I was so looking forward to meeting Martha and Luke again, and this book was as much fun as the first one: a fast-paced, entertaining cozy mystery.

I laughed out loud at the female prime minister comment, and loved Martha's observations about the gender issues (why is always the girl to blame?!).

Dear author, please do something with Stan because I cannot bear to see these two suffering. Thank you.

Grateful to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an Advance Review Copy.

Martha Miller is back in this leisurely paced cosy mystery.
Martha and her sister Ruby and the local vicar Luke are visiting Winteringham for the country fair where Martha is the guest of honour due to her previous sleuthing skills .
Unfortunately things don’t go to plan and a dead body is found .
Can Martha and Luke combine their amateur detecting skills and solve the crime?
This is the second book in the series and I personally think this book is an improvement on the first book.
The characters are well rounded and amiable and the calibre of writing makes it an easy read. The relationship between Martha and Luke is evolving and hope to see it blossom in the future.
There are plenty of red herrings which make this quaint village cosy mystery an enjoyable read.
Looking forward to the next in the series.

Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books

Daggers at the Country Fair by Catherine Coles is book #2 in the Martha Miller Cozy Mysteries. This is an entertaining English mystery that continues the story of Martha, her sister, Ruby and her vicar Luke Walker. After solving a murder in her own town, Martha is invited to give the opening as the guest of honor at the Winteringham Country Fair. Shortly after that she stumbles on a dead body. Her and the vicar investigate, and it leads them all over town. This is a very entertaining book and has likable characters. I love seeing the relationship between Luke and Martha develop and grow. I loved Poison at the Village Show, so was eager to read Daggers at the Country Fair. It did not disappoint. I can’t wait for book #3 to see what happens between Martha and Luke after the rather surprising ending. Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the free eARC of this book.

3.7 Stars

One Liner: A fun read!

Winteringham Village 1947
Martha Miller is invited as the guest of honor at the Winteringham Country Fair. She travels to the place with her sister Ruby, the new vicar Luke, and two friends, Maud and Ada. Though Martha is nervous about the event, she looks forward to spending quality time away from her village.
However, Martha stumbles upon the dead body of the local femme fatale (a teenage girl), and she has no choice but to investigate the crime with Luke. One death leads to another, and Martha has to stop the killer from taking more lives by exposing who they are. Can Martha and Luke solve this case too?
The story comes from Martha’s POV in the limited-third person.

What I Like:
• The book is just 210+ pages long and is easy to read. It can be read as a standalone as there’s enough backstory for readers to understand the characters and their relationships.
• There’s a list of characters and their profession at the beginning of the book. This makes it easy to keep track of them (and to make notes).
• The story has themes of the changing scenarios after WWII and how they affected women’s lives during the period. It has an array of characters with varying quirks (some stereotypical but work for the purpose).
• Apart from the crime, this book has three major focus elements- the need for a loving family, how the scales are heavily tilted against young women with no support, and the ease at which people justify their actions (nothing has changed!). The concept of having a child is dealt with from different perspectives.
• There are bits and pieces of lighthearted moments, gossip, and loads of tea as any countryside mystery should have. (Not complaining. I’d rather read about tea than a variety of alcoholic beverages and heroines who love their drink a little too much!)

What Didn’t Work for Me:
• Ben is the police, so when he is asked to take over a case, the poor guy needs some scenes where he can do his job (searching for clues isn’t enough). Also, there was a great opportunity to give Ben some credit (the constable issue).
• Though Martha’s final reveal kind of replicates Poirot's dramatics, it doesn’t have the same impact. Her assumptions seem like a lucky guess than a deduction (which is sad because there is logic in the case and the killer’s identity). Structuring the sleuthing process more carefully would have made it even better.
• While I love smaller books, I also want some progress in the subplots. Understandable that things cannot be rushed with Martha and Luke, but Ruby and Ben hardly have a scene together. And the second book also ends the way the first does. I hope this doesn’t become a pattern because that would be boring. A hook for the next in the series can be anything. ;)

To summarize, Daggers at the Country Fair is a short, fast-paced, and easy, cozy mystery set in the English countryside. The book works as a standalone. Grab it when you want a book for a lazy afternoon.
Thank you, NetGalley and Boldwood Books, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

I must admit to not having read the first book in the Martha Miller series, but even so, Daggers at the Country Fair more than stands up for itself and can easily be read on its own merit.

