Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

An excellent cozy mystery with a twist. Sam and Maggie make a great team and I am looking forward to reading the rest in the series.

I recently wrote glowingly of Simon Whaley’s novel ‘Blooming Murder’, describing it as “essentially, what would happen if Gardener’s World had an illicit love child by Midsomer Murders via the work of Tom Sharpe.

Anna Legat’s ‘Death Comes to Bishops Well’ has something of the same spirit but strikes me as more what would happen if ‘Midsomer Murders’ was crossed with ‘Escape to the Country’.

Here we have the obnoxious Richard bumped off – despite his boasts of eternal youth and his swimming pool – while new resident Sam is swept along in the investigation by his neighbour Maggie.

Legat has clearly worked at her writing craft and is an especially wonderful observer of human posture. Richard is described as “an old man, whether he cared to admit it or not: his frame was hollowed and his skin leathery and wrinkled, the hue and texture of tea-soaked parchment.”

Likewise, Sam is an, “ex-full back, he had a boxing-glove textured body, heavily padded with raw muscle.” The vivid nature of these descriptions offers a telling insight into the characterisation of Legat’s players.

‘Death Comes to Bishop Well’ is a straightforward cozy crime mystery set against the picturesque backdrop of the English countryside. Legat handles dialogue with a pleasingly assured hand, although the shift from a third person to first person narrator early in the book threw me at first.

However, as the opening instalment of what Legat is calling the ‘Shire Mysteries’ I hope that the unconventional pair of Maggie and Sam will be back thwarting murderers and struggling with ethical dilemmas in the near future.

A gripping cosy murder mystery
When Sam Dee moves to the beautiful Wiltshire village of Bishops Well, he expects a quiet life of country walks and pub lunches. OK, so his new neighbour, Maggie Kaye, is a little peculiar, but she's very nice - and his old pal Richard Ruta lives just down the road.

But when Richard throws one of his famous parties, things take a sinister turn. Sam, Maggie and the rest of the guests are dumbfounded when Richard falls down dead. A horrible tragedy - or a cunningly planned murder?

With a village full of suspects - and plenty of dark secrets - just who exactly would want to bump off their host? Is there a connection to another mysterious death, nearly twenty years before?

Armed with her local knowledge, Maggie - with Sam's reluctant but indispensable help - is soon on the case. But when the body count starts to rise, will sleepy Bishops Well ever be the same again?

Death Comes to Bishops Well is an entertaining mystery novel that takes an unusual turn at the end in the form of a foreign flavour. As can be expected from a cosy mystery, Bishops Well is a tiny village with a close-knit community where everybody knows everybody else’s business. Even so, its inhabitants have been able to keep damning secrets that are now threatening to spill out because someone is dead.

Sam, a retired lawyer, and his strange neighbour, Maggie, narrate the story alternately and give us a glimpse into the same scene from different viewpoints. Maggie is a delightful character – inquisitive and gossipy – who makes it her business to find out who is putting fear and mistrust into the hearts of people at Bishops Well. She often drags the unwilling Sam into her scrapes. She has a special gift that gives rise to many “oops” moments for her.

The story moves along at a steady pace and has many humorous moments until it takes a sorrowful, dark turn. The final few chapters speak of pain, abandonment, and tragedy. I was taken aback at the change in tone and setting.

Usually, the author hides the murderer in plain sight and sprinkles clues along the way. I admit I could not figure out any clues in this story. When the murderer was revealed, I was unprepared for it. I can’t help but say that I found it bit underwhelming, too.

I’ve read Anna Legat’s books previously and have always enjoyed her tightly-knit scenes and subtle humor. Death Comes to Bishops Well does have these qualities but I felt the way the story ended did not quite justify the tension built up in the beginning.

(I received an e-copy from Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources with a request for an honest review.)

A great and really enjoyable cozy mystery. These are definitely my favourite genre of books. This did not disappoint and can’t wait to read more from this series.

This book was a great introduction to the author. Bishops Well sounds like those towns and villages we all know with their own eccentricities and strange residents. You really feel as if you are there in Bishops Well yourself and that you know the characters well. I think we can all identify these sort of characters in our own lives or local communities too!

I really enjoyed Maggie and Sam as characters and would love to see more of them. The story certainly keeps you guessing and I loved trying to work out who was to blame. I couldn’t stop reading and was sad when the book came to an end.

I will certainly be checking out more work from the author, especially if it has Maggie and Sam!

Death Comes to Bishops Well is the first instalment of what looks to be an addictive series. Sam is a retired barrister who, following the death of his beloved wife, decides it is time to relocate in order to escape the memories that so often haunt him.

When he moves to Bishops Well, he meets his new neighbour Maggie who has a rather unusual talent, one which allows her to see the dead. When one of the towns celebrities are found dead under suspicious circumstances, these unlikely pair are drawn together as they take on the role of amateur detectives as they try to uncover what took place.

