Overall a good murder mystery, but sadly this was the first I've read in the series, which probably hindered my interest in the characters. Still though, a good story and kept my interest to the end. Would recommend.

This is the 8th installment in this series but it can be read as a stand alone and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Solid mystery, loved setting, an interesting and well developed MC.
The well written plot kept me guessing.
I think I will read the other books in this series.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

A lovely well written book of murder and intrigue. Who would murder such a well loved old lady, who was to too far from death, on her own accord. The route to the answer is twisted and leads in all directions until a very satisfying but sad ending. a book I found hard to put down. Thanks you NetGalley and the publishers for the DRC

A cozy mystery with a bit of grit…

Jane Adams has written a thoroughly engaging English countryside mystery featuring actress Rina Martin, who is now semi-retired and the “proprietress” of a Victorian era boarding house, Peverill Lodge. At first, the case appears pretty simple – so simple that there’s not really a case at all: the aging but still mentally sharp painter, Jean Hammond, is found dead in her garden. She was known to have a dicey heart, so at first everyone assumes that she had a heart attack. But discrepancies keep popping up, both small (why was she sitting on the ground when it was so hard for her to get up) and large (two valuable paintings of Jean’s are missing from the walls of her house, The Willows). Eventually enough of these odd pieces fall into place, and it seems there may be a serial killer on the loose.

Rina, who knows practically everyone in town, is asked by Jean’s grandson to investigate. And together with her found family of friends and lodgers, and local policeman, Mac McGregor, she does – and figures out whodunnit in time to prevent even more deaths. Murder at the Willows is a bit unusual in that readers are let in on who is responsible for the killings well before the end of the book, but will still keep reading to find out the details about how and why. And although it has many of the trappings of a cozy mystery, there is also an edge of grittiness that keeps Murder in the Willows from being just cotton-candy.

I had not read any of the previous Rina Martin books, but didn’t find this to be too much of an issue. The author does a good job of filling in the necessary background, and although it took me a little while to figure out the characters and their various relationships, I was still able to enjoy the book without ever feeling lost. My thanks go to the publishers, Joffe Books, and to NetGalley for the review copy, and I’m now looking forward to the next book in the series. And finally, please keep in mind that I don’t give many five-star reviews, so for me, this four-star review is a solid recommendation to read this book.

Number 8 in the series but can read as a stand alone

When a loved member of the community is found sat against a tree in her garden it looks at first like a peaceful natural passing but upon further investigation it appears that as loved as she was someone wanted her dead

Rina used to playing a tv sleuth takes her band of lodgers and starts to delve into what happened

Very enjoyable thank you to Netgalley for this arc

I read prior reviews that this book was part of a series you can read it as a stand along. I found I was a little lost and wish I had moreinformation. But with that being said, I will be putting prior books on TBR list.

Wow! This was a perfect whodunit! This is the first book I've read in this series but once I sorted out who all the characters were, I could not put this book down. A famous artist is found dead in her garden holding a crushed flower in her hand. At first It seemed like a natural death as she was elderly and had health problems, but Its later revealed that she was murdered. Several of her acquaintances were murdered in a similar fashion. All these murders seem to be connected to several murders in the past. Retired actress Rina Martin once again helps the police investigate. I am looking forward to the next book in this series. Thank you to the publisher and to netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

This book is right up my street. A series of murders in a leafy town and a group of would be detectives, led by a would be Miss Marple, set out to solve the crime. Rina is the mother figure and person that everyone runs to in the event of difficulty. When her friend Jean dies unexpectedly she begins to wonder what has happened. When a youngster, Ursula, who she has been looking out for, admits to being asked by the deceased to remove something from her property in the event of her death Rina knows there is something sinister going on. Cue a series of events that, with her friends, lead Rina to establish who committed the murders and why.
This is an easy read, believable and realistic. I highly recommend Murder at the Willows to anyone who likes a good murder mystery.
I have been gifted a free copy of this by Net Galley in exchange for a review but all my views are my own.

I'm a big fan of a cosy murder mystery with a female amateur slurry at the realm but this one lacked something for me and although there seven previous books within this series I'm not inspired to seek them out.

There is clearly a lot of background and history to this series and the characters within it as it's the eighth novel in the series (didn't realise this my mistake) so feel that I was not able to fully appreciate the story as well as if I had read the previous books as I packed the knowledge to fully immerse myself in the plot.

This is book 8 in a series, and I have to confess I was a bit lost with characters and situations that were obviously featured in previous books. Overall, this was a good read with an excellent plot and good characters.

I'm normally hesitant to start a series on book 8, but I was pleasantly surprised with this one. The author brings you up to date in about a page and then it's off to the murders. This is a lovely cozy, although it wasn't really a "try to solve it" mystery-it's more of a explore the past mystery. The descriptions of English village life were lush; the detectives were spunky; and if you like Midsommer Murders, you will like this series. Now I have to go back and read books 1-7.

I have read other's in this series but not all never the less I dropped right back into it and knew who the background character's were which made this a very easy read. The plot was well thought with lots of twists and turn to keep you glued as there is a lot going on both present and in the past. It's a very different, compelling read which I couldn't put down and read in one sitting. I couldn't decide between 4 or 5 stars so 4.5 rounded up. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Murder at the Willows was a very enjoyable read.
Long forgotten crimes and mysteries paired with art theft are just my cup of tea.
I hadn't realized it was the eighth installment in a series, but that didn't really matter because in no time you get to know the people in the story.
Not giving a definite solution to everything made the book more realistic than most crime fiction, which to me is a plus.

