Martha Miller Cozy Mysteries (Books 1 and 2)

 Daggers at the Country Fair (Martha Miller Book 2)

by Catherine Coles

ISBN 9781804150733

This is the second book in the Martha Miller series. Having read and enjoyed the first book, I was thrilled have an opportunity to read this one. I quite enjoy the series so far and I look forward to reading more.

In this book, Martha is invited to open a country fair in a village called Winteringham It so happens that the vicar in this village has been a dear friend Luke, the vicar of Westleham and a person who is developing a complicated relationship with Martha. Martha, Luke, Lizzie the dog, Ruby (Martha’s sister) and a couple of friends take the train to Winteringham and prepare to spend a few days there. Because the village inn does not allow dogs, Martha, Lizzie, and Luke stay with the vicar, his wife, and their baby in the vicarage. Martha is nervous about her role opening the fair, but once that’s done, she can relax and simply enjoy herself—or so she thought.

She doesn’t have much time to relax, because she is soon drawn to look behind a tent where she finds the vicar’s niece dead. There could be no doubt that she was murdered. The doctor and the village constable are inept and make things worse, so Ruby calls in her boyfriend, a Scotland Yard detective. The vicar of Winteringham asks Luke and Martha to investigate and in spite of her misgivings and the potential for tension between the two vicars, who are old friends, they agree.

This is a very enjoyable cozy mystery that also deals with important themes. As with the first book, I like reading about Martha’s growing self-awareness and growth. She grows more comfortable within herself as she tried new things and steps out of her comfort zone. The issues raised in this book are current even though it’s set in 1947, showing that they are not new. We’ve been grappling with them for a long time. The mystery is interesting and well plotted. The case is solved in a satisfying way, although I thought the book itself ended rather abruptly. That could just be my own personal taste, though. I can see why the ending would work. Maybe I just wanted it to go on a bit longer! Hopefully in the next book, the characters will be picking up where they left off in this one.

I thank the publisher, the author, and Net Galley for an advance e-copy in exchange for this fair and unbiased review.

Here is a review of the first book in the series, which I don't think I posted here at the time I read it.

Poison at the Village Show (Martha Miller Book 1)

by Catherine Coles

It's 1947 and Martha Miller feels like an outsider in the village of Westleham ever since her husband left for work one day and vanished, leaving her destitute. She expands what was her victory garden, gets some chickens, and welcomes her sister, Ruby, as a lodger to make ends meet. She suffers from the gossip going around the village suggesting that her husband might just be found under her potato patch. When the town comes together for the first village show since the war began, Martha hopes that her plum gin will be a hit with those in attendance because it could provide her with an additional income stream. Things don't go according to plan when after the toast, the chairwoman of the show committee, clutches at her throat, turns pink and purple, and drops dead. Martha must work to clear her name.

This was an enjoyable read. I'm a big fan of cozy mysteries, with their villages full of quirky characters and amusing situations. This book had those things. I liked the characters and the village. Since it's labelled as the first in a new series, I know I can look forward to more and I will happily read on. I am interested to know what happens to the characters. I thought a strong aspect of the book was Martha's growth as she dealt with some of her issues of shame and isolation and accepted some things about her upbringing and her marriage. She learned that she was not as alone as she thought, and expanded her thinking about why others might behave as they do. The ongoing evolution of her relationship with her sister was also done quite well.

I had a minor quibble with the fact that one person remained a suspect far longer than was logical or plausible (to avoid spoilers, I will say no more), but this did not detract from my enjoyment of the book. It was a lovely way to spend a stormy afternoon!

I received an advance e-galley of this book from NetGalley, Boldwood Publishing, and the author in exchnage for a fair review. I thank them.

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