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

Great read, I love the authors style and way of writing, have thoroughly enjoyed this series of books. Following our two super sleuths in their Dales detective Agency, Samson and Delilah are such a great duo and I like how the dynamics between the two work

@juliachapmanauthor you’ve done it again 😍👏👏👏
Samson and Delilah are back, along with all the other the wonderful, plain-speaking (and frequently grumpy 😭) residents of Bruncliffe. This time they are all forced to join together on a mission - to save Samson from a hitman 😳 Will they succeed?! Great stuff!

Death is coming to Bruncliffe; its target is Samson O'Brien. Oblivious to his impending date with darkness, Samson is busy juggling a series of cases at the Dales Detective Agency. Too busy, in fact, to take the entreaties of a certain Mrs Lister seriously. The concerned mother is convinced her son Stuart - the local lettings agent at Taylor's Estate Agents - has gone missing, despite evidence to the contrary. But while Samson is otherwise engaged, Delilah knows what is coming. A hitman. Sent from London with one objective: silence the troublesome O'Brien once and for all before his corruption case can make it to court. With Samson's life in peril, Delilah has no choice but to turn to the people of Bruncliffe for help if she is to stop the hitman from achieving his objective. Only trouble is, the townsfolk have long memories and deep grievances when it comes to Samson O'Brien.

#bookstagram #books #reading #libraries #datewithbetrayal #bruncliffe #bruncliffecountry #samsonanddelilah #weimeraner #tolpuddle #murder #dalesdetective #yorkshire #dalesdetectiveagency #sheep

Date with Betrayal is the seventh novel in Julia Chapman’s Dales Detective series set in Bruncliffe, a large village in the Yorkshire Dales. Samson O’Brien, the owner of the Dales Detective Agency, formerly an undercover detective with the Met, has a huge caseload. Delilah Metcalfe runs a dating agency in the same building as the detective agency. Samson is due to give evidence in an upcoming corruption trial but someone is out to get him and Delilah knows all about it...

With mirth and hilarity, this novel can certainly be classed as a cozy mystery but it does have some thornier themes. Expertly written with some great characterisation I was totally immersed in the plot and storyline. This instalment was my first in the series but I was never lost and intend to go back to book one, Date with Death. Very highly recommended.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Pan Macmillan via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

📚 In the seventh novel in Julia Chapman’s Dales Detective series, Date with Betrayal, Samson O’Brien, owner of the Dales Detective Agency, is targeted by a hitman. And Delilah has no choice but to call in favours from all of her Bruncliffe connections to counteract the menace.⁠
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❤️ I liked:⁠
1️⃣ Everything happens in one day. I loved that all the action is confined to one crazy day. The recruitment of Delilah by an undercover policewoman to keep Samson safe, her suspicion, the Bruncliffe conspiracy to protect Samson and the identity of the hitman... this and much more happens in one single day.⁠
🏘️ Bruncliff and Samson. In this book, finally, the residents of Bruncliff learn the truth about him, about why he escaped when he was young and never came back. I think this book is not only about Delilah and Samson, but also about the relationship between Samson and the village. ⁠
🕵️‍♂️ The hitman. When the identity of the hitman is revealed at the end of the book, I was not expecting it at all! So, well done to the author!⁠
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⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5⁠
I usually give up on a series after 4 or books because they are never as good as the first ones, but I love the Dales Detective series, and this is probably my favourite book so far. Thanks to #netgalley for the preview.

A fast-paced mystery with 24, Magnificent 7, and coffee-and-cake vibes!

Loved this! For anyone who hasn't read the previous Dales Detective Agency books, I recommend reading at least a few of those first, all of the relationships and back stories build and intertwine, and this book is a culmination of that. The story is an understandable and self-contained mystery in itself, but the satisfaction comes from having come to know the characters and their journeys, it is kind of the whole central focus of the book.

Julia Chapman manages to do something a little bit different with every mystery, keeping the setting and the village feel the same in each book with running through-stories that extend across the series, but still mixing up the tension with different mystery styles and motives, and always with a little twist, this felt both familiar and refreshingly different from the other stories. This time, the action and whodunnit (or who's-gonna-do-it' is confined to one short frantic day, I really loved this format, and loved that one of the running side stories, which I was getting a bit tired of, was dropped in order to keep the focus on Samson and Delilah. Also, normally I don't like cliched or jokey name pairings, but I kinda like it here, especially given that it's Delilah who has the 'mean right hook'.

