I must firstly apologise for the amount of time it has taken me to provide a review of this book, my health was rather bad for quite some time, something that had me in hospital on numerous occasions and simply didnt leave me with the time I once had to do what I love most.

Unfortunately that does mean I have missed the archive date for many of these books, so It would feel unjust throwing any review together without being able to pay attention to each novel properly.

However, I am now back to reading as before and look forward to sharing my honest reviews as always going forward. I thank you f0r the patience and understanding throughout x

A good cozy town murder mystery. The characters were good and the story kept me engaged! Kept wanting to know what was going to happen

The Archers meets Agatha Raisin in Lisa Cutts’ terrific new cosy mystery, Murder in the Village.

Belinda loves her life in the charming village of Little Challham. As the chatelaine of Challham Castle, Belinda loves the peace and quiet of the village with its shady lanes, two pubs and weekly market. Belinda cherishes her life in her beautiful village and she is not going to allow anybody or anything to put a spanner in the works and disturb the serenity of Little Challham. Belinda is across every single thing that happens in the village, so when irritable pub landlord Tapper is found dead in his cellar, she decides to get to the bottom of this mystery and unmask the killer herself.

Former detective Harry Powell had moved to Little Challham to enjoy his retirement – he never imagined that he would find himself dragged into a murder investigation! As Belinda beings to pester him to help her out, Harry reluctantly agrees to assist her in her quest for justice. With the police unable to muster a sliver of enthusiasm for this case, Belinda and Harry start looking at the evidence and following the trail of clues they hope will lead them to the killer. However, they cannot shake off this troubling feeling that Tapper’s murder could be connected to the number of dogs that have been going missing in the village.

It seems that Tapper had a lot of enemies in Little Challham who had their own reasons from wanting him dead. From a rival landlord to an outraged barmaid to Belinda’s brother Marcus who had been seen arguing with Tapper on the day he was murdered, which one of them is the killer? And what about the mysterious man seen skulking in the shadows following dogwalkers around in his black car? Is he somehow connected to Tapper’s murder?

Can Belinda and Harry solve this case in time? Or will they be the ones hounded by a dangerous killer keen to muzzle them…for good!

A delightfully British cosy mystery readers will be completely charmed by, Murder in the Village hits all the right notes with a fantastic amateur detective who is sharp, clever, eccentric and simply delightful, a colourful cast of brilliant supporting characters, rural hi-jinks galore and plenty of bucolic mischief to keep readers giggling and gleefully turning the pages late into the night.

Lisa Cutts has written an absorbing, enjoyable and thoroughly engrossing cosy mystery with Murder in the Village and I cannot wait see what the fabulous Belinda Penshurst gets up to next!

This book is a great start to a new series and I love the setting of a small English village. Belinda and Harry seem to have a good relationship and work well together. This was a mystery that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is book 1 in the new Belinda Penshurst cozy series set in Little Challham, England. Belinda lives in the Challham Castle and loves walking down to the village and visiting the pubs and shops. She's traveled the world and settled down to a quiet life, or so she thinks. When a local pub owner is faound dead in his basement she decides to help with the investigation. With a side story of dogs disappearing she is kept busy with the help of a retired detective. A good beginning to the series, I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Murder in the Village is the start of another brand new cosy mystery series set in the quiet, cosy village of Little Chalham and which brings together two unlikely persons together to form a crime solving duo--Belinda Penhurst an independent woman in her early forties who lives in the local castle and has financially invested in a lot of the local businesses around the village and Harry Powell, a retired police officer/detective who has recently moved to the area and now runs his own dog food business. Belinda and Harry are worlds apart but join forces after the murder of a tavern keeper is linked to a series of dognappings occurring around the village.

I received both the e-Arc and audio ARC of this book. The overall audiobook narration by Lucy Paterson was done well but (and this is just my thoughts) I kind of felt she made Belinda sound much older whenever she narrated her character...I kind of had two images of Belinda going in my mind while reading the book and listening to it separately and they didn't match. Overall I liked the book and loved the setting of Little Chalham. Harry Powell is the lead character in a previous detective/police procedural series by Lisa Cutts and it will be interesting to see how he manages now in a more cosy setting.

