Murder on a Country Walk is the fourth book in a series and it would help to read the others first, I hadn't so felt a bit behind in a few places but I'll go back and read the earlier books in the series as I really enjoyed this book. This was well written and had enough twists to keep me guessing. It's set in Halloween so if you like seasonal books keep this one in mind.
Thanks to NetGalley and Joffe Books for my review copy of this book.

I really enjoyed this book.. I loved the plot and story line. However it was really hard for me to keep up with the characters. I had trouble keeping up with who was who. It was a good read though and I look forward to reading more!

The best review for an arc is when you buy the book. I read the arc and then bought the book.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I am a huge fan of Janice and her work. I have read and thoroughly enjoyed every book that she has written to date. As soon as I finish her new book then I (im)patiently wait for the next one. Janice's newest release is 'Murder On A Country Walk', which is the fourth book in the series featuring Detectives Warwick and Bell, and it was released on 2nd April 2024. I really enjoyed reading 'Murder On a Country Walk' but more about that in a bit.

It didn't take me long at all to get into 'Murder On A Country Walk'. In fact by the time I got to the end of the first few pages, I knew that this was a book that I was going to enjoy and that I would find it rather difficult to put down for any length of time. So it proved to be. I had picked the book up only intending to read a chapter or two but I became so wrapped up in the story and in the lives of the different characters that I was still sat there several chapters and an hour or so later. The more of the book that I read, the more I wanted to read and the quicker the pages seemed to turn. I just had to know if the perpetrator of the crimes was the person I suspected. I was concentrating on the story so much that I didn't realise just how quickly the time was passing and the speed with which I was getting through the book. All too quickly I reached the end of 'Murder On A Country Walk' and had to say goodbye to the characters. I found 'Murder On A Country Walk' to be a gripping, tense and dramatic read, which certainly kept me guessing and kept me on the edge of my seat.

'Murder On A Country Walk' is extremely well written and then some but I have come to expect nothing less from Janice Frost. Janice certainly knows how to grab the reader's attention and draw them into what proves to be one hell of a story and then some. I have to say that this story hit the ground running and maintained a fairly fast pace throughout. This story is certainly going to stay fresh in my mind for a long time to come and that's down to the way in which the story starts. Janice clearly cares about her characters and this shines through in the very vivid and realistic way in which she describes them. She makes her characters seem just as real as you and I. I felt as though I was part of the story myself and that's thanks to Janice's very vivid and realistic storytelling. Reading 'Murder On A Country Walk' felt like being on an unpredictable and rather scary rollercoaster ride with several twists and turns along the way.

In short I really enjoyed reading 'Murder On A Country Walk' and I would recommend it to other readers. I look forward to reading much more of Janice's work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek Board is a very well deserved 4* out of 5*.

Many thanks to Joffe Books and Netgalley for the eARC copy of this book

It's not Halloween without Dracula. In this, the fourth book in the Warwick and Bell series, Dracula is also carrying a big knife! Special Constable Jane Bell is on Halloween patrol with her partner. They're called to area of town where Dracula is seen knocking on doors, waving the knife, then taking off. They spot him but he takes off. Unfortunately Bell's partner suffers a heart attack and Bell is unable to give chase. Minutes later DI Stephanie Warwick and her team are called to a murder just streets away. The victim was attacked by Dracula wielding a large knife. Turns out this wasn't just a random attack, secrets and lies are at the root of this murder.

This series just keeps getting better and better as it grows. The relationship between Bell and Warwick is rocky but slowly improving. I highly recommend the series, and I give this book 4 stars.

What a delightful book and I am so sorry the story came to an end. I could have gone on for hours reading about the ups and downs of these people, and I sincerely hope this does not mean a final goodbye to Jane Bell, Ed and Steph.

I have not read the previous volumes, but I did not feel I was missing anything.
I am quite familiar with the area in which this cosy mystery is set.
The story has an unusual theme: it all begins on 31 October, Halloween.
Dovesby, in the rural Lincoln Wolds, is preparing for its annual Halloween party, Special Constable Jan Bell and her partner Tim are on duty, the three self-catering cottages have been let and new tenants have moved into the majestic Tornally Hall, a large estate on the outskirts of the town.