Martha Miller, Luke Walker - the vicar, her sister Ruby and friends from her village, have been invited to visit Winteringham for the country fair, where Martha's reputation as a crime solver precedes her. As such, she is the guest of honour and is asked to perform the opening ceremony.

It's all perfectly lovely until Martha's little dog sits down, refuses to move, and barks and growls at something odd behind one of the tents. Keen to see what's troubling her pet, Martha ventures to look what's happened. Finding a young woman, stabbed to death, is not something she ever expected to find, and subsequently learning that the young woman - Helen Kennedy - is the niece of the village vicar, who just happens to be Luke's best friend...and their host.

While Martha feels it's not her place to get involved in the case, Luke and Ruby convince her to at least ask some questions of the young woman's family and friends.
The answers Martha gets to her investigation raise doubts in her mind that not everyone is telling the whole truth, and digging deeper only causes her to worry about the repercussions of her discovery. Alongside this concern, Martha is also trying to underplay her attraction to Luke. She, as a married woman (whose husband has left her) cannot get involved with the vicar. This emotional conflict reminds the reader how different those years were for women, and Martha is visibly struggling with the need to stand on her own two feet while society still prevents women from being so blatantly independent. The plight of young Helen Kennedy also highlights how society treated young women in her situation back then, and how so little was done to support them.

The mystery is intriguing with plenty of suspects, and I particularly enjoyed the big reveal when Martha eliminates one suspect after the other until the inevitable killer is trapped, unable to deny their involvement.

This is a perfect cosy mystery with vibes of Grantchester and a nod to the limited role of women in those post-war years. With great twist, a forbidden romance, and a quintessential village fayre, what's not to love?

Daggers at the Country Fair is the second book in the Martha Miller series. I had enjoyed reading the first book- Poison at the Village Show in the beginning of this year. I fell in love with the cozy mystery series which reminded me of old, quaint villages like St. Mary Mead from the Miss Marple series. The second book though, is set in a different village- Winteringham, so apart from a few familiar names we come across a different set of characters. Martha Miller along with the vicar, Luke Walker, her sister Ruby and her friends from her village, Maud and Ada, visit Winteringham for the country fair. Martha is the chief guest of the show and she is invited to inaugurate the ceremony. But it looks like the sleuthing duo, Martha and the vicar, just cannot avoid getting involved in another investigation.

In the fair, a young woman from the village, Helen Kennedy, is found stabbed to death just behind a marquee and although Martha is initially reluctant to get involved in the case, the vicar and her sister convince her to investigate the sudden and shocking death of the young girl. Martha is also struggling to control her emotions towards Luke because she knows that although her husband, Stan, has abandoned her for more than a year now, a vicar and a married woman getting romantically linked would be no less than blasphemy, considering the time period in which the book is set.

I felt the second part of this series wasn't as good as the first book. While the story was short and the number of suspects less, most of the detecting was nothing but moving back and forth between the suspects and asking them most obvious questions. Also it felt that most of the conclusions that Martha reached were based out of pure guess work rather than coming to a logical deduction. I was also hoping that there were would be more development between the personal relationships of Luke and Martha or Ruby and Ben but the story was a little bland for me. I will still be interested in reading the next part of the series, because frankly, I am hooked to this genre of cozy mysteries.

Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books publishers for an early copy of the book.

Martha and Luke are at the fair...they are away from their village and the gossips...Martha likes Vicar Luke...he likes her...romance and love...family and friendship. Because Martha is a popular person, she is chosen to have a leadership capacity in the opening of the fair. Just when things seem to be going well for the couple, there is a murder. Again...Martha and Luke set out to solve the murder. This cozy mystery is written by a talented and gifted author who knows how to write a quick read, a cannot put down book. Curl up in a comfy chair with a warm blanket, a cup of steaming herbal tea, a snack...spend an afternoon at the fair...with Martha and Luke...in this cozy book...just a good one...I look forward to more stories from this author. The book was sent to me by Netgalley. Thanks to the publisher for the electronic copy.

