An interesting mystery. Jude and Carole are neighbors and they investigate together, but I wouldn't call them friends. Jude was in the library to see an author, who was an old friend. After his talk, the author wants to get to know Jude better. She gives him a slap and then walks home in the rain. The next morning, she is greeted with the news that the author is dead and she is the prime suspect. After a warning from the police, Jude asks Carole to continue the investigation into his death. They find so many suspects. Their motives were varied, jealousy, envy, revenge and outright hatred. So many people claimed they didn't know him, but Jude and Carole find out that he was more well known than they thought. Not for the right reasons either. All in all, a good mystery.

Thanks to Netgalley and Black Thorn for an advance copy of Liar in the library for an honest review.
I hadn’t read a Simon Brett book before but I found it a very satisfying read that felt almost familiar.
I could image iThe Fethering novels being made into a tv series.
I’m assuming many of the characters are well known to previous readers, but I didn’t find that an obstacle to my enjoyment of the book..
As a librarian of 36 years I particularly enjoyed the lament on the closure of libraries by the character of Di .It definitely struck home with me,
I will be recommending this to others and I’ll be reading more from Simon Brett.

I did not realize this was part of a series but I still enjoyed it. I now want to go back and start at the very first. Brett writes boldly and with practiced definition of characters. I look forward to the next installment.
Many thanks to Black Thorn and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

A good book for a rainy afternoon, a hot day in a hammock, or as a break from those super serious sleuths you've been addicted to. Don't forget your sense of humor.

Those who have previously read the works of Simon Brett will be familiar with the "Golden Age" tradition of the detective novel that resonates through his writing. Indeed the reference to "Golden Age" crime fiction forms an integral part of the plot in his latest deliciously subversive and enjoyable visit to the fictitious south coast village of Fethering. Here we find those redoubtable amateur sleuths Carole Seddon and her neighbour Jude Nichols faced with solving another baffling case. The need for the true culprit to be uncovered becomes more vital as Jude is the prime suspect in the murder of the rather disreputable and philandering bestselling author Burton St Clair who undertakes a talk in the local library prior to his demise.

With his eccentric characters and his I suspect not entirely inaccurate depiction of village life Brett has created a world familiar to the readers of Christie and M.C. Beaton. Apart from the red herrings the reader I'm sure will be appreciative like me of the witty and sometime caustic humour which delightfully runs through the book. If you like a crime novel that pays homage to those "Golden Age" crime writers of the past then this will certainly be for you I'm sure.

3.5 Stars

A cosy crime drama which would suit either curling up with a coffee on the sofa or lying on a sunbed with fruity cocktail. An enjoyable novel, nothing too taxing or distressing but could serve as a mind cleanser if (like me) your recent reads have been a tad higher on the dark and gory spectrum. Sometimes you need to take a break from serial killers and gruesome set pieces and whisk yourself metaphorically away to a charming coastal village with a surprisingly high murder rate.

This author and series were new to me but jumping straight to Number 18 wasn't a problem. The reader is given enough background information on Jude & Carole to understand the set-up and you soon get acquainted with their personalities. I enjoyed the style of the book and thought that the characters were well drawn. There were several self-important literary types who I suspect were based on people the author new in real life! The pace is just right for this type of story, it zips along nicely and keeps you engaged. I would be interested in reading more of this series, especially when in need of lighter entertainment.

Thanks to Netgalley for an advance copy in return for an honest review.

Classic whodunit set in a charming seaside town. I enjoyed the premise and the general pace. I noticed a few items repeating themselves a bit oddly; the name of the shop before it became Starbucks, the red rimmed eyes of the bar manager, and a few other details. It felt a little distracting and I couldn’t decide if it was red herring or just heavy handed writing.

Despite the above, enjoyed the read and would absolutely read more in the series.

this is book 18 in the Fethering series, but I've only read a couple of them, but they have all been consistantly good. Brett knows his way around a good cozy mystery, and this book is no exception. once again Jude and Carroll are on the case, with the village residents helping them, but this time it is JUDE who is being looked at as the suspect! With more at stake than ever before, the unlikely friends, have to really work those little grey cells to see who could be setting Jude up to take the fall, and why St Clair was killed to begin with, as the police don't want to look at any other suspects. This is a fun little village mystery and perfect for light Summer reading by the pool and beach!