When a mother and daughter are stabbed by 'Dracula' on Halloween night, the rustic town is thrown into turmoil. The daughter, Gina, survives the attack, but the mother succumbs to her injuries.Soon after, a walker is found not having returned from a long walk; she had rented one of the cottages to work on her dissertation in peace.

Jane is called in by DI Steph Walker as the town's 'eyes and ears'. She is asked to help solve both murders.

I grew very fond of Jane during the course of the story. She is a widow in her mid-forties, a bit headstrong and, in my eyes, a younger version of Miss Marple, with a 'Vera' approach (TV series of the same name).
She inadvertently sticks her nose into everything, sometimes with dramatic consequences, and often against the grain of 'Steph', who thinks she is a loose cannon. However, her incisive attitude speeds up the investigation into the murders of the two women.

I really liked the reference to one of my all time favourite TV shows, although the younger generation won't have any idea who 'Steed' (Patrick O'Neill) was… (- The Avengers - with ‘Emma Peel’- amazing series!)

Despite her rather blunt attitude, I found 'Steph' to be one of the most interesting protagonists in the story, alongside Jane Belle.
The other members of her team don't really know how to deal with Steph as she can come off as rather blunt, and stingy with compliments, albeit they do respect her for her work ethic and expertise.
From the beginning I wondered why she is the way she is. In the end, she shares what she has always struggled with and opens up. I somehow found that very moving. Some people wear a mask to hide the pain they carry. Sometimes it is what we go through that makes us who we are.
That includes Gina, of course - who lost her mother in the knife attack on Halloween, but hers is a different kind of story…
Great setting, with interesting characters, village gossip, people who mean well but don't know how and yet others who hide their true nature but have little good in store.

I really hope to see these people again, because for me, their story is not finished yet!

'Murder On A Country Walk' is a murder mystery set in a small village in England. featuring well-crafted characters and a plot filled with twists and turns.. The story is fast-paced, suspenseful, and kept me interested until the end. If you enjoy murder mysteries, it's probable that you will enjoy this read. It's part of a series, but works well as a standalone. You may get some familiarity and more depth with the characters by reading other works in this series, but it's not required to follow the plot. All in all, an enjoyable, quick, murder story.

I feel like this is just shyyyy of being able to be considered a cozy mystery!

I enjoyed the read. Given that it is number 4 of the series, I know I would have connected with the characters more had I read 1-3 beforehand. However, this novel was solid enough to be a standalone.

Easy flow to the story with multiple perspectives

Good read for the Halloween season!

3.5 stars

Special Constable Jane Bell and her partner DC Tim Sterne are on patrol in Lincoln as the Halloween celebrations are in full swing. When reports come in of a Dracula lookalike brandishing a knife, the pair give chase when they spot him but soon have to give up when Tim suffers a heart attack. Fortunately he is saved by the paramedics but other officers in the area lose the suspect. Jane hopes it was a harmless prank but soon discovers otherwise when she hears two women from Doveby, the village where Jane’s blacksmith partner Ed lives, have been attacked by the same man whilst visiting Lincoln. The mother has died whilst the daughter has escaped with minor injuries. Surely just a random attack? DI Steph Warwick and her partner DS Elias Harper are in charge of the case and knowing Jane’s propensity to get involved in other people’s investigations, Steph tells her to keep clear but maybe she could glean a little local knowledge of the victims whilst visiting Ed’s home. Jane jumps at the chance and wastes no time in seeking out the gossip! Then a woman staying in a holiday cottage in the same village goes missing and Steph and Elias wonder if there could be a link to the previous attack, especially when they have another body on their hands. With Steph heading up two murder cases and Jane perfectly placed for some undercover snooping, will the pair be able to work together to solve these strange crimes?
Jane is instantly likeable, the sort of woman you’d want for your best friend. Steph, due to her past trauma which is explained in this story, is brittle and much harder to get to know but has herself, with help from Elias, been making more of an effort with people lately. This is an excellent police procedural with some great characters, my favourite being the calm and steady Elias with his love of amateur dramatics who is superbly empathetic and an absolute rock for Steph. The plot is well laid out and very twisty, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. 4.5*

Another thrilling book by this author. I love the characters and the way their back stories are gradually being developed. Great plot too.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Joffe Books for an advance copy of Murder on a Country Walk, the fourth novel to feature DI Steph Warwick and Special Constable Jane Bell of Lincolnshire Police.