1947, England, small-town, clergy, family, friendship, murder-investigation, murder, amateur-sleuth, law-enforcement, cosy-mystery, gossip, suspense, suspicion, dog*****

The first in series was a relaxing cosy but this one has more urgency to it. The characters have a little more depth and the investigation runs into dead ends, red herrings, and some fancy twists. Mrs Miller and the vicar generally work well together while the detective gets his undies in a bundle. The publisher's blurb is a good hook and doesn't want repeating. I liked this one even better than book one and I do think that it can stand alone.
I requested and received a free e-book copy from Boldwood Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

This is the second book in the Martha Miller series. Having read and enjoyed the first books, I was thrilled have an opportunity to read this one. I quite enjoy the series so far.

In this book, Martha is invited to open a country fair in a village called Winteringham It so happens that the vicar in this village has been a dear friend Luke, the vicar of Westleham and a person who is developing a complicated relationship with Martha. Martha, Luke, Lizzie the dog, Ruby (Martha’s sister) and a couple of friends take the train to Winteringham and prepare to spend a few days there. Because the village inn does not allow dogs, Martha, Lizzie, and Luke stay with the vicar, his wife, and their baby in the vicarage. Martha is nervous about her role opening the fair, but once that’s done, she can relax and simply enjoy herself—or so she thought.

She doesn’t have much time to relax, because she is soon drawn to look behind a tent where she finds the vicar’s niece dead. There could be no doubt that she was murdered. The doctor and the village constable are inept and make things worse, so Ruby calls in her boyfriend, a Scotland Yard detective. The vicar of Winteringham asks Luke and Martha to investigate and in spite of her misgivings and the potential for tension between the two vicars, who are old friends, they agree.

This is a very enjoyable cozy mystery that also deals with important themes. As with the first book, I like reading about Martha’s growing self-awareness and growth. She grows more comfortable within herself as she tried new things and steps out of her comfort zone. The issues raised in this book are current even though it’s set in 1947, showing that they are not new. We’ve been grappling with them for a long time. The mystery is interesting and well plotted. The case is solved in a satisfying way, although I thought the book itself ended rather abruptly. That could just be my own personal taste, though. I can see why the ending would work. Maybe I just wanted it to go on a bit longer! Hopefully in the next book, the characters will be picking up where they left off in this one.

I liked the first book in the series and the second was just as good. The story telling was good, loved all the twists and turns. Look forward to the next instalment in the series.

I really enjoyed Poison at the Village Show, so I grabbed Daggers at the Country Fair as soon as I could. I think I liked this one even better than the first.

In this book, Martha has been invited to open the Winteringham country fair by the forward-looking organiser. She and some friends from Westleham stay there, and, of course, Martha stumbles across a dead body.

I loved reading this story. It is well written and easy to read. I love Martha’s character development - she is more confident in this book. I like how she’s starting to take more control of her life, and that she and Ruby are getting closer. I also enjoyed her growing closeness to Luke, but I really, really hope that Catherine Coles has some sort of resolution to the issue of Martha’s missing husband in the not too distant future.

The mystery itself was a good one. I enjoyed finding out more about the suspicious characters, and trying to work out who actually committed the murders.

If you’re looking for a historical cosy crime, pick this one. It’s chock-a-block with interesting, lovable characters, brim full of potential murderers, and a really enjoyable read.

I was given a copy of this book, my opinions are my own.

Another light, classic Agatha Christie-style murder mystery. This works suffers a little in comparison to the first work in the series, Poison at the Village Show, because it is not set in Martha's home village. In addition, the mystery solving by Martha strains credulity a little as she makes assumption after assumption that turn out to be somehow right, but otherwise, this is a leisurely stroll through British murder mystery territory. Perfect for beach or bathtub reading, just don't expect a really deep mystery.

Martha Miller is asked to be the guest of honor at a neighboring county’s fair. The woman who invited her was impressed by Martha’s sleuthing in her own town and couldn’t wait to meet her. Martha, her sister, the Vicar and two others head to Winteringham to enjoy the festivities. Luke is friends with the local vicar, so it seems Martha will also have a place to stay since the local boarding house does not allow dogs.

After opening the festival, Martha soon finds the local vicar’s niece dead behind a ten with a knife in her. Who would do such a thing to beautiful young girl? After promising the local vicar they would try to find the murderer, Martha and Luke put not heir sleuthing hats to do just that. While they may not be local and hear the gossip, there’s not much people won’t tell a vicar when asked. But will they find the murderer or will they shut out of town and sent home, either on a bus or in a box?