Thoroughly enjoyed this murder mystery with some great characters it was the perfect whodunit.
Apparently this is the eighth book in the series but I read it as a stand alone as not read any of the others.
Took me a while to get to grips with who all the characters were but once I had it was fine.
Well written with a good plot the author keeps us entertained with all its interesting twists throughout.
Rina Martin is a retired actress who enjoys a touch of crime solving.
She played a tv sleuth for many years & now she is dabbling in it for real.
After a famous artist named Jean dies it appears on first appearance it was natural causes.
But all is not what it seems & soon it becomes apparent she was murdered.
Her grandson tries to get to the bottom of Jeans death & seeks the help of Rina.
The inconsistencies keep adding up & then slowly all the secrets of many years start to enfold.
Plenty going on to keep the reader entertained.

I received this advance reader copy via Netgalley and the publisher, in return for an honest review. This is the 8th book in this series and, while it can be read as a standalone, I’d rather have read previous books in the series to set all the characters. Rina Martin, protagonist, is a retired actress from a famous TV detective series. She now owns and runs a boarding house with an interesting group of inhabitants. She also mentors two former foster care college students, so there are lots of people to track.
There’s a parallel story of a woman who was abused by her now deceased mother and figures prominently in the story.
When a local woman is found dead in her garden, holding a flower, her adopted son calls on Rita for help since the police determined it was not suspicious. Rita realizes there are inconsistencies and enlists advice from a detective police officer friend. There’s also a painting that figures prominently in the story.
Kudos to the author for weaving all these narratives into the story. I found the beginning bewildering with all the people and the abused woman’s story depressing. The writing was solid but this just wasn’t a book for me.

The death of an elderly female artist clutching a blue flower arouses suspicion. The theft of valuable works of art are stolen, and a mysterious folder of objects and photos lead Rina and her friends deeper into the investigation. The story offers much to readers who enjoy a good mystery.
As the plot unfolds we learn of further deaths and robberies, that had taken place in previous years, adding more tension, intrigue and the question of whether there was a link?
The characters are all likeable, especially Rina and Mac, the detective leading the case. Everyone, including the reader gets caught up in the puzzle. The story is full of interesting investigation techniques, as every small detail is analysed building a picture which would lead to the killer.
This novel was a good example of a crime novel, drawing the reader in with unexpected twists and turns, alongside a conclusion that has the reader holding their breath! Brilliant. I have really enjoyed reading and reviewing this story for NetGalley!

Rina Martin is a retired actress who owns Peverill House a Victorian boarding house. She has a taste for tea, gardening and crime solving. She played a TV sleuth for years, but now she has to do it for real.
Famous artist Jean appears to have passed peacefully in her sleep as she rested against a tree in the garden of her home, the Willows. Her legs are outstretched, hands tenderly clutching a small blue flower. But upon closer inspection, things don’t add up. The clues soon point to murder. Jean was beloved by the community, who would do such a thing? Her grandson is determined to uncover the truth and hires Rina to investigate.
The eighth outing for Rina & this could be read as a stand alone but there are quite a few characters so I'd recommend reading the series in order to fully appreciate it. The characters are well portrayed & Rina’s boarders are a diverse but entertaining bunch who add to the stories. The pace is good & there are plenty of clues, red herrings as well as twists & turns, all of which made the pages fly by. I loved the mix of humour with the mystery & look forward to the next in the series
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

Enjoyable sort of cosy murder mystery, nothing too gory although some uncomfortable reading. For once the "amateur sleuth" works with the detective as they try to unravel aspects of the death of a well-known artist, her history with relatives, disadvantaged children, historic child abuse and present-day coercion. Bit slow to get off the ground and it might help to flesh out characters if the reader has read previous stories. Nonetheless, well-described characters and context. Good read. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy.

This is the 8th book in the Rina Martin series. I am a big fan and have read them all. While you can certainly read this book on its own, it’s much more fun if you read them in sequence. There is a recurring cast of characters that form an unlikely familial bond. Knowing the back story gives the books more dimension and adds to the enjoyment. By the time you reach book #8, you are invested in the lives of all the characters.

I will say that this is one of the best in the series. I prefer cozies to thrillers and hate books with serial killers. A mystery is more fun if there is a clear motive. Also, I don’t think the main character here is anything like Miss Marple or Agatha Raisin. Think Murder She Wrote and you will be closer to the truth. Rina Martin is a force to be reckoned with, insightful, and is always in the thick of things.

We find all our familiar characters here with another series of curious events to solve. Rina as usual has her finger on the pulse having known the latest victim of foul play, artist Jean Hammond. When things are not as they seem, the group works to tie all the loose ends together to make a complete picture. Why didn’t Jen use her walking stick? Why is she clutching dead flowers, and where is her phone? I particularly loved the back story here.

Well worth a read.

While this was the first book I have read in this series, I hope it isn't the last one get to read.
The death of a local artist seems "off" to her "adopted" son. There is something that just doesn't seem right to a rookie policewoman also. The death is ruled natural causes, Then the son mentions it to Rina Martin and the questions start to fly. Then a different police investigator notices an odd quirky match with a previous death. Could we have a serial killer or was it coincidence?

While (for me) the book started slow, once I was engaged in the story, it was hard to put down. I stay up after everyone else in the house had gone to bed just to find out exactly who?, what?, and why? because at that point I had to have answers.