This is one of those stories that has you hooked from the moment you start reading. The characters are wonderfully fleshed out and have deep, complex personalities that really add to the drive throughout this story. Both Sam and Maggie have their flaws as we all do, but those flaws also made them more relatable and authentic to the reader.

The storyline itself is refreshingly unique and flows perfectly throughout. As the story pushes forward and all of the clues they have collected throughout begin to piece themselves together, I found myself perched on the edge of my seat, eagerly awaiting the conclusion. A fantastic read that has me truly looking forward to reading future books in this series.

If ever there was a story with lots of twists and turns, this is it. It has all the hall marks of a cosy mystery, starting with the idyllic rural village setting and then the introduction of a raft of characters and therefore possible suspects. The two amateur detectives play their part and there is plenty of gentle humour to carry the story on.

The two main characters are more mature which is a refreshing change and have plenty of life experience to draw on. Sam, recently widowed, has moved to the village and finds himself living next door to Maggie. What he does not realise is that she can see ghosts. They add a certain whimsy to the story! What they both share is an insatiable sense of curiosity which leads them into quite an investigation. There is plenty of potential in this series for the characters to grow and I shall be interested to see if they feature in Book 2 of this new series.

In short: murder and intrigue abound
Thamks to the publisher for a copy of the book

* Reviewed for the book's Blog Tour *
Fall is finally here ~ which means, it’s officially Cozy Mystery season! I’m so glad I got to starting my fall reading this year with Death Comes To Bishops Well. :’) 🍁

Mystery novels with an English village (or countryside) setting are perfect to get in a “won’t- stop-until-the-book-ends” kind of reading mood. Death Comes To Bishops Well was no different! The blurb made me interested in the story from the first time I read it, and thankfully I was not disappointed. The book follows Sam ~ a lawyer from London, as he relocates to the beautiful Wiltshire village of Bishops Well for a change. Even though he was looking forward to a a quiet life in the village, all of his expectations go downhill as mysterious things start happening in the little town. When a local celebrity dies, he teams up with his peculiar, but helpful neighbor Maggie Kaye to find out more about the suspicious incidents happening around the place. Sounds amazing, right?

The setting of Bishop’s Well drew me in from the very beginning of the story. It was cozy and had the fall, moody vibe I needed right now.

I really enjoyed reading about Sam! His curiousity about Bishops Well aligned with Maggie’s peculiarity perfectly, and I loved seeing them investigating the mysterious deaths together.The mystery was so intricately crafted! There were many plot twists and turns, and with the a lot of potential suspects, it was very hard to guess who the murderer was! I’m really good at guessing / figuring cozy mysteries out, but this one kept me at the edge of my seat at the very end. I didn’t expect the ending at all. I am so impressed with how the author connected everything together. 

The only thing that bothered me was the lengthy descriptions of village life in Bishops Well. Sure, it helped me picture things clearly, but I just wanted the story to be focused more on the mystery. Maybe it’s just me???

In short, reading Death Comes To Bishops Well was a really interesting and engrossing ride! Can’t wait to see how the author continues the series.

Fans of cosy whodunnits will be completely gripped by the first compelling title in Anna Legat’s new Shire Mysteries series: Death Comes to Bishops Well.

Having moved to the Wiltshire village of Bishops Well, the last thing Sam Dee is looking for is excitement. Gentle country walks and pub lunches stretching into the evening is what Sam is craving. However, whoever told him that life is quiet in the countryside has obviously never been to Bishops Well – or met his peculiar neighbour Maggie. Still, Sam is looking forward to catching up with his old friend Richard who lives down the road. Having been invited to Richard’s latest lavish party, Sam cannot wait to kick back and relax with friends old and new – until things take a very sinister turn…

Shockwaves reverberate all around Bishops Well when Richard is found dead. Was it a tragic accident? Or something far more sinister? Maggie is completely dumbfounded by this. She thought that Richard was well-loved by the community and his friends, until she begins to dig deeper and finds plenty of people who had their own reasons for wanting Richard dead. As Maggie’s investigation gathers momentum – thanks also to Sam who is also aiding her albeit reluctantly – she stumbles upon plenty of old secrets and scandalous deceptions that could very well tie Richard’s murder to another mysterious death nearly twenty years before…

As the body count continues to rise at an alarming rate, can Maggie and Sam get to the bottom of this case? Or should they let sleeping dogs lie? One thing’s for certain: life in Bishops Well will never be the same again!

Anna Legat’s Death Comes to Bishops Well is a treat for cosy mystery fans. Set in leafy Wiltshire, Death Comes to Bishops Well is an engrossing whodunnit that will keep readers on the edge of their seats and guessing until the very last page.

