This was a refreshing genre mix of cozy murder mystery with a romance subplot. The only thing this novel was missing for me was a hook and some suspense - it had an intriguing and unique plot, but it was a very casual read.

I like Georgie, quietly confident and sure of herself but grumpy. Oh look, is it me? The romantic aspect of Sebastian and Georgie’s relationship I think could have taken more development, but I appreciated the friendship that was slowly built amidst the teasing due to their differences. Sebastian has such golden retriever energy that even when he’s annoying, you can’t help but love him.

Martha Waters is becoming one of those authors that I’ll always read whatever she releases! Thank you to Atria and NetGalley for the ARC!

This is very cute. I like Martha Waters' other series, and she is VERY clever, and this play on cozy murder times romance novel is definitely fun and skilled. I think for me, personally, I would have taken one step more romance and one step less mystery, but that's a personal preference. I think I would have liked to get to know the main characters a little bit better, which was less possible of the focus on the mystery plot.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley.

About Agatha Christie:
I'm a big fan of Agatha Christie, and And Then There Were None is one of my all-time favorite novels, so I was really excited to read this book. However, it doesn’t have much in common with And Then There Were None. In this novel, some characters are familiar with Christie’s work and occasionally reference or reflect on her stories, but that’s about the extent of the connection. That said, nothing is so heavily referenced that you need to have read her books to understand or enjoy the humor.

Plot:
Georgie is a clever and independent young woman from a prestigious family in a small town. Much like Emma from Jane Austen's Emma, she feels it's her duty to care for her father, her sister, and the town itself—so she rarely leaves. Life is quiet and routine until five murders occur in the same year, shattering the town's peace. Disturbed by these events, Georgie writes to a famous detective in London. To her surprise, he replies and sends his associate, Sebastian, to investigate on his behalf. However, Georgie soon learns that Sebastian is not truly a detective but a secretary, sent mostly to escape his own troubles. Despite this rocky start, the two end up working together to solve the mystery—and in the process, they each discover new meaning and purpose in their lives.

Overall Thoughts:
Overall, this is a classic cozy mystery with a romantic comedy twist. The dialogue is witty, and the plot can be dramatic at times, but the story flows smoothly and is easy to read. The characters are charming and endearing (almost all of them), making for an enjoyable and heartwarming read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I want to thank Atria Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an eARC of this title in exchange for my honest review.
I love a good cozy, English, murder mystery. Agatha Christie is one of my favorite authors. I definitely do not regret reading “And Then There Was the One.” I haven’t read Waters’ Regency Vows series yet, but I definitely put that on my (ever growing) TBR after finishing this one.

Georgie Radcliffe, of the historic Radcliffe family, has become quite the amateur detective. Her small village of Buncombe-Upon-Wooly has seen a startling increase in violent crime. Georgie herself has solved 3 murders in the span of less than a year. After a fourth murder (which the police seem to solve almost immediately), the council chairman dies suspiciously. Georgie and her friend, reporter Arthur, set out to invite a famous detective to help investigate. But instead of the famous London detective, his assistant, Sebastian, shows up. What ensues next is an adventure utilizing each and every resource the pair can find: including (much to Georgie’s dismay) the murder tourists.
As they get to the bottom of the crime spree happening in Buncombe-Upon-Wooly, it becomes hard for Georgie and Sebastian to deny that there’s more to their relationship than they think. It seems like they’ve judged each other completely wrong.
What I loved:
• The characters: Georgie is SO relatable. I love how independent and strong she is. I also love how vulnerable she ends up being. Sebastian Fletcher-Ford is very, very dreamy. I imagine him as a young Hugh Grant. *heart eyes* Even the minor characters stand out. However, my absolute favorite character has to be Egg, the adorable beagle.
• The setting: I want to immediately travel to Buncombe-Upon-Wooly (if it weren’t fictional, of course). Waters really brought the quaint village to life. Between the different shops and restaurants, the “Murder Tourism” hotspots, and the historic Radcliffe estate, it felt like I was actually there. I also loved that this was set in the 1930’s. That’s an era I don’t read much about.
• The romance: I’m not going to spoil anything. We still have a long way to go before the book releases in October. I’ll update this section after the release.
• The mystery: So many red herrings and plot twists. I loved that the book kept me guessing.
What I didn’t like:
• I wanted more investigation and confession. Georgie’s “amateur detective” status wasn’t fully explained.
• I could have done with a few less references to murder mystery novels. While it was a fun addition, it was borderline overdone.
• It was over WAY too soon… does anyone know if this is going to be the beginning of a new series? I hope so.
Overall, this was an excellent read. I will definitely be reading other books written by Martha Waters. This one is anticipated to release 10/14/2025. I recommend checking this one out.

4⭐️
"There really was something to be said for a romantic subplot in a mystery after all."
A cozy murder-mystery set in the 1930s Cotswolds, this is different from Martha Water's other historicals but I thoroughly enjoyed! Buncombe-upon-Woolly has had four murders in the last year- when the fifth murder occurs, local amateur sleuth Georgie decides to call in an expert. Except the famous detective Georgie writes to sends his assistance instead- enter Sebastian.

I really enjoyed how this book leaned into and also poked fun at cozy murder-mystery tropes. The entire atmosphere of the quiet village with growing Agatha Christie type fangirling was great. I enjoyed the supporting cast of characters as well, and everyone we got to meet in the charming villages.

I've got to say, I think Sebastian was my favourite, he was just the most lively character of the bunch. At first I was a little nervous I would hate him, because from the moment he stepped off the train he was a lot. But I think Martha Waters did a good job of showing who he really was behind the unruffable playboy facade. I do wish this leaned more heavily on the romance? It sort of felt like an afterthought. Georgia is still barely tolerating Sebastian until like 65% of the way through? I wasn't even entirely sure she had real feelings for him until the end.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishing team for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

Intentionally over the top, this cozy mystery x romance had me laughing out loud at the shenanigans. I liked the overall premise, banter between Georgie and Sebastian, and the depth hidden behind some of the chaos (e.g., Sebastian, the murder tourists).

And as a double edged sword, this was a light, quick, easy read…but in a way that was rather forgettable. Exasperated by the overall conclusion for the mystery which felt anticlimactic.

overall a 3.5 rounded up since I did giggle the afternoon away reading this.

Thank you to Martha Waters, Atria, and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

A charming and cozy romance between two aspiring detectives. The setting of the Cotswolds is lovely and Georgie and Sebastian have chemistry. I enjoyed the callouts to mystery novel tropes. The central mystery was intriguing but the relationship between Georgie and Sebastian was the highlight of the story. Would love to know Sebastian's secrets for staying in great shape while feasting on seemingly dozens of pastries a day!

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy.

A lovely read that features a quaint and sleepy village with a delightful heroine and a hero that isn't your usual run-of-the-mill historical romance hero. The dynamics and growing relationship between them is definitely the highlight to this ode to the classical golden age mystery, resulting in a cozy mystery that stands out from others.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

The sleepy village of Buncombe-upon-Woolly is no stranger to murders. With a slew of murders within the past year successfully solved by amateur detective, Miss Georgiana Radcliffe, it’s no wonder that the latest death fall under a suspicious light. With the local police force useless, Georgie writes to a famous detective London detective. To her dismay he sends his loyal secretary, the flirtatious Sebastian Fletcher-Floyd. Immune to his charms, this grumpy sunshine duo set about solving the murder of the council chairman. With a delightful cast of characters and an idyllic setting, this is a cozy mystery novel with a hint of romance.

This was a cute, funny story with an intrepid heroine, a lovable hero, and lovely side characters. I loved the Scooby Do gang element of the story as the group go about solving the mystery. Both main characters are likable, though I was worried for a bit that Sebastian would be one dimensional. Ms. Waters nipped that in the bud by providing lovely moments between Georgie and Sebastian where he was able to let his guard down. Sebastian brings levity to Georgie’s gruff personality and she grounds him. They complement each other well, and you can’t help but root for them. Overall, a fun and cozy novel.

A delightful cozy romantic mystery!
Georgie has solved several murders in the past year in her small Cotswold village, but begins to wonder just why there have been so many murders. She writes to a famous London detective for help and he sends his assistant to investigate.

I thoroughly enjoyed this fun, loving send-up of classic golden age mysteries. It’s set in a quaint and decidedly quirky 1930'sCotswold village. The dialogue was funny, the romance sweet, and the mystery a bit bizarre. I also really liked some of the side characters- Georgie's family and the murder tourists in particular.

Highly recommended!

