuses her attention on her first love, crime fiction and is busy planning and writing a whole series of Much Winchmoor mysteries. She is a proud member of both the Crime Writers’ Association and the Romantic Novelists’ Association. She also writes a monthly column, Ideas Store, for the UK writers’ magazine, Writers’ Forum and for the last five years has written the pantomime for her local village Theatre Group. She still hasn’t run out of things to write about and is waiting for someone to invent the thirty hour day.
She has two grown up sons, two beautiful daughters-in-law and three gorgeous grandchildren. She lives in Somerset with her husband and a handsome rescue Dalmatian called Duke who is completely bonkers and appears frequently on her blog. (The dog, not the husband!)
Val Penny
September 22, 2021
In the second Much Winchmoor novel, Kat’s thrown into another murder investigation when Margot Duckett-Trimble is killed and left in a vat of cider. As she was standing for election to the parish council and full of self-importance, there’s going to be a long list of suspects.
But Kat already has enough troubles of her own to contend with. Without a permanent job and no money, she’s forced to live with her parents. Her dreams of escaping the sleepy village lie in tatters. And she’s not sure about her feelings for Will, or what he feels for her.
Somehow, she stumbles along, doing odd jobs here and there, freelancing for a local free newspaper, picking up village gossip along the way, especially where it concerns the murder. When her Aunt Tanya arrives in the village, keen to divorce her husband and start a new venture, events take a sinister turn and Kat’s problems multiply.
I enjoyed this engaging cosy mystery thanks to the likable characters, along with the humour and social comment that underpins the writing and story. All the typical characters you find in a village are here, with Prescott the dog stealing every scene as he wreaks havoc wherever he goes.
I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
But Kat already has enough troubles of her own to contend with. Without a permanent job and no money, she’s forced to live with her parents. Her dreams of escaping the sleepy village lie in tatters. And she’s not sure about her feelings for Will, or what he feels for her.
Somehow, she stumbles along, doing odd jobs here and there, freelancing for a local free newspaper, picking up village gossip along the way, especially where it concerns the murder. When her Aunt Tanya arrives in the village, keen to divorce her husband and start a new venture, events take a sinister turn and Kat’s problems multiply.
I enjoyed this engaging cosy mystery thanks to the likable characters, along with the humour and social comment that underpins the writing and story. All the typical characters you find in a village are here, with Prescott the dog stealing every scene as he wreaks havoc wherever he goes.
I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
May 18, 2019
Rough and Deadly has it all. Humor, clever twists, a well plotted mystery and fantastic characters. What else could you want in a novel?
I love the quirky, little village where everyone has nothing else to do but gossip. I love the characters, each with their own little bits of clever quirks that added to the overall feel of the novel.
I've been reading a lot of serious novels lately, and it was nice to smirk and giggle through Rough and Deadly. Highly recommended and definitely on my favorites of 2019 list!
* I recieved a copy of this book as part of a blog tour with Rachel's Random Resources. All opinions are my own.*
I love the quirky, little village where everyone has nothing else to do but gossip. I love the characters, each with their own little bits of clever quirks that added to the overall feel of the novel.
I've been reading a lot of serious novels lately, and it was nice to smirk and giggle through Rough and Deadly. Highly recommended and definitely on my favorites of 2019 list!
* I recieved a copy of this book as part of a blog tour with Rachel's Random Resources. All opinions are my own.*
May 17, 2019
Kat (Katie Latcham) is back in the village after her life in Bristol didn’t work out as she’d hoped.
She’s a freelance journalist and an amateur ‘Miss Marple’…as she had helped catch a murderer before…
In this tale, A local, rather snooty woman is found dead in a vat of cider after a disagreement with the brewer, Abe and he is of course the number one suspect, but Kat intends to use her skills to clear his name….just who is responsible ?
This is a fun, cosy-mystery with great characters, humour, romance and of course the odd murder. A thoroughly entertaining read.
Thank you to Rachel’s Random Resources for the opportunity to participate in this blog tour and for the promotional materials and a free copy of the ebook. This is my honest, unbiased review.
She’s a freelance journalist and an amateur ‘Miss Marple’…as she had helped catch a murderer before…
In this tale, A local, rather snooty woman is found dead in a vat of cider after a disagreement with the brewer, Abe and he is of course the number one suspect, but Kat intends to use her skills to clear his name….just who is responsible ?
