This is my first British cozy. I found it to be funny and lighthearted. The writing is descriptive. I particularly enjoyed the atmosphere Leitch gave to the story, it was never boring or heavy. My favorite character was Jodie, she is likable and I so wanted to help her to find the murderer. I will definitely try another book by Leitch

Murder on the menu


📚Book review📚

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with the arc in exchange for a review!

This is a Cozy Mystery, and this is the first book in the Nosey Parker Mysteries series.

Im not usually a huge fan of books similar but this one is super cute. I definitely would read more of the series. Great writing.

I received an advance copy of this book via NetGalley.

In this first book in a delightful new series, Nosey is a 40-year-old former London policewoman, just moved back to her Cornwall hometown with her 12-year-old daughter. She's prepared to put investigative work behind her and focus on a new catering business, but in her first job catering a wedding for an old school chum, the groom's ex-wife turns up dead and the bride is missing. With her friend set up to take the blame, Nosey can't resist searching for the truth, in the process butting heads against the rather arrogant yet dishy DCI Withers.

I loved this book. It's a cozy mystery that touches on dark issues, but never goes too far--nor does it fall into whimsy. I can't help but be leery about the trope of a potential romance between a woman investigator and an arrogant cop, but here, it's handled beautifully. Withers isn't that much of a jerk, and two begin to respect and help each other through the investigation in a way that feels natural. Really, all of the characters feel nuanced and genuine, and that makes the mystery all the more enjoyable. The clues and revelations are paced just right, and while I guessed correctly about some aspects, the climax still delivered plentiful surprises.

Also, the setting of Cornwall is just fantastic. It's a place I've never been, so this is a chance to experience it vicariously! Also, the subplot of a catering business promises lots of food talk, which I always welcome (along with sausage jokes, which made me giggle as I read). The back of the book even has a recipe written in the voice of Nosey.

This is a smashing start to a new series! I hope the forthcoming books can live up to the fun of this one.

Cozy Mysteries and Cooking seem to always find one another, and Murder on the Menu: A Nosey Parker Mystery Novel is no exception. In fact, on Goodreads you will find over thirty other books with this title, describing unexpected murders that take place near a huge feast.

This one is no exception. In the first installment of Fiona Leitch’s new series, Jodie “Nosey” Parker has made her way back to her small, Cornish hometown after a nasty divorce a major career change from police officer to caterer. Fortunately for the reader, once the bride has gone missing at her first event, and an uninvited guest is found dead at the scene, Jodie can’t help but find herself wanting to investigate. If only there wasn’t a handsome new officer in town trying to stop her and her other nosey pals from trying to reveal the murderer.

This cozy mystery keeps its readers guessing the entire time! There are more twists and turns in this book than roads in the English Countryside. While reading through the mystery, there is also a fun start to a love triangle.

However, it is very obvious at points that this is very much Book #1, and subplots will not be resolved any time soon. Though there is a satisfying end to the mystery, everything else is left open for a second and third novel. While it’s important to leave those reading wanting to come back, it almost felt like heading back to the complete beginning of the story.

Although I enjoyed the beginning of Jodie Parker’s story, I haven’t decided if I’m hungry for more. Perhaps I just need to let this meal settle before deciding.

Thank you to NetGalley US and the publisher for providing me with an ARC copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. This review is rounded up, from a 3.5.

A retired police officer moving to a quiet town, how can she be happy? This was a cute story added with a murder mystery or is that one murder or two, maybe three? Nosey Parker was a character that can keep your interest from page one to the last.

Murder on the Menu is the first book in this fun new cozy mystery series set in Britain. Jodie (nosey) Parker retires from the Met Police force and moves back home to her small Cornish village to start a catering company, a much less dangerous occupation. Her very first catering job is for her ex boyfriends wedding. The bride disappears the night before the wedding and the grooms ex wife is murdered. The groom is arrested and is the only suspect. Jodie knows her ex boyfriend is not guilty and works hard to prove his innocence, often butting heads with DCI Withers who threatens to arrest her for interfering in his investigation. This was a good book with likable characters, and many red herrings which kept me guessing til the end.. I look forward to the next book in this series. Thank you Net Galley for the advance copy.

A Cute cozy mystery that kept me guessing till the last chapter. Great start to a new cozy series. Can't wait to read the next one.

The first book in the Murder on the Menu cozy mystery series is a welcomed breath of fresh air in world of cozy mysteries. This book, which can be read as a standalone humorous cozy mystery introduces you to Jodi, a British female sleuth in a small village.

It should be noted that there was some dialect pitfalls for me reading this book. Which caused me to switch between American English and British English but nothing that stopped me at all. Instead I found myself enjoying the pacing and vibe of a small town village.

Jodie is working towards becoming a caterer and I am interested to see if she does indeed end up starting her own company. But one of the highlights is this book includes one of Jodie's Tried and Tested Recipes!

This book is not perfect and probably should get 4.5 stars but it is more than worth the price of admission!

