What an enthralling read this proved to be
I hope you read it yourself and find you agree!
For my complementary copy, I say thank you,
As I share with you this, my honest review

It was great to return to this Somerset village again
Though there are many things the sleuths can't explain
A disappearing farmer and a disappearing donkey, too -
What's happening? Can the friends find a clue?

Get ready for a mysterious, vindictive campaign,
A huge falling out the others can't explain
Romance and proposals may be planned but
Life's interventions may mean they'll have to be cut.

A visiting son, a murder, new project, too,
A break up and possible romance that's new.
Along with the investigations the dangers grow
Who can you trust - and what should you know?

The need to be honest about events in the past
Mean until the truth is told discord will last.
Only by honestly investigating events can the truth be revealed
And help bring into the open the dangers previously concealed.

Set in the village of Lower Hembrow, the Streamside Hotel is owned by Imogen Bishop who inherited it when her father died. Adam Hennessey is an ex-DCI from Birmingham who retired early from the police after a raid ended in tragedy and who subsequently bought The Plough Inn in the village. Old habits die hard though and he just cannot resist dabbling in a mystery. Adam and Imogen have become great friends and already have a shared history due to being involved in solving two murder cases, including that of Imogen’s husband’s murder, together with their two other friends, journalist Steph (who Adam is happily dating) and artist Daniel Freeman (for whom Imogen has held a torch for years but wonders if he will ever put her before his painting). Once again Imogen has been persuaded to host a village event, this time the Apple Day festival after another venue pulled out suddenly, when village shopkeeper Edwina Topsham asks Adam (in his role as ex-detective to all things in the village from missing dogs to murder) to look into the disappearance to farmer and father of six Joe. He left the pub on Sunday night and has not been seen since, although rumour has it he could just be avoiding his battle-axe mother-in-law and will turn up sooner or later. He does indeed return but there is an almighty shock in store when he does. Meanwhile another character from the village also vanishes and then returns with a sinister threatening message attached. Soon the team of four sleuths uncover something rather nasty and even deadly in their lovely chocolate box village which is too close for comfort.
This is a charming cosy murder mystery set in a picturesque village in Somerset with a cast of wonderful and sometimes eccentric people, although for me the star of the show is still Harley the dog. Adam and Imogen make a fantastic detective partnership in this gentle yet totally engrossing story where all the characters are very well described with plenty of background history given where required so this book can easily be enjoyed as a stand-alone without needing to read books one and two first (although I definitely recommend you do!). A great way to lose yourself in a story you won’t want to put down until you’ve finished. 5*

The Annual Apple festival should be a time of joy but when a murder, the disappearance and reappearance of a donkey and vandalsim of an artists display occur tensions rise and Adam and his friends find themselves struggling to discover who is behind these events

Thank you to Netgalley for an arc of this cosy village mystery

Imogen finds out that Roger Masters has backed out of having the Apple Festival at his place, and the Vicar Helen asked Imogen to host it at the hotel. They seem to be having troubles at the Trevillian farm, and Joe has disappeared. Jenny has been drinking, and her mother, who is very critical of Joe has been helping. Adam, Steph, and Imogen have been trying to find out what happened at the farm and where Joe has gone. They haven't made much progress by the time of the Apple Festival, where all is well except that Dan (Imogen's man) is late coming because one of his donkeys has disappeared. When Imogen begins scolding him for being late, he leaves. A little later, Joe shows up, although he doesn't look good and suddenly drops to the ground dead.

Meanwhile, Dan's son Pierre arrives to visit him. However, someone is really messing with Dan. First the missing donkey who reappears after a few days, then someone damages a couple of his paintings just before the big exhibit, and then his house is burned down. However, the sleuthing group finally figure out who is after Dan, and what happened to Joe. Along the way another unhappy man is about to murder Imogen!

This is a very enjoyable series, and I look forward to the next episode! I thank Netgalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC allowing me to give an honest review.

I received this ARC via Netgalley and Boldwood Books, in return for an honest review. While the third book in this series, it is easily read as a standalone. A modern English village cozy mystery with an interesting set of lead characters. Two men and two women form the core group, including a retired DCI turned publican who provides the necessary technical experience for the quartet to resolve crimes in the local area. Lovely visit to the English countryside and I look forward to the next in this series.

This delightful third installment in the Ham Hill mystery series set in the small community of Lower Hembrow in sleepy Somerset sees Imogen busy setting up for the Apple Day festival at the hotel, in light of the previous premises falling through, particularly after the success of the Spring Fair. With the help of the locals and the effervescent vicar, they are able to have everything in place within a week. Of course Imogen asks her artist boyfriend Dan for his help and he agrees, but on the day despite having set several alarm clocks to ensure his early arrival, he fails to show and Imogen is not best pleased.

However, unbeknownst to Imogen, when Dan was preparing to leave he discovered one of his beloved donkeys was missing and spent the next several hours searching to no avail. He arrives at the Streamside Hotel for the festivities but Imogen is angry at his tardiness yet again and refuses to listen to his excuses. Without waiting to be berated even more, Dan turns and leaves the hotel and the Apple Day festival to return to his studio some miles away.