On Halloween night Jane and her partner are asked to investigate reports of a masked Dracula waving a knife about, but he escapes after a chase. The next morning DI Warwick and DS Elias want the full details from her as an hour later a woman was murdered and her daughter injured by a mask wearing Dracula. Jane is Doveby where the murder victim lived visiting her boyfriend when a young woman disappears.

I enjoyed Murder on a Country Walk, which has an absorbing plot and a few twists to keep the reader guessing. It is mostly told from Warwick and Bell’s points of view with little to no input from the perpetrator and that suits me just fine. I like the concentration on the investigation and the mystery of guessing who did what and how the pieces fit together. I got some of it, but not enough to claim victory as it ends up quite complicated.

It is a novel of contrasts in style. Warwick is a demanding boss who thrives on detail and proper procedure, while Bell is basically nosy in a good way, wanting to ferret out those details for Warwick, with an unhealthy disregard for personal safety and procedure. To be kind it’s over enthusiasm, to be realistic it’s recklessness on Bell’s part while Warwick is dedicated or really poor at interpersonal relations. They are probably a mixture of both.

The plot goes this way and that. The daughter, Gina Gedney, quickly catches Warwick’s eye as a suspect in her mother’s murder so the team spend a lot of time examining her life. There are surprises and a certain amount of ambiguity involved, while the disappearance of Bree Fawcett takes them in another direction. I don’t think that the novel is particularly fast moving, but there’s always something to keep the reader occupied and speculating.

Murder on a Country Walk is a good read that I can recommend.

I’d like to thank Joffe Books and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Murder On A Country Walk’, book 4 of the Warwick & Bell Crime Mysteries written by Janice Frost, in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

It’s Halloween and Special Constable Jane Bell and PC Tim Sterne are chasing a person dressed as Dracula and wielding a machete. Jane stops running when Tim becomes unwell and the mystery person disappears, but the following morning DI Steph Warwick arrives at Jane’s front door saying that two women have been stabbed by a person similarly described, one of the women is injured and the other dead. Jane is given permission to search for clues in the village of Dovesby where the crime took place but wonders if it’s a coincidence that a young woman has disappeared from her holiday cottage or if the two cases are connected.

‘Murder On A Country Walk’ is a crime mystery based around Lincoln’s picturesque villages with Special Constable Jane Bell getting involved in crimes that invariably put her at risk. The plot is involving with plenty of intrigue and twists and turns, and the characters of Jane Bell and Steph Warwick could make a strong and interesting duo, but Steph is so arrogant that she comes over as thoroughly unpleasant and not enjoyable to read about. Nevertheless, this is an enjoyable book that’s easy to read with a conclusion that ties up all the loose ends, and although not my favourite novel by Janice Frost, I’m still happy to recommend it.

Warwick and Bell #4

Halloween. One of the most busiest nights of the year for Lincolnshire police. Special Constable Jane Bell is called to reports of someone in a Dracula mask terrorising residents of a nearby estate with a replica knife. She races to the scene - but the man in the mask flees into the night, The next morning, Detective Steph Warwick turns up on Jane's doorstep. There's been a murder. Dracula went on to attack two women, retired schoolteacher Susan Gedney and her daughter Gina. Susan died at the scene, Gina survived. The knife turned out to be all too real.

This is a suspense-filled read with added creepiness with it being Halloween. The story is told from multiple perspectives. A Dracula masked character had been running around the village, carrying a bloodied knife. He attacks a mother and daughter, the mother dies, and the body count rises. The characters are well-developed. I love Jane Bell, she shows how Special Constables can help the police force to perfection. There are lots of twists in this fast-paced read.

