Second Amanda Ashby book read in a week. Enjoyable for me with part of the storyline being about crafts and shows as I show my cross stitch, photographs, artwork, produce such as fruit and veg and plants. Looking forward to the next book. Thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the chance to ARC this book.

A great continuation of the first book, The Widows’ Guide to murder!! Easy to read and kept me interested up until the very end! If you’re looking for something to change up your TBR, this series is it!

Better than the first which is saying something cause the first book was delightful. Loved spending time with these people again. Another fun easy breezy read, and sometimes that’s what you need. Great mystery at the center of this. If you’re a fan of Murder She Wrote or Colombo, this is for you.

Poor Gini seems to have a habit of walking into rooms and finding a dead body, this time Timothy Harlow, the unpopular shop owner and judge for the local annual fete.
Unusually for me I actually managed to read the first book in the series, so knew the general background of the setting and characters, although this one can be read as a standalone. This one is certainly darker than the first, although it can still be classified as a cozy mystery. As usual the group of four women manage to annoy the local police with their own investigations, but still manages to find out new information. There are plenty of twists and turns, false leads etc before, for me at least, the murderer is a surprise. Perhaps the takeaway from books like this is to avoid moving to a quaint English village where the murder rate is so high.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, however this did not influence my review of the book.

I also enjoyed part two of this series. The author has a fun writing style and these are quick, easy reads. I love Ginny but my favorite character is honestly the cat. Definitely check out this cozy mystery series.

I don’t often read mysteries, and I’ve never read a cozy mystery myself, but reading Amanda Ashby was a charming surprise.
The strength of this story lies in its vibrant and lovable characters. Their interactions are filled with humor and warmth, making them incredibly easy to root for. Ashby does an excellent job of bringing them to life.
The plot is cleverly crafted, with plenty of twists and turns that keep readers guessing. The small-town dynamics add a comforting sense of familiarity to the story.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Storm Publishing and Amanda Ashby for the ARC!

Again? You found a dead body again?"
"It's an honour I could've done without."

Ginny Cole is back with another murder in her quaint and quirky little town of Little Shaw. This time our victim was dramatically stabbed in the back. The amazing second novel of our dear (albeit reluctant) detective kicks off some time after the events of the first novel. As often with second novels the story kicks off a bit faster than the first one and you are immediately transferred back into Little Shaw and its lovely librarian. We go a bit deeper into the characters that we have already met in the first book and meet a few new friends (or foes?). The story was again very compelling and had me hooked until the last pages. The reveal even had me utter motherfucker out loud. I had zero suspects, I was just in for the ride.

One thing that I really loved was the visual of the widows all coming together to watch YouTube video's on body language so they can catch a killer. The storyline of grief was as in the first book well thought out and I love how we can follow and see it evolve over time.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. It gave the same vibes as the first one without being repetitive or boring. I hope we see a next novel of our Widows detective club soon!

Thank you Storm Publishing for the ARC! Rated 4.5 stars on Story Graph.

Ginny and her friends are back on the case after a local haberdashery shop owner is found murdered. She's promised DI Wallace that she won't be interfering this time around, however before long she's found herself muddled in the drama to try to solve a mystery that her and her friends aren't sure the police are taking seriously. Little does she know she's put herself straight in the path of danger this time around.

*****

This is the second book in the Widow's Detective Club series and it's just as fun and twisty as the first. The townspeople are as quirky and strange as ever, and Wallace is still a cranky, annoyed and overworked detective that tries to keep the ladies from their own poor choices. This one is still funny, but also a bit more down to earth than the last novel.

Ginny has adapted to the small town and it's characters, and is slowly coming out of her shell as a peacekeeper, while still trying to be a voice of reason. She has ideas of how she's going to proceed in a hands-off manner, yet as usual, gets dragged into the mischief by her new friends. Those characters seem to have balanced out a little bit more in this novel as well. They're still odd and overbearing but with more heart, and more logical intentions, vs just being completely off the wall with their antics.

The twist in this one was a little bit easier to spot to an extent, as I got the vibe for the authors writing style after the last book, but it was still thrown by who the murderer was, even if I knew which mundane clues were leading to them.

All in all this was a fun and quirky novel, and I can't wait to see what else the author comes up with next.

