A Body at Lavender Cottage by DeeMacDonald is a Kate Palmer mystery. Kate has settled in nicely to her life with new husband, Woody Forrest, the retired Detective Inspector who had saved her more than once. He had bought out Kate’s sister and they lived in Lavender Cottage with their dog, Barney. Barney was acting up this morning. Truth be told he had been all night. Kate let him out and followed him to the garden shed, behind which she discovered a dead body, with Woody’s department necktie round his neck instead of hanging on the clothesline where it belonged. She didn’t know the dead man, but apparently Woody did. They called the police and Charlotte and several officers arrived quickly. Even at this time of day Charlotte looked amazing. Kate look dumpy. Despite the fact Charlotte knew Woody was innocent, they took him to the station. He was released shortly but he was their prime suspect. Turns out he had known him years ago in London where he had testified at the man’s trial for killing his wife. Woody still didn’t believe he’d done it, even with a confession.

Kate is a woman of a certain age but she has always been curious. That was not dissipating with age. It turned out the man, Frank Ford’s, daughter lived nearby and his three sons were here living in three caravans in a camp. Frank had wanted a family reunion. It was not to be. They were an odd lot. Kate, of course, made it her business to meet all of them. Two of them had wives. The eldest did not, and he was the most difficult to track down. Kate never wavered and two and two always came up four for her. She even traveled to London to meet the woman Frank planned to marry. They found out about her from a priest that came to visit them. Frank had told him to come see Woody if he died. They had met when the priest visited in prison. Woody spends much of his time trying to get Kate to not interfere. She had come to grief before, but even he knew it was hopeless. It is a good book. Solid mystery. Excellent characters. A plot as convoluted as it needed to be. Love this series.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of A Body at Lavender Cottage by Bookoutre, through Netgalley. All thoughts an opinions are mine. #Netgalley #Bookoutre, #DeeMacDonald #ABodyAtLavenderCottage

When Kate Palmer & her sister retired to Cornwall they were expecting a slower pace of life. However Kate seems to have a knack of finding herself involved in murder. It did lead her to meet & marry retired detective Woody Forrest so it wasn't all bad! Things struck a bit too close to home when she discovers a body in their garden with Woody's Met Police tie round his neck! The victim is a recently released prisoner who had wanted to speak to Woody. Kate is shocked when Detective Charlotte says that Woody is a suspect. This time things are personal & there is no way Kate is going to bow out from proving Woody's innocence no matter what anyone says!

This cosy mystery series is full of delightful characters & the location is so well described that the reader knows they would be able to find their way from drinking place to drinking place. I love this series & Dee Macdonald's style- it's great to see seniors living their best- if chaotic lives! Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book,

I received a free epub copy from Netgalley!

This was an enjoyable read with fun characters who were very easy to relate to. Even though this is book 6 I felt like I was able to jump right in and follow everything that was going on. The story was somewhat predictable, but the characters and their personalities made up for the predictability. The twist at the end was good and I look forward to reading more of this series.

I’ve been loving this series since I read the first book and always enjoyed Kate’s investigation and was glad to visit Lavender Cottage and the lovely surroundings
This means I always enjoyed the novels in this series and found them compelling even when I wasn’t the biggest fan.
This one is my favorite, gripping and entertaining, full of surprising twists and well thought characters.
Kate is personally involved as the body is found in her garden and Woody is amongst the suspects.
There’s something in the past that could be behind the murder, there’s a dysfunctional family always in the grey zone, and there’s a lot of twists.
I was surprised till the end and liked the solution. Kate is not being reckless and I loved how she’s fighting for Woody, searching to discover what happened and who did it.
The author did an excellent job in developing this tightly knitted plot, fast paced and never dragging.
I read it in one sitting and couldn’t put it down.
Can’t wait to read the next book in this series, this one is strongly recommended.
Many thanks to Bookouture for this arc, all opinions are mine

4.5 Stars
Kate Palmer is stunned when she wakes up one morning to discover the body of a man in the beautiful garden of Lavender Cottage. When Woody Forrest, Kate’s new husband and the village’s retired detective inspector, takes a closer look he realises the victim is none other than Frank Ford – a former informer who was jailed for murdering his wife. Woody becomes the prime suspect & Kate is certain the man she loves is not a murderer and is determined to prove his innocence. As Kate investigates, Frank’s family seem to be the obvious suspects. When another member of the Ford family bites the dust while Woody is tending his allotment, it’s clear the killer is determined to bury Woody’s reputation.
This is the sixth outing for Kate & whilst it’s easily read as a stand alone book but I love how the characters have developed throughout the series especially Kate’s relationship with Woody & with her sister Angie. A well written well paced mystery that kept me engrossed, I did partially work out the solution but was still surprised at the ending. There aren't too many suspects but there are still some red herrings & twists & turns & of course there’s Kate who's like a dog with a bone & she’s very determined to clear Woody's name
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookoutre for this arc

Sixth in the Kate Palmer mystery and as the main character Kate is still going strong, married to Woody a retired detective inspector and with her sister settled and running the Old Locker life is looking good

After letting Barney the dog out , Kate goes to retrieve the washing off the line and is puzzled to find that Woody's tie is missing, looking at what Barney is barking at Kate discovers the tie...around the neck of a man dead behind the garage

Fantastic read, well recommended

Another delightful installment of the Kate Palmer Mysteries! Such a joy to read as the story keeps you glued to the page. Here's hoping Kate doesn't retire anytime soon!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC!