---
Still spinning from the hustle and bustle of city life, Jodie ‘Nosey’ Parker is glad to be back in the Cornish village she calls home. Having quit the Met Police in search of something less dangerous, the change of pace means she can finally start her dream catering company and raise her daughter, Daisy, somewhere safer.

But there’s nothing like having your first job back at home to be catering an ex-boyfriend’s wedding to remind you of just how small your village is. And when the bride, Cheryl, vanishes Jodie is drawn into the investigation, realising that life in the countryside might not be as quaint as she remembers…

With a missing bride on their hands, there is murder and mayhem around every corner but surely saving the day will be a piece of cake for this not-so-amateur sleuth?

ARC Kindle Copy from Review from Net Galley, Harper 360 and One More Chapter.

I received a free, advance copy of this book and this is my unbiased and voluntary review.

A former Met Officer returns to her small town Cornish roots. She opens up her dream catering business as she raises her daughter in a less criminal world.

Her first job is less than idyllic as she caters a job for her ex-boyfriends wedding in the small town. The bride to be will go missing and she’ll be caught up into things. Sometimes you don’t realize how small living in a small town.

A delightful humourous new cozy featuring a sleuth who is one.

This book was sent to me electronically for review by Netgalley. This is a cozy mystery that is a quick read. The characters are likable and the story intriguing. What will happen next? Friendship and love abound...this is a good one...Enjoy on a chilly afternoon, bundled in a warm afghan, with a cup of hot chocolate. I hope to read more from this author.

Murder on the Menu by Fiona Leitch is the 1st book in the Nosey Parker Mystery series, and my first book by this author. Jodie “Nosey” Parker quit the Met Police Department to move back to the Cornish village where she was raised. Jodie wants a safer life for her daughter Daisy, and herself, so she is starting her dream business as a caterer. Once I started this book I could not stop reading it. It was a quick read that kept me guessing. I look forward to the next book in the series. I recommend this book for all cozy mystery book lovers, you will not be disappointed.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own

I appreciate the publisher allowing me to read this book. This is a great mystery that keeps you interested until the end.

I actually started this series on book four, A Murder Under the Mistletoe, which I loved, so I was excited about going back to see where Jodie's "Nosey" story began, and I was not disappointed! This book was SO funny too. I laughed all the way through. Sometimes the first book in a series can be a little lackluster, but not this one! Murder on the Menu is one of the best first books in a cozy mystery series I have read. Nosey's inner dialogue is hysterical, with accurate and witty observations of every situation she finds herself in. Nosey is a likable and relatable protagonist surrounded by a group of vividly written supporting characters, particularly her mother, who is a hoot! The mystery was well-plotted, with enough red herrings that I was kept a bit off my sleuthing game, and the pacing was perfect. I didn't want it to end! Fortunately, there are more books in the series, which I most definitely plan to read. This series is so much fun and has become an absolute favorite. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Harper Collins 360 for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Fast paced mystery with a fun setting. Nosey Parker just opened a new catering business. Body is found on the morning of her first gig.

Murder on the Menu is the second Nosy Parker mystery that I have read. Cosy mysteries are not my usual genre, but admittedly, I am beginning to think I was wrong about ignoring cosy mysteries. Fiona Leitch's mysteries are better written and more fun than I expected, and as a result, she has created a new fan of the cosy mystery genre. It isn't necessary to read these books in order. They can serve as stand-alone novels. I enjoy Jodie and her family and the dog and all her friends. In fact all of the characters are engaging and interesting, even the villains. I am also a fan of small village English life, and so I found this book doubly enjoyable. I do recommend these Nosy Parker mysteries. Thank you to the author and publisher and NetGalley for making this ARC of Murder on the Menu available for me to read, in exchange for my honest review.

Jodie Parker has left the metro police department in London and has arrived back in her hometown of Penstowan, Cornwall. Her dad had been a well respected member of the police force and she liked her job but she has switched careers to be a caterer. Jodie left the force mainly to ease her 12 year old daughter Daisy's fears for her. However, when she arrives, she runs into an old friend who is getting married and agrees to be their last minute caterer and then a murder occurs and a disappearance. Of course to help her friend, Jodie starts asking questions and tangles with the investigating officer. The characters are appealing and readers will want to visit Penstowan again, but this is not a "foodie cozy," with recipes to make you hungry. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

A fun whodunit start to a new series featuring Jodie Parker former police officer turned caterer/chef. The characters are believable and well developed. Great story plot that will keep the reader turning page after page. Really enjoyed this book. Thanks #netgalley and #Harper360 and #OneMoreChapter for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle by Harper360, One More Chapter and #NetGalley for my honest opinion. Opinions expressed are completely my own.


First in a new cozy mystery series. This one is a must read. Josie is a former police officer. She’s taken on a new life as a caterer with a cast of delightful characters.

Murder on the Menu by Fiona Leitch was a delicious cozy mystery! This is the first in a new series starring former police officer turned caterer Jodie Parker. Set in charming Cornwall I loved the British touches.

An absolute delight!
If you love cozy-mysteries, this first in a series, is a must read.
The development of the story and getting to know the characters, flows easily as we turn each page.
Loved the surprising turn and that it didn’t end with a cliffhanger.