The location is fantastic, the mystery seems real, and the character makes for a book I couldn't put down until the very end.

Synopsis:
With the Harvest Health Fair in full swing, Marlee makes sure to stock up on elderberry products for cold and flu season. But this year there's also a run on mulberry when an eccentric customer wants to use the dried berries to ward off evil forces. True, it's almost Halloween, but something else seems to be spooking Leticia the Lake Lady, Oriole Point's oddest resident. She believes someone plans to kill her—and the ghost. Only mulberries can protect them. Marlee doesn't take her fears seriously until a man named Felix Bonaventure arrives in the village, asking questions about a mysterious woman.

Loved it. Proper whosdunnit. Loved the characters, found the story easy to read and keep up with. Nice wholesome read. Have recommended it already to family and friends

I very much enjoyed this book. It has a good story and excellent main characters. I would definately recommend this book.

From advertising executive to vicar's wife to amateur sleuth. Monica Noble is still rather surprised that she gave up her high-powered career, power suits and heels to settling in the Cotswold countryside with her gentle, well-loved and well-respected new husband. Not only is Monica adjusting to her new life, but her 15 year-old-daughter Carol-Anne has had to change schools and now has a new stepfather.

Monica and husband Graham are among a new group of villagers who have purchased luxury flats in a former vicarage. Most of the units have been sold, while a few are still being renovated.

Monica and her neighbors throw a party so that everyone can get to know each other. When one of the neighbors is apparently shot during the party, suspicion falls onto several people. One person the police zoom in on is Monica's daughter, Carol-Anne. so Monica is determined to discover answers herself so that the police will look elsewhere.

Everyone meets DCI Jason Dury and Sergeant Jim Greer as they begin to question everyone and look for the motive behind the murder. In addition to the inquiries, Graham still tends to those in his flock.

What a great book! I enjoyed the gentle love between Monica and Graham. I also enjoyed the short spurts of dialogue as the killer plots the perfect murder. Faith Martin did an exceptional job with this book, and made identifying the killer pretty much impossible.

The Vicarage Murder was an excellent book. This promises to be a delightful series. I look forward to reading the upcoming titles. I have read two other series by this author and have always been entertained. That definitely was the case here.

Many thanks to Joffe Books, NetGalley and Books n All Book Promotions for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.

*This book was previously published as An Unholy Mess under the author's pen name, Joyce Cato.

So I’ve read a couple of Faith Martin’s series now and I always enjoy reading new series.

The Vicarage Murder was what I’ve come to expect from Faith Martin, an entertaining cosy mystery.

I liked Monica, she’s bold, confident and not your typical vicar’s wife, especially as she’s been married before and has a teenage daughter.

My problem was that it took a long time to get into the real nitty gritty of the novel and there were a lot of characters and their points of view to keep track of. I would still recommend this if you love a summery cosy mystery set in the British countryside.

I would like to say thanks to Netgalley and Joffe Books for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Vicarage Murder by Faith Martin, the first of her books that I have read. It is a perfect easy going read that is full of twists and suspense and kept me guessing, which I love!

The characters are easy to get to know and the story flows well. I think there could have been more of Monica Noble (the main character) and her doing some actual detective work, rather than her and her husband Graham (the vicar) coming together at the end with who they think killed the victim. Having said that, it was nice to follow her and learn with her as she finds out information about the murder and it did all come together nicely.

I thought I had guessed the killer correctly, but I was wrong! A really good start to the series and I look forward to reading the next instalment!

A wonderful start to a new series. Monica Noble is married to her 2nd husband, who is a vicar in a small English village. The huge parsonage has been converted into apartments, and during a party for all to mingle and meet each other, one of them turns up dead. A great story, with a little Miss Marple feel to it. Love English cozy mysteries? Then I highly recommend this book and author. Fun book.

Faith Martin books can be counted on to provide the reader with an entertaining, often humorous, mystery while still keeping the story moving at such a pace as you'll reach the end long before you can figure out who did it.
This is the first book in the Vicar's wife series. Faith Martin has many mystery series, yet manages to keep each of them unique and fresh. No copying from one to the next. So far, I have read several titles in each of her series and found them to be good enough to keep me looking for the next one. These books are for readers who want a good, clean mystery.

This was such an amazing read that I couldn’t put it down. It went everywhere with me. To the doctors office, the dentist, the eye doctor. IT WENT ABSOLUTELY EVERYWHERE. I was so sad when it ended that I immediately went and bought more books from this author!

This is a great start to a new series. I really enjoyed the character of Monica and look forward to reading more of her sleuthing. This whodunnit had me engaged from page one.
Many thanks to Joffe Books and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

A wonderful little tale reminiscent of Agatha Christie. The vicar’s wife is a wonderful character and the parishioners add a richness to the story. Definitely check this one out.

This is the Second book I have read by Faith Martin and I just love the way she writes. The Vicarage Murder is the first book in the new
Monica Noble series. This new murder mysteries series is set in an idyllic english village in the beautiful Cotswold's. Monica Noble is the vicar's wife and she is throwing a big party to welcome the villages new residents.
She has invited many guests included Margaret and her cheating husband Sean, an Oxford Professor, a forty something divorcee, a well known owner of a chain of gyms and a celebrity chef..........

