I enjoyed The Charity Shop Detective Agency, but I found some of the descriptive writing over-long. I found the characters likeable, if a bit stereotypical for the genre. If you like a cosy crime novel, then give this one a go, it’s certainly better than most that fall into that category.

Thank you for opportunity to read an advance copy.

I love charity shops with those unexpected finds, often in nearly perfect condition that you will rarely ever find new anywhere. I give little thought as to who owned the item, how long they had it for, or where they bought it. That is part of the joy, the mystery of the items past lives.

However, I hadn't realised there might be other mysteries in those shops too. Until I read this book I must admit to have never stopped to think about the lives of the volunteers that so stoically thank people for bringing in their discarded items, to then diligently sort and display each item so that they get a whole new life with those who browse, spot and buy them.

This very funny new book by Peter Boland engages you with a selection of these volunteers in a quaint sleepy town as he draws you into what initially seems their rather humdrum life. Page-by-page he unpeels the layers of jealousies, competition with a rival charity shop, and reveals the unlikely technical skills of a whole community of amateur sleuths who end up tracking down a real-life serial killer in a small local town, whilst the police make no progress at all.

This seems to be a whole new genre for Peter Boland. I understand he previously had penned conventional crime and other genres. I can honestly say that he has produced his best writing of all here.

I love the writing style of having so many chapters but quite short ones, I found myself reading a minimum of seven chapters at a time in short sessions, and often when I had time many more at one sitting. The book has so many little episodes and vignettes that the author really builds such colour and depth into the novel as he shapes the strengths and foibles of each of the volunteers. The book kept me really engaged throughout until the crime is solved and the killer revealed. It was not any of the many suspects that the amateur charity shop detectives suspected throughout. I did not guess the killer until it was revealed, so expect quite a twist at the end.

It is so joyously "laugh-out-loud" in many places and reminds me of the writing I so loved in the Blott on the Landscape novels by Tom Sharpe all those years ago. Delicious characters, great episodes and yet a serious crime thriller, whilst being funny along the way.

I recommended it to my wife and she so enjoyed it she quoted a few of her favourite lines to me as she read through it. I can't wait for the next one in the series - I hope he has more planned!

A cozy amateur detective series following two volunteers from The Dogs, need lovely homes Charity Shop when a bloodied knife found amongst some items donated to the charity shop, Fiona, Partial Sue, and Simon le Bon, the dog, find themselves involved in investigating a series of local senior citizen murders.
I love a cozy murder mystery series, this book was a fast-paced read, with several interesting, likeable characters and a few unlikeable ones. It had me guessing what would happen next, and the dialogue between the main characters had me laughing out loud on several occasions.
I read this book before the Christmas holiday, and it was a perfect accompaniment to the beginning of a hectic but joyous time of the year.
I cannot wait to read more books in The Charity Shop Detective Agency.

It’s a cute first in a series book, with adorable and clever characters. It wasn’t one I would re-read over and over but would recommend to as an easy holiday story

A cosy detective story, the plot ranged from a bit bumbly , the 3 friends working in a charity shop tended to go off on tangents and wild goose trails , to quite a clever plot with a couple of twists and turns. The nicknames were a little irritating at times, the police fairly unbelievable. Saying that it was not a bad read and I hope that the next in the series builds on the foundations set here.
At times a bit slow moving , I would have liked to tighten up the plot a little more. Towards the end there was a little more suspense .
Thanks to Net Galley for the ARc in exchange for an honest review

I have mixed feelings about this book. On one hand it is on trend as cosy mysteries are very popular at the moment.

On the other hand, I didn't find this one held my attention sufficiently. I think it was perhaps that I didn't engage with the characters. I found the dialogue to be a little stilted at times and it didn't make the characters come alive for me.

I'm sure some people will enjoy this book but it simply wasn't for me.

This was a funny, sweet and entertaining book. The ladies were so funny and I loved the fact that they had a freshly baked cake everyday. That made my mouth water. I do hope there is more to come in this series as I would love to read more. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Fiona, Sue And Daisy are three retired friends and charity shop volunteers. When they hear that a local resident and regular to their coffee morning has been murdered, they find themselves in the middle of the investigation.

The three friends all have different strengths to bring to the investigation, which makes them a great team during this rollercoaster of an investigation and despite the serial killer on the loose, this book was the epitome of a cosy crime story. It was also a very well written mystery with lots of red herrings and twists and turns to keep you guessing.

Perfect read for curling up under a blanket with while having a brew this Christmas!

Fiona, Sue and Daisy make an excellent job of running the charity shop which helps homeless dogs and since the community centre minibus died, have made their shop a little haven for some of the lonely local elderly folk, providing coffee, cake and a place to catch up with friends. One such attendee was Sarah Brown, loved by everyone, so when the ladies hear that she has been brutally murdered in her own home, they are incensed and want to help, especially when they end up with the murder weapon on their hands. With Fiona and Sue’s crime-fighting knowledge gleaned from the many books they read, combined with Daisy’s technical knowhow, they decide to try to help DI Fincher and catch the killer themselves. Involving stake-outs, intensive interrogation of witnesses, and some pretty nifty undercover surveillance work, their detective agency is formed but the Domino Killer’s body count is rising and each time they have a valid suspect, it seems the murderer is one step ahead, throwing all manner of red herrings in their way. As they unwittingly put themselves in the path of danger, could a very unlikely saviour come to their rescue?
Welcome to what promises to be the start of a wonderful cosy crime series! These three ladies are an absolute delight and, together with trusty hound Simon Le Bon, it was a complete joy to spend a few hours in their company. The characters are beautifully drawn and it was easy to picture all of them, good and bad, in their respective settings. The plot is clever, designed to fool the reader right up to the end, and with lots of humour as well, I can highly recommend this story to anyone. I am definitely looking forward to more! 5*

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

This was such a wonderful read. I loved it.

Fiona volunteers at a charity shop, with her two friends, Partial Sue (because she is partial to many things) and Daisy. They happily rub along together, until their friend, Sarah, is found brutally murdered in her home. The police seem to be getting no where in finding her murderer, so the group decide to find her killer themselves, and The Charity Shop Detective Agency is born. Their aim is to find the killer before there’s any more victims.

Such a great read. The characters were all wonderfully written and felt like old friends by the end of the book. The story itself was full of mystery and twists, with slivers of humour within the storyline. It was completely character driven, and this made the story excellent. I can’t wait to see what’s next for the ladies.

They’re quirky and quite possibly a little bit mad, but such a good romp of a tale. The trio that run the charity shop together leave reading the latest crime book to one side to solve a series of murders. Excellent banter, memorable characters and a cameo by Simon Le Bon. Mad as hatters, the lot of them, but brilliantly entertaining.

A serial killer is murdering elderly people, leaving a domino in the victim’s hand - scratched into the domino is the name of the next victim. Three charity shop volunteers are the amateur sleuths.

This is a superb example of a cosy mystery. I think this is what Richard Osman was trying to achieve in his first book. To me this book is much better than Osman’s first. I found the description of the charity shop, and it’s customers very amusing.

In the acknowledgments the author states that when he wrote this book he was on the brink of giving up. I am very glad he didn’t.

Thanks to Joffebooks via Netgallery for the ARC.

EXCERPT: Sarah Brown was in her hallway face down. Ted swore and rushed in, assuming she'd had a fall.

In a second he was by her side. 'Sarah! Sarah! Can you hear me?' Her lack of response led him to believe she must have hit her head and knocked herself out.

Ted flinched, panicked, not knowing what to do. He felt her neck for a pulse. He'd seen it a million times on the TV. That was what they did first, wasn't it? Fumbling with two fingers, he sought out Sarah's carotid artery.

All he found was cold skin. Then he noticed the damp, dark patch below one shoulder blade. In it's centre, a deep narrow wound, wet with blood.

His breath caught in his throat. Hands shaking, he reached for his phone. As he fumbled to dial for an ambulance, something made him jump.

A small, dark object slid out of her left hand.

A domino, with a name scratched onto it.

ABOUT: THE CHARITY SHOP DETECTIVE AGENCY: A serial killer is stalking the elderly of Southbourne. The only clue left behind is a domino in the hand of each victim — with a name scratched on the back.

Eighty-six-year-old Sarah Brown is found dead in her hallway one morning by her delivery man. She was stabbed in the back.

Fiona, Sue and Daisy, volunteers at the local charity shop, Dogs Need Nice Homes, can’t believe their favourite customer is dead. The ladies vow to bring the killer to justice.

With plenty of tea and cake along the way, and despite squabbles with their rivals, the Cats Alliance across the street, the Charity Shop Detective Agency is born.

Fans of The Thursday Murder Club, Janice Hallett, Simon Brett, Ian Moore and Sarah Yarwood-Lovett will adore this exciting new voice in cozy crime.

THE DETECTIVE - Level-headed Fiona has found a quiet sanctuary volunteering at the local charity shop, Dogs Need Nice Homes. And she’s found firm friendship with the strong-willed Partial Sue (she’s ever so partial to a cup of tea) and the kindly — and surprisingly tech-savvy — Daisy. Together, these ladies, with Simon Le Bon, Fiona’s scruffy haired terrier cross, investigate murders as the utterly charming Charity Shop Detective Agency.

MY THOUGHTS: This is a light hearted murder mystery which, it seems, is going to become a series.

I enjoyed the storyline, although the writing was a little stilted at times. There doesn't seem to be a clear motive for the murder, which is quickly followed by another, and another.

Fiona, Sue and Daisy have all kinds of theories, which they try to make what little evidence they have, fit. This gets them into a fair bit of trouble with the investigating officers, and they become dispirited and consider giving up their quest. But a new discovery soon has them back on the trail, reinvigorated. Wash, rinse, repeat.

I didn't find the characters particularly realistic. While they stopped just short of being caricatures, they weren't really relatable either. Just like this is almost, but not quite a 'cute' cosy,neither is it quite an intelligent one.

