A very entertaining Murder mystery read that I was instantly hooked by. Brilliant characters and the plot was so good. Will definitely read more

Lovely little cozy mystery!
As a fan of Robert Thorogood's Marlow Murder Club, this was a similar brand of cozy mystery storytelling.
I'm excited to see where the story goes from here!

Cozy mysteries are my favourites! And this trio is amazing! A bit slow at the beginning but a really good story!

Very candid and funny, if you are looking for a light, fun mystery this is definitely one to read!

Not only do I love cozy mysteries, I LOVE cozies that are about retired women that have nothing better to do than to stick their noses into everyone else's business and solve a murder. The characters might need a little development but that's what's great about a start to a new series. Loved this trio of golden girls!

When a friend of Fiona Sharp gets murdered, she and her two friends "Partial" Sue and Daisy start investigating their neighbours and acquaintances to find out the truth. But nothing is as it seems and everyone has their motives...

It's been a while since I've read a cozy mystery, but 'The Charity Shop Detective Agency' was definitely worth it. I especially love the witty and accessible writing style. The characters are well written and fun to follow around. If you are an amateur sleuth like myself and our lovely ladies, you may have found out who the murderer was before it was revealed, but it isn't so obvious as to make it boring. The only minor point of criticism I have, is that you may get a jetlag from switching suspects so fast. This is the first book in a new series and I'm definitely looking forward to reading more.

There’s definitely a trend now in cozy mysteries of a small group of older people becoming amateur sleuths and solving murders. This start to a series is of that type, and it’s a low key story with a likeable group of sixty- and seventy-year-old year olds, who decide to investigate the odd death of an acquaintance, not because of police incompetence but because they realize they have access to people and information the police don’t.

Fiona Sharp volunteers in a charity shop after years of a successful career in London. She wanted a quieter life so moved to Southbourne, but found that the slow pace and lack of structure in her days sent her into a depression. Her beloved terrier Simon Le Bon, the charity shop and its patrons, including the elderly with mobility issues who stop by every Tuesday for coffee and chats, give her a routine but also connection, and friends.

Her two fellow volunteers are also retirees:
-Sue, a former accountant who, like Fiona, is a fan of crime fiction novels, and though well off, has a tendency to be very tightfisted with her money
-Daisy, a former teaching assistant, who, though not brilliant, has smarts and a way with technology that the other two lack.

When one of their regular Tuesday elderly visitors is found stabbed to death in her home with a domino in her hand, everyone is shocked, as Sarah was kindly, and well loved in her circle.

Fiona gets involved because someone left the murder weapon, hidden in a bag, with a neighbouring charity shop (whose odious owner Susan has a baseless rivalry against Fiona). Susan tried to leave the bag at the shop Fiona volunteers at, and once police become involved, Fiona, Sue and Daisy begin poking into the lives of others, trying to find clues to share with police. Though the trio often go off in what seems like pointless directions, their instincts are good, and with each failed lead, get closer, till Fiona figures things out.

Though the pacing is a little slow, I liked this. The trio is a hoot, playing off each other’s strengths as the frequently stumble their way forward, drinking copious amounts of tea in the process. Their ages also make them invisible, which serves them well in one particular situation that moves the case forward.

I liked that the Detective Inspector they helped out was both supportive of their actions and appreciative of their intelligence and reach into the community as the trio kept unearthing information. Though it didn’t necessarily lead immediately to the identity of the murderer, it still helped propel the case forward.

Will I read the next? Yup, as I liked this first installment.

Thank. You to Netgalley and to Joffe Books for this ARC in exchange for my review.

A very cosy first in a series mystery spotlighting three septuagenarians who all work in a cat-related charity shop and have a rivalry with the dog-related charity opposite. Overall, the mystery was quite good, as was the investigation once it got going, but it was quite sedate (bearing in mind the above point of the MCs’ ages) and I found it difficult to stay focused on the story, so it took longer than usual to read it. I like my mysteries, cosy or otherwise, to have a bit more grit and pace to them, to keep me focused. Having said that, however, it definitely wasn’t terrible, and while it won’t be going to the top of the TBR pile, I would probably read the next in the series. The first is always tricky while the book finds its feet.

May be more for those who like a slower paced read and a gentle mystery.

A serial killer is stalking the elderly of Southbourne. Not the sort of crime I would expect a group of elderly detectives to want to investigate, but that's what you get with this book. It's a decent read, that feels like the pilot episode of a TV series, an interesting tale that introduces you to all the characters, setting you up for the adventures ahead.

I'm looking forward to reading more about this tenacious trio.

This was a really fun read. Totally unrealistic but that's the joy of these sorts of books. It was just nice to spend time with Fiona, Daisy, Partial Sue and of course, Simon Le Bon. The rivalries and side characters all added to the community feel and it was just a really nice cosy read!

A fun cozy mystery series of a group of retired women solving a series of murders in the neighborhood. The ending felt a bit weak with the motivation of the killer, but loved the banter and thoughts of the women. A good start to a series I want to read more.

Thanks first must go to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC and for Peter Boland for writing ‘The Charity Shop Detective’


A cosy read appearing to be in the same circle as the ‘Thursday Murder Club’ series, but a well written, likeable read no less.