I'm happy that I stumbled upon this cozy mystery. I wasn't aware that it was the 18th in the series, but I don't feel that I missed too much by coming in late to the game. It might have been nice to have a bit of background on the main characters, but the mystery held my interest and has a satisfying resolution. I would definitely check out more books from this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free review copy.

3.5 STARS! This was a fun, cozy mystery that had even me feeling like an amateur sleuth. I was second guessing everyone throughout the entire novel, which is the mark of a great mystery. It was a bit dull at times and I found the 'big reveal' to be rather anti-climatic. However, it was definitely an enjoyable read, and one I'd recommend for a nice getaway to the countryside.

It was only after requesting this book that I found out that it was number 18 in the series, but it read well as a standalone book. However I didn't take to the two main protagonists, the amateur sleuths, so I may have had a better understanding of their characters had I read the prior books.

An easy going 'cosy crime' with elements of social concerns, it was an enjoyable book but not enough to make me want to read others from the series. I found Jude and Carole rather bland characters and there seemed little in the way of suspense.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

Clever, witty and engrossing. The literary world and its inhabitants might not be as charming as you'd like to think!

A non violent murder mystery set in a small English coastal village. That's an oxymoron that a murder could be non violent. But this one was accomplished using stealth and poisoning by a very cunning individual. Hence the term non violent. Think of a modern day Miss Marple and friend as they dig into the mystery to clear one of the pair who is deemed to be a person of interest to the police. The crime is neatly wrapped up at the end in typical British fashion. If you enjoy British crime fiction, in the style of Agatha Christie, you will not want to miss this offering.

I have rated this book 4 stars.

I received an ARC from Netgalley for my unbiased review.

I love books set in a library, so thought this would be a sure fire winner.

One the whole I enjoyed the book, would probably it a 'cosy' mystery, nothing earth shattering and to be honest I'm not sure I got Jude one of the lead characters, I actually found her very annoying, why on earth couldn't she just seem to explain herself properly. Carol, the other lead character, I didn't feel was developed enough. This is the 18th book in the series, so maybe if I had read the previous ones, I would have understood the characters more.

The story was set around an author giving a talk at a library on his best selling book, he is then found dead in his car the next day, and Jude was the last person to be seen with him.

I have enjoyed Simon Brett's books before but not sure I would venture to this series again.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me a chance to read in exchange for an honest review

'The Liar in the Library' is a lovely cosy mystery, perfect for those times when you want to curl up and just be entertained. I loved the characters of Jude and Carole, two slightly stroppy and often belligerent middle aged amateur sleuths. Their interactions were a joy and the whole book had a very tongue in cheek humour to it. I'm delighted to find this book is one of a series and I'm looking forward to reading the earlier books. Light, funny and pleasing.

There are mentions of the Golden Age of crime literature throughout this cosy mystery and the setup and plot are respectful nods towards the genre, even as the characters and tone are updated to modern times.

Jude and Carole are the amateur sleuths investigating, and Jude is also the main character and – unfortunately for her – the main suspect. Her targeting by circumstances, other characters and the police caused me no end of tension and frustration as I read. The reader gets to see events from Jude’s point of view, so we know that she is telling the truth (or her perception of it) and the constant doubt and suspicion from all sides stirred my empathy for her and had me anxious as to whether she would actually manage to prove herself.

The plot is well-paced and there is a neat balance between the hints/clues and what remains shrouded in mystery until the final reveal. Similarly there are enough characters to make for an interesting suspect pool without being too many to become overwhelming. Personally as a book-obsessive I particularly enjoyed the literary aspects; from the writers and their works to the library environment.

The Liar in the Library is a simple, straightforward cosy murder mystery, and although it is 18th in a series it can be read totally as a standalone novel.



Thinking about Burton’s past had distracted Jude from listening to what he was pontificating about. She gave herself a mental rap over the knuckles and concentrated, to hear him saying, ‘… and obviously writing a book is an activity during which the author is constantly having to make moral judgements. And I am always aware of the ethical implications when I kill someone.