*****

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm publishing for the digital ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Ginny returns to the library as manager and Connor the troubled youth is a permanent employee. The local fete is coming and there’s lots of competition going on – particularly in the baking competition. Timothy Harlow is the judge supreme and harborer of good weather – it’s never rained yet. Unfortunately, Timothy is found dead in his shop. Now the women not only need to find the murderer but the town needs a new judge. I do enjoy these women of a certain age with the addition of Connor. Love this series. #netgalley

Thank you to the author and storm publishing for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I adore Ginny and her band of widow friends! They get into mischief and drive the detective mad in the process! I love a good cozy mystery and this one hits the spot! I am so glad I started with the first book, and can’t wait to read more!! You won’t regret picking both of them up to read!

Ginny Cole, 60, found herself at a crime scene, again. This time, the victim was the infamous owner of Little Shaw’s haberdashery shop and the judge for the upcoming Spring Fete. Naturally, Ginny and her friends once again took it upon themselves to help with the investigation.

The Widows’ Guide to Backstabbing is the second book in The Widows Detective Club series by Amanda Ashby. Like the first one, it’s a fast-paced and easy read, set against the charming backdrop of Little Shaw village. However, I didn’t find this installment quite as entertaining as the first. That might be because I read the two books back to back, but I also felt that some of the widows’ dialogue wasn’t quite as witty this time around.

All in all, though, this is another great cozy mystery to add to your list. Thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC.

4.25/5. Thank you to Ms. Ashby, the publisher, and netgalley for the ARC!

In the second book in the Widow's Detective Club series, we're brought back to Little Shaw, a town that never ceases to find oddness, coziness, and murder. Ginny, our medical-office-manager-turned-library-manager, is finally settling in a year after her husband's death with a new job, new friends... and a new murder to solve. When she goes to help out one of her fellow Widows, she finds a man who has been stabbed in the back by a pair of sewing scissors. And she finds herself once again solving the crime, despite being neighbor to the lead detective on the case, James Wallace.

I think a lot of the characters grew between this novel and the first, though there's still a bit of frustration at times with Ginny internally questioning if she should call the police (yes) versus following along with her friends (mostly no, but how would that be entertaining?). This time, though, I did really appreciate DI Wallace breaking it down for the widows so we could see the why behind his frustration.

The new characters introduced fit in perfectly, each with their own quirks of small town living. I look forward to seeing who arrives in the next batch. Likewise, it was nice to see some of the side characters from the first novel get another cameo. It makes the world of Little Shaw feel that much more alive.

Certainly a series I'm going to be keeping up with!

Poor Ginny Cole finds herself discovering another dead body through no fault of her own. Why she let Tuppence talk her into going into the shop to run interference for her is puzzling. Because of that, she finds the poor shop owner, Timothy Harlow, with scissors in his back and there is no short supply of suspects as he is an arrogant jerk.

Ginny wasn’t going to investigate because she has no reason to, but Hen feels for Timothy’s daughter, Megan, who wants them to prove her boyfriend did not kill her father. There is a lot going on in this book and a lot of suspects and I think people will be surprised by the killer, who appears to be more than unhinged.

I loved Edgar stealing things and Ginny being embarrassed by his behavior. I think JM is a hoot in the way she interacts with the lawyer, Edward Tait. They seem to have a love-hate thing going on. It was also nice to see more depth to Connor in his role in helping at the library and his living with Hen will help her out financially.

Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book. All opinions are my own.
In The Widows' Guide to Backstabbing, our main character Ginny once again stumbles upon a body - this time in a haberdashery shop. And, of course, the not-so-official detective group is back in action.
Overall, it was a cozy read, but I feel like the quality hasn't changed much from book one - there are still a lot of characters to keep track of, the widows conduct their investigation while ignoring the DI, and the motive for the murder felt a bit far-fetched to me.

I just loved this book, that I read it in one sitting. I just couldn’t put it down. The story was just so good, I just had to read on to find out more. This book has some amazing characters they just seem so much fun. I was very sad to have come to the end of this book and I look forward to the next book in the series.

I would highly recommend reading this book as it was just such a good mystery with amazing characters.

I would like to thank Storm Publishing and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book early.

☆5☆

⇝ Chicklit
⇝ Women's Fiction
⇝ Thriller
⇝ Mystery
⇝ Crime
⇝ Series (2 of ...)


Main Attention~ Ginny
Ginny did not expect to be found at yet another crime scene, let alone be involved in the investigation through sale thing despite her promise to Detective Wallace. The widows are back with a new case which threatens the peace of their little town with a murder and a lot of backstabbing.
Ginny is becoming a dear character to me as the series moves own. Reading her perspective is kinda satisfying. Maybe Because she has the qualities I admire and insecurities I identify within myself. The way she is presented throughout the story is inspiring - her calm attitude, her analytical mind, her vast knowledge, her empathy, and her people skills.


Other Voices~
Hen, JM, and Tuppence are back with a bang! I love their eccentric contributions to the investigations. I feel that each of their skills truly shined in this book. Wallace was as usual a grump but seemed to have accepted the fact that he can't really stop the widow's club. He truly adds charm to the story with his surly attitude. I loved that Conner had more part in this one. I love to see more of him. And, of course, Edgar was the silent de

Musings~
The writing and the plot were such a page turner! This time though, I correctly guessed the killer, but it didn't dampen my mood to continue the story. I enjoyed the discoveries and the revelations one after the other.

Parting Thoughts~
I am in love with the series and the with Amanda's captivating writing style. I'm excited to read more of her works and highly recommend this series.

3.5, rounded up to 4 stars
Another fun adventure from the WIdow's Detective Club!

This book follows much of the same story beats as the first - Ginny stumbles upon a body, her or one of her crew (accidentally) steal some evidence, DI Wallace is fondly exasperated by them.... hijinks ensue. As in the last book, this one had me laughing out loud at points, and I just love the town of Little Shaw and all the excentrics who live there.

This book does have a little more grief in it, I found. Ginny is still dealing with the loss of her husband, and seems more comfortable expressing that sadness this time. Her gals are there to support her, as always, and she is there to support both them and her town!
I enjoyed seeing bits of Connor's growth happening in the background, as well as Ginny coming out of her shell and becoming part of the community!

As for the mystery, it did feel a bit discombobulated - firstly, Megan (daughter of the victim) was sort of the worst! She annoyed me so badly throughout. But the villian kind of felt like it came out of nowhere, at least for me.

I fully enjoyed my visit to Little Shaw, and can't wait to see what the Widows get up to next time!

Really enjoyed this cozy mystery but my one complaint is that this book starts off almost exactly the same as the first. Ginny manages to be the first person to find a dead body (someone who isn’t very well liked in their community) and she and her friends take it upon themselves to investigate. Don’t get me wrong, there are funny moments and the twist at the end was good. But, I would’ve liked to see a completely different story.

Ginny Cole is starting a new life. Not only has she moved to a new village, but she is also now widow, which wasn't in her plans. Starting a new job is stressful at the best of times, but finding your boss dead on your second day certainly doesn't help. Especially when you realise it was murder. Ginny is reluctant when a local trio of women start to take her under their wing, and persuade her to help them investigate the murder. Surprisingly though, she finds herself starting to enjoy her new life.

I grabbed this from NetGalley as it is the first book in a new series along the lines of Richard Osman and Robert Thorogood. It definitely has a lot of promise.

I warmed to Ginny very quickly. She comes across as a capeable and competent woman, who is clearly finding it hard to adjust to her new life without her husband. She is a very likeable character, and I could empathise with her reluctance to be on the wrong side of the law! The other widows were a very quirky mix, and at times were a little too much for me (JM particularly is quite overbearing). That said I have a feeling they will grow on me as the series progresses.

I enjoyed the storyline, I thought it was well structured and had plenty of red herrings and depth to it. I did find some of the aspects (such as the widows digging up a grave) to be a bit out there! It was an enjoyable read though, and had a nice balance of humour and more serious storylines.

Overall I did enjoy this and will read book 2. There was a couple of minor drawbacks to it, but I think there is a lot of potential and look forward to seeing how things develop.

Thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

3⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for an advanced copy of The Widow’s Guide To Backstabbing.

Ginny has now become the manager of the little library in the small town she moved to after becoming a widow. She thinks things are going well until she finds another body. She gets her gang of widows back together to help solve this crime.

This was a pretty fast read. There was a lot going on in this book but it was still an okay read.