Note: Excessive cursing, profanity, mention of drugs, day-drinking of alcohol, innuendo.

After Kate's dog found a body in the garden--with her retired (DI policeman) husband's tie around the neck of the dead man--things got a little complicated. The man had written, saying he needed to see Woody, but died before he could.

That wouldn't have been so bad, but the man, Frank Ford, was just released from 20 years in prison, and he had asked his (fairly felonious) family to gather nearby. Most of the Fords were not friendly people, and believed Frank had killed his wife; the crime he confessed to and served time for.

The town of Lower Tinworthy was all aflutter with horror, excitement, and secret delight (not everyone of course) to have something happen they could talk about. The police and Kate & Woody were especially not thrilled, when Woody was considered the primary suspect.

With the scene set--literally--we follow Kate as she investigates, and we hope she's more careful than in previous cases!

This was an entertaining book. It would benefit from some "slimming editing" that would give it more energy, and still maintain the small village atmosphere. There was some eye-rolling (mine), and vacillating (Kate), and much repetition (narrator/Kate).

3/5 Stars As the 6th book, this deserves more editing and better character development.

Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the temporary Digital preview of this book; any review is voluntary and entirely my own opinion.

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The first I've read in this, the 6th, of a series but it won't be the last. A light cosy murder mystery with Kate Palmer the Miss Marple not-wannabe. She and her ex-detective husband, Woody, have retired to a small village in Cornwall, picturesque, quiet and peaceful. Oh yes. Reviews of previous stories imply that she's good at finding dead bodies and this story is no exception - four by the end. Nice twisty story of the families concerned, good characterisation of all. The usual downside of a nosy woman doing silly things about which she should have known better but considerably less annoying than many of these cosy stories. Kate is sensible most of the time, within reason, although she did let the side down in the last few chapters where she had been told - well, I'll leave that for you, 'gentle reader' to discover for yourself. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy.

The sixth cozy in this new series, and easily read as a standalone as this is the first one I have read. This novel was quirky, funny, easy and enjoyable read. The mystery had lots of twists and turns as expected and was full of witty dialogue which kept my interest and was well paced. I will be looking for more. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

A body at Lavender Cottage finds our heroine and amateur sleuth, Kate Palmer, stumbling over another suspicious death. This time, not only is the body in her own back garden, but her husband, Woody, is in the frame. Of course, Kate can't do anything but try and work out who the killer is and why.
As with all good murder mysteries, there are plenty of twists and turns and while some of them are fairly easy to spot coming, there's still plenty here to keep you guessing. Kate doesn't stop at much to get to the bottom of things and while you might have to suspend your disbelief slightly, this is still a great read.
I hadn't completely figured out everything by the end, but I think that I was at least on the right track. If you enjoy classic murder mysteries, with lots of clues, a little misdirection and a body or two, then you certainly won't go wrong here.
I'm sure that this won't be the last adventure for Kate and I'm looking forward to revisiting soon.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

Another good book in the series. This one has Kate finding a dead body in their back yard, and her husband Woody is the main suspect. Liked this one, and a good addition to the series, but must admit struggled a bit trying to keep who was who straight. Outsiders from the village, and from the past when Woody was a cop. Still though, would recommend, and like seeing the progression of Kate and Woody and the good news that the lady cop was leaving. Didn't like her.

Book Six in the Kate Palmer mystery series A Body at Lavender Cottage is a stand-alone read, as well as a continuation of a lovely cozy murder collection from Dee MacDonald.
Kate Palmer seems attracted to dead bodies rather than cups of coffee, but even to her, finding a body in her back yard is something of a shock. The biggest problem with this dead body is that her husband Woody, a retired policeman, knows who it is and is equally surprised to find Frank Ford dead, let alone in their yard.
It seems Frank was due out of prison where he had been serving 20 years for the murder of his wife, a murder Woody never really though he committed. Frank had sent Woody a letter saying he would like to meet him and have a chat when he came to Cornwall.
In the eyes of the Police, this sees Woody as the prime suspect, which truly upsets Kate, as she knows Woody would never have done this, but it is a real mystery as to who would have known Frank was coming out of prison and visiting Cornwall.
The Police seem to be having little luck finding anything that indicates who is the killer or what happened. As Frank’s family are in the area, holidaying at the local Caravan Park, a most unlikely group of Campers, they appear to be the prime suspects, or at least so Kate believes.
But when another body, that of Sid, Frank’s brother in law, is found on the cliffs, also murdered, Kate is convinced one of Frank’s children was most likely to have committed murder. But which one did it, or did any one of them, and why?
A third Body is discovered which simply adds to the mystery and while it does not seem to tie in with the other two murders, perhaps it does, but once again, how?
Kate, in her usual Miss Marple style, sets out determined to prove Woody is innocent and in doing so overhears a random conversation that almost gets her killed.
The Body at Lavender Cottage is the perfect cozy mystery murder with a sufficiently complex plot, which while every amateur armchair detective may have thought they worked out ‘who dun it’, before the last page, most probably have not. Perfect for cozy afternoon in.

This was a marvelous example of a well written ode to Christy. Characters are well written and the plot was well paced and marvelous laid the clues for the reader. I want to read more from this author and these characters.

You will like this book if: you love an English countryside cozy mystery.

Plot: Kate Palmer is known for being Cornwall’s Miss Marple, but will she solve the mystery of someone framing her retired detective husband for murder? When the body that turns up in their garden at Lavender Cottage is Frank, the man who served time for his wife’s murder that Woody believed was innocent, Kate realizes she may be in over her head for this mystery. Between Frank’s four adult children, their significant others, his father-in-law, and some other shady Cornwall residents as suspects who all have motive to kill Frank, will Kate safely get to the bottom of this crime? The plotting of this novel was complex and flawlessly executed.

Characters: Kate, Woody, Angie and some other core characters are adorable and textured. Kate is a perfectly reckless and driven main character. The characters are well developed, as characters within a series are, but I didn’t really see any character arcs. There are so many characters because in addition to the core series characters, the Ford family is large with Frank, his four adult children, their significant others, and a father-in-law/grandparent. I wish I had written down the cast of characters sooner.

Setting: Perfectly charming English countryside town. I felt like I was in each scene alongside the characters. I didn’t quite understand the town’s overall layout, but that wasn’t pertinent to the story.

Conflict/Resolution: The pacing of this mystery is spot-on. I was able to guess certain twists (a first!) and was so pleasantly surprised by others. The conclusion blew me away and wraps everything in a neat little bow, so gratifying! I audibly gasped more than once.

Writing: The dialogue is extremely realistic and well done, and there is a lot of it. The writing style makes it easy to devour this book. I can’t wait to read more of this series!

Overall/Other notes: Thank you NetGalley, Bookouture, and Dee MacDonald for a copy of this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

A wonderful cozy mystery series. It's nice to read a book that features middle age characters finding fulfillment in their retirement years. The setting in Cornwall is icing on the cake. Although A Body at Lavender Cottage is the sixth book in this series it can easily be read as a stand alone.

This is my first book by this author. The mystery was ok and the ending not what I expected. I just wasn’t really able to get into the story.
Kate Palmer lives in Lavender Cottage with her husband Woody. He is a retired detective and Kate is a nurse.
Kate is shocked to discover a body outside of the cottage garden one morning. Even more upsetting is the fact that the victim has a tie to Kate’s husband from his days as a detective.
When the police suspect Woody could be involved in the crime, Kate is desperate to prove he is innocent. Is someone trying to frame Woody? Can Kate find out what really happened and who is responsible before anyone else dies?
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for a copy of "A Body At Lavender Cottage" in exchange for my honest review.

This is book 6 in the wonderful Kate Palmer Mystery series. Kate is a practice nurse at the Tinworthy Medical Centre and fancies herself a crime solving Miss Marple in her spare time. It's not her fault that crimes fall at her doorstep. This time literally in her back garden at Lavender Cottage. Her husband retired DI Woody Forrest is a suspect in this case and that means that Kate doubles her efforts to solve the crime. Woody knew the victim from decades earlier and when he was accused or murdering his wife. Now the entire family - sons and their wives are in Cornwall to celebrate their father getting out of prison.

A few more bodies appear and a con-man tries to part Angie from her money - all keeping Kate quite busy. Kate as usual ends up in a tight situation and swears that she will give up sleuthing once and for all. Well, hopefully not as I'm eagerly awaiting the next book in the series.

The sixth cozy in this new series, and easily read as a standalone. I enjoy every visit with Nurse Kate Palmer and her new husband, retired Detective Inspector Woody Forrest. The situations are ‘cozy mystery’ plausible, and the characters are both quirkcy and engaging. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this advanced reader copy.

A Body at Lavender Cottage by Dee MacDonald
FORMAT - BOOK - 278 pages
Published date - 7 November 2022

This novel was quirky, funny, quick, easy and enjoyable read. I have never read any previous Kate Palmer books in the series. Witty dialogue and situations kept you interested, I would recommend this book

I gave a 4-star rating.

I WANT TO THANK NETGALLEY FOR THE OPPORTUNITY OF READING AN ADVANCED COPY OF THIS BOOK FOR AN HONEST REVEW