Brilliantly plotted, immensely suspenseful and full of nail-biting tension and shocking twists and turns, Anna Legat’s Death Comes to Bishops Well is the first title in an enjoyable new British mystery series crime aficionados will want to snap up.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Death Comes to Bishops Well is a detailed easy to follow story that holds the attention of the reader until the end!
I like how Legat has created a interesting plot with the added paranormal twist in the normally quiet rural town that is well described, although it isn't a normal cozy story with add strong language and sex scenes...
The character development of Death Comes to Bishops Well is good. The characters are interesting and relatable. Sam and Maggie make a charming couple as they follow the leads to find the killer in the town they call home!
I would recommend reading Death Comes to Bishops Well to lovers of Cozy Mysteries, as it is an entertaining story with intrigue and picturesque settings... leading the reader to find the culprit within a town of suspects...

This is a really sweet , cosy murder mystery story ,it might be set in a made up Town but you can certainly picture it in your head as your are reading it and you can picture the locals too !

I do love a good cosy murder mystery book and this certainly is one ! The characters in this book are the typical type of ones you would expect in this book, but these are so loveable to read about, can't say I would like to live there but I certainly would love to visit it ! The storyline itself is one that keeps you wanting to read on and keeps you wanting to see if you were correct about whodunit! I can't wait to read more by this author and more from this series.

This book, the first in The Shires Mysteries'series is a fusion of cosy and murder mystery with a twenty-first-century twist. Set in a small Wiltshire town, the inhabitants are ordinary but beneath the respectable exterior are the secrets that lead to murder.

Sam, a retired barrister, relocates to the town to escape the memories of his dead wife, which haunt him. Maggie is his neighbour with an unusual talent for seeing the dead. The unlikely couple, drawn together as amateur sleuths when one of the town's celebrities dies in suspicious circumstances.

Intricate world-building slows the novel's pace, but it's essential to create a believable setting for this type of story. Excellent characterisation, so vital for this genre, draws the reader into the story. The suspects are numerous and the motives plentiful, and it's fun to work out the perpetrator and motive. Authentically flawed characters, many with less than politically correct views, make this relatable. The older protagonists will appeal to many cosy mystery fans, but the story has a contemporary edge that widens its reader appeal.

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

Bishops Well is a small market town steeped in history, with its ancient rituals and archaeological society, and locals determined to resist the march of time. Retired barrister Samuel Dee moved from London into one half of an old converted vicarage called Priest’s Hole after his wife Alice died, almost forgetting that his old friend the famous Polish film director Richard Ruta lives there with his third and much younger wife. The other half of Priest's Hole is inhabited by Maggie Kaye, a woman who regularly sees spirits, indeed often spying Alice waiting in the garden for Sam. She narrates half the story while the rest is told in the third person. The story begins as Richard throws a lavish party for his 68th birthday, first marred by Dan Nolan, the father of Leila who died in a tragic accident in Richard’s swimming pool years ago. Dan still believes Richard killed her. Then Richard collapses and dies at the dinner table. What was he trying to announce when he died and why did he want to talk to Sam about his will? DI Gillian Marsh and her team start an investigation when it appears to be a case of murder but with Gillian put on sick leave, Maggie can’t ignore her curiosity and enlists the help of a rather reluctant Sam to start to dig around and consider whether the two deaths eighteen years apart could be connected. Little do they know what they will discover and how many buried secrets are being kept hidden amongst the townspeople.
I adored Maggie’s character and liked the crossover with Sexton’s Canning and DI Marsh, a character already well introduced in a series of her own. The alternation with third party and narration by Maggie I thought worked very well, particularly as Maggie has an often very humorous view on life and sees things that no one else can, for example she knew Richard was dead long before the official declaration. Altogether the two amateur sleuths make a great team combining his legal expertise and her local knowledge. With the attractive and quirky rural location, and the well drawn array of very believable characters, this is an excellent murder mystery whodunit and the start of what promises to be another hit series. I certainly think it will become a favourite of mine! 5*

I have found cosy mysteries to be a little hit and miss and as much as I have enjoyed some of them immensely, there are other that I have not done so much. Unfortunately DEATH COMES TO BISHOPS WELL is one of them. I wanted to like and I had anticipated it to be an intriguing tale set in the bustling market town of Bishops Well.

The story, when it begins, is Samuel Dee being back-slapped in a pub by his old friend Richard Ruta who thus far has invited Sam to his upcoming 68th birthday party which he proclaims will be his last...not for any other reason than he has decided to stop celebrating them after this bash. However, his words may have been something of a premonition because this is indeed Richard's final birthday bash as well as being his final birthday. For the man drops dead during a speech at the dinner table. I had a sense of deja vu of Agatha Christie's "Sparkling Cyanide" during that scene...although with the addition of the expletives that were absent in Ms Christie's work.

So Sam, a retired barrister from London, had moved to Bishops Well and purchase the second half of Priest's Hole, a former vicarage dating back to the 19th century from Maggie Kaye who resides in the other half. Maggie is a spinster of sorts though of indeterminate age. I thought her to be in her 50s maybe but then her parents turn up at Richard's birthday bash also which leaves me wondering how old she actually is.

Needless to say, Maggie and Sam team up to investigate the death of Richard, or rather, interfere with the police investigation into their friend's death. Maggie particularly continues to ask questions and making something of a nuisance of herself. But when there is a second murder, they begin to wonder who in their little village is murderer?

Unfortunately I didn't see it too far into the book before I gave up. I wanted to like it but I jus couldn't. And when Maggie's "sixth sense" began appearing - first in the form of Sam's dead wife Alice, then a young woman who had died eighteen years before in Richard's pool and then she even saw Richard leave his body and calmly strut away leaving his guests in pandemonium - I just rolled my eyes. I'm sorry but paranormal just doesn't do it for me. I have read some paranormal books which were cleverly done but not generally my thing. But this just didn't have a place in a story that was meant to be a cosy mystery. Added to that, there was no mention in the book description of there being any paranormal aspect otherwise I would never have picked it up.

I say cosy mystery...but the language and sex scenes plus the whole seeing the dead thing just didn't gel with the cosy mystery genre. I gave up before anything else happened and left everyone in a tizz. I don't even know, nor do I care, who the murderer was.

DEATH COMES TO BISHOPS WELL may be for some but it wasn't for me.

I would like to thank #AnnaLegat, #Netgalley and #AccentPress for an ARC of #DeathComesToBishopsWell in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a great storyline with excellent characters. I would highly recommend this book as it was a great read.

When Samuel Dee moves to the beautiful Wiltshire village of Bishops Well after his wife Alice’s death, he expects a quiet life of country walks and pub lunches. OK, so his new neighbour, Maggie Kaye, is a little peculiar, but she's very nice - and his old pal Richard Ruta lives just down the road.
When Richard throws one of his famous parties, things take a sinister turn. Sam, Maggie and the rest of the guests are dumbfounded when Richard falls down dead. Could it be murder? With a village full of suspects and plenty of dark secrets, is there a connection to another mysterious death, nearly twenty years before? Armed with her local knowledge, Maggie, with Sam's reluctant but indispensable help, is soon on the case. But when the body count starts to rise, will sleepy Bishops Well ever be the same again?
A new author to me & a new series, a well written book that flowed well, I really liked that the characters were mature. Maggie is like a dog with a bone & can't help but ask questions, Sam is nearly a bad! There are twists & turns plus lots of red herrings, I did work out who the murderer was but only learned the full motives at the end. An interesting series starter & I’ll definitely read more .
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

I enjoyed this book and had fun reading Maggie's antics and enjoyed the descriptions of the village life, the secrets and the characters.
It's the start of a new series and I think there's plenty of potential as the characters are fleshed out and likeable and there's plenty of laugh out loud moments.
The book is engrossing and entertaining, I turned pages as fast as I could because I wanted to know what was going to happen and the next twists.
The mystery is quite solid even if sometimes takes the backseat. I guessed the culprit but not the motive.
The paranormal side is a good addition and I liked how Maggie deals with her gift and her life force. I also like Sam and how his character evolves.
The characters are fleshed out and the plot flows.
My only issue was the attitude of Maggie toward food: I'm all for body positivity and accepting ourselves but I didn't appreciate the praises for heavy food as there are people who can't eat butter or full milk if they want serious health problem. Being diabetic I must avoid them and it's not a "thin at all cost" choice.
This story could be classified as "cozy mystery" even there's some strong language and sex scenes.
I appreciated it and look forward to read the next installment.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

The plot was interesting and kept me engaged right up to the final pages. The central issue which seemed to be at the heart of it was certainly believable - it bore a passing resemblance to a high profile case in Britain - and the reactions of the people to it, were entirely in character. However, the element of the book which captured my interest the most was actually the portrayal of 'little' Britain. I absolutely adored the description of Bishops Well, its inhabitants and the surrounding countryside. I live in a small town, which often gets described on the local Facebook page (by those who are outsiders and therefore know no better!) as a village. It never fails to provoke a slew of responses which do not address the issue raised, but point out (in varying levels of heated indignation) that it is a town, not a village. In fact, the writers often point out, it has a long and interesting history which proves it is a town. it may once have been a village at some point in the dim and distant past, but nowadays it is most definitely a town. The world of Bishops Well is real and right on our doorstep. It's a place I've visited frequently and although the book fits very definitely within the cosy crime genre, its strength comes from the world it inhabits because it is very much grounded in real life Britain and sometimes, that can be quite unnerving!