The only thing I don't really love in the series as a whole is that quite a few descriptions, and expositional phrases are pretty much used again and again word-for-word throughout the series, and often multiple times in the same book. For anyone coming fresh to any of the books, they're good descriptions, but for someone like me, who's read the series (and in a fairly short amount of time), I start saying the sentences aloud before I've read them, wishing desperately that Samson wasn't always 'the black sheep of Bruncliffe', or a 'reprobate' or that Delilah's 'mean right hook' wasn't mentioned in every book. Maybe now that a few more things have been resolved, at least some of those repetitive descriptions can be dispensed with.

Doesn't stop me loving it though, and really pleased that Delilah managed to come to the fore so much despite her complete lack of guile or subterfuge skills!

Samson O’Brien, formerly an undercover detective with the Met, is currently suspended under investigation and has set up as a Private Detective in Bruncliffe, a small town/large village in the Yorkshire Dales – his childhood home. He has teamed up with, not yet romantically but he has hopes, with Delilah Metcalfe who runs a dating agency in the same premises. Samson is due to give evidence when the investigation comes to trial in the near future, evidence which will implicate senior police officers in a major international criminal conspiracy. His old boss at the Met warns him that a contract has been taken out on him and that the killer is scheduled to hit him tomorrow. Separately, Delilah is recruited by an undercover police woman to keep him out of the way while she arranges for the killer to be trapped, but Delilah is suspicious and organises a large number of the Bruncliffe population in a conspiracy to protect Samson (kept in the dark about what is going on). At which point the story becomes something of a caper as Samson is shepherded off to investigate various minor crimes while the killer is misdirected and misled by a series of comical events. I felt that it was a bit slow getting going, but it did perk up. There are a number of twists and surprises so the tale is not as simple as it seemed at first.
This is the seventh book in the Dales Detective Agency series, and the plot derives directly from the previous books, all stemming from the suspension. It works perfectly well on its own, necessary background fed in as appropriate. The style is light and the characterisations verge towards caricatures, which provides an expectation of rather more comedic action than is evidenced. Some might describe it as a cosy crime but I don’t think it quite fits the bill – torn between two genres?
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review.

The seventh book in the Dales detective series and I have to say the best!
Delilah Metcalfe runs a dating agency in Bruncliffe in the Yorkshire Dales. She shares her office with Samson an ex met police officer who has returned home after being suspended, due to supposedly being a “dirty” cop.
Samson runs the detective agency , and he has known for sometime his life is in danger due to what he knows in his former life as an under cover officer .
Delilah loves Samson and is drawn in to trying to save his life from the nefarious faction coming to kill him.
All of Bruncliffe is also enlisted in the scheme , and what ensues is a rollercoaster of a read!
It’s edge of the seat stuff mixed with laugh out loud moments involving pensioners going rogue.
The writing is of an excellent calibre and although the story could be classed as cosy mystery , it also has a harder edge .
An excellent read with great characters that make you feel as if you’re meeting up with old friends. Already looking forward to the next book and what the future brings for Samson and Delilah and the rest of the residents of Bruncliffe.

Thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan.

When Samson O'Brien returned to Bruncliffe from London he thought he had left his past as an undercover officer behind, little did he know it would follow him and put the lives of those he loves in danger, With a trial for drugs offences hanging over him, Samson is beginning to think that he could loose everything he holds dear and a message from his old boss brings this sharply into focus.
Delilah Metcalf discovers that Samson's life is in danger from a hitman and she vows to do everything she can to not only save his life but also clear his name. Unfortunately Delilah doesn't know who she can trust so she turns to the people she has known all her life to help her.
Set in the beautiful Yorkshire dales this pacey book, full of characters that will capture your heart, warmth and Yorkshire humour is brilliantly written and will captivate you from the start. You don't need to have read the other books in the series but you really should because they are all brilliant.

My enjoyment may have been improved by starting with book 1. Not knowing the back stories of the main characters and how the starting point of the plot was reached, seems to be a disadvantage. Only really picked the title due to its location so now, may go back to the beginning. Thanks to Netgalley

Not my usual genre but thought I’d give it a go. Really glad I did as I enjoyed reading something different. Well written.

I loved this latest volume in the series. The relationship between Samson and Delilah has kept readers on tenterhooks throughout the previous books and doesn’t disappoint here. The book could be read as a stand alone novel, but the reader will get so much more from it if they have read all the books in order. The cast of characters has now built up to a considerable size, and we have seen them develop. The Dales setting is a delight, with wonderful descriptions of the weather, buildings, landscape and Yorkshire people. I can’t wait for the next book in the series!