This is a fun, cosy-mystery with great characters, humour, romance and of course the odd murder. A thoroughly entertaining read.
Thank you to Rachel’s Random Resources for the opportunity to participate in this blog tour and for the promotional materials and a free copy of the ebook. This is my honest, unbiased review.
May 20, 2019
A superb mystery in the 'cosy' category; lots going on and no shortage of suspects!
Kat Latcham's finances have forced her back home to live with her parents in the village of Much Winchmoor - a small village where gossip carries on the wind, and spreads at twice the speed of light. When a body is found and the police declare murder, Kat's journalistic brain goes into overload and she suspects everyone. If only that was all she had to worry about . . .
It's a really solid mystery. Typically in a village, there are several things going on at once and the local gossips all have their own opinions as to what is happening and why. With family upset, the struggle to keep her head above water and suspicion abounding, Kat has brain overload. Trying to make sense of it all wears her down and when another body is found, this one is much closer to home.
This is a gripping and interesting read which grabbed my attention from the very first and kept it until the final page. I do like a book where all the questions are answered by the end and this fits the bill. It's a skilfully crafted novel with several storylines all converging to make it an exciting and unpredictable read. Thoroughly enjoyable and a great all-round tale. Definitely a series I want to follow and fully a five star read!
Kat Latcham's finances have forced her back home to live with her parents in the village of Much Winchmoor - a small village where gossip carries on the wind, and spreads at twice the speed of light. When a body is found and the police declare murder, Kat's journalistic brain goes into overload and she suspects everyone. If only that was all she had to worry about . . .
It's a really solid mystery. Typically in a village, there are several things going on at once and the local gossips all have their own opinions as to what is happening and why. With family upset, the struggle to keep her head above water and suspicion abounding, Kat has brain overload. Trying to make sense of it all wears her down and when another body is found, this one is much closer to home.
This is a gripping and interesting read which grabbed my attention from the very first and kept it until the final page. I do like a book where all the questions are answered by the end and this fits the bill. It's a skilfully crafted novel with several storylines all converging to make it an exciting and unpredictable read. Thoroughly enjoyable and a great all-round tale. Definitely a series I want to follow and fully a five star read!
May 19, 2019
This second book in the Much Winchmoor series was just as enjoyable as the first book in the series. Murder has come to the village yet again. This time it is Margot Duckett-Timble is the victim. She is hoping to become the newest member of the parish council, and she thinks by doing her civic duty of reporting Abe Compton to the Environmental Health Officer about his alleged unsanitary practice of making cider will get her elected. She certainly didn’t think it would get her murdered, yet that is what happened. Of course, the main suspect is Abe, himself. Kat doesn’t believe Abe is capable of that. There is no shortage of suspects, especially when another occurs. Can Kat solve the murder before she becomes the next victim?
What I love about a series is returning to characters and places I love, and I love the quirky characters and the village of Much Winchmoor. I always like returning and learning something new about the characters. Williams gives her readers that!
As with the prior book in the series, the characters are quirky, and I loved returning to the village of Much Winchmoor. Both the characters and the setting added a deeper level to the book itself.
Williams makes her mysteries stand apart from others in the genre. I loved how she began this story...she opened it with the murder, and then she moves back in time. The action started off with a bang, therefore, keeping my attention throughout the entire book. It is very rare to have a mystery written with humor and romance, and Williams did a wonderful job of combining them all together. She made it appear seamless!!! I am becoming quite a fan of this series, and I can’t wait to read the next one in the series, especially after reading the last chapter. It looks like Kat has many more adventures in her near future!
What I love about a series is returning to characters and places I love, and I love the quirky characters and the village of Much Winchmoor. I always like returning and learning something new about the characters. Williams gives her readers that!
As with the prior book in the series, the characters are quirky, and I loved returning to the village of Much Winchmoor. Both the characters and the setting added a deeper level to the book itself.
Williams makes her mysteries stand apart from others in the genre. I loved how she began this story...she opened it with the murder, and then she moves back in time. The action started off with a bang, therefore, keeping my attention throughout the entire book. It is very rare to have a mystery written with humor and romance, and Williams did a wonderful job of combining them all together. She made it appear seamless!!! I am becoming quite a fan of this series, and I can’t wait to read the next one in the series, especially after reading the last chapter. It looks like Kat has many more adventures in her near future!