I don’t know what it is about British cozies, but they are absolutely the best! This one really hit the spot…and it’s part of a long running series, so while I have just found my first book in this series, I have quite a few left to catch up on. I love when this happens! Well written and with a solid whodunit, this series is a homerun with me!

This book reads like a leisurely stroll in an English county fair on a mild sunny day - exactly as you would expect from the title and cover. Very enjoyable. I received this book as a complimentary copy and am voluntarily leaving this review.

Kept me guessing until the end! Loads of twists and turns. Will keep the reader totally engaged. Very well developed characters. Awesome story plot. I highly recommend! Thanks #netgalley and #BoldwoodBooks for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine.

I didn't realise this was part of a series and so I read it as a standalone but I really enjoyed it. It was a fantastic little cosy mystery that gripped me right from the start. The characters and the story were relatable and believable

I loved this cozy mystery that involved Martha sleuthing around. Martha had solved a mystery earlier so she and vicar Luke were requested to help solve the murder of Luke’s best friend’s niece Helen. Freddie was also a vicar and his wife Doris was aunt and uncle to Helen Kennedy. Helen is considered by the village as a uninhibited young woman. Helen is seen receiving a wad of money one morning then comes up murdered. Helen had a few shall we say little indiscretions in her young life and some public people where in the spotlight for those reasons. Bonus there is another murder the housekeeper of Freddie and Doris.
It was fun to watch the people try to cover up with lies and how they squirmed when questioned. This book definitely keeps you guessing. But I want more on Martha and Luke!

I received this ARC from the author and Netgalley for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is the second book in the series but would work equally well as a stand alone novel. The further investigations of Martha and local vicar, Luke, are a true delight. The small village any of life is lovingly depicted. The 1947 setting, with its social constraints, makes me very glad to be living in the 21st century! I am eagerly awaiting the next book in this series!

Who Killed The Village Vicar's Niece?

You get to visit a Post WW2, rural English Village, in Catherine Coles' "Daggers At the Country Fair". This 2nd Martha Miller Mystery, is best understood, by 📖ing the Series in Chronological Order.

Vicar Luke visits his best friend in Winteringham Village. Martha & her crew, go along to attend the County Fair. What does Martha do, after finding a Dead Body? I Highly Recommend You 📖 CC's Poignant, Engrossing, Historic, Cozy Mystery to find out!

I enjoyed 📖ing about life in 1947, a more moral & simple time. And how the 📗's characters conducted their lives within that setting. I ❤️ that Martha has gained self confidence, since she solved her 1st Murder. I ❤️ that her Sister continues to be her Cheerleader. I also ❤️ that Martha's dog plays a key role in the Story. ❤️ed 📖 ing ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Having just finished a book where everything came at you fast and furious, I have to admit that I thoroughly appreciated the more leisurely pace of "Daggers at the Country Fair". Set in the past after the war, there is a bit of an ol' fashioned feel to the tale. Martha Miller herself notes that it still feels odd to see road mileage markers as they had been removed during the war as a precaution should England be invaded.

I haven't read book one but that didn't seem to matter as I quickly figured out who was who and what had happened earlier. Martha had helped solve a murder in her home village with the help of local vicar Luke. Now she's been invited to open a neighboring fair in honor of her exploits. The people about them were interesting, from rapid-fire talker Annie to Luke's ol' friend Freddie's quips about Luke’s university days, to the fair itself. Then, there is a murder.

I won't detail the plot, it's easily available elsewhere, but will not that one needs to remind oneself that this story is not set in modern days. Nor are social norms the same as they are nowadays. Why would someone murder a young girl? Maybe more important, at least initially, why? As Martha delves into the mystery, she finds herself shutting out Luke. Doesn't she trust him? Why is she so reluctant to share? How do the dynamics of the various families involved play out? What the heck happened to Martha's husband, Stan, anyway? Who killed the housekeeper and shoved her over a wall? Why? Heck, could it be someone intent more upon ruining Annie's reputation as fair planner than not? Why....oh, enough teasers. Check out the book if you're in the mood for a more leisurely, ol' fashioned tale.

Thanks #NetGalley and #BoldwoodBooks for inviting me to the fair. It was fun to meet Martha and Luke even tho' I'm fearful the rigid era they live in has things stacked against them. Will love conquer all?