New Cozy Mystery Series--Julia Bird Mysteries

An English Garden Murder (Julia Bird Mysteries Book 1) by Katie Gayle

Published by Bookouture 

ISBN 9781803140667

Julia Bird is newly divorced, but on friendly terms with her ex-husband and his new partner. At around the same time her marriage was ending, she was having some trouble in her job as a social worker in London. The trouble was never explained, although we learn that she was suspected of something and then cleared. This situation ended up causing her to retire. Needing a fresh start, she buys a cottage in the Cotswolds, in a small village where an old friend lives. She expects to have many adjustments, but enthusiastically jumps into her new life, ready to embrace change. One of the changes she makes is to get some chickens. This will require a coop, so she asks around to see if there is a local person she can hire to build one. She's told told to go find Johnny at the village cafe, The Buttered Scone. He agrees to build the coop and shows up the next day with his grandson to start the job. When the grandson starts taking down the shed so the coop can be built, he finds human remains from the past. Who was this person, why did she die, and who put her under the shed? The local police begin their investigation, but Julia and her Labrador puppy end up helping out.

I loved this book! I am always thrilled to find a new cozy mystery/series to get stuck into and I thoroughly enjoyed this one. I loved Julia from the start. The puppy brought back memories of puppies I've had in the past. As you'd expect in a cozy, the village is full of quirky characters. And the book is funny. I laughed more than once. When Julia goes to the cafe to find Johnny, it's not hard to find out who he is, because he is bellowing so loudly that he is impossible to miss--he is hard of hearing and didn't have his hearing aid in. When someone suggests that he put it in, he says that he'll put it in when people start saying things worth listening to instead of spouting nonsense all the time. In another scene, Julia goes into an office to ask some questions and is met by the receptionist who presents a startling picture with some extravagant false eyelashes, which remind Julia of 'Petunia the cow, her grandmother's prize jersey.' The mystery and the ending are well done. 

If you want to spend some time puzzling over whodunnit in a picturesque village in the Cotswolds with an interesting mix of people, an older woman making a new life for herself after some shocks and an adorable chocolate lab puppy, then this is a great book to choose!

I thank the author and NetGalley for providing me with an e-galley of this title in exchange for a fair review.

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