Even though the three main characters aren't particularly relatable, they are likeable. Fiona is normally a logical sort of person, resolute and self assured, but the business of trying to find a murderer makes her quite indecisive, and she frequently feels out of her depth. Partial Sue, so named because partial is her favourite word, had been a talented accountant before retirement. She has more money than Fiona and Sue put together but is a master in the art of frugality. And hoarding . . . Daisy is just Daisy. Warm-hearted she is a surprising technology whiz.

I liked this, but didn't love it and I'm unsure, if it does develop into a series, whether I will continue to read it.

I did enjoy author Peter Boland's own story of his writing career in the acknowledgments.

⭐⭐⭐.1

#THECHAITYSHOPDETECTIVEAGENCY #NetGalley

I: #peterboland @joffebooks

T: @PeterBoland19 @JoffeBooks

#contemporaryfiction #cosymystery #murdermystery

THE AUTHOR: I have a confession to make. When I wrote this book, I was on the brink of giving up. You see, my writing career hadn't exactly gone to plan. After fifteen years trying my hand at all sorts of genres, the rejections had stacked up.

'Why am I bothering?' was a question I was asking myself more and more often. I made a decision. I'd have one last crack with writing a cosy, and if that didn't work then I'd call it a day. And here I am . . .

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Joffe Books via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Charity Shop Detective Agency by Peter Boland for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage

Hooray! for a cozy mystery that I could read without spitting and sputtering throughout the length of the novel because of situations and characterizations that are pet peeves of mine. I know I'm picky. I know I'm persnickety. But that's who I am and that's what I have to consider when I read a book and then write a review about it. I read so many dark and intense murder mysteries that I often look for something lighter to read while I take a short break from all the reality. That is the reason behind my search for a cozy I can use as a slight change of pace.

This is the first in a new series and I like the way each of the three principal characters are presented, with each being just different enough to make their interactions interesting and their talents mesh nicely within the investigation. The police acted much more in accordance with how professional law enforcement would/might act if three older ladies began sticking their noses into a criminal investigation. The three women were treated with respect but still held away from the inner workings of officialdom. These brand-new sleuths even made mistakes and were taken to task for those mistakes, no perfect investigators here, just ordinary people with a desire to help solve the murder of a friend of their charity.

I found a lot of things to enjoy in this book and sincerely hope the author doesn't fiddle around with the personalities of his main characters. I'm already looking forward to following along on their next case.

Thank you to NetGalley and Joffe Books for an e-galley of this novel.

Three old ladies who work in a charity shop find themselves investigating when one of their coffee regulars is murdered. What follows is a winding path of assumptions and misadventure and a good reminder that with age comes wisdom, experience, and gumption. This could easily be made into a movie with the camp of Only Murders in the Building. Equally, Fiona, Partial Sue, and Daisy could go on to solve other crimes in their supposedly sleepy town so that readers have a comfortable, quick, and heartwarming cozy to curl up on the couch and read with a nice cuppa.

A delightful cozy featuring a trio of retired women volunteering at a charity shop who get involved in a murder investigation. There is some humor and realistic missteps of these amateur detectives who don't have any experience in investigations other than reading crime novels. They make rookie mistakes and it is clear that they don't have the knowledge of law of what would be allowed as evidence (i.e. breaking and entering to get evidence won't hold up in a court of law).

It is a fun read with lots of red herrings and unexpected twists. I look forward to see what these women get up to next.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest opinion.

I mostly enjoyed this book, but found that it was about 20 (short) chapters too long. The author did a good job of making you guess who the killer was, but there was a lot of extra stuffed around that.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for a review, but all opinions are my own.

What can I say. This is a charming cosy mystery, a murder in an little seaside village where it is the elderly that are at risk. And the volunteers at the local charity shop are on the case!

The characters are quaint and the setting is ideal for this story and it is a book that is easy to read, not too long and is certainly cosy. It is entertaining and enjoyable, has the right twists and turns to keep me reading and there is a hint of humour to keep the tone upbeat.

A great read and I enjoyed it. Not to short, not to long,

A serial killer is stalking the elderly of Southbourne. The only clue left behind is a domino in the hand of each victim, with a name scratched on the back. Eighty-six-year-old Sarah Brown is found dead in her hallway one morning by her delivery man. She was stabbed in the back. Fiona, Sue and Daisy, volunteers at the local charity shop, Dogs Need Nice Homes, can’t believe their favourite customer is dead. The ladies vow to bring the killer to justice. With plenty of tea and cake along the way, and despite squabbles with their rivals, the Cats Alliance across the street, the Charity Shop Detective Agency is born.
The first, in hopefully, a new series & a new author to me – I thoroughly enjoyed it, it was well written with delightful main characters & a well paced story. There were plenty of twists & turns as well as red herrings & I was kept guessing. I enjoyed the humour & also how Fiona, Sue & daisy meshed together an added bonus was they were all of pensionable age so proving there’s still plenty of life in the over 65s
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

A quirky who done it with some hilarious laugh out loud moments! You couldn’t come across three more unlikely sleuths than the Charity Shop ladies but they have their own special way of investigating. The endearing trio could have a great future.