Another exciting outing in Fethering, with an interesting book title which gives a nod to Brett's newest series, The Decluttering Series. The latest offering is strong and teases out further secrets from Jude's past while slowly nudging Carole into more complex social situations. A new Fethering book always makes me happy!

This is really comfort food. I could read several in a weekend. They are familiar and enjoyable with enough of a twisty plot to be enjoyable. Apart from the numerous murders it all sounds idyllic with cosy cottages and a local which works as a sitting room extension. Always trying to find a Simon Brett that I have not read, but I am fast running out. Thanks to Netgalley.

Jude and Carole are the proverbial odd couple. In other circumstances, it’s unlikely that they’d ever be more than acquaintances – let alone a duo who have gone on to solve a number of tricky murders. They are such very different personalities – Jude is warm-hearted, open-minded and easy-going, who mostly enjoys her life; while Carole is judgemental, bitterly lonely, socially insecure and naturally secretive. What they both have in common is huge curiosity, an eye for details and inconsistencies, sharp intelligence and a drive to see that Justice is done. There have been times in this series when I find the inevitable friction between them frankly annoying, as it can get in the way of the investigation and makes me want to upend Carole’s glass of wine over her head. However, this time around, I was glad that both women were playing to their strengths.

Brett is an experienced storyteller, with the ability to craft an enjoyably complex whodunit with a satisfying number of possible suspects. And I was delighted to discover that while I’d fleetingly considered the perpetrator – it wasn’t for the right reason, or for the right crime. I love it when an author has me flicking back through the pages to discover the little clues that I’d overlooked. As well as delivering a solidly good murder mystery – I always enjoy Brett’s cutting shafts of humour, as he takes lumps out of the smug, upper middle-class residents of Fethering. All in all, if you enjoy murder mysteries set in an English village that plays with the expectations of this crowded sub-genre in an interesting way, then this one comes highly recommended. And no – you really don’t have to have read any of the former twenty books in the series to thoroughly enjoy this particular offering. While I obtained an arc of Death and the Decorator from the publishers via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
9/10

I have read one other instalment in this cosy crime mystery series (The Liar in the Library - book eighteen) before this one, Death and the Decorator (book twenty-one) but I'd be happy to read more. This was a good example of light-hearted amateur sleuthing that was very funny and really easy to read. Set in Fethering, a fictional Sussex village in England, I like the sleuthing duo, Carole and Jude, although they make an unlikely pair. I didn't feel lost coming in so late into this series, but I would like to go back and read some of the first books to learn about their beginnings. Simon Brett's writing style is a hit with me and there is a surprise towards the ending. All in all, I would recommend Death and the Decorator to anyone who is fond of a good cozy novel. It was witty and a great tale.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Severn House via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

Death and the Decorator is the 21st (!!) book in the Fethering cozy mystery series by impressively prolific author Simon Brett. Released 5th July 2022 by Severn House, it's 222 pages and available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats.

Simon Brett is an indisputably gifted writer. He writes consistently, entertainingly, and well. All the parts of his mysteries (and they are varied and numerous) fit together and do precisely what they're meant to do. The characters are believable and well rendered albeit slightly eccentric. The dialogue works and is never clunky or awkward. This is a long running and well established series and it's always a joy to check in on Jude and Carol and revisit Fethering and the locals. This one is written around a cold case murder and soon Carole's investigating the disappearance of a young woman 30 years prior.

I found it a delightful read and despite the potentially serious subplot elements, Mr. Brett manages to imbue the whole with enough humour to make it an entertaining and quick read. North American readers should be aware that it's written in British vernacular (torch, lift, flat, etc). The plotting is well paced and engaging with a surprisingly twisty denouement and resolution. I found the ending good, but surprisingly melancholy.

The unabridged audiobook version has a run time of 6 hours and 57 minutes and is capably narrated by the author himself. Sound and production quality are high throughout.