May 22, 2019
I absolutely loved the first book in the Much Winchmoor Series Murder Served Cold, it was one of my favourites from 2019, so I was over the moon to be able to review Rough and Deadly the second in the series.
It was really good to find myself back in Much Winchmoor with Katie (sorry Kat!), she is still living with her parents, still in debt, hasn’t found a full time job and her relationship with Will has cooled.
Much to her annoyance she still helps out her mother in her hair salon, dealing with the elderly woman of the village with their perms and their spreading of gossip. The village’s main gossip Elsie, is now housebound and her annoying dog needs walking, and now Kat finds her volunteered to look after Elsie and her dog. I love the character of Elsie, I can just imagine her sitting in her arm chair throwing out her orders, whilst still knowing everything that happens within Much Winchmoor. One of my favourite things are her phrases, coffee gives her ‘paltry-pations’ and someone’s wife died from ‘new-monials’, reading their conversations always made me smile.
This book concentrates on the murder of Margot Duckett-Trimble who is found drowned in a vat of cider. Kat finds the journalist in her asking questions of everyone in the village, finding out their alibis and questioning their motives. Also things aren’t rosy with her parents, her auntie Tanya has turned up and being a nasty piece of work, she has caused ructions between them.
I really enjoyed this book and really hope that a third will be on its way.
It was really good to find myself back in Much Winchmoor with Katie (sorry Kat!), she is still living with her parents, still in debt, hasn’t found a full time job and her relationship with Will has cooled.
Much to her annoyance she still helps out her mother in her hair salon, dealing with the elderly woman of the village with their perms and their spreading of gossip. The village’s main gossip Elsie, is now housebound and her annoying dog needs walking, and now Kat finds her volunteered to look after Elsie and her dog. I love the character of Elsie, I can just imagine her sitting in her arm chair throwing out her orders, whilst still knowing everything that happens within Much Winchmoor. One of my favourite things are her phrases, coffee gives her ‘paltry-pations’ and someone’s wife died from ‘new-monials’, reading their conversations always made me smile.
This book concentrates on the murder of Margot Duckett-Trimble who is found drowned in a vat of cider. Kat finds the journalist in her asking questions of everyone in the village, finding out their alibis and questioning their motives. Also things aren’t rosy with her parents, her auntie Tanya has turned up and being a nasty piece of work, she has caused ructions between them.
I really enjoyed this book and really hope that a third will be on its way.
April 11, 2019
Kat is back living at home after having an “almost city centre” flat and a job which then came crashing down around her ankles. She is now freelancing for the local paper and doing other jobs inbetween to try and make ends meet on her bank loan. Her mother runs Chez Cheryl the local hairdressers which is the hub of local gossip. When one of the not so popular village ladies is found dead in a vat of cider the brewery owner is taken in for questioning but everyone local knows that Abe wouldn’t do such a thing and the woman involved has a few people who are shall we say she has rubbed up rather the wrong way. Kat’s Aunt arrives and there has been tension between her and Kat’s family for a while. This time she reckons her husband Richard has been threatening violence towards her and wants to divorce him. What transpires is even more serious. Think of this as a cozy murder type read. A likeable main character that you can smile with, some larger than life sub characters and a plot that has a little romance, a little gossip and of course a little (or more) murders. I found this a wonderful relaxing easy read with a smile.
For more reviews please see my blog http://nickibookblog.blogspot.co.uk/
or follow me on Twitter @nickijmurphy1
For more reviews please see my blog http://nickibookblog.blogspot.co.uk/
or follow me on Twitter @nickijmurphy1
May 15, 2019
So we are back with the second book in the Much Winchmoor Murder series called Rough and Deadly, and it was fricking awesome! seriously! I'm literally on pins and needles now waiting for book 3!
So Kat's still determined to leave Much Winchmoor, but also is caught up in the latest mystery, only this time it is much closer to home! with her whole family under the scrutiny of the police, and her parent's marriage not quite what it seems to be, but then again, her parents are not the only romance that is struggling, Kat's romance with Will has taken a bumpy path as well.