Thank you to the author and to NetGalley for the review copy.

Thank you so much to Atria and NetGalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

This was exactly what I needed to read this week! Georgie is a young woman living in a village in the Cotswolds which has seen its fair share of murders. When another suspicious death occurs, Georgie thinks it shouldn't be brushed off so quickly. She and her friend, Arthur, who writes for the local newspaper, write to a famed detective in London who sends his charming and extroverted assistant in his place. Georgie and Sebastian, in a lovely grumpy x sunshine pairing, attempt to solve the murder while realizing that maybe the case is not the only thing developing in town.

Martha Waters' writing is just the perfect balm. I love reading cozy mysteries, and while I feel like this leaned more slice-of-life, small-town romance with a mystery, this was still an enjoyable story nonetheless.

I love this book! It feels like it was written exactly for me, a romance reader who loves cozy PBS mystery series set in tiny British villages. Martha Waters perfectly balances romance, humor, and mystery in this book, and the result is such a fun read! I love the relationship between Georgie and Sebastian, all of the side characters, and the Murder Tourists. The mystery plot is fun and not too serious, so an avid mystery reader might be disappointed by its lack of complexity, but a reader like me will be happy. This is such a fun deviation from Martha Waters’s regency works, and I hope she writes more cozy romance mystery in the future!

As someone who has read the entire Regency Vow series, I was very excited to get early access to the authors next work.

The premise sounded interesting and different from what I would normally read, but unfortunately it ended up missing the mark for me a bit.

I don't think this is badly written or anything at all, it's just not really the type of story that I enjoy, but I can absolutely see fans of classic cozy murder mystery type stories loving.

I did enjoy the cute small village vibes and the cast of characters. The representation with Arthur was lovely especially considering the time period this is set in.

Overall this wasn't my favorite of her books she's written but if she ever returned to regency era romances I would absolutely read.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher as always for the eARC!

The editor’s note in my ARC of the book called this “if Agatha Christie wrote a rom com” and that feels very apt! I absolutely loved Georgie and Sebastian, and the whole cast of characters. My only complaint is I wanted more of the side characters! Maybe a sequel??

I have adored all of Waters' novels, and I was so excited to receive an ARC of And Then There Was The One. This is a real departure for Waters, as I'm used to romance from her, and this novel was a mystery with a subplot of romance. The gist is: Buncombe-upon-Woolly is a cute small town in the Cotswolds that happens to have been the scene of several murders in the past year. Georgie Radcliffe is convinced that the most recent death in the village wasn't due to a heart attack, as the doctor ruled, but a murder. She calls in the support of a famous detective who sends his man-about-town secretary, Sebastian Fletcher-Ford, in his place. Georgie and Sebastian race against the clock to get to the bottom of things. I can't wait to read what comes next for Waters, I can see this being the first in a series!

And Then There Was The One is Martha Waters' return to the historical romance world, with a detective/murder mystery plot. I love Martha Waters' writing - there's always shenanigans and cheeky one-liners. I really enjoyed Georgie and Sebastian getting wrapped up in trying to figure out the latest of a series of suspicious deaths in Georgie's little town.

Time of DNF: 26%

unfortunately i’m in a season of dnfing, otherwise i’m certain i could’ve finished this book since it was a pretty short & quick read but I didn’t really feel gripped by the story or its characters, and a lot of the mystery novel references felt like just that and didnt really touch me personally (perhaps i’m not enough of a fan of agatha christie or other classic mystery authors) so I had to sadly make the call but I loved the cover and I just wish the premise would’ve worked a bit better for me

it was my first time reading this author’s work and though I didn’t fall in love, I would definitely check out more of her regency romances bc those might be closer to the vibe I like


thank you so much to netgalley and atria books for this arc to review!

Loved! Like drinking a warm cup of tea. Martha's dialogue is so unique and funny. It reminded me a bit of Nancy Drew, but set in the Cotswolds.

So fun!! How the mystery played out genuinely surprised me. Adored Sebastian, a flirty himbo but actually maybe not, who was down-bad for Georgie from the start.

This was very cute. It was a fun, and a quick read. Very cosy. I feel a little disappointed by it though, I think the mystery could have been more fleshed out. I also found the characters to be a little one dimensional. By the end I didn't really feel the build up of Georgie and Sebastian's romance worked, it felt convenient and rushed.