Murder in a Country Village is the second book in F.L. Everett's wonderful Edie York Mystery series.

What makes it such a wonderful series? Well, all the elements that I quite enjoy are there. Set in the years of WWII, the keep calm and carry on attitude, a plucky female protagonist, a mystery, a crime, an excellent crew of supporting characters - and a dog.

Manchester, London England. Edie is the local newspaper's obituarist. Which is good, but what she'd love to be is a crime reporter. On a ramble with her friend Ethel, they come across a body - and it's someone Ethel knows. Accident or deliberate?

Edie just can't help herself - she starts asking questions. And soon enough, DCI Louis Brennan is called upon.

I really enjoy this type of investigation. Answers, clues, secrets and more are found by interviews, conversations, hunches and instinct. So much more interesting than DNA matches etc.

Edie is such a great lead character and the reader can't help but behind her. Urging her on and sometimes shaking your head at some of her choices. But, it's her curious nature, her kindness and zest for life that makes her such a great protagonist. The supporting cast from the first book return - Lou, Annie her roommate, Lou's friend Arnold and Marple the dog. Everett gives her players personal lives that move forward. Yes, there's some romance afoot for some.

Everett has done a really good job of bringing her setting to life. She gives us detailed locales, food, businesses, the war and much more.

The first book, set the place and introduced the characters. With this second entry there's much more to the crime, the investigation and the characters. I will be watching for the third book!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this Advance Reader Copy and the opportunity to review “Murder in a Country Village.” All opinions and comments are my own.

Edie York is still reporting for the “Manchester Chronicle,” still writing her obituary column. Still wanting to be a crime reporter. Never mind she’d been involved in a real murder mystery (see book #1), it didn’t get her her “real” job. Dreamers can dream. This time her friend Ethel has attracted some dubious attention; an order of flowers sent to the office that she’s wondering about. Edie suggests they go for a weekend tramp up at a country house where people who “might” be involved are staying. Ethel agrees. And thus, the stage is set for “Murder in a Country Village,” whereby bodies will turn up, and Edie will get to showcase her crime reporter/snooping skills once again to find the answer to what really did happen at the artist colony.

Edie can be classified as one of those “plucky heroines” so popular in 40’s movies. Involved are the sidekick, the handsome inspector, some boyfriend troubles, the admonition to “keep out of it, Miss York” by the police, you know the drill. In author F.L. Everett’s hands, it’s all handled rather well.

Our girl also does a lot of introspection, never mind the who and what and why behind the killing(s). The book bogs down a bit in the middle -- the murders are not the only story here, which means there’s a lot to get through and it does take a while.

Soon, everything comes together, and gets explained. Back to waiting for what the war has in store for them. And the next investigation, of course, which we’re told is coming. Edie York and Inspector Lou Brennan make a good team, and though “Murder in Country Village” takes its time in spots, there’s an entertaining story here for historical mystery readers.

Edie York is angling for a bigger role as a reporter. Writing obituaries has become boring to her. Although still new on the job, she is determined to write front-page news. Things take a different turn, however, when she discovers a dead body.

Finding the body along with her best friend Ethel gives Edie the chance to become an amateur sleuth once again. This is not the only mystery at hand for Edie. There is also a missing teen, and Edie is determined to solve that case as well.

Meanwhile, with the setting during the World War II era, mention of blackouts, curfews and carrying gas masks levels a serious nature as to the time period in which Edie lived. Then there were the food rations to consider, especially when Edie helps out an old friend. An excellent setting, to be sure, all while Edie goes beyond the desire to make a name for herself.

This second book in the Edie York series was a delightful read, with interesting characters, intriguing mysteries and some surprising twists. If you enjoy cozy mysteries with great atmosphere, a touch of humor, along with a dose of compassion, then this book is for you.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

For one thing, I read this book first (book 2) so I can’t wait to read the first in the series. I enjoyed being immersed in wartime England, which sounds horrible because it was not fun to be there in reality, but I am learning about the 30s and 40s and what the community did to pull together in a time of war. It makes me heartened somewhat to know that people can and do sacrifice for the common good. In any case, Eydie is an obituary writer for a newspaper, and she encounters a dead body while out for a walk. She follows the clues and gets to know the people in the nearby small town, and suddenly there is a second body and a pair of missing children! I’m very intrigued to find out where the relationship between Eydie and Lou will go. Very much recommended!

I should start this review by saying that I haven’t read A Report of Murder, the first Edie York mystery, yet. While there are references to that first book in this story, I’m very happy that I never felt as if I missed out on vital information.

Murder in a Country Village is a charming, well-plotted, and fluently told mystery. It is also somewhat of a slow burner. While the first body is discovered fairly early on in the story it isn’t even qualified as anything other than an accident until well beyond the midway point of the book. Having said that, Edie has her doubts from the very start and can’t help but investigate both the death and the controversial community of pacifist artists Joyce, the victim was part of.