The author, Paula Williams, has done it again with this book, the pace of the book doesn’t lag and the writing keeps you addicted from the first chapter. When it comes to the characters, I totally loved Kat, but she seemed a little more high maintenance in this book and even though I found that annoying, it did not distract from the story. I did enjoy more of Kat's families input, though I was surprised by the turn it took towards the end.
So Kat's still determined to leave Much Winchmoor, but also is caught up in the latest mystery, only this time it is much closer to home! with her whole family under the scrutiny of the police, and her parent's marriage not quite what it seems to be, but then again, her parents are not the only romance that is struggling, Kat's romance with Will has taken a bumpy path as well.
The author, Paula Williams, has done it again with this book, the pace of the book doesn’t lag and the writing keeps you addicted from the first chapter. When it comes to the characters, I totally loved Kat, but she seemed a little more high maintenance in this book and even though I found that annoying, it did not distract from the story. I did enjoy more of Kat's families input, though I was surprised by the turn it took towards the end.
November 10, 2019
The first book – Murder Served Cold – was a total delight. Packed with quirky characters, dollops of humour and a lacing of 'will they, won't they?' romance. All against a backdrop of rural life and all its gossip, rumourmongering and bitchiness.
Did the second disappoint? Absolutely not. Once again, I was drawn into Kat's world, inadvertently embroiled in not one but two events which might (or might not) be related. I loved ill-tempered mutt, Prescott, and his equally cantankerous owner. And the one-liners, deftly woven into the plot, had me snorting out loud at times. 'Only my mum could scramble a few eggs and turn them into something you could use to fill the cracks in the living room ceiling.' 'Then he left by the back door with as much dignity as was possible for someone who'd had to wade through a forest of rhubarb to reach it.'
The author writes with skill, charm and a keen eye for the absurd. I'd be saddened to think this is the last time I'll rub shoulders with Kat and co. More, please!
Did the second disappoint? Absolutely not. Once again, I was drawn into Kat's world, inadvertently embroiled in not one but two events which might (or might not) be related. I loved ill-tempered mutt, Prescott, and his equally cantankerous owner. And the one-liners, deftly woven into the plot, had me snorting out loud at times. 'Only my mum could scramble a few eggs and turn them into something you could use to fill the cracks in the living room ceiling.' 'Then he left by the back door with as much dignity as was possible for someone who'd had to wade through a forest of rhubarb to reach it.'
The author writes with skill, charm and a keen eye for the absurd. I'd be saddened to think this is the last time I'll rub shoulders with Kat and co. More, please!
October 21, 2020
This is my second outing to Much Winchmoor and I enjoyed it just as much as the first. If you like cosy crime, lots of humour and memorable characters, this is the series for you. It begins with a body in a vat of local cider – and Kat, freelance journalist, is determined to find out more. It’s the kind of book that pulled me in, and wouldn’t let me go.
February 5, 2022
How can a double murder story be so entertaining? I laughed all the way through romantic twists, family arguments and, of course, the murders themselves, due to the wonderful way this story was written. But I still needed to know who committed the murders and why.
The ending, when it finally came, was very satisfying.
The ending, when it finally came, was very satisfying.
December 1, 2019
Hope there are more coming in this series. Was kind of surprised to read of a baseball bat in the story - had to Google to find that there is indeed baseball in England! A minor sport as compared to it being a major sport in the U.S. so that was interesting to find out.
February 1, 2022
I want more!
I liked the flow of the story, the likeability of the characters and a quaint little village. The underdog wins! It was an easy read, uncomplicated, but I didn't guess the ending. As I said, I want more!!
I liked the flow of the story, the likeability of the characters and a quaint little village. The underdog wins! It was an easy read, uncomplicated, but I didn't guess the ending. As I said, I want more!!
September 3, 2019
Another good, strong, cosy mystery from this author. They’re entertaining, well-paced and quite funny.
November 22, 2020
Great book
Another great read from Paula. Good plot, lively characters and all you looking for in crime story. Hope for more books in this series 😀.
Another great read from Paula. Good plot, lively characters and all you looking for in crime story. Hope for more books in this series 😀.
July 5, 2023
A would be journalist gets involved in trying to solve the murders of two women in a small England town. Many interesting characters inhabit the place, including a yapping dog.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews