Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

And Then There Was The One by Martha Waters is a delightful cozy mystery set in an English village during the 1930s. It has all the ingredients of a classic whodunit—an atmospheric village setting, a cast of quirky characters, and, of course, a murder to untangle. Waters’ style is reminiscent of Agatha Christie and other golden age mystery writers, but with a light-hearted touch and a streak of comedy that makes the story especially charming.

While the mystery itself kept me guessing, what I enjoyed most was the witty dialogue and the warm, almost playful tone woven throughout the book. It’s the kind of read that feels like curling up with a cup of tea on a rainy afternoon—comforting even while it’s full of intrigue.

If you’re a fan of cozy mysteries, especially those with a vintage flair, this is well worth picking up. A solid 4-star read for me!

Enjoyed this easy cozy mystery read. Enjoyed the humor mixed through the book. Characters were likeable and the dynamic between the two main characters was good. Overall good read. This ARC was provided by Netgalley and Atria Books for my honest review.

Thank you to Atria books and Martha Waters for the opportunity to read And Then There Was The One in exchange for an honest review!

This book encapsulated everything I love about Martha Waters' writing. An intriguing, low-commitment murder mystery with a swoony romance set in the charming town of Buncombe-Upon-Woolly is the perfect backdrop for this book. This is a PERFECT seasonal transition book from summer to autumn.

I read this over the span of a weekend, and as someone who doesn't typically entertain the mystery genre, I can confidently say that this book has made me want to spend a bit of extra time exploring that genre. This was a great start for me.

I love all of Martha Waters' books, and this one is no exception. Bring on the swoony mystery romances - crossing my fingers for more!

And Then There Was The One is a delightful blend of cozy mystery and charming romance set against the backdrop of an idyllic Cotswold village. Martha Waters crafts a witty, engaging heroine in Georgie, whose sharp instincts and reluctant partnership with the dashing Sebastian make for sparkling chemistry. Between murder tourists, sheep-filled greens, and plenty of scones, the mystery keeps readers intrigued while the romance adds warmth. Clever, funny, and heartwarming, this book is a perfect escape for cozy mystery fans.

I found this cozy mystery to be cute. I really appreciated Georgiana and her banter, the small town, and all the secondary characters. This was a really fast read for me. While I found the book to be okay, nothing really stood out to me about it.

I wasn’t sure about this one initially. I thought I would like Georgie the more I got to know her. I wasn’t at all sure about Sebastian. But I trust Martha Waters & I’m so glad I remembered that & kept reading. I loved it! I came to adore Sebastian. In part because he was so silly. Georgie, a curmudgeonly accidental detective writes to a famous London detective for assistance in solving yet another murder in her quiet town. Instead of coming himself, the famous detective sends his assistant, the aforementioned very silly Sebastian. Along with her journalist friend and a constable with the local police, Georgie & Sebastian set about investigating the most recent suspicious death in the village. This is the perfect cozy romcom mystery. Black cat/golden retriever. Madcap mystery. Also there are Murder Tourists. Enough said.
Thanks to NetGalley & Atria Books for the advance reading edition.

4 stars. I’m not really a murder mystery or even a cozy mystery girl myself, but I do enjoy Martha Waters’ books, so I gave this a shot. I did love the characters, especially the FMC and MMC — a black cat FMC and golden retriever MMC is always fun for me. My problem was that I wasn’t invested in the mystery. Not the mystery’s fault! But it’s just not my genre. Loved the setting of 1930s English countryside, a great break from your more traditional HR settings.

Thanks so much to Atria and NetGalley for the ARC!!

I adore Martha Waters and her writing that is always such a lovely mix of charming, sarcasm, and humor. I am not a huge cozy mystery reader, but that didn't stop me from being sucked into this story and the romantic subplot was wonderfully done.

This was cute. Not super impressive but cute.
I recommend to anyone who wants a cute story on a rainy day, weekend or at the beach.

And Then There Was The One was an utterly delightful story! I love Martha Waters and eagerly awaited each of her Regency romances, so when I saw she was doing a spin on the cozy mystery genre, I was intrigued. While not a usual cozy mystery fan, I was willing to give it a go because of Ms. Waters. And am I glad I did! A fantastic story with well-defined, multi-layered characters who demonstrated real growth within the confines of the book and a place that held its own as a character in and of itself. I loved that there were diverse characters in a way that didn't seem shoe-horned in, and the mystery itself was a fun whodunit I enjoyed following.

I would have loved a map of Buncombe-upon-Woolly!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books.

The characters felt shallow and unlikable, with little growth or chemistry. The mystery lacked tension, and the romance fell flat, making this a disappointing read overall.

4/5 Stars

I’m a big Martha Waters fan and I would be bold enough to say that her books alone are what got me into the entire historical romance genre. So needless to say, I was very much looking forward to reading the ARC of And Then There Was The One.

This book was such a delight! Fun, witty, entertaining. The characters were so vivid and I adored each and every one of them.

Georgie and Sebastian’s relationship evolved so much throughout the story and it was an enjoyable ride. Their dynamic was so funny and I loved how they saw past their outward personas and broke down all their walls to truly get to know and love each other. What’s sexier than mutual respect and admiration? Am I right?!

I felt that the murder mystery was perfect. Not too heavy or suspenseful for a whimp like me. It kept the story moving in the best possible way.

I know it’s not typical for Waters’ novels, but I would’ve been so psyched for an epilogue to get a little more insight into how things ended up. The ending left me a little unsatisfied.

Overall, And Then There Was The One is a must-read for any historical romance newbies as well as tried and true historical romance lovers. You won’t be disappointed!

Biggest thanks to Atria Books and Negalley for providing me with this eARC in exchange for an honest review! ❤️

And Then There Was The One is a spin on historical romance, with mystery at the heart of the story. Our main character Georgie is the daughter of an absent-minded archaeologist, and lives on an estate in a small, English town. The town has had 3 murders in the last year, all of which have been solved by Georgie as an amateur sleuth. When another mysterious death happens, and murder tourists are taking over the town, she decides it is time for this to stop, and seeks out professional help. The visitor arrives and is not who Georgie expected, yet they continue on and sleuth out whether this most recent death was a murder, to discover the truth behind all that has happened in the town.
The characters were likable and complex, and I found the romance to be a nice addition to the story. I also enjoyed the time period in which this book is set, the 1930s, one I don't see often in historical romance. The setting was lovely, and I could picture the town and its quirky inhabitants well. This book is great for when you are looking for something light and easy to read, with some good character development and two main characters who see the best in each other despite their flaws and misconceptions at the beginning of the story. I also thought that the mystery aspect was well-developed, and didn't guess what the conclusion would be until close to its reveal.

A bit cozy mystery and a bit cozy romance. I enjoyed this book as an advanced reader copy courtesy of NetGalley and Atria Books. It was a quick read that I got drawn into. I liked the Murder Tourists and quaint village locale.

And Then There Was One is a witty and entertaining novel that follows Georgie and Sebastian as they amateur sleuth in her quaint town.

As one could probably tell from the title, this book is inspired by Agatha Christie. References to her books come up a lot. This isn’t anything like And Then There Were None though. To me, that’s a good thing.

The chemistry between Georgie and Sebastian is amazing and not so common in romantic comedies anymore. The setting isn’t modern day, like all of the author’s other books. None of those ever disappointed me, and neither does this one. This book was enjoyable to read.

I received this ARC from NetGalley for my honest review.

Thank you Atria for my copy. This was such a darling and cozy read! Martha Waters writes such fun and playful historical romps and I really enjoyed this new setting and time period from her. I thought the plot was well done- I was intrigued the whole time by the mystery, charmed by the characters and delighted by the banter and humor.

And Then There Was the One by Martha Waters is a fantastic combination of romance and cozy mystery.
I absolutely love when romance is combined with mystery.

Set in the 1930's this is a wonderful historical cozy romantic mystery.

I love the grumpy sunshine trope.

Great story!

What an absolute delight of a book! I've read many cozy mysteries but never one with a sprinkle of romance. This was such a fun spin on a familiar genre, and I hope Martha Waters writes another!

Amateur sleuth Georgie Radcliffe is convinced that the town's chairman was murdered even though the entire town believes he died from natural causes. She reaches out to a famous detective in London to see if he'd be willing to help her with the case, and when he replies with a promise to send his assistant, Georgie is thrilled to be taken seriously. Her excitement is quickly dampened by the arrival of Sebastian Fletcher-Ford, who is unapologetic flirt and less than experienced. She cannot shake him, though, and together, they get into sticky situations and eventually uncover the truth!

There were so many highlights of this book - the banter, the small town idiosyncrasies and the references to Agatha Christie novels. My only critique of this book is the explicit sex scene, which, believe me, as a fan of open door romances, shocked me. The cozy mystery vibe with the historical small town setting, though, made the open door scene feel very out of place. That being said, there is only one, so if it's not something you wish to read, you can easily skip it!

Read this book if you love:
💜 Forced proximity
💙 Cozy mysteries
💜 Slow burn
💙 Fierce FMCs
💜 Small towns
💙 Golden retriever MMCs

My thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!

I love the trend of romance authors writing mysteries and including romance! My two favorite genres are romance and mystery, and this was a great debut outing for Martha Waters.

I particularly love when a main character decides that they're a detective, despite absolutely no training, very little experience, and frankly, a whole lot of luck. That's Georgie in this story, who had solved several village murders, much to the local constables' dismay, and when she's not listened to about a 5th potential murder, she writes to the Famous London Detective for help.

Turns out, he's not who shows up, rather his assistant Sebastian, who doesn't have the cred or the skills that Georgie expected. He is, however, gorgeous! And so we begin the grumpy / sunshine slow burn of a romance and the slow solving of the mystery.

Because I read A LOT in both genres, I wanted more on both the romance and the mystery front. I wanted more of their growth toward each other and then being together, solving crimes. If you were to tell me that this was the start of a series, I would expect to see the relationship evolve throughout the series, but it felt a little rushed toward the end.

Thanks to Atria Books and Netgalley for the ARC!

I received a copy of this title from the publisher; all opinions expressed are my own. I loved this book. It poked fun at many of the tropes associated with cozy mysteries in such a clever way and such charming characters plus the mystery was very enjoyable. Georgie lives in the English village of Buncombe-upon-Woolly which has unfortunately experienced a series of murders over short period of time (as she so correctly points out, even one murder should have been the story of the decade in their village, but 4 is almost beyond belief) so she decides to write to a well-known detective to convince him to come investigate when a fifth death occurs and the police refuse to take her insistence that is was murder seriously. Unfortunately for Georgie, Delacey Fitzgibbons doesn't come, but his assistant Sebastian Fletcher-Ford comes instead. From the beginning, Georgie finds Sebastian to be annoying - he's too charming and handsome, and sparks fly. With some help from a couple of Georgie's friends, they find Georgie may be on to something even bigger than she suspected. The relationship between Georgie and Sebastian is so well done and I love the witty back and forth between the two. The town of Buncombe-upon-Woolly is charming as are the secondary characters. The story even features "murder tourists" as Georgie call them who come from afar to visit the site of so many murders. I loved the growth that both Georgie and Sebastian experience over the course of the book and really hope that this is the first in a series to feature the two of them.