Four stars. Really well done and one of my favo(u)rite consistently good cozy series. I'm looking forward to future installments in anticipation of a pleasant rainy afternoon's reading with a pot of tea and maybe some scones beside me.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

How does Simon Brett continue to make Fethering Mysteries so interesting and unique after twenty-something in this series? I have no idea, but I love it! Carole and Jude are back as amateur sleuths trying to figure out exactly what happened at the "fiasco house" and frankly still trying to figure out each other. Some of my favorite parts of this series truly are the friendship between Carole and Jude and the other wonderful characters in the community.

5/5 Stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this book, in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I think I've read all of the Fethering books at this point, and they're always fun to read. Jude and Carole are two women, living in Fethering, a small-ish town in England, and they keep stumbling into mysteries that they enjoy solving. Carole is a retired civil servant, and is rather uptight, rule abiding, and set in her ways. Jude is a free spirit, who is a healer. They live next door to each other and team up to solve these mysteries.

This particular mystery arises when renovation work is being done on Footscrow House, a local building which has had multiple uses (and is commonly know in town as Fiasco House) - a pocketbook is found in a boarded up alcove in one of the rooms. The pocketbook contains a passport belonging to a young woman who disappeared from Fethering 20 years ago. Since Jude was present when the pocketbook was found, she and Carole get involved in trying to solve the mystery, and, of course, in uncovering multiple secrets among the residents of Fethering.

At an earlier point in the series, Carole appeared to be growing and changing, as she became a grandmother and became closer to her son and daughter in law. In the previous book, however, she reverted to her cranky, increasingly unpleasant ways, and in this one, that trend continues. I think this is too bad - it does set this series back, and it seems that Carole is being dismissed as a potentially interesting character, while once again, Jude is musing that it may be time to move on.

It's still a quick, fun read, but I wonder if the series is running its course.

This is the 21st Fethering Mystery, but the first that I have read. I never felt like it hurt my understanding or enjoyment of the story because I had not read any of the previous books. The author did an excellent job of providing any necessary background. The story is set in the small English village of Fethering. The main characters are neighbors Jude and Carole, who have very different personalities. Jude is more of a free spirit, whose occupation is healing and alternative therapies. This lifestyle is shocking to her more traditionalist neighbor, Carole, who is more set in her ways and often grumpy. This odd couple are unlikely friends, but a great pair of amateur detectives. The story begins as Jude is having her sitting room painted and hires local decorator Pete. She and Pete meet to discuss plans and colors at his current redecorating job, Footscrow House, an old building that has been the home of many unsuccessful businesses. This long history of failure has earned it the local name of Fiasco House. While they are talking, Pete removes a part of a wall and discovers a woman’s purse hidden inside. It proves to have belonged to Anita Garner, a young woman who mysteriously disappeared 30 years previously when Fiasco House was being used as a nursing home. Her case had been the talk of the town at the time and even made national news. This new discovery is just the thing to unite neighbors Jude and Carole in the hunt to solve the old mystery, but some in the community don’t want the past revealed. I found this to be a well written, light-heated mystery with a pair of likable and amusing protagonists. The mystery itself was engaging and full of twists and surprises. It makes me want to read more books in this series. Thanks to NetGalley and Severn House for allowing me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

I adore Simon Brett's cosy, witty crime stories including the Mrs Pargeter books and of course The Fethering Mysteries, of which this is his latest.

After Jude has her living room decorated, this indirectly leads to an old handbag being found, which is linked to a thirty year old disappearance and then, of course, to murder.

Despite being Book 21 of a series, the characters still felt fresh and as recognisable and familiar as ever. The chalk-and-cheese amateur sleuths; sensible ex Home Office employee Carole with her love of routine and faithful dog, Gulliver and charasmatic healer Jude with her colourful past. I love Carole and Jude's unlikely friendship, their shared love of solving mysteries and white wine (initially Chilean Chardonnay, changing to New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc in later stories!) despite their differences, and how this has developed throughout the books.

Other characters also make a reappearance such as Ted Crisp, the local pub owner, along with his bad jokes. While the books are described as cosy, the writing is as sharp and humorous as ever and the story intricately plotted.

