I like G.M. Malliet’s series featuring Detective Chief Inspector Arthur St. Just and Sergeant Garwin Fear, and I absolutely adore her other series featuring Anglican priest Max Tudor, who left MI5 to become a vicar. Therefore, I naturally couldn’t wait to read Malliet’s newest book, <i>Weycombe</i>.

The eponymous Weycombe is an idyllic English village, the posh home of American Jillian White; she’s in a crumbling marriage with a handsome, once-charming aristocrat. Out of work for nine months, Jillian has plenty of time to poke into the murder of her next-door neighbor, the gorgeous, Rubenesque estate agent (real-estate agent for you Americans) Anna Monroe. Married to an invalid, Anna had a wandering eye and a great many secrets — one of which has clearly come home to roost.

Malliet had me from the first page. I didn’t think I could possibly like this book more than the ones with Father Max, but I was so very wrong. Jillian turns out to be clever and irreverent, and the suspenseful ending hit me in the solar plexus. This is, by far, my favorite book by Mailliet. Which is very, very high praise, indeed!

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley and Midnight Ink in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Midnight Ink for an arc of this novel.

I think I've read every book G. M. Malliet has written, she is a real favorite of mine. When I saw this one was located in an English village and read in the descriptions all the comparisons to Agatha Christie I was looking forward to reading it. Unfortunately it was a big disappointment and the only comparisons made to Agatha Christie were the main character thinking she was following in the sleuthing footsteps of that great author. She was not!

Jillian White is the main character and the narrator of the story. She is an American who has lived in England for ten years and fell in love with and married a member of the British aristocracy - but of a rather minor sort so don't go getting all starry eyed over that connection. Jill finds the body of a woman, actually her next door neighbor, from the exclusive gated community in which they both live in the village of Weycombe. So far things seemed to be going well with the reading until all the unsettled atmosphere and dark psychological attitude began to intrude. The problem was that our main character was just not a nice person and she was carrying a ton of emotional baggage which she seemed almost content to hold on to. After reading almost half of the book I took notice of some rather unusual phrasing I was picking up on so decided to keep notes. Hmm, what I had was a roadmap to the guilty person. I kept on reading to the end because I wanted to see how Malliet would present the completion of the story.

This novel is one where it would be very easy to tell too much about the story and end up spoiling it for anyone who hasn't read the book. I don't want to do that so I'm just going to repeat that I was very disappointed. I didn't find anything that was good enough to compensate for the main character and the overall plotting.

Weycombe by G. M. Malliet
American Jillian White lives with her titled English husband in the exclusive little village of Weycombe. When a real estate agent is found murdered, the village is shaken. Jillian, at loose ends because of losing her job at the BBC, works on solving the murder. Her investigation gives the reader an intimate glimpse into the lives of the people living in Weycombe and turns up a very surprising conclusion.

The characters were well-drawn and their motivations were studied. The author kept me guessing as to who had “done it.” She saved the best twist until the end and then still left me wondering what Jillian would do.

I enjoyed this book even though it is a different genre from what I usually read, which is Christian fiction. Although the language was a bit crude, the plot was good. Readers who enjoy a good murder mystery with a surprise will enjoy this one, too.

Wonderful departure for this author. Don't miss it.

This book held my interest throughout. It was very definitely a different angle on a crime book.
I enjoyed the author's dry humour, which had me giggling from time to time....always a good thing in a book.
I did have to suspend disbelief a few times, but on the whole a very enjoyable read.
Many thanks.

This was my first G. M. Malliet novel, but not my last. Very enjoyable!! I enjoyed how well the characters were drawn and suspense was built. I was curious about the progtags from the very beginning and enjoyed the surprises.

Thanks to Midnight Ink and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to preview and review this book.

I'm a newcomer to G.M. Malliet's writing and I was pleasantly surprised with this whodunnit, it was a real page turner for me. The main Character, Jill, on finding Anna murdered, draws you in with her narrative as the American wife of well to do Will living in the tight knit village of Weycombe. Jill's character is well rounded and likeable. Through Jill, who fancies herself as an amateur sleuth, we meet the other villagers and get to know the murder victim, Anna.

If you enjoy a murder mystery or psychological thriller with a dash of humour added throughout, this is thoroughly enjoyable read.

Definately a book to buy and read can also be used for a book club.
Triller with a twist to it could not put down the book till the end it keeps the reader guessing till the end of the plot I liked the twist at the end of the book did not see that coming full of suspence till the end.
It does leave the reader with a question mark at the end why did Milo come to see her sfter all these years was it for revenge.............

A truly great mystery! I didn't give it five stars, due to the reasoning of the murderer! Sociopathic behavior is instilled, they are of Satan, very simple! This would make a great Masterpiece Theatre Mystery! I highly recommend if you like warped mysteries! Thanks! Enjoy!
carolintallahassee 👒

A clever and well paced mystery. This was a unique mystery about the murder of a women in a well off British community. Told in the first person, the story was dry at points, but the overall story arch was well done and the way hints are laid was superb. A good read.