It isn’t until much later on in the story and Edie’s discovery of a second corpse that things speed up. That is also the moment when her friend, DCI Louis Brennan starts taking an active interest in the case.

There was quite a lot to enjoy in this story. Edie is a very likeable, be it at times exasperatingly impulsive, main character. It’s quite refreshing to encounter a DCI encouraging the amateur investigator to do more sleuthing rather than sternly forbidding them from such action. Edie’s roommate, her colleagues, her friends, and the girl she fell out with years earlier were all interesting and vividly described secondary characters. What’s more, Manchester and its surroundings during WWII made for a fascinating setting, just as the conflict between pacifists and the rest of the population added extra tension to the story.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this well-written and easy-to-read mystery. The crimes were enticingly mysterious, and the solution was satisfying. What’s more, the author played fair with the reader; the clues were there and I’m happy to say that Edie and I reached the same conclusion at more or less the same time. It’s highly probable that I will revisit Edie and Louis in the not-too-distant future.

This was so good i could see it playing out in front of me like I was watching an episode of Midsommer Murders.

It’s another good book in this series.
Edie is trying to figure out two mysteries, one a murder and the other a disappearance.
I did think the book started a bit slow, it took me several chapters to really get interested in the story. It becomes much better and really kept my attention to the end. It’s a nice cozy historical fiction

I enjoyed the authentic feel of this book set in the 1940's during the war. The FMC is smart and ambitious and she is trying to solve the murder of a well known activist that she wants to question for a colleague.

I didn't read the first book in this series and I think this book stood alone so that I was not lost.

The story is intriguing and .provides a lot of in-depth research about the era. Some of which I was not even aware of and I've read a lot of war-time books.

I would recommend this and I look forward to going back to the first novel and reading more from this author.

Thanks to Bookouture & NetGalley for a digital advance reader's copy. All comments and opinions are my own.

This is the second in the Edie York Mystery Series but can be read as a stand-alone. The novel takes place in 1941 during World War II in Manchester and the nearby fictional country village of Birchcroft in Lancashire. Edie is working as an obituarist at the Manchester Chronicle but once again becomes an amateur sleuth when she and her friend, Ethel, discover a body while out hiking in Birchcroft.

There are numerous characters in this story, many new ones and several friends returning from the first novel. Friendship is a recurring theme for Edie as she had no family, but thinks that “perhaps over time, good friends made up for that.” This book proves her right.

What I particularly liked about this novel is the writing style. Edie is observant and spunky, with a witty and flippant attitude that often had me laughing out loud. Her friend (and hopefully soon-to-be boyfriend) Detective Inspector Lou Brennan is also clever in his retorts, as when he responds to Edie’s far-fetched suggestion: “Ah yes, Superintendent Hunch. Thank goodness for unsubstantiated feelings, just what we need on this tricky case.”

In addition to the murder mystery and a missing teenager, the topic of war is always present. Author F.L. Everett has done an excellent job of researching this historical period, which she comments on in her note to the reader: “Of course, those who lived through the war didn’t just worry about the big dangers – bombing, their loved ones away fighting, or the threat of a German victory. They worried about coupons and the sugar ration, or how they’d get to work through the rubble, why prices had suddenly gone up, or whether their young man would ever propose. Reading diaries and letters of the time, it’s notable how much people thought about day-to-day life – finding their way home in the blackout, or a cake that didn’t rise and wasted the margarine ration. Even those away fighting dreamed of sleeping in a comfortable bed and going dancing again.

“They were of course, ordinary people, caught up for almost six years in something extraordinary. Writing about Edie and her friends brings the war to life for me – and reminds me that while we have the historical privilege of knowing the outcome, the people simply getting on with life in 1941 had no idea. I admire those past generations enormously, and I feel very lucky to be able to write about them with the benefit of hindsight.”

The novel accurately renders this time period and the “getting on with life” attitude of many during the war. It’s also an entertaining murder mystery that had me trying to solve the case (murders and a missing teen) along with Edie and Lou. Clues and red herrings, bohemians and anti-war activists, humor and thought-provoking “meaning of life” observations – all kept me turning the pages.

I did not read book 1 of the Edie York Mysteries, but Murder in a Country Village works well as a stand-alone novel. The background is 1941 Manchester, during the Blitz. Author F.L. Everett does a nice job of capturing the social and cultural background. Many people remembered the loss of a whole generation of men during the Great War, and they did not want another war. As a result, the conflict between pacifists and those who support the government's decision to join the war does create tension. But as a whole, people did support the need to fight against Hitler and stop him before his army invaded Great Britain. This historical background is the major strength of Murder in a Country Village, Book 2.