What happens when there's a serial killer on the loose and you are the one he's after next? This one was a cozy with a serial killer--so it was a fun read. The three ladies who run the Dogs Need Nice Homes charity shop stumble upon a serial killer in their neighborhood and decide to investigate on thier own. Quirky characters and high jinks occur, and the ladies get themselves into some trouble. Happy to see that it is marked for a series. Will definately read the next one. Recommended.

The Charity Shop Detective Agency by Peter Boland is the 1st in a new Cozy Mystery Series.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Joffe Books and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.



Series Information:
Fiona Sharp is in her mid-seventies, and enjoying a rather quiet life volunteering in a local charity shop called Dogs Need Nice Homes.   That's where she adopted her scruffy terrier-cross Simon Le Bon. She works with "Partial Sue" (who often opens her mouth before thinking),  and rather meek, but tech-savvy Daisy.  Together, they decide to form the Charity Shop Detective Agency.



My Synopsis:    (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
Fiona finds a blood-stained knife in a donation box left outside the shop.

When 86-year old Sarah Brown is found dead in her hallway, stabbed in the back, Fiona and her friends decide to investigate.  They knew Sarah, and cannot understand who would want to kill her.  The murderer did leave a clue...a domino with a name scratched on it.

But things are not as simple as they thought, and their potential suspect ends up murdered.

Things don't get any easier.


My Opinions:
OMG, where to begin.  Those who know me are aware that I am not into humour when it comes to my mysteries.  They will be surprised that I really enjoyed this book.  It is hilarious, mainly due to the three lovable old ladies.  I admit that Partial Sue is a little hard to take, but Fiona and Daisy are simply lovely.  Their unending love of tea and cake is wonderful, and their passion for a good mystery is spot-on.

If these ladies can screw it up, they will, but their endurance know no bounds, and their theories are endless.

If you need a light mystery with a lot of red herrings, this is for you.

Oh, there's a glossary of British terns for the US readers at the end....not necessary in this day and age!

Thank you Netgalley and Peter Boland for gifting me a copy of The Charity Shop Detective Agency in return for my honest opinion.

4/5

This is a well written cozy mystery that was a little different then the cozy's I've read before. One aspect with a cozy is that while you might not remember the full plot of each of the books due to the usual amount of them in the series you need to have strong characters to grab your attention. This book definitely has that covered and while they aren't necessarily realistic characters they definitely are memorable. Peter did a wonderful job developing his characters and making them likable.

I also enjoyed the plot, three retired friends are working at a charity shop that is competing with the shop across the street. When one of the girls favorite customers winds up dead they decide to attempt to solve the case for her. Each of the new clues and twists and turns kept me wanting to read and figure out who was responsible for the murders.

I will say if you are not a fan of cozy mysteries this is not a book you will enjoy. Everything from the names of the stores (Dog and Cat charity shops) to the street names are screaming with the cozy feel. So if you aren't a fan of a little bit of cheesiness then this is not a book for you. But if you are like me and don't mind those aspects then this will be an enjoyable read.

This was definitely riding The Thursday Murder Club wave. The characters were entertaining and the mystery pretty good so I’d recommend to anyone looking for a gentle, cozy mystery to curl up with on a lazy afternoon.. Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review.

I was intrigued by the description of this book and was so happy to be selected by the published and NetGalley to receive an ARC.
The book was charming and easy to read. I really enjoyed the characters and character development throughout the story. I really liked the "memory lane" trip and the main character weighing the options of going back to something from their past or looking forward with no regrets.
It wasn't a storyline that I was able to easily figure out but it wasn't so challenging that i felt like i was just watching/reading about others aimlessly.
It was a fun read that i recommend to others.

If you loved Thursday Murder Club or any other mysteries with an octogenarian protagonist or two, then you’ll love this upcoming novel by Peter Boland.

Fiona, Partial Sue (because she’s “partial” to things), and Daisy are volunteers at the Nice Dogs Need Homes Charity Shop. One of the friends gets murdered and they decide to help the investigators solve the crime. But then more people get murdered and they muddy up the investigation with the inexperience.

It made me chuckle a few times and I enjoyed the banter between these ladies.

Extra special thanks to @netgalley for the early copy! It came out in December and is available for free now on Kindle Unlimited!

Thank you to Netgalley, Joffe Books and Peter Boland for an ARC in return for an honest review.

The Charity Shop Detective Agency by Peter Boland.

Three ladies who volunteer in a charity shop, turn detective and it does not disappoint. This is perfect for those who loved The Thursday Murder Club series. It a cozy little read which really pulls you in. I read it in one second - I loved it!! I can't wait for the next instalment.

This is definitely aiming for the “if you liked Thursday Murder Club then try this…” market and although it has a lot of similar ingredients, it doesn’t quite hit the sweet spot the way those too. The humour is a bit more mean spirited than warm and although the mystery is good, the way the resolution unfurls is… not as satisfying as you want - in actually a fairly similar vein to my problem with the first fixer upper mystery last week. It promises to be the first in a series - I might check back in a few books time to see how it’s settling in and settling down.

This was my first “cozy mystery” and it was the perfect winter read. Three elderly British charity shop workers start a detective club after one of their friends/customers is murdered by what turns out to be a serial killer.

The characters were quirky and there was plenty of humor spread throughout, as the ladies take matters into their own hands, despite warnings against doing so by the detective in charge of the case. I had some guesses as to who the killer was early on, but it didn’t stop me from reading to figure out how it would play out.

I’m excited to see where this series is headed and will definitely be checking the next one out! Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy!