Recently widowed Ginny Cole has just moved to the quaint, picturesque village of Little Shaw, where she's taken a position as a library assistant. But two days into the job, she discovers the body of her new boss in the library and she, alongside three other eccentric village widows, are drawn into solving the mystery.

THE WIDOWS GUIDE TO MURDER is a comforting, charming, cosy read that was perfect for snuggling up in bed with. I'm a huge fan of books set in small villages and especially libraries so this was a perfect setting for me. Ginny herself is all kinds of relatable, a woman who just wants a quiet life but finds herself catapulted into all kinds of trouble. I enjoyed how she grew as a character, from someone still very much insular and deep in grief, to someone stepping out of her comfort zone and learning to live alongside her grief. I also love books with older main characters - we 100% need more older ladies as protagonists!

The group of ragtag widows that quickly become Ginny's friends were a standout - and the author's lighthearted prose which was full of heart and humour really solidified their vibes and the overall atmosphere of the book. This book also had another of my favourite things - a cat companion! The cat was a real scene-stealer and I enjoyed every time he popped up!

The mystery itself was good, plenty of red herrings and twists and I know that I'm enjoying it if I'm guessing who the culprit is and making up theories! However, at times, the pacing slowed down a wee bit too much for me and I also found it a bit tricky keeping up with all the side characters and how they all related to the core mystery. I think I would definitely benefit from a re-read once the book is released!

Overall however, I had a lovely time with the book and I'm excited to read the next instalment in the series! Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free e-copy in exchange for an honest review!

When Ginny (Virginia) Cole moves to a small village called Little Shaw, little does she realise that this move will help her with the recent death of her husband, Eric. She discovers the body of her new boss, Louisa Farnsworth (Head Librarian) in her office in the community library, and this sets off a chain of events, which involve her teaming up with her new friends, Hen, JM and Tuppence. They proceed to use their individual skillset to become amateur sleuths and investigate Louisa's demise and what happens after this death. I loved the characters and how well they get along. The sub plots, with a few red herrings, and twists and turns knitted together to a surprising conclusion. More please!!

I really enjoyed this book. It had a great storyline and setting. The characters are very believable. An easy read and entertaining.

The Widow’s Guide to Murder is a delightful cozy mystery that checks all the right boxes for fans of the genre. Our protagonist, 60-year-old Ginny, is starting over in a new town with a fresh job as a librarian—only to stumble upon the body of her boss on her second day.
Ginny is a wonderful main character, and the library setting (plus the presence of a cat!) makes for a charming atmosphere. The pacing is a bit slow at times, and it took me a little while to warm up to the other widows, but overall, this was a lovely read with just the right mix of mystery and warmth.

Thank you to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book. All opinions are my own.

I absolutely loved this booked. The cover really captured my attention from the off. Looking forward to more books in this series!

The Widow's Guide to Murder (The Widow's Detective Club series) is the wonderful debut British cozy mystery by Amanda Ashby. The characters are likable, caring and humorous. The cozy mystery kept me guessing with some twists to keep it interesting. Ginny Cole recently lost her husband and is grieving and is at a loss on what she wants to do. She moves to a small British village and begins work at the local community library. She has no library experience and her boss is unpleasant and demanding. When Ginny finds her awful boss dead, things get interesting. Ginny meets three widows, Tuppence, JM, and Hen who help her with her grief and they investigate the suspects and gather clues together. They are great characters and friends. Hen's daughter is one of the suspects. Ginny's next door neighbor is he Detective on the case and they don't get along at first. There is friendship and humor that make this book so enjoyable. The 2nd book in the series is due out soon which I am looking forward to seeing the escapades of the widows. This is a very enjoyable cozy mystery. #TheWidowsGuideToMurder #TheWidowsDetectiveClub #StormPublishing #AmandaAshby

☆5☆

⇝ Chicklit
⇝ Women's Fiction
⇝ Thriller
⇝ Mystery
⇝ Crime
⇝ Series (1 of ...)


Main Attention ~ Ginny
The only thing Ginny thought she was best at was being Mrs. Cole, Cole's wife. After his death, she has been adrift - moving to a new to a new town where she doesn't know anyone, starting a job as a library assistant when she has no experience in that field, and backing into her shell of loneliness as the days passed by. However, when an unexpected death occurs in the small town, Ginny teams up with the other widows to get to the bottom of it.

I loved Ginny a lot. Patient, kind, reliable, intelligent, trustworthy, and resourceful. I enjoyed reading her solve the mystery one by one while maintaining her composure around the other wild widows. It was beautiful to see how she opened up to her new friends and quickly fit in with them.


Other Voices ~
Hen, JM, and Tuppence were funny yet amazing part of the story. Each with distinct personalities and expertise but one thing in common - they were widows. They decide to take Ginny under their wing when the murder gets pinned on Hen's daughter.

I loved Conner too - a misunderstood teenager whose default mode is indifference. It made me like Ginny more the way she treated him throughout the story.


Musings~
The writing and the plot were such a page turner! I was hooked right from the beginning, guessing alongside the characters the answers to the mystery. I enjoyed the comedic breaks too which were delivered perfectly by the other characters.


Parting Thoughts~
I am really excited for the next book in the series. This was a very good cozy mystery and I highly recommend.

If you are a fan of The Thursday Murder Club, I would say this has similar vibes. Maybe a little more of a homely vibe than TMC.

This book follows some widows in a small English town who are trying to solve a murder. It quickly becomes quite the case, and they are thankful for their new addition Ginny.

This story offers crime/mystery, funny older ladies, a young grumpy detective, and small town drama. It was a fun read, that left you guessing who was behind it all! I changed my guesses multiple times and didn't arrive at the right conclusion until it was revealed. It was nice to be kept guessing!

I definitely recommend this book!

Thank you Net Galley and Amanda Ashby for the ARC.

I really enjoyed The Widows’ Guide to Murder, which is the first book that I’ve read by Amanda Ashby. The story is very much a cosy crime novel with a cast of wonderful older ladies - Ginny, Hen, Tuppence and JM are a likeable group of widows who decide to investigate a murder which implicates Hen’s daughter. The plot twists and turns in very unexpected ways and kept me guessing right up until the very end as I found myself suspecting anyone and everyone! If you love books by Richard Osman and Robert Thorogood then this new series is for you! I’m looking forward to reading book 2. Highly recommended for a fast paced, fun read. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A quick and cozy little murder mystery set in a small town in England. Ginny doesn’t know what she’s gotten herself into when she accepts a part time job as a librarian in her new town, only to find the curmudgeonly head librarian dead in her office. After a group of fellow widows take her under her wing and solicit her help in finding the murderer, Ginny finds herself on a whirlwind adventure. Perfect book to cozy up with a good cuppa tea and snuggle down.

Thank you for allowing me to review this book. This is an easy read story. Ginny, a recently widowed lady has moved into a new village and on her second day working at the library finds the body of her boss! As the story unfolds Ginny is drawn into a friendship group of Widows who are trying to solve the murder mystery. The characters are all slightly quirky, but mean well.
A crime story that never challenged the reader. The culprit was unexpected though.

I loved this first book in the Widows' Detective Club series! It's a wonderful addition to the works featuring more seasoned protagonists heading into a new chapter of their lives. Ginny and the other widows were interesting and well-developed, and their adventures were so entertaining. I also really enjoyed the supporting characters and the village. I have the next book ready to go and I can't wait to read it! Thanks to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for the advance digital copy!

ARC Review📚 Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book. The Widows Guide to Murder by Amanda Ashby. This is the first book in The Widows Detective Club series. I really love a good cozy mystery! Ginny moves to a small town after her husband passes away. She becomes an assistant librarian at her local library. A few days later she discovers the body of the librarian Louisa Farnsworth. Who could have possibly killed her? Ginny notices some details on the body that the police didn’t notice. In comes a group of local busybody widows who befriend Ginny. Together they decide to investigate who murdered Louisa Farnsworth. But this is only the first murder! There are lots of twists and turns, dead ends and mayhem. Overall I found this book to be very enjoyable and fun to read. Looking forward to reading the second book in the series!

Ginny is a widow that has moved to a small community, she volunteers at the local library, but the second day she turns up she finds a body. She starts investigating on who would kill the woman, she’s a great sleuth and finds out she needs to find something. Along with a few others in the village will they find the killer? This was a fun murder mystery, it’s easy going and the chapters flow. Loved the wee cat too, he was a good character in the book. Looking forward to reading the next one in this series. A 4 star read. Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy.

Thank you Storm Publishing for the ARC of this book.

The Widows’ Guide to Murder is a delightful and engaging cozy mystery, filled with wit and charm. As my first cozy mystery, this was a refreshing change from my usual reads, and I found it highly entertaining. I also found it heartwarming to see Ginny gradually open up to the community and the friendships she formed in Little Shaw Village, even in the midst of a murder investigation. It is a pretty short read as well, although I did feel that some part of it on the beginning and the last part were kind of stretched out, it is still a charming read and I recommend checking out when it releases.

I enjoyed this cozy!! The main character, Ginny has recently become widowed and has moved to a small town to start over. She meets a group of women, also widowed who welcome her into their silly, meddling antics around the town.
Taking a job at the local library seemed like a low-key way to get out in the community but when the head librarian is found murdered, she is caught up in a mystery that her new friends need to solve.
I enjoyed the point of view from an older main character and will be looking out for others in the series!
Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for this advanced reader copy.

The Widows’ Guide to Murder follows recently widowed Ginny Cole as she leaves Bristol for Little Shaw, and joins a hang of fellow widows, JM, Tuppence and Hen. When Ginny new boss is murdered at the local library, the four local ladies take it upon themselves to solve the case.

If you love books like The Thursday Murder Club and The Marlow Murder Club, you’ll love The Widows’ Guide to Murder. I instantly fell in love with the characters Ashby had created, and was so drawn into the story.

Ashby kept me guessing the whole way and the twist at the end was so unexpected. Highly enjoyed this cosy mystery and cannot wait to read the sequel.

Thank you for an advanced copy of this book. I really enjoyed this book and cannot wait for the next instalment of this series! I was kept in the edge of my seat all along and just when I thought I’d cracked the case, everything changed!

Recently widowed Ginny moves to a small and quiet (or so she thought) village. There, she starts working at the local library and meets a quirky group of widows, who help them solve a murder.

I enjoyed this book, although sometimes I got confused with so many characters.

This is perfect for fans of The Thursday Murder Club.

I'm so happy to see more and more books set around midlife and later women. Ginny was a hoot and the mystery kept me guessing! I'm so glad it looks like this is the first of a series because I didn't want it to end! I cant wait to see where this series goes next!