As a mystery, the story did not have much depth and was not a compelling read. Many cosy mysteries can have characters who are immensely appealing, and as a result, even when the plot is flawed, the characters carry the story and the novel. Edie York is supposed to be plucky and determined to solve the mystery, but plucky is not enough to make Edie an interesting or appealing character. The staged conflict between Edie and Lou, the D.I., was staged and fails as a way to advance the novel. The artificial petty argument between them, which occupies too much space, is a distraction. In many novels, the female protagonist and the detective work well together. But Everett expects readers to think that the D.I. is stupid and has no critical skills to solve a mystery, and thus, Edie has to keep calling him out on his incompetence. I understood why he was irritated.

The Bohemians do not work especially well. They are a houseful of differing personalities, none of whom seemed to believe in the purpose of their group, except as a way to exchange partners. The conclusion, which occurs without a return to Athena House, worked better than many other parts of the novel.

I think this series has possibilities, if Everett can create a better dynamic between Edie and Lou. Edie has good intuition, but Lou didn't make D.I. by being an idiot. Have them work together with more give and take. Edie cannot be the only brains in the partnership. Women can be smart, but there is no need to make them smarter than everyone else. Better balance will make Edie and Lou more appealing. I assume there is supposed to be a bit of romance brewing between them. Maybe it should be allowed to advance and warm up the partnership, at least a little.

Thank you to the author, publisher Bookouture, and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review. The comments above are my honest opinion.

I really like this mystery series that takes place during the early years of WWII in Manchester. Edie works writing obituaries for the local paper, but also has a deep curiosity to investigate mysteries. So when she and a friend find a dead body, she gets together with snarky Detective Inspector, Lou, to investigate what was going on in a Bohemian group of artist/pacifists. The mystery was well-done. I hadn’t guessed the guilty character. I really enjoyed the way the author evokes living on the home front with shortages and all the missing men and worries. The side characters were interesting and I liked the growing relationship between Edie and Lou. If you like historical mysteries, this is an excellent new series.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

I stumbled across the first Edie York mystery on Kindle Unlimited and absolutely loved it, so I couldn’t wait to read this next book. I’m thoroughly hooked on this series! It’s so refreshing to read about wartime Manchester rather than London, and as a northener I love recognising the familiar places but seeing them in unfamiliar times. The setting and the northern spirit are captured perfectly. The mystery was engrossing and sufficiently twisty to hold my interest, but the highlight of the books for me is the sparky will they / won’t they relationship between Edie and Lou. I really hope there are many more books to come.

This is the second Edie York mystery, and I liked it even better than the first. The publisher calls it a “historical cozy mystery”, but I think it’s more of a golden age mystery with a modern slant. FL Everett tips her hat at, and is obviously inspired in the very best way, by Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Margery Allingham et al, and manages to write a believable, enjoyable classic mystery but with a modern outlook as regards class and women’s role in society. I very much like the fact that her main characters are “ordinary people” and not from the genteel world of mansions, vicar’s daughters, Colonel policemen and sundry rich businessmen that people the golden age queens’ novels.

Edie is now firmly established as an “obituarist” at the paper, with secret hopes of eventually becoming a real journalist. The novel starts with her going on a walking tour in the countryside with her friend Ethel at the paper, in order to visit Athena House, an artist’s commune of friends to Ethel. On the way there, however, they stumble on the dead body of Joyce Reid, the owner of the house and a formidable pacifist who has managed to set the entire village against the commune with her conscientious objector’s speeches at the village hall. At the same time, Edie learns that two evacuees, a boy of fifteen and a girl of fourteen, has mysteriously gone missing a few days earlier. Edie talks her editor into letting her do an obituary of Joyce, in order to return to the village and do some sleuthing. When her friend, brisk, sarcastic DI Lou Brennan, later is convinced that there has been one or more crimes committed and that the local constable is useless, he and his large dog Marple comes with Edie in order to investigate Joyce’s murder and to search for the missing girl evacuee. They quickly turn up more than they bargained for.

This is such a fun book. The theatrical, poseur inhabitants of the commune, the impossibly genteel Lady Brackenfield who Lou manages to charm in order to rally support for the search party and police investigation, and the friendly banter of Edie’s friends - harassed war nurse and flatmate Annie, Arnold the nice undertaker and neighbor Clara, who has signed up to become a wartime pilot - made me laugh out loud several times. Everett adds to Edie’s universe with some new faces like Edie’s childhood friend from the orphanage, Suki, who’s escaping a violent husband and a new landlady, the fearsome Mrs Turner, who forbids male visitors. The wartime restrictions and tribulations are described believably and interestingly- Everett has clearly done her research, and effortlessly paints a picture of the time.

All in all a great read, and I stayed up far too late since I didn’t want to put the book down. Highly recommended.

I received a ARC from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Another good addition to this series. This mystery is full of suspicious characters and plenty of motives although not a typical village as they don't all have artist communes. It was plenty twisty with lots of red herrings which made it difficult to see who the murderer was. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

There is just something about the Edie York mysteries, they are like listening to a friend telling you a tale. They are engaging from the first page and entertain you right up to the last page. They are cosy and comforting , a bit like a hug.

Having read the first book and enjoyed it, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to have a sneak preview of the second Edie York book.
I enjoyed this one but it did take me longer to become wrapped up in the story. Love the relationship between Edie and Lou
Hope there will be more books in the series

This was a cosy mystery set in the 1940s. It was the second book in the Edie York mysteries series.

I found the village setting very cosy and comforting. I liked Edie and the way she talked to the reader. I liked the characters and the way they all seemed to look out for one another. There were some humorous moments, but not so much humour that it came across as silly. I would probably read another book featuring Edie as a protagonist.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy to review.

Murder in a Country Village is another delightful book in the Edie York series.

The Blitz is over and Edie has agreed to join her friend for a walk in a small village and they come upon a dead body.

The body is identified as Joyce Reid and thus the new investigation has begun.

Edie never leaves well enough alone, her curiosity and her ability to read people have you rooting for her every step of the way.

Then a young teen goes missing and Edie with Lou's help must determine if the two incidents are related.

Coincidence is not high on Edie's list.

I laugh out loud at Edie sometimes as she says to herself what we are all thinking and her power of reasoning is like no other.

Many suspects to choose from with twists and turns that will have you guessing along with both Lou and Edie.

The plot is clever and the reader gets to know more about Edie and her past.

I cant wait to see where F.L. Everett and Edie will take us next.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for a delightful series that keeps those pages turning

F.L. Everett’s Murder in a Country Village is the second in her Edie York series. Edie is the obituaries columnist on the Manchester Chronicle during WWII but has a knack of getting embroiled in murder mysteries. This time, she is walking in the Peak District with a colleague from the Chronicle when she finds a dead body. The dead woman, Joyce Reid, shared her house in a small village with a set of bohemian artists who believed in free love and had no qualms about bed-hopping. Or did they? Was one of them jealous enough to push Joyce over the cliff-edge?

This is a very well-written book. The pace is tight and, although there were one or two too many artists for me to keep track of, they were necessary to the plot. Edie’s friend, DI Lou Brennan, provides a “will they, won’t they?” romantic interest as well as enabling certain aspects of the plot to progress with his senior police credentials. I think Lou’s harsh “Don’t you ever dare to do that again.” And “I’m telling you to….” were perhaps a little overdone. If he cares for Edie – and we assume he does, whether Edie or he acknowledge that – I think there would be a gentler tone on occasion with “Edie, please don’t…”. The unrelenting barking at Edie needs some modulation, even if he is angry or stressed, otherwise the narrative becomes a smidgen predictable.

The gloomy aspects of Manchester during the Blitz, with its bombsites; its rationing; and its blackout are portrayed beautifully as a backdrop. There isn’t much irritating foresight along the lines of “After the war, I think this will happen…”. I will definitely forgive the one instance I spotted, where Pat at the Chronicle says “I just wonder what’ll happen to the young lasses when the war’s over. All these new skills and excitements, then they’ll be back home again, washing some bloke’s smalls.” I often wonder how the women who took up new occupations during WWI, such as ticket inspectors and guards on trains or ambulance drivers felt when that war was over and they were dismissed so that a demobbed soldier could take their job. On the one hand, “Good news: you can now vote in general elections” and on the other, “Bad news: you’re out of a job.” There must have been many such women around in 1941 who could tell Pat all about it.

I am very much looking forward to Book 3 in the Edie York series.

#MurderontheHomeFront #NetGalley

When I started reading Murder in a Country Village, the story captivated me in such a way that I couldn't stop: the plot is brilliant, the intrigue perfectly constructed in such a way as to gradually reveal the characters, understand their motives and interests, and allow the reader to hypothesise who is responsible for the crime.
The World War II setting is also perfect for justifying the involvement of the whole community, thus placing an entire village with motivations against the victim.
Also, the way the author describes the context of the United Kingdom in the years of WWII, with the deprivation, despair and hopes of the population, with the framing of the measures that were, at the time, considered the best, is also a way of putting us in touch with a historical reality that has almost been forgotten but which was part of the lives of our parents and grandparents.
What's more, the dynamic between Edie York and Louis Brennan leaves us wondering how their relationship will develop - will they be able to resolve their fears and differences?
For all these reasons, I can only say that I really enjoyed it and highly recommend reading it.
I received an advance copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily, thanks to the author for it.