Meanwhile, local farmer Joe Trevillian has disappeared after a row with his wife and a night of drinking at The Plough, leaving his wife and six children with a farm to run. Gossip is rife in the village as everyone has their own theories on where Joe might have run off to when he suddenly reappears at the Apple Day festivities. But before he can shed any light on where he's been he drops dead in front of Imogen. Now the gossip grapevine runs hots throughout the village with the news. But what happened to Joe Trevillian in those missing days? Could they shed any light on the reason for his sudden death?

When a post mortem reveals he had been poisoned, Adam (the owner of The Plough) and his partner Steph begin to toss ideas as to when and how the poisoning occurred...and ultimately, the question that remained. Who?

But life is far from quiet in what is thought to be a sleepy village as Dan finds himself the target of someone who appears to have it in for him. First his donkey Smash had disappeared...only to reappear a few days later with no explanation as to what occurred. Then his paintings were vandalised in a gallery and his studio is then burnt to the ground. Who has it in for him? And why?

A HARVEST MURDER is the delightful third book in this cosy mystery series where we meet up with Imogen, Adam, Dan and Steph once again, as well as all the various other locals that pop up. As with the previous mysteries, it is a very easy read involving all her characters in one way or another and engaging the reader from the start.

With a gentle pace, the reader is immersed into village life alongside the characters as the dramas inevitably unfold creating a mystery in which our sleuths cannot ignore. And there is plenty of drama, like a Midsomer Murders mystery, to keep readers entertained and the characters busy.

I liked how A HARVEST MURDER ended and I look forward to the next installment to see what's next for our our dynamic duo and their respective partners. Having enjoyed this series thus far, I have added Frances Evesham's Exham-on-Sea series to my ever growing TBR pile.

I would like to thank #FrancesEvesham, #Netgalley, #BoldwoodBooks and #RachelsRandomResources for an ARC of #AHarvestMurder in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

A Harvest Murder is the first Ham Hill Murder Mystery I've read, but it was easy to get to know the four main characters and I'm sure other readers will be able to jump right in if they want to. Mind - there are a few references to the earlier books, so if you do, it might spoil your enjoyment of books 1 and 2 in the series.

I found the characters and the twin mysteries to be intriguing. The residents of Lower Hembrow are a typically mixed bunch of nosy do-gooders and those trying to keep their secrets just that, secret. Much of the action takes place in the local pub, listening to gossip from the locals, and if it's not at the pub, then it's at the local hotel, either on Cider Night or Guy Fawkes Night. The book feels very autumnal.

An enjoyable, cosy read that makes you think of toffee apples, and pumpkins. This won't be the only book in the series that I read.

In Lower Hembrow, an idyllic village nestled beneath Ham Hill in Somerset, the villagers are preparing to enjoy the autumn traditions of the rural English countryside until Joe Trevillion, a curmudgeonly local farmer and the father of six children, vanishes. When Adam Hennessy, the ex-detective proprietor of The Plough, the village's popular Inn, investigates. Meanwhile, a vicious campaign of vindictiveness forces Adam and his three amateur sleuth friends to dig deep into the secret lives of their neighbours to expose the source of a cruel vendetta and prevent another death.
This is the third book in the series & whilst it could easily be read on its own I’m loving how the characters are developing. Another well written engrossing read, there were twists & red herrings & a delightful group of sleuths who worked together to solve not only a murder but also finding a missing donkey. There’s even a bit of romance. A delightful cosy mystery
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

I have read the first two books of this series and if I have to pick a favorite, I would say A Harvest Murder. What a fantastic, engrossing and completely entertaining cozy mystery. This is clearly one of the best cozy mysteries of 2022!

I absolutely love Evesham's storytelling. Be it the characters, the setting, the mystery along with a dash of humor, Frances Evesham is one of the best cozy mystery authors ever!

We have four stories here: 1) Joe's missing 2) Adam's donkey goes missing and soon he learns someone's out there to get him - reason unknown 3) trouble in paradise - Imogen and Dan's relationship is in troubled waters 4) a murder during the festivities.

I was hooked on to the story until the end - so many incidents and mysteries, WOW! There were times when I felt Dan could make an effort and be good to Imogen - but when the twist was revealed in the second half of the book, I changed sides. *wink* This is called "never judge someone before knowing both sides of the story." Hmm...

The mystery behind Joe's disappearance and a murder at Apple Day - the events leading up to murder and finding the killer was shocking and totally unexpected. I just couldn't believe that a certain somebody was capable of murder.

I can go on and on and on, praising this book a gazillion times - and Frances truly deserves all the praise for writing such a fantabulous mystery. If you are looking for an engrossing and entertaining cozy

It takes a few chapters to get back into the Ham Hill Village vibe, but once you do, this is an entertaining cosy crime novel with a vibrant village setting, great characters and a twisty plot. Adam, the retired police detective .and Steph's relationship is working well, but Imogen feels her tentative love affair with Dan, the artist, is floundering. Dan is the story's focus, and the reader learns about his past life. The village's community spirit draws the amateur sleuths' attention to a missing farmer, and the story soon escalates into something sinister.