While this can be read as a stand alone, I highly recommend starting with The Body on the Beach, Simon Brett's first Fethering Mystery, to fully appreciate Carole and Jude's unusual, but firm, friendship and how this has developed throughout the series.

Thanks to author, Simon Brett, publishers Severn House and Net Galley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is the 21st Fethering Mystery. And, like the others in the series, it is a reliable solid mystery (I’ve actually read them all). Jude and Carol, neighbors and very different personalities, are an unlikely couple of amateur detectives who decide to investigate the disappearance of a young woman 20 years ago whose handbag was discovered behind a wall during the renovation of a building.

Besides a good mystery, I really come back for several reasons. I love the relationship between Jude and Carol. It is complex and filled with ups and downs. Jude is the more go with the flow personality who works as a healer. Carol is the much more up-tight personality who is divorced and retired from the Home Office. But their differences complement each other in their investigations. I also love the lighter side of these books. Sometimes I laugh out loud and others I just smile but it is all good. I also enjoy the social commentary in the books. Fethering, the town were most of these murders occur, is the equivalent of a modern St. Mary Mead. Aristocrats don’t abound but normal people do and the observations are very telling.

Enjoy. It is a great series and I wasn’t disappointed with this installment. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest opinion.

Reading the Fethering Mysteries is like meeting up with old friends who are familiar yet always have a few surprises to impart. The discovery of a handbag belonging to someone who disappeared 30 years ago has our sleuths tracking down any leads they can. Written with a warmth and wittiness that leads people to just class these books as 'cozy' should not be allowed to detract from a murder mystery which yields a surprising result.

I await the new ones in this series with a sense of anticipation and haven't been let down yet!.

I love Fethering stories and was more than happy to catch up with Jude and Carole. It was a lot of fun and I liked the story and how the author deals with some serious issues keeping the tone light.
It's a good and gripping mystery, there's a lot of quirky characters, and the twists and the solution surprised me.
Simon Brett is a master storyteller and this story kept me hooked and entertained.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

In the early days, it was Chardonnay, now it is large glasses of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, but has anything much changed in this twenty-first visit to the murderous seaside town of Fethering?

Carole and Jude are still, uptight but now relaxedly-grandmotherly in one case, and just chilled and relaxed in the other. Nowadays they seem to investigate much more independently although just as intrusively as before. Ted looms large in the flourishing gastropub and the jokes are no better.

I have followed this series from its inception. It never strays out of the readers' comfort zone nor does it endeavour to tear away the comfort blanket. There are some ingenuities in the plotting of this one, and a slight twist towards the end, but essentially it administers the mixture as before. For most readers, old and new, this is reassuring. But I am no longer enamoured... and I am not a fan of magnolia!

3.5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House /Canongate Books for the digital review copy.

Polar opposities Jude, the free spirit, and Carole, the uptight divorcee, look into another mystery in the small town of Fethering. Jude is in the midst of getting some redecorating done, and she and her painter discover the handbag of a woman missing for decades. She and Carole can't resist snooping. The missing woman was a very upright and Catholic girl and the rumors at the time ran rampant: sexual harassment by her boss or his father, an illicit love affair with a co-worker, a secret elopement to Spain, etc.

The relationship between the two women is really the heart of this series. Even for a cozy, their incredible nosiness is over the top. Jude is unbelievably tolerant and relaxed, and Carole seizes on any occasion to feel affronted. This one had an interesting and unexpected twist to the ending.

Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

After Jude and her decorator, Pete, find a purse belonging to a woman who disappeared thirty years ago, Jude feels compelled to investigate the unsolved disappearance. Along with her next-door neighbor, Carole, the two of them become immersed in their small village’s speculations and rumors.

