Loved loved loved it. A county fair murder with a list of suspects whose reasons for killing are very different yet all because of secrets. Loved it so much am eagerly awaiting the next instalment. It’s just such a good read. Well researched and well written. If I recommend one book this year it’s this one!

Thanks you to Boldwood Books and Net Galley for this ARC. Another great little mystery from this author. I wasn't too sure after the first book whether the next would be as good but it is. I'm liking the character development and look forward to a third installment.

A winsome, abandoned wife solved a mystery in the debut to this cozy mystery, so she is invited to open a country fair in the neighboring village of Winteringham Village in the sequel. It being 1947, Martha Miller has no recourse when her husband Stan heads to work and vanishes. Is he dead? Has he fled? Poor Martha has no way to know, yet is stuck as Mrs. Miller.

Martha is accompanied by the kind, handsome vicar of her home village of Westleham, Luke Walker. They previously joined forces to solve the mystery in Poison at the Village Show and do so again here when a wayward girl turns up dead behind a tent.

I never read the first book in this series, but I don’t think that was my problem. There was plenty of backstory — too much, actually. I liked both Martha, who feels drawn to Luke, and Luke, who may or may not reciprocate. Not that it would matter in 1947 England. No vicar could marry a divorced woman; in fact, the Church of England was looking down on remarriage for divorcees as recently as the 1990s! So the characters were well-drawn. But some of the writing was clunky, with the dialogue unrealistic. Am I glad I read it? Sure. Am I going to read the next one? Unlikely.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley and Boldwood Books in exchange for an honest review.

This series is certainly becoming of the must read books for an enjoyable weekend. I love how the characters all interact and there is no one character that I do not like. The way that all the evidence is presented and yet when the reveal is made in a true golden age of crime way there is still something that I managed to miss so that the culprit is still a surprise. I do hope that there are more books to come in this series and that Martha may one day get her man and be truly happy.

The storyline was excellent, the twists and turns kept the identity of the killer hidden. I was kept intrigued right to the end and did not guess the culprit. The end was totally unexpected.

Strong plot and interesting characters and I loved the hint of romance. I'm looking forward to the next one.

Well written and very enjoyable!

I was thrilled when my request for an early peek at this one was approved. I think I've read every book that Catherine Coles has had published, and she's a firm favourite. Devoured in one sitting, this smashing story didn't disappoint. Can't wait for her next one.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for allowing me to read this lovely book in exchange for an honest review.

Daggers at the Country Fair by Catherine Coles.

First off I loved the previous book featuring Martha Miller ‘Poison at the village Show, so I was eagerly awaiting this book.. and it did not disappoint.

Martha and her faithful crew including Luke the dishy Vicar travel to Winteringham Country Fair where Martha is the guest of honour, but after opening the fair, Martha stumbles upon the body of the local femme fatale, who happens to be the vicars niece and she has a very scandalous past… and Luke convinces Martha to investigate…

It’s a cosy mystery and it ticks all the boxes for me.. an undercurrent of a love story, a murder and a mystery concerning a tight knit village.. and a baby caught in the middle.


I was a little disappointed by the ending though as the book ends so suddenly.. I need to know that there is hope for Luke and Martha, I really need to know what happed to Marthas husband. So I will need more please…

#NetGalley #Daggersatthecountryfair #mystery #Cosy #Women

Chaos Ensues…
The much anticipated second in the Martha Miller series. It’s 1947 the war is over and rationing remains but does the sense of community in these small villages where everyone knows everyone else’s business- or do they? Martha is now known for her crime solving skills and is the guest of honour at a local country fair. Nothing is ever straightforward and when someone is discovered stabbed to death behind the tea tent chaos ensues but Martha gets to investigate another crime. With a glorious cast of characters, an endearing protagonist, a keen sense of both time and place and a very enjoyable, often heartwarming, storyline this is a worthy addition to the first in this new series of cosy mysteries.