It’s difficult to believe this is the seventh book in the Dales Detective series, and, yes, I’ve read them all. Call it cosy crime if you like, this instalment focuses on the town of Bruncliffe protecting one of its own. Samson O’Brien, former policeman turned private detective is an assassin’s target and oblivious to his impending fate. However, his work partner (and let’s be honest, potential love interest) Delilah is only too aware of what could be in store for Samson, and is doing everything possible to protect him. Turning to the town in which she and Samson grew up, she pleads his case, hoping they will all rally around. She calls in favours, many, many favours from the people she has spent her life with, while Samson continues to juggle their increasingly heavy caseload. An unexpected hero, some cleaning equipment with an unusual use and a conclusion that will have you awaiting book eight, this is a quality, clever read.

In the Dales, despite all the recent mayhem, things are about to get worse....

There's a hitman after Samson O'Brien.

But he doesn't know....

Who sent him? And can Delilah Metcalfe and the Bruncliffe gang stop him?

And what is dodgy Rick up to this time??

Another great instalment in this series

Date with Betrayal is the latest instalment in the cosy mysteries set in the Dales. The dogged detectives accompanied by doggie, Tolpuddle, as well, endeavour to solve the murders that have piled up over the course of six previous books.

There’s an ongoing will they won’t’ they with our two detectives Delilah Metcalfe and Samson. She’s a local and has her own cleaning business after a messy divorced. She managed to get custody of the dog, Tolpuddle who’s been her saviour. Delilah is struggling to keep her dating agency open in the original novel (Date with Death) and then Samson O’Brien moves in leading to them at first knocking heads and then working together to solve their first case. Samson is the returning bad boy of the village complete with motorbike ad standard leather jacket. He’s been suspended from the Met pending enquiries and set up a detective agency to tide himself over. He's been surprisingly busy and Delilah has taken to the detective work with relish especially as her admin and accountancy skills are way above Samson’s.

This plot is in real time with a sense of drama and misdirection that is very enjoyable. Spoilers ahead if you haven’t read the previous books. Samson is now under direct threat from the criminal underworld he though he’d left behind but he doesn’t know how resourceful Delilah and his home town residents can be. This is a classic western show down as we move tensely between various scenes although there is much more humour in this. Fans of the series will be pleased with things moving on and various mysteries being explained but this is not the end so not everything is wrapped up.

The cosy mystery genre is well established and with this series out in paperback I can see these getting new fans. I never thought there would be a crossover between detective fiction, romance and a little bit of James Herriot but time has proved me wrong. I’ve found this sort of fiction comforting in uncertain times and it works better than therapy in keeping the mind distracted from worry. I’m all for it.

Another engaging mystery from Julia Chapman. This is the seventh in the Dales series featuring Samson O’Brien and Delilah and is just as good as the previous books in the series. This time, Samson’s past has caught up with him and there is a contract out to kill him. Delilah is told of this threat but is unsure who she can trust in the police and so decides to get the local community to deal with the threat instead. What follows is a fast-paced account that takes place over a couple of days where the inhabitants of Bruncliffe show that they are more than a match for any hired hitman.
I loved meeting all the characters again and their methods of foiling the assassin are ingenious as well as being completely in keeping with the area. It’s especially good to see the developing relationship between Samson and his father, a recovering alcoholic.
This book could be read as a stand alone but there are a lot of references to earlier events and so would probably be best read as part of the series. I loved the way that some of the previous plot strands have been cleared up but there are still plenty more to be dealt with in a future book.
This is a great addition to a lovely light-hearted series and I’m already looking forward to the next one.
Thank to Net Galley and the publishers, Pan Macmillan, for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

FINALLY Julia Chapman has tied up some of the plot strands that have trailed through this series, for which I am very grateful! However, there are just as many questions as ever even if they are different ones.

This book takes place over the course of a few days and is full of action. Julia Chapman keeps us guessing about what is going on and who are the goodies and baddies. I romped through it, carried along by the pacey writing and engaging characters.

Saving Samson…?
The seventh in the Dales Detective series and death lurks on the horizon in the village of Bruncliffe. The target? Samson O’Brien, who remains in blissful ignorance of his potential impending doom. The Dales Detective Agency is busy ,after all, and Samson has work to do. But, Delilah knows what coming and is busy making preparations. Can she and the village get together fast enough to save Samson’s skin? Another engaging, witty and entertaining instalment in this delightful series with a lovely setting and a plot populated with a colourful cast of characters. A worthy addition.

I thoroughly enjoyed diving back into the world of Samson and Delilah and the wonderfully quirky characters of this small Yorkshire Dales village. This story is a bit more fast-paced than the previous ones with a cat and mouse chase involving the whole village. These cozy crime mysteries are the perfect antidote to the pandemic world we currently live in. I think of them as a cross between Midsomer Murders and the Agatha Raisin mysteries by M C Beaton. You could read them on their own, but there are a few different back stories running through the whole series, so I personally recommend you read them in order to get the most out of them.
Can't wait to see where the story goes from here!