Death and the Decorator is the twenty-first book in the Fethering Mystery series. I have read most of these books but lately the stories have taken on a somewhat lackluster quality. However, this latest book has proven to be much better. As usual, Jude and Carole are friends but also somewhat adversarial, due to Carole’s rather acerbic nature. While this has always been a hallmark of the series, it has begun to wear thin for me. Jude, with her calm and caring demeanor, seems immune to Carole’s constant sniping about Jude’s profession (a healer) and her male friends. Jude is practically a saint for putting up with her and after all this time, one would hope that Carole, who seems to understand her own behavior, would try to curb herself. Otherwise, Death and the Decorator is nice cozy escape for a few hours and it’s always fun to visit old friends in Fethering.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

Another enjoyable visit to Fethering , where we meet the indomitable sleuthing duo Jude and Carole.
Jude is a free spirit in to healing , crystals and alternative therapies Carole on the other hand is very set in her ways and can be quite taciturn at times.
They make the unlikeliest of friends but the perfect amateur detectives .
Jude is having her living room decorated , and this in turn leads to her uncovering a handbag from a thirty year old disappearance.
Carole and Jude get their interest piqued and they begin to investigate.
The writing is of the calibre you expect from Simon Brett , easy to read with light hearted moments never forgetting the serious subject of the story that being murder.
The relationship between Jude and Carole is both complex and credible.
I’ve enjoyed all the Fethering mysteries and this one doesn’t disappoint.
Overall an enjoyable cozy mystery !
Highly recommended!
Thanks to NetGalley and Severn House.

Death and the Decorator is the twenty-first book in the Fethering mystery series.

It started with the discovery of a thirty-year-old handbag in a wall during a remodeling job. Its owner, Anita Garner, had gone missing around the same time. Anita worked in the building, which was then a nursing home. Jude and Carole, amateur detectives (and professional busybodies), decide to investigate Anita’s case.

Death and the Decorator is newly written but feels like a golden age mystery. The small British beach town setting is unchanged from the 1930s. However, many of its characters struggle with modern conveniences like cell phones and laptops. They are older and/or retired. Therefore, this book might be a better fit for an older reader.

If you fancy an Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple type of plot, but set in modern times, you can’t go wrong with Death and the Decorator, or really any of the books in this series. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars!

Thanks to Severn House and NetGalley for a digital review copy of the book.

Jude is having her sitting room repainted and has hired the decorator Pete, who is currently working in Footscrow House, an old building that has housed many different businesses, all of which have failed and thus has been nicknamed Fiasco House. Jude meets with him there, and while they talk, he is removing a panel. When the panel is out, it reveals a small triangular alcove holding a red leather woman's handbag. Besides the usual items, the bag has a new passport in the name of Anita Garner. Jude takes the the bag to the police. It appears that Garner disappeared about 30 years previously when the building was a senior care facility, and Anita, age 23 worked there.

Jude and her friend Carole immediately begin investigating. They check out the rumors at the Crown and Anchor, and talk to people who knew Anita, as well as checking on the internet and reading old newspapers from the time. Anita was an only child, and was Catholic. She had still been living with her parents. The senior care facility was owned and managed by Veronica and Harry Laselle. It was their son, Roland, who was now renovating it for holiday flatlets. Carole goes to the Library to read the old newspapers, and a man approaches her to tell she is reading his writings. The former newsman, Malt Penberthy, helps her find information. There is a lot of gossip around town, including that Roland and or his father was hitting on Anita. When Harry Lasalle dies of carbon monoxide poisoning on his boat, the gossip continues along with ideas on whether it was murder, suicide, or an accident. Jude finally gets great information from a man who went to school with Anita, and everyone else thought was clueless.

I enjoyed this book, which is very clever, includes humor, and there is a great surprise near the end.

A surprisingly complex mystery set in small-town coastal England features myriad interesting characters, and secrets slowly revealed.

A fun very quick read about a very cold case! Jude and her contractor Pete discover a handbag belonging to Anita, a young woman who disappeared from Fethering 20 years earlier, behind a wall in house Pete's working on. She can't help it- she rounds up Carole and they're off to ask questions. The charm in this series (and this will be fine as a standalone) lies in the odd couple of the strait-laced Carole and the more free wheeling Jude. There are a few surprises in store but the mystery is less interesting than the biplay between this pair. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC.