This story is told in first person and follows Chase, a retired San Diego police officer and widower who meets up with his friend Billie for a walking tour in Devon. This is not their first excursion with the tour company Wanderers, but the first since the death of his husband Doug, a voice actor. Billie also has some personal things going on with a sister who has been diagnosed with breast cancer.

Chase and Billie are joined by nine other characters on their walking tour including a guide and a bus driver. It took me a while to remember each character and place them with such a large group. They were all distinctive with varying backgrounds. I enjoyed the settings and locations. I thought a walking tour group was a good concept for a cozy mystery. There’s a particular excursion that they go on that is encapsulated by fog that I found very atmospheric for a murder setting in the English countryside.

I did find some of the dialogue a little stiff and melodramatic, especially the curmudgeon Mr. Gretz who complained about everything. However, it was a quick and enjoyable read. I found the mystery to be interesting. I think that I will continue with the next book in the series.

Recommended to cozy mystery readers looking for a scenic British setting.

Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Books for a copy provided for an honest review.

3.5 stars, rounded down to 3. Enjoyed this walk, and look forward to other titles to come in the series. I especially appreciated both the fact that the main character was LGBTQ AND that he was an older man. Recommend.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for a digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

Rick “Chase” Chasen is a retired San Diego police detective who is still grieving the loss of his husband, Doug. Chase loves walking tours and so he has come to England to join a trip around Devon. He is traveling with Billie, a good friend he met on a prior walk six years ago, as well as a handful of others. Between Doug’s death and his recent retirement, Chase has been sort of at a loss for direction, and he is hoping this trip is a chance to reconnect with something he enjoys and get him out of his funk.

Unfortunately, while the fellow walkers are generally a nice group, Ronald Gretz is rude, boorish, and incredibly difficult, and no one on the trip can stand the guy. But despite how difficult Gretz is, when he tells Chase he has been receiving messages threatening his life, Chase can’t help but be sympathetic. He agrees to keep an eye out and see if he sees anything suspicious that might indicate Gretz is in danger. Unfortunately, when Gretz is out of Chase’s sight, he ends up dead at the bottom of a cliff.

With everyone on the trip needed for questioning — and some being potential suspects — the group is sequestered in their hotel while the police investigate. Once the local police realize Chase is a former detective, they ask for his help on the case. No one in the group admits to having known Gretz prior to the trip (other than his trophy wife, who seems an obvious suspect) and Chase is having a hard time imagining any of them as killers. But at the same time, there seem to be motives for almost everyone, particularly as everyone hated the man. With their holiday on hold, Chase must help uncover just who killed Gretz before the killer strikes again.

A Deadly Walk in Devon is the first in Nicholas George’s Walk Through England series and appears to be the author’s debut work. This one caught my attention right away given the setting and the premise of the walking tour of Devon. I was lucky enough to spend time in this region when I visited England and the area is just gorgeous, so I loved the idea of a series focused on walking tours of England. George does a great job capturing the beauty of the area and we get nice details on the landscape and the lovely vistas as the group takes their walks. However, I did wish we spent more time seeing them explore the area. Once Gretz is killed shortly into their trip, everyone basically spends the entire remainder of the book restricted to the hotel and there is no more time spent walking or exploring Devon. So I think given the set up here for both the book and the series, I would have loved to see more time with them seeing the sights of the region.

The mystery is generally well done and I found it interesting trying to figure out who was behind it all. This isn’t a “locked room” type story, but it is a cozy mystery and, for the most part, the suspects are presumed to be the folks involved with the tour. So we spend a lot of the book following along as Chase and the local police interview and ask questions of the tour participants as they wait in the hotel until the case is over and they can leave. The investigation kept me guessing, but the ending strained credulity given the actions of someone who is supposed to be a seasoned law enforcement professional. Also,

Spoiler title
seemed hard to believe and, by the third time, it seemed a little bit ridiculous.
I enjoyed Chase as a character and we get some nice insight into where he is in his life right now. Chase lost his husband and retired from his job in relatively close order and he is sort of feeling at a loss. This case gives him something to sink his teeth into, a sense of purpose he has been missing. We also learn a little about his past and his relationship with his sister and why it causes him be inclined to want to find innocence rather than guilt. The side characters are somewhat less developed, however, and tend to be fairly one dimensional. Gretz is almost a caricature in his awfulness, being rude, boorish, obnoxious, and argumentative with pretty much everyone. Just as some examples of his many horrible moments, here is when someone comments about the poor quality of their mother’s nursing home care:

“Cut the hearts-and-flowers crap,” Gretz snapped. “You sound like all the families I have to put up with. They think we’re going to make their dear old mommies and daddies young again. They got no idea what it takes to put up with these old fossils. I tell you, it’s a thankless job, and —“

or when talking to his wife:

Gretz noticed the glass in my hand. To his wife he said, “Go get me a beer. Make it cold. None of that piss-warm crap they serve over here.”

“The server will be here momentarily,” Sally said. “There’s no need for your wife to do anything.”

“I want a beer now,” Gretz bellowed.

At the same time that Gretz is basically a mustache-twirling villain, Chase seems to be sympathetic toward him. Not that someone deserves to die for being an ass, but it just left me confused as to how I was supposed to view Gretz as a reader. Does the author intend for Gretz to be far less offensive than I found him? Or maybe this is meant to indicate Chase finds a way to see the best in even the most awful people? I was just left somewhat confused as to how to take it all.

This book isn’t really a romance, but we do get a tiny dash of it here, as Chase meets a local man named, Mike, at the hotel and has a brief conversation. Chase is intrigued enough by Mike to hope they connect again, and they do run into each other a couple more times. But Chase seems to be thinking a lot more toward a future with this random man who lives in another country than I would have expected given how little time these guys actually spend together. I mean, it is a couple of quick chats, nothing more. But given this is the start of a series set in England, I assume things will develop further in future books. I’ll also note that I really liked that we are dealing with an older romantic lead here, as Chase is in his late 60s, which is rare for romance novels.

There were a few other things that didn’t totally make sense to me, but perhaps this is me coming from an American perspective. It seemed surprising to me that the police would include Chase in their investigation so readily, letting him in on private information and having him interview suspects, particularly since he should have theoretically been a low-level suspect himself. Also, the members of the tour group let the police interview them over and over again with no legal representation, even knowing they are considered murder suspects. Like I said, maybe this is my American sensibilities, but these are tourists being questioned as murder suspects for days and none of them bring in attorneys? Or call the American embassy or something? I mean, if I was suspected of murder on foreign soil, I certainly would want someone official by my side. And finally, it surprised me that this tour company is totally not involved in any of this. Someone is murdered on their tour, the tour leader is a new hire leading her first trip, the tour participants are all suspects, and literally no one from the tour company seems to talk to them or even show up at the hotel to speak to the police.

So I did have some issues here and overall the writing wasn’t as smooth as I would have liked. But I still find this series premise really intriguing and I am curious enough to give the next book a shot. I liked Chase and think there is some nice potential for the series.

An enjoyable and easy read that kept me guessing until the end, although the culprit was on my list of several possible suspects. The logistics of the actual main murder didn’t really work for me. An easy read with everything being well-explained and hashed out by the sleuths. I would definitely read another book in this series.

This is a fun take on the cozy mystery genre, and I especially enjoy the backdrop of the walking travelers. Chase is a retired American police detective, and he finds himself solving a crime during his travels. It seems this may be the theme throughout this series, and I'm curious if we'll stick to the UK or if Chase will end up traveling elsewhere. While there are some cookie cutter elements to the story and the mystery overall wasn't particularly mysterious, I enjoyed the characters overall and the setting especially. If you're looking for a very light, easy mystery you may enjoy picking this one up. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to provide my honest review.

I like to read books which take place where I am headed next for my vacations — and A Deadly Walk in Devon was perfect for me as I soon will be on a walking tour in England. This is a fun, quick read with enjoyable characters and plenty of hints to the solution of the murder. In the novel one of the tour members gets pushed off a cliff while on the walk up a trail! Fortunately, a retired detective from the US is on the tour. The other suspects/characters are all on the tour or leading the tour — and are now trapped in a lovely Inn in Devon while the local Inspector and the US detective jointly work out the crime. You will thoroughly enjoy this soft boiled romp through Devon with it local color.

Howdy, howdy! How’s everyone doing this lovely Wednesday? I’m sure it’s lovely somewhere or to someone, anyway. It’s only Tuesday as I’m writing this, but the forecast says thunderstorms, so it may or may not be lovely here. And I’ve used the word lovely too much, so now it sounds awkward. Let’s get to what this post is about… a book review! That’s right. It’s the last Wednesday of the month. This time, I decided to nestle back into my comfort zone with a cozy mystery. A Deadly Walk in Devon by Nicholas George was released on the 26th from Kensington Books. As usual, I must thank them and NetGalley for access to an ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. So, let’s do the thing!

A Deadly Walk in Devon follows Rick “Chase” Chasen, a retired San Diego detective who is grieving the death of his significant other. He’s struggling with life in general, so he decides to go on a walking tour of Devon where he meets up with Billie, a woman he knows from previous trips, and a handful of other guests who booked the same trip. On particularly annoying guest confides in Chase that he’s been receiving death threats and enlists Chase’s help in staying safe. Chase is hesitant, but also tempted by the puzzle of it all. When the man falls to his death, Chase feels the need to figure out what really happened.

The plot. An old, rich jerk falls to his death in a strange place surrounded by strangers. Or are they strangers? Cue the suspenseful “dun dun dun.” Of course, everyone except Chase suspects the trophy wife. Even the British inspector. Throw in a second, seemingly unconnected, death to stir things up. There are plenty of red herrings and a disturbing number of “jokes” that are technically attempted murder. A bestie who encourages all of the shenanigans is included as well. And there’s a potential love interest. Also, if you’re at all familiar with cozies, it isn’t difficult to figure out whodunit. It’s standard cozy mystery fare, which is what I was hoping for.

My only complaint is that a lot of the characters were pretty flat. Chase and Billie were great. The inspector was an amalgamation of a number of great detectives (Holmes, Columbo, etc.), but only if they were completely inept. Which is fine. But there were at least eight suspects and not much room in the book for them to be fleshed out, so a lot of them felt like stereotypes. It’s not that big of a deal, but I do enjoy more meat on characters, especially when they all stick around for the whole book.

The writing is nice and the description of the scenery is great. The pacing is a little on the slow side, but they’re on a walking holiday, so it kind of fits the story.

Ultimately, A Deadly Walk in Devon is a perfectly adequate cozy mystery. I enjoyed it. The whole walking trip angle makes for a fun series set up with plenty of settings to explore. I will definitely check out the next book in the series when/if it comes out.

Overall, I gave it 4 out of 5 stars. It wasn’t perfect. The characters need work. But if you enjoy cozies, I think it’s worth picking up.

Rick Chasen, a retired San Diego detective, goes on a walking tour of Devon to recover from the death of his long-time partner. Of course, the group includes an older wealthy and unpleasant gentleman who suffers several dangerous accidents on the trip. Then, he falls off a cliff; It turns out to be murder. The suspects are fellow group members who look awfully familiar from types found in a lot of cozy mysteries. On the surface it seems as no one could have a reason to kill the man, except for his young beautiful trophy wife. But looks are deceiving as Chasen finds out as he is asked to help out the detective on the case.

There are plenty of red herrings as clues seem to point to one suspect and then another. It is a satisfying cozy but I was a little disappointed that Chasen, a professional detectives of many years, does the stupid thing of confronting the murderer alone in a dangerous place but it does produce exciting moments. I liked Chasen but the other characters could have been a little bit more developed.

The setting plays a role in the story and it looks like the rest of the series will follow this type of set up. It definitely gives it a sense of place I just wish they had done a bit more walking than being stuck so long in a small hotel as the investigation proceeds. But the times that people are outside conveys the stark beauty of the place and how that atmosphere can change so drastically depending on the weather.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

First thing first: I fell in love with the cover that made me thing of the classic whoduning of golden age.
There’s a lot of blah blah about locked-room-mystery as it’s becoming a sort of synonym of closed circle of suspects. This is a sort of impossible crime, there’s not locked room but there’s a crime who could have been done by a couple of person.
Are they guilty or are they innocent ?
There’s a lot of pieces in this puzzle and almost anyone in the group could be the culprit as there’s plenty of secrets.
Chase is well plotted characters, a man who is mourning the death of his mate but also moving on as he discovers he’s still able to investigate. And there could be a new story.
I had fun and this book kept me reading till 3 am as I wanted to know who-did-it and why. I am a fan of impossible crime and it was a surprise to read a real one as it’s gripping and kept me turning pages.
All the clues are there and I was a bit surprised by the motive even if I felt who the culprit could.
I’m happy this is the first in a series and I hope there will be more soon.
An excellent debut, highly recommended.
Many thanks to Kensington Cozies for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

In A Deadly Walk In Devon by Nicholas George is a new cozy mystery set in England in the first book we meet Richard Chisholm a.k.a. Chas and his best girlfriend Billy as they join a Devon walking tour. Chas is still mourning the loss of his partner Paul and he is also a retired investigator from America as are most people on the tour everyone seems lovely until the Grets get there everyone seems to be there for the beautiful scenery and everything Devon has to offer but is someone there with an ulterior motive? As soon as Mr. and Mrs. Gretz get to the hotel mr. Gretz gets pickpocket and and this is the first time he tells the group someone is out to kill him in soon the other memberss can’t help but to agree even though the things that happen could either be looked at as coincidence or intentional when he was found dead at the bottom of the cliff no one can dispute he is now dead. It isn’t until after his death that we learn there’s more than one walker that has a motive but who did it? When I read that those who love Alexander McCall Smith would love this book by Nicholas George I was all in I am a huge fan and after reading A Deadly Walk In Devon I can definitely see the validity of that reference this was a great book it is a cozy mystery with brilliant writing although in the beginning it was easy to pick who the victim was going to be is the book pretty much followed a cozy mystery recipe but that is not a bad thing because I love as I have recently realized cozy mysteries and can’t get enough of them. This is a great book and one I highly recommend I want to thank Kensington Books and NetGalley for my free arc copy please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

Nicholas George writes a great mystery story, it had the elements that I was hoping for and enjoyed about the genre. I thought this was a great start to this series and left me wanting to read more in this universe. It had a strong plot and the characters were everything that I was hoping for.

It appears that this book may be the first in a series in which the main character takes walks around different parts of England. If this is so then, based on this one, I will certainly be up for reading more.

As the title indicates the first walk is around the cliffs in beautiful Devon. Rick Chasen, nicknamed Chase, is a retired, American detective who has recently lost his husband after many years together. Trying to get over this, he meets a friend in England and they join a walking tour with a group of Americans. Their walk ends when one of the group is murdered and Chase find himself helping the police in the investigation. Another murder follows before they work out 'who dunnit.'

The book has a Golden Age feel to it in the way a group of suspects are kept together in a country house while the smart detective works with the not so smart police to solve the crime. Chase himself is an appealing character and I hope to see more of him in future books. I enjoyed it all very much. Four stars.

A genial start to a new cozy series. Chase, a retired San Diego LEO in on a walking tour of Devon with his pal Billie (love her) as part of an effort to heal from the death of his husband. They've joined a group with a very fractious man-Ronald Gretz- who just annoys everyone-until he's murdered! This is classic (no one on the trip liked him) with a topical twist- he owned nursing homes. No real surprises but I liked the setting, how Chase worked with the local police, and the characters. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Looking forward to the next one.

Retired San Diego police detective Rick “Chase” Chasen is mourning the death of his long-time partner Doug. He travels to Devon, England with friend Billie Mondreau for a group walking tour with several other Americans.

But nursing home chain owner Ronald Gretz is obnoxious & gets on their nerves. He admits to Chase that he is receiving threats & several accidents soon occur. Then during a foggy walk, Gretz is found dead at the bottom of a cliff. Chase helps the local police investigate & soon learns that several tour group members had reasons for wanting Gretz dead. Too many cliches and TTYL moments confronting the killer knocked down the enjoyment of the book for me.

I received a digital ARC from Netgalley and Kensington Books. All opinions are my own.

Deftly Drawn..
The first in the Walk Through England Mystery series featuring retired American police detective Chase. Chase, still reeling from the death of his partner, meets up with fellow anglophiles and walkers for a coastal holiday on the English coast. What could possibly go wrong? Much, it appears. When a death occurs, Chase knows full well that it is no accident and is soon assisting the police with their enquiries. A nicely written mystery with a firm sense of time and place, a deftly drawn cast of characters and a likeable protagonist in Chase, this is a promising start to the series.

This charming cozy is set in Devon, but features a group of Americans who have gathered there for a walking tour of England. Our hero, Rick Chasen, or “Chase”, is a recently retired, recently widowed police detective. The loss of his husband, Doug, has caused him to rethink his life and search for things that will keep him active and engaged. He’s meeting up with his friend Billie for the trip, who is an optimistic soul and knits with enthusiasm.

The rest of their tour group – or shall we call them the suspect pool? – is nicely varied and interesting. There’s a wealthy man and his trophy wife; there’s a couple who create environments for the elderly (who are dissatisfied with their room décor); there’s a sister and brother who are fulfilling the sister’s life long dream of a trip to England; and there’s the required curmudgeon, rounded off by the tour guide and driver. While I really enjoyed this novel my enjoyment would have been heightened by the traditional cast of characters at the beginning of the book. This book seemed well suited for that kind of thing.

From the start, it’s obvious that the wealthy man is going to be the bane of their trip – he’s unpleasant and complains about everything. Once he susses out that Chase is a retired cop he confides in him that he’s sure someone is looking to kill him and begs Chase to take on the job of protection. Chase begs off, saying he’s on vacation, but soon various things begin to happen, coupled with threatening notes that the man has shared with Chase. He does keep his eyes open but of course, he cannot prevent the man’s death on a foggy day as the group skirts the edge of a cliff.

Chase is – or was – apparently a good cop, and it’s not long before he’s invited to sit in with the Inspector who’s taken on the case. He refuses to make assumptions and gently guides the Inspector’s thinking without being overbearing (in short, he’s the perfect co-worker or boss). As the pasts of the various members of the group are revealed, providing possible motives for the murder of a man none of them had met before, the past and emotional life of Chase is also gently uncovered.

I’m not sure what the “secret sauce” is for books. In every way this is a standard traditional detective story, with an amateur/not quite amateur at the center of things. Even the fact that Chase is a widower is not unexpected. But there’s some kind of magical algorithm that a good book simply possesses. This novel, while traditional and even expected, unfolds beautifully, is paced well, and is full of interesting characters who, in the best Agatha Christie fashion, seem familiar. They could be people you’ve met or encountered yourself.

Chase himself is appealing but not too plain vanilla to be dull. He’s simply a nice guy, trying to do what’s right, and he obviously is a careful thinker and intelligent discerner of secrets and lies. There’s nothing not to like, and the whole book is enhanced by the Devon setting – I felt I was on the walk with the group. The trip, though sadly truncated for the book’s characters, sounded wonderful, and the Devon countryside, as brought to life by the author, is beautiful. All in all a nice debut.

“A Deadly Walk in Devon” beautifully captures Devon’s wild yet tamed countryside, with moors, a rugged seacoast -- and pubs. It’s a fairly predictable mystery that drags a bit in parts but is saved by its rich characters, from the unlikable victim with the put-upon wife, to a constantly bickering couple. The protagonist, Rick Chasen, aka Chase, is a retired police officer working through the death of his husband. When bad things happen on the walking tour, Chase uses his detective skills to help figure out what’s going on.

It’s an enjoyable read, and I look forward to the next installment in the series.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC.

This is a cozy mystery whodunnit. I love Chase's character and love the fact that it's older MC representation. This is a fast, enjoyable read with not much brain straining wrt mystery. At times, the plot is a little too on-the-nose and direct with what it's trying to set up, but it's still an enjoyable experience. A good queer mystery story.

San Diego retiree, Chase, has gone to Devon England to try to get a foothold on his new life after being a detective in San Diego. He and friend Billie are all set for a walking tour to kick off retirement along with other members of the tour group.

While most are excited and eager to be on the trip, one participant, obviously doesn’t want to be there. He is rude and outspoken and annoys everyone else on the tour. But when the complaining store, member is found dead, Chase, find himself falling back into the role he left behind. As Chase looks into the death, he finds that while the man was definitely disliked there are a few in the group, who may have reasons for wanting him dead. So much for leaving the job behind and beginning retirement. Chase is on the case.

I am really liking this first entry in a new series. Chase is a smart and very likable character. Having a series based on Walking towards in England, is brilliant. I love exploring new places as well as cozy mysteries. So this is a series that delivers on both. A solid mystery that will keep you guessing close to the end. Grab a copy settle in and enjoy the trip.

From the publisher: A retired San Diego police detective embarks upon group walking tours in England’s most scenic counties in the first in a charming new mystery series set in the English countryside.

A Deadly Walk in Devon is a debut novel and the first book in the Walk Through England Mystery series. In it a group of Americans on a guided walk in Devon, England includes a man named Gretz. I’ve read a lot of cozy mysteries, and Gretz is right out of cozy mystery central casting. The grouchy, hard to get along with, unlikable man who is obviously going to be the murder victim and about whom other characters say, “If you did kill him, we don’t blame you.” (p. 148 of the ARC)

I’d guess the author has also read a lot of cozy mysteries. Besides the unlikable victim we have the bickering couple, the clueless Chief Inspector, the attractive young new widow, and a whole cast of suspects hiding secrets. I hope in the sequels that the author can strive for a little more originality, instead of a cookie cutter cozy. I think we might see some of the walkers return in future books, and maybe they will be fleshed out a little. The climactic confrontation of the killer was truly eyerolling in its implausibility.

I love England and have yet to do a walking tour, so the premise of this book appealed to me. Unfortunately, there is not as much “walking” as I had hoped. Once the murder occurs, the group stays in one place. Still, I enjoyed the English setting.

The book is narrated by ex-detective Rick Chasen, and at one point he mentions that he likes whistling as he walks. That would certainly be grounds for murder if I were on a walk with the guy. Although this is marketed as a debut, there were references to the main character’s previous cases which originally made me wonder if I’d missed something.

At one point Chase’s walker friend Billie jokes, “I’ll kill you if you don’t. Oops. Guess I shouldn’t be joking about murder, should I?” (p. 131 of the ARC) Is the author poking fun at cozy cliches or just being cliched? I can’t tell. The main character is supposed to be a huge baseball fan, but I wondered if the author is. At one point the main character muses, “I often looked at my success rate through the lens of baseball, where batters typically fail to get a base hit seven out of ten pitches.” (p. 170 of the ARC) I think he means seven out of ten at bats. I read an advance reader copy, so maybe that will be fixed when the book is published. I do give the author points for trying to redeem Bill Buckner, who is unfairly blamed for costing the Red Sox the World Series in 1986. Although I felt like the author made some rookie errors (ha ha) in his debut, I enjoyed it enough that I might read book two.

The cover is very attractive and I imagine similar matching covers on the whole series that will look great together. If you enjoy the sometimes outlandish stories in M.C. Beaton’s Hamish Macbeth and Agatha Raisin series, you may enjoy A Deadly Walk in Devon. I read an advance reader copy of A Deadly Walk in Devon from Netgalley. It is scheduled to be released on March 26 and will be available at the Galesburg Public Library.