G. M. Malliet brings us a well written "Who Done It" set in an upscale gated community in England. The novel is set up with the main protagonist; Jillian White as the narrator and analyzer of the events portrayed. Jillian is an American living in Weycombe, the community described with her English husband whom she met while attending Oxford. He is a member of the British peerage, has a title, and an excellent career which allows him to provide the wherewithal to live in Weycombe even when Jillian loses her job with the BBC.
The novel begins as Jillian, finishing her morning exercise run, spots the dead body of a woman near the road. The police are called and determine that the lady was murdered starting an investigation in which Jillian and her neighbors are questioned since the woman was a resident in Weycombe. Jillian decides that since she has the time she will also attempt to solve the crime. With a very pleasing tongue in cheek style Ms. Malliet describes Jillian's findings when she questins her neighbors as to their views of the murder. In what is certainly the manner that these types of investigations proceed everywhere Jillian finds that most of what she finds is a mixed bag. Most of the people questioned have opinions and most of what they say conflicts with every other opinion.
Adding spice to an already excellent read Jillian is faced with the probability that her husband has been cheating on her. She determines that her marriage is in trouble and has to deal with that situation while looking into the murder. I found myself immediately drawn into the novel and couldn't put it down until finished. Certainly I am now a fan of Ms Malliet and look forward to her next books.

Jillian White moved to England from American and is living in the picture-perfect village of Weycombe. It’s a quaint little place of everyone’s dreams. She is lucky enough to be living in a gated community with her titled husband and its posh residents. As we all know, things are not always what they seem when you get behind the closed doors of the houses. When the real estate agent turns up dead along the river on the jogging path, Jill decides to take it upon herself to uncover who murdered her.

Malliet’s story realistically portrays the lives of this quiet little group where everyone thinks they know what is really going on. Malliet keeps you guessing as Jill goes about her day to figure out who is embellishing and who is not giving her all the facts. Each character is colorfully described and each stand out on their own. Along with the mystery storyline, Malliet has created a story that deals with a young, contemporary woman who is struggling with issues of self-confidence and a failing marriage. There are several story lines within this novel and Malliet keeps them moving. A good contemporary mystery.

When I initially started thinking about what I should write in this review, I hadn't yet finished the book. I was going to write that it was an OK who done out type novel but the characters weren't very likable. But by the time I finished the book that made a lot more sense. At times it was hard to keep reading as it dragged a little in the middle. But the ending made it worth it. Not quite sure I can believe the author's view of the future though!

I discovered G. M. Malliet several years ago with her Max Tudor mysteries. I later learned that she had another series, the St. Just mysteries, so nothing would do but reading those as well. I have thoroughly enjoyed discovering this author and her wonderful writing, however, I did not take to this standalone psychological thriller in quite the same way. This type of writing is where Malliet shines, so I was expecting a fun, fast read. I usually finish her books quickly, but this one took me a few days and I found it hard to get into the story. The characters are well-written and she sets the scene of Weycombe with great detail. I could easily picture the exclusive environs of Weycombe, and the lucky and/or wealthy people who lived there. I will not offer any spoilers in this review, but suffice to note that I considered the main character rather unlikable. The reader will understand that there is a serious undercurrent of malaise in the town, and certainly, in the people. So, I thought that there was an excellent chance that I would not like anyone, let alone everyone. I do enjoy those types of books at times, but perhaps my tastes are changing. While reading Weycombe, I found it difficult to root for anyone, ever, because I always had the feeling that there was no actual hero/heroine. Oddly enough, that is what makes this book difficult to rate. I did not enjoy it, but I am definitely purchasing it for our library because I think that other people will enjoy it. Will I continue to read Malliet's books? Absolutely!

I got this from NetGalley. Weycombe is a seemingly perfect English village/community. When one of the most prominent residents is murdered, Jillian, the narrator of the book, who also was the one to discover the body, decides to dig around and investigate. This doesn't have great reviews on Goodreads, but I enjoyed it. At first I loved Jillian, who was perfectly snarky and kind of reminded me of myself in her eye-rolling judgment of everything, and she came out with some really amusing phrases and descriptions. Then she started to get more unreliable, and I felt less affinity with her as the book went on. I liked the book in the end, although I kind of anticipated some of the twists at the end. I gave it 4 stars.

Thanks to Midnight Ink and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a great book! Not what I expected from G.M. Malliet based on her past books, this is not a cozy mystery in any way. Weycombe is a fast moving suspenseful murder mystery with a twisted ending.

Jillian White is an American married to an English peer named Will, living in a beautiful house in a small village in England. The books begins with Jillian finding the body of her neighbor Anna, a married estate agent who was rumored to have had several affairs. Jillian was laid off from the BBC, where she worked on a program about true crime. She decides to use her knowledge to help the police solve the murder.

Jillian is an interesting character. Malliet explores her from all angles, so the reader really gets to know her. The other characters are also well drawn and very interesting, especially the murder victim, Anna.

The plot is very well done. It draws you in, and the book is nearly impossible to put down.

I highly recommend this book!

Not what I expected, I was turned off 1/3 of the way into the book. The description of the book led me to think it was more of a cozy than a satirical, modern day dark mystery. Not in my recommended list, sorry.

This book's blurb drew me in right away. From the start, I was interested in reading about a small community that looks perfect on the outside but, in truth, harbors dark secrets. Weycombe also started out great. The murder was front and center, and the main character established herself as a natural detective.

Unfortunately, I disliked the narrator almost immediately. I think the book was meant to be funny, but the narrator was so snarky, judgmental, and ill-tempered that I wished she'd been the one to be murdered at the start of the book.

Additionally, the book spent so much time on backstories that it hardly moved forward. There was no sense of danger and no exciting moments or suspense. I gave up reading about 50% of the way in.

Not quite the cozy little mystery I was expecting, a bit darker. All in all an entertaining read.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

I started this book and was very interested in the plot. As I went on reading though it seemed at times bogged down in details. This book also reminded me of the novel Gone Girl which was a book I vehemently hated. In this book all the characters except Milo were unlikable and one was even a sociopath. I figured out who done it very early on but when it was confirmed that my guess was correct the ending was unsatisfying.