What could ever go wrong???

Everyone is enjoying themselves until.......OMG there's a sound of a shotgun.

Who has been Shot?

Detective chief inspector Dury and Sergeant Jim Greer are soon on the scene. They discover that the victim had many enemies.
When they start to investigate they find out most of the guests all have hidden secrets.

Nearly a week later someone else who lives in the village is found strangled

Can Detective chief inspector Dury and Sergeant Jim Greer catch the killer before they strike again?

Monica helps the local detectives becomes very helpful and helps to catch the killer!

This book is the first of Monica Noble murder mysteries. I loved all the characters and especially as this book had me guessing who did it right till the end.

Please note this book was first published as “AN UNHOLY MESS” under Faith Martin’s pen name Joyce Cato.

Big thank you to NetGalley, Joffe Books and the author Faith Martin for my ARC in exchange for an honest review

I love all Faith Martin books and this one was the same. Always a lot of twists and turns. Really interesting and fast paced. Looking forward to the next one

The Vicarage Murder started with all the great hallmarks of a cozy mystery: quaint English town, a lovable protagonist, and a wide cast of quirky characters. Unfortunately, that is where the charm ended,
Monica Noble is married to the local vicar, bringing up a teenage daughter, and trying to find her footing (and maybe gain approval) in her new town. Recently, the old vicarage has been converted into luxurious apartments and Monica decides what better way to build community than host a gathering for the new residents. The table is set, the dishes are cooked, and the body of Margaret Franklyn has been discovered. Monica and the local police must find a killer before they strike again.

Overall, this was just a decent read that majorly lacked on mystery and strong character development. Faith Martin constantly switched between points of view of every character in the story. Rather than simply following Monica or Monica and the investigator, we are reading about everyone and experiencing what they are going through. This makes the novel drag and become really difficult to form a connection with anyone. By the time the whodunnit was revealed, I found myself breathing a sigh of relief and not because the mystery was put to rest, but rather because the book was finally over.

Another excellent book by Faith Martin that keeps you guessing right to the end. Set in a Cotswold Village and featuring amateur sleuth Monica Noble who is the Vicar's wife. Would thoroughly recommend this book for lovers of mystery and thriller novels.

readers are provided with a journey in the same style as Murder on the Orient Express. Faith tells a story confined to the happenings of the residents who live in this transformed Vicarage. The choice of the building used by the author makes it difficult to accept that such a large building had a past life as a vicarage. However the very troubled lives of the characters provides a framework for this story.
I changed my mind a couple of times when identifying the killer before I settled on the culprit. Faith blends the lives of the residents into a realistic background for this enjoyable mystery...

I received this book via NetGalley and I’m happy for the opportunity to read it. This was what I would call a cosy murder mystery. It takes place on a small English village and is full of wonderful characters. There are many twists and false leads in this mystery that keep you guessing g to the end. I like the characters, each very different from the rest. I like that the book wasn’t full of flowery descriptions of the surroundings which can make a book boring. There was just enough description to picture the people and places without detracting from the story. A fun and quick read.

Fans of the prolific Faith Martin will enjoy this new story which introduces Monica, a young vicar's wife. Typical of the traditional cozy style, the action happens in one house, a converted vicarage which now houses several flats. What I didn't care in the story for is the contrived romantic zing between the detective inspector and the vicar's wife. Not needed. I did enjoy the plot and cast of characters. The plot coalesced at bit too quickly towards the end. It will take more effort to lift this series into the golden sphere of Hillary Greene and the Ryder & Loveday series.

Delightful murder mystery set ins small English countryside community.

While I was trying to imagine just how massive the vicarage would need to be for over 10 units, I also delighted in the interactions between characters. I suspected who the killer was before it was revealed. However, some details were not ones I considered.

Overall, a fun read and I look forward to more titles by this author.

Monica Noble is throwing a party to welcome the village’s new residents. The guests include Margaret and her cheating husband Sean. Also on the list are a celebrity chef, an Oxford university professor, a 40-something divorcee, and the owner of a chain of gyms.

Then as the drinks are flowing, a shotgun blast rings out. One of the guests is found dead.

DCI Dury and Sergeant Jim Greer are soon on the scene and discover that the victim had many enemies. Almost all the guests harbour secrets and motives for murder. Even Monica’s daughter comes under suspicion.

When another villager is strangled to death nearly a week later, the stakes are raised.

Can Monica help the local detectives save her daughter and solve the murders before anyone else pays the ultimate price?

Having read most for Faith martins previous books I was looking forward to starting this, the first in a new series, and I can honestly say I was not disappointed.
The plot moves quickly and the characters are believable and well defined.
Unlike some of the author's previous books there seems a more grown up atmosphere to this book, with a darker tone.
There are plenty of twists and turns along the way and the odd red herrings which is essential in making a good murder mystery.
Highly recommended for any fan of a good whodunnit.
Thank you to Netgalley and JOffe books for the ARC in return for an honest review.