My thanks to NetGalley, the publisher Bookouture/Bookouture Audio and the author Lisa Cutts for both the e-Arc and audio ARC of the book.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
⭐⭐⭐✨💫-Audiobook

Belinda Penshurst finds her peaceful village life upended when she spots a familiar face. She realises the man is a former police officer and once arrested her! Then she discovers the pub landlord murdered. Can Belinda and Harry work together to solve the crime…?
Murder in the Village is the first book in a new cosy murder mystery series.
Belinda is quite gung-ho about life and rushes into each and every situation. Harry Powell is more reticent and due to his policing background doesn’t want to jeopardise the case. The two lead characters are simply wonderfully entertaining and spark off each other in a fascinating dynamic. There is a genuine warmth between them despite the teasing and sarcasm.
The plot itself revolves around dognapping and murder. There are suspects aplenty as well as several murders, suspicious behaviour and danger across the whole village. I found myself not trusting any of the peripheral characters! There is little graphic detail or forensic information and the plot focus is upon the uncovering of motives and opportunities.
The style of writing is warm and engaging. The pages are full of humour as Belinda and Harry get to know one another’s quirks. I’m really looking forward to seeing how their relationship develops as the ending hints at possible future plotlines for the pair.
Murder in the Village is a great start to a new series and I can’t wait for the next book!

I absolutely love cosy crime and especially finding a new series to read.

So I was really pleased to start this Belinda Penshurst mystery. Also if you are a dog lover, you’d be barking mad not to read it!

Strange things are happening in Belinda’s village so decides to sort things out herself.

This is a great read and the author had cemented herself firmly into cosy crime series. I can’t wait to read the next one.

The village of Little Chalham is idyllic in its setting but alongside its quaint history and characters, there are
hidden depths.

When the local tavern keeper, Tipper - a surly soul is found murdered drowned in his own barrel of beer, swiftly followed
by another murder this time wrapped in cling film Belinda and Harry an ex detective have their noses to the ground to
try to find out the trail of why and how these murders are happening, all connected to Harry's own employment as a
supplier of dog food. With kidnapping of dogs, three taverns or pubs competing for business the downfall of one definitely
leads to the increase in business for the other and there was no love lost between the three owners. Then how do the dog
nappings get connected into the puzzle?

Slightly naive Belinda and Harry who is led by his nose by Belinda follow a series of clues and with a great deal of luck
as well, solve the mystery.

A light hearted cozy.

Decent first in a series which kept my attention with the characters, plotting and pacing. I will keep an eye out for the second installment in the series.

Murder in the Village (A Belinda Penshurst Mystery Book 1) by Lisa Cutts
Publication Date: August 25, 2021
Publisher: Bookouture
Genre: General Fiction (Adult) | Mystery & Thrillers

Murder in the Village is the first book in the new Belinda Penshurst Mystery series by Lisa Cutts. This was a fun cozy mystery set in a small English village.

I really enjoyed this book! It was fast paced and had a fun story! The mystery was great and kept me guessing! I loved the characters and their interactions. I thought this story was so funny and I had a few laugh out loud moments! I also loved how this book revolved around all the dogs!

I look forward to reading the future books in the series! This one was so good, that I'm confident there is more greatness to come!

I'm so grateful to Lisa Cutts, Bookouture, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this ARC ebook in exchange for my honest review.

This is the first book in a new series, and I really enjoyed it. Can't wait for the next one, as this one had me glued to my kindle from beginning to end! Recommended.

Belinda Pinehurst and her brother live on the estate on the hill. Harry a retired policeman lives in the carriage house. There is a murder and Belinda goes to get investigation tips from Harry.
I loved this cozy British mystery. It has just the right amount of humor to be good.

Wow what a wonderful mystery what a great new addition to the cosy mystery oeuvre. Loved loved loved this one. Warm, suspenseful, engaging. A must read.

The first in a new cosy mystery series. I probably enjoy ones set in England more than the American ones as I’m from the UK and when they are set in the cotswolds or countryside it makes me want to go to the places. Looking forward to reading more by this author.

Belinda Penshurst lives in the castle that overlooks the village. An active participant in village life, she uses her finances and influence to rejuvenate local businesses. Naturally, she is perturbed when the landlord of the pub she's invested in is murdered. Harry is an ex-detective, working as a dog food delivery driver who uncovers a dog knapping plot. The two join forces to investigate. There is an intriguing dynamic between Belinda and Harry. Their dialogue is humorous, and they are both vibrant characters with pasts and secrets. The mystery is well-written, with multiple suspects and twists.

The intricate world-building is relatable. The characters and setting are easy to imagine, and an immersive writing style draws the reader into the village world. It's an easy and entertaining read.

I received a copy of this book from Bookouture via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Murder in the Village was a story that I easily found myself caught up in. I really enjoyed the setting of Little Challham, a small village that Harry Powell has just moved to. You might be forgiven for thinking it would be a quiet place to live. However it isn’t long before there are a series of disturbing events including dognappings and the death of pub landlord, Tipper.