Ooh! I thought the first book in this series was good, but this second one totally tops it! Mix a village fair in Winteringham, a new friend Annie and a handful of slippery suspects; add our previous cast of characters and a howling dog, and stir in
Catherine Coles' usual sparkling chemistry, and you have the recipe for a delightful cosy mystery worthy of your not-so-free time. I love the developing but chaste romance between Luke and Martha, and
the obstacles our author keeps putting in their way. Ben and Ruby's relationship continues to simmer also. Could there be more than one happy ending in a future volume? I absolutely can't wait for the
third installment in this engaging series. Truly my Cup of tea!

OK, so I requested an arc of this book solely due to the adorable cover art, quirky title and I have recently discovered that "cozy mysteries" are my thing and this one just LOOKED like it was going to be a real good one. Because I am new to both this genre and author, I was unaware that this was actually book #2 in a series (The Martha Miller Mysteries Book #2) to be exact.

I had NOT read Catherine Cole's first book (Poison at the Village Show (The Martha Miller Mysteries #1) so I read that one first since I wasn't sure if I would be confused/lost jumping into Daggers at the Country Fair without having first read book #1. (I'm still learning here, folks!).

I loved BOTH books and I still can't decide which book I like more but if I had to pick I think I'd say that I liked Book #1 slightly more but I think that's just because that was my first introduction to Martha Miller and the shenanigans that would ensue. I had NO IDEA what to expect. This series is definitely more enjoyable than other cozy mysteries I have read by other authors (no offense)! and I hope this series continues because I can't get enough of Martha, Luke, Ben, Ruby and the old hound!

I tend to not like romance AT ALL, but I really enjoyed these two books and hope to see where things head. I am going to be looking into Catherine Coles back catalogue because these 2 books are definitely my favorite cozy mysteries I've read out of the 7 or8 I have read by other authors. So enjoyable. So fun. Just makes you smile seeing the cover. I see a re-read in the near future. 4.5/5 stars!

This County Fair is set in cozy Winteringham, a new friend Annie and a handful of slippery suspects; add our previous cast of characters and a howling dog, and stir in Catherine Coles’ usual sparkling chemistry, and you have the recipe for a delightful cosy mystery worthy of your not-so-free time. I love the developing chaste romance between Luke and Martha…and the obstacles our author keeps putting in their way. Ben and Ruby’s relationship continues to simmer also. Could there be more than one happy ending in a future volume? I absolutely can’t wait for the third installment in this engaging series. Truly my cup of tea!

Daggers at the Country Fair is a welcome return to the sleuthing duo of Martha and Luke. This time the characters aren't at home but rather on a weekend away, when their skills are called into use once more.

What follows is an intriguing examination of the inhabitants of Winteringham when a body is found at the country fair. Martha and Luke work to unpick what happened to the deceased and to hunt down the killer.

I do love a Catherine Coles mystery, and Daggers at the Country Fair is a welcome addition to the Martha Miller series.

A quick and easy read that I found myself picking up after a long day to unwind. The characters are beautifully written and I came to love them within the first few pages and was rooting for them all the way to the end. At times I wanted to stop reading because I just wanted the experience to go on for longer.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

By chance, I had just read and enjoyed the first book in this series, so I was delighted to be able to have the opportunity to read an advance copy of the 2nd installment. I thoroughly enjoyed this one as well. I love the cast of characters, and I like that they have unique backstories which differentiate them from other cozy mysteries. The author did a great job creating a scenario where there are many suspects, and the "detectives" were very clever solving the mystery. I look forward to the continuation of the series. In the meantime, I've started and am enjoying the author's Tommy & Evelyn Christie series. I highly recommend Daggers at the Country Fair to fans of cozy mysteries.

This is the second in a new series. I had read and enjoyed the first. This is well-written and well-plotted, with likeable characters returning from the first outing. I enjoyed the book until the very end, when it ended with a bit of emotional turmoil. I fully recognize the need to sustain dramatic tension, including in romantic relationships over the course of a book series, but I personally dislike this kind of unresolved ending. Totally a personal preference, and again, otherwise a good book. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest opinion.