– Simon Brett, The Liar in the Library

Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog

Really enjoyed this 18th installment in the Fethering mystery series. Unfortunately, for me, this is the first one I read and so I spent some time learning about/figuring out the relationships between Jude and her neighbor, Carole.

This was an interesting mystery about a murder after an author's talk at a library.

I liked it well enough to track down the first one and I'll likely start reading this series, from the start, very soon.

This is an excellent classic mystery. Jude is invited to attend a talk at the Fethering Library by author Burton St. Clair. She hasn't seen him for over 20 years after he divorced her best friend, Megan. Burton, who used to be called Al, hasn't changed much. He still likes his drinks, and still thinks every woman is in love with him, and thus gropes them. After the talk and questions, Burton offers Jude a ride home which she accepts since it is very cold and raining. However, before she even had her seat belt buckled, he was feeling her breasts. She hopped out of the car and walked home. She decides to write an email to Megan to renew the friendship before going to bed.

The next morning, the Police arrive for a talk with Jude. Burton has been found in his car in the Library parking lot dead! They soon realize he had an anaphylactic shock from eating walnuts, and the prime suspect is Jude, who was the last person to see him alive. Of course, Jude and her next door neighbor, Carole, have to investigate to find the real culprit and save Jude. They begin interviewing several of those at the Library for the talk. Meanwhile, Megan has told the police that her divorce was because Jude and Burton were having an affair and the Jude knew about his allergy, both of which were wrong!

It turns out that several of those present for the talk had known Al in the past. One of those was the local teacher of crime fiction, Vanessa Perks, who assured Jude that the case was probably a classic crime where the mistress kills the husband. She also tells of teaching a class (which was attended by at least three of the library attendees) where she taught about a classic crime book which told how to do a perfect murder - "Best served cold". Carole downloads the book that night and sees a lot of parallels. Burton's wife tells Jude that he still kept a hipflask in the glove compartment of his car.

Carole and Jude finally interview the library volunteer who lives next door to the library about what she saw the night Burton died. Jude has the great pleasure of telling the police who killed Burton and how as well as who tried to kill a man in another case.

Jude is a healer - trained in the art of helping people to heal themselves. Along the way to this place she has been many other things, including model, actress and restauranteur. Living in Fethering, a small coastal village has been good to Jude. She lives in Woodside Cottage. Next door to her home is High Tor, her neighbor Carole’s home. Carole and Jude have been known to solve a mystery or two to the chagrin of the local law enforcement.

Tonight Jude is at the Fethering Library, a place that simply doesn’t get enough use anymore, The head librarian Di is now booking authors to visit the Fethering Library to drum up both some use and interest. For a small sum, the locals of Fethering have come tonight to hear the author Burton St. Clair speak about his novel Stray Leaves in Autumn. Jude is here because Burton, once known as Al Sinclair, was married previously to her friend, Megan, an actress. For some reason, when Al and Megan divorced, Jude lost touch with them. Since Burton would be speaking in her hometown, she thought she would pay him a visit.

Turns out that Burton is still the womanizer he was back when he was known as Al and married to Megan. After offering Jude a ride home, he comes on to her. Jude will have none of this. She storms off and walks home in the pouring rain. The next morning, she is paid a visit from the local police.

This was my first visit to Fethering. I can guarantee it won’t be my last. Brett has written a cozy, fun mystery to follow, and I would guess that his others are the same. Jude is very likable, and with her friend Carole, make a great sleuthing team. I did not entirely expect the outcome of the story, which makes a mystery more fun. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series.

3.5 stars for a light, fun book.

Review posted at http://bookwormishme.com

I was sent a copy of The Liar in the Library by Simon Brett to read and review by NetGalley.
I’m afraid I was rather underwhelmed by this novel. I was expecting a pithy, amusing whodunnit but what I actually got was, what seemed to me, a quite amateur, superficial attempt at such. I thought that the plot was quite weak and repetitive, the characters superficial and the author had the most annoying habit of almost always naming everyone by their full names! I’m sure I’ll probably be in the minority in my thoughts as Simon Brett appears to be quite a prolific author (though this is the first book of his that I have read) but I guessed whodunnit quite early on – not with any intent to do so – and didn’t really find anything particularly engaging in the story or its characters at all. The novel was inoffensive and short enough to get me to the end though, which is something to be said in itself!