The characters were a highlight for me. Belinda is a great character, she’s both determined and speaks her mind. Along with having a definite air of mischief about her. I thought this gave her character a more rounded and realistic feel. Harry was pretty loveable and I was thoroughly entertained by his interactions with Belinda. Especially as he was expecting to enjoy his retirement from the police until he finds himself tentatively teaming up with Belinda. There is a hint of romance woven into the story but nothing overpowering. Just there in the background adding an extra special layer of charm. There were enough characters or should I say suspects included in this book. Perfectly placed to provide suspicion but not too many that I felt overwhelmed with remembering who was who. I really enjoyed trying to play detective although admittedly not very well.

I do love a cosy mystery and Murder in the Village is a great example of how well they can work. I couldn’t help but smile at Belinda and Harry’s conversations. The way they are pretty opposite in personalities but equally determined to work together to figure it all out. I really enjoyed tagging along and playing detective with them. Murder in the Village is an engaging, fun and brilliant start to a new series. I can’t wait to catch up with Belinda and Harry along with the rest of Little Challham’s quirky inhabitants in book two!

'Murder in the Village’ is a the first in a new cozy mystery series by Lisa Cutts. Belinda Penshurst has interests in businesses in her small village – one of them the local pub. When a suspicious death occurs there she is pulled into solving the mystery, along with retired police detective Harry Powell, a newcomer to the village. But that’s not the only strange thing going on. Dognappers seem to be targeting the village, and the pair join forces to find out why. And who is involved.

I must admit I didn’t take to Belinda right away, but as the story progressed I began to see where she was coming from. She appeared bossy and dismissive at first, but there was an element of humour there too. I liked Harry a lot. He was extremely kind and thoughtful, and his influence rubbed off on Belinda. I liked getting to know the village and the inhabitants. I look forward to more in this series.

I was given this ARC to review:

Lovely introduction to Belinda Penshurts (living in Challham castle) and Harry Powell (retired detective and recent transplat to Little Challham), the 2 strike a partnership when there are dognappings in the village and a local pub landlord is found head first in a beer barrel.
Love the humor, the descriptions, and the unlikely partnership.

I love this book!!!

It’s like Midsummer Murders come Vera, with added laughs and brilliantly eccentric characters which include human and canine. Murder in the Village is a fabulous whodunit, which will entertain you for hours at a time from page one you will be fully transported to Little Challham.

Murder in the Village is the instalment of the brand new Belinda Penhurst series and it’s an absolute blinder, it’s a brilliant introduction to what I know is going to be a hugely successful series and I can’t wait to read more. Anyone who loves cosy mysteries then this is the book you need to read!
I liked Belinda, she is a great character; true at times she can be a little tiring/bordering on irritating but I think that only came about because she is pretty outspoken. To be honest, I could relate to her quite a bit, I have a big mouth and tend to speak my mind before actually thinking which has in the past put me in rather embarrassing positions, so I can relate to her in some ways.

I liked the relationship between Harry and Belinda, they are a fun double act. I wouldn’t have initially put them together as a crime-solving partnership as they are pretty different but they just work so well Harry’s reserved quieter nature has a calming effect on Belinda’s stubborn bossiness – though not much, she is quite a force to be reckoned with once she gets the bit between her teeth.

I also like that Belinda and Harry aren’t in the first blooms of youth, they each have a past and living the dream (of sorts) in the prime, something I found very refreshing and I also thought it made the story far more realistic and relatable to the reader.

Anyone who follows the blog will know how much of a dog lover I am, so that aspect of the book alone made me want to read it. In little Challham the dogs from the village are going missing – noooo!!! Every dog owner worse nightmare, I am palpitations at the mere thought of evil dognappers. Belinda must find out what is happening and with the murder of the local pup owner there is a lot of uncertainty in her beloved village, which is when she enlists the help of retired police officer Harry, but can they find out who did what and what is happening with the dogs before its too late? (This is where we would have the atmospheric music).

I must note, just as the author notes at the beginning of the book that not dogs were harmed in the book!!

I’ve not read any of Lisa Cutts work before, this certainly won’t be my last I thoroughly enjoyed her witty and writing style which pulled me instantly into the story.

I loved the setting on the outside this is your stereotypical English village, picture-Esque, idyllic where everyone knows each other and their lives story. But all is not what it seems – just like Midsummer, villainous plots and secrets is swirling throughout that will keep you fully engaged.

Murder in the Village is the perfect cosy afternoon whodunnit, it’s fun, light-hearted, charming a definite winner!