Published 2nd April

I would like to thank #NetGalley #JoffeBooks and the author #JaniceFrost for my ARC of #MurderOnACountryWalk in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this book ahead of time in exchange for a review. You should read it!

Two women from a small village in Lincolnshire are attacked on Halloween by a man dressed as Dracula. Then a young woman goes out for a walk in the same village and never returns. Is it a coincidence or are the cases related?

This is an interesting mystery, and hard to categorize. It’s not quite a cozy and not quite a police procedural. I enjoyed the mystery itself but unfortunately never really connected with Jane Bell, the amateur sleuth. Although there are some references to things that happened in previous books in the series this can be read as a stand alone story.

This is #4 in the Warwick and Bell series, but can easily be read as a standalone. I went back and read the first three afterwards.

DI Steph Warwick and Special Constable Jane Bell work for Lincolnshire police, but there’s definitely a personality clash between them. Jane keeps turning up in Steph’s cases, which really annoys Steph!

A Hallowe’en prank turns into murder, with a stabbing carried out by Dracula. Jane has seen the Dracula character scaring people and then running from the scene. Steph turns up on Jane’s doorstep the next morning, telling her that one of the victims has died.

I really enjoyed this series and would highly recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Joffe Books for an advance reader copy in return for an honest review.

A good murder mystery, set during Halloween. I liked this one overall, although the jumping around from character to character got a bit too much for me at times. might just be me. Still though, a good British cop mystery and one I would recommend.

"We were chasing Dracula when it happened."​

Just imagine trying to find a murderer dressed as Dracula on Halloween night. There are reports of someone dressed as a vampire who is knocking on doors, waving a big knife, and then running away. Not to mention there's a party going on in that exact area, where the attendees are all dressed as vampires! This turns out to be the tip of the iceberg ... and then it's hang-on-to-your-hat-time, navigating all of the twists and turns in Murder ​on a Country Walk!

What a great book! I like all of the characters. Special Constable Jane Bell is managing to find happiness again. I especially love Detective Sergeant Elias Harper, who is slowly, slowly, rounding the sharp edges of DI Stephanie Warwick's personality.

My only wish is for the characters to more consistently be referred to by their first or last names. I felt as though I had made my way through half the book when suddenly someone was referred to as Harper. I thought "Who?? Ah, yes. The same character referred to as Elias in half the book." (Then again, maybe it's an old age thing on my part, haha.)

Anyway, I recommend Murder ​on a Country Walk and believe it can be read as a standalone!

Many thanks to both #JoffeBooks and #NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of ​#Murder​On​ACountryWalk. This book is #​4 in the #WarwickAndBell series and the expected publication date is April 2, 2024.

​#Warwick​AndBell

Review of “Murder on a Country Walk” by Janice Frost

Disclaimer: Please note that I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley, in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Janice Frost delivers a gripping British crime mystery that starts with a Halloween prank and spirals into a chilling murder, keeping readers hooked from start to finish as Special Constable Jane Bell and Detective Steph Warwick navigate a complex investigation.

While the story kicks off with a slew of characters, once it gains momentum, it becomes an addictive read with twists that kept me guessing until the very end. Despite the initial challenge of keeping track of numerous characters, Frost’s masterful storytelling draws you in effortlessly, making it impossible to put the book down until you’ve uncovered the truth behind the crime.

With its rich cast of characters and compelling plot, “Murder on a Country Walk” is a must-read for fans of mystery novels. I raced through this book in a single afternoon, thoroughly enjoying every twist and turn. I highly recommend it to anyone in search of a gripping murder mystery that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Murder on a country walk follows special constable Jane Bell as she helps detectives investigating murders around the Halloween celebrations. Jane is very keen and often gets on the nerves of DI Steph Warwick in her eagerness to investigate.

There are quite a few characters involved and the book jumps around between them. It’s an enjoyable read with good pacing.

The plot reveals weren’t particularly disguised but that didn’t detract from the reading.

I gave this book three and a half stars rounded up to four.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review.