I like the dynamic between the amateur sleuths and how they support each other, the village location and the twisty plot that builds into a suspenseful story.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

A Harvest Murder is a light cosy mystery set in a quintessentially English village. The main characters form a foursome, Rachel and her partner Dan, and
Adam and his partner Steph. With a couple of mysteries solved already, their sleuthing credentials are strengthened by Adam’s history as a retired Detective Inspector. Consequently he carries much of the story when it comes to questioning villagers and using his contacts to find evidence that would otherwise not be available to them. For me, that’s a little off-genre, he’s hardly your regular amateur sleuth, nonetheless he fulfils the role of the “friend in the police force” that cosy mysteries are known for.

The plot is deliciously misdirected at first to throw the reader off, but once all the supporting characters are known then the real culprit is not too hard to find – proof, however, is less easily uncovered.

The pace is gentle, in keeping with the setting, yet it’s not without its dramas both relative to the crime and the personal lives of the main four characters. I did find the reason behind the attacks on Dan to be a little reaching but I was happy to suspend belief to know his donkeys were safe. (Now you have to read it, right? 😉 )

A solid mystery (the disappearance – murder of farmer Joe) with likeable characters with believable lives and issues. The setting is stunning and almost steals the show by itself, and the romance between the two couples provide a little tension whilst also being sweet and heartwarming. For a cosy mystery, what more could you want?

Adam Hennessy a retired detective now lives in Lower Hembrow in the English countryside. When a local farmer goes missing Adam and his friends decide to investigate. Secrets will be revealed and this idyllic village will prove to be not so idyllic. Good mystery.

A Harvest Murder is book three in the Ham Hill Murder Mysteries by Frances Evesham. The small community of Lower Hembrow in Somerset was rocked again by the disappearances of a local farm and father of six. When a donkey went missing from a local artist retreat, Adam, the owner of The Plough, an ex-detective, and his friends decided to investigate. However, during the investigation, someone dies in mysterious circumstances. The readers of A Harvest Murder will continue following Adam and his friends to discover what happens.

A Harvest Murder is the first book I have read by Frances Evesham. I enjoyed reading A Harvest Murder, a lovely cozy mystery, and I like that Frances Evesham involved all her characters in the plot of this book. I did engage with this book from the start, which wasn't easy to put down. I love the way Frances Evesham portrayed her characters and their interaction with each other throughout this book. A Harvest Murder was well written and researched by Frances Evesham. I like how Frances Evesham described her settings of A Harvest Murder, which allowed her readers to immerse themselves in the plot of this book.

The readers of A Harvest Murder will learn how lovely donkeys are as a pet. Also, the readers will start to understand the dangers of eating the wrong mushrooms.

I enjoyed this read, it was fun and exciting. I love cozy mysteries and have loved reading this series so far! Look forward to more :)

I thoroughly enjoyed this visit to the West Country. It's a comfortable read to curl up with while you try to work out which threads connect together to figure out what is going on.

The characters are mostly likeable and relatable and the story that weaves around them is an interesting one that kept me picking it up as often as I could.

I'm going to have to read the first two in this series now, I need more information on those donkeys!

Very enjoyable! This was both comforting and meandering, but also fast paced. Time seemed to move slowly, but the mystery seemed to move pretty fast paced with lots of clues and red herrings to keep it interesting.

I was so excited to read this book! Such a great cozy mystery that was a thrill read. I always enjoy reading cozies and this book was a fun one!

Four friends (a hotel owner, an artist, a pub owner and a journalist) look to solve the disappearance of a local farmer while juggling the many activities in their village as well as figuring out their love lives.

This is the third in series and my favorite of the three books. This is a charming English cozy mystery with great charcters and a intriguing sleuth. Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity. My review opinion is my own.

The author has a picturesque charming holiday theme of a apple festival in this small British village. A murder occurs of a local man and Father. Imogene is determined to solve the mystery. With contention over a missing donkey, not agreeing with her boyfriend and investigating murder Imogene wears many hats in this delightful cozy mystery. I enjoyed the sleuth to conclusion. A well rounded group of local charcters and a fun read . I highly recommend this cozy for all who enjoy cozy mysteries.

donkeys, murder, murder-investigation, law-enforcement, ex-cop, family, family-dynamics, friendship, England, artist, small-town, small-business, pets, hotelier, alcohol-issues, abduction, amateur-sleuth, vendetta, rural, secrets, arson, poisons, relationship-issues*****

The publisher's blurb does a fair job, the characters are all really interesting, the sleuthing is a co-operative effort and moves at a good pace. And then there are some really sneaky plot twists and red herrings in this foray into the rural world of the west country. It devolves into a really tangled mess with missing person, poisoning, stolen animal, harassment, burglary, arson, and more. Excellent work by our series sleuths with the assistance of friends who are still working in law enforcement. Another winner!
I requested and received a temporary digital ARC of this book from Boldwood Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!