I didn’t realise this was part of a series of Cornish murder mysteries at first, but as with a few other similar series, you could comfortably read this as a stand-alone around Christmas time. A perfectly set mystery within a snow bound house, with only a handful of potential murderers is my cup of tea. It reads quickly and is a cosy seasonal read.

Thank you @netgalley for the eARC in return for an honest review. A Cornish Christmas Murder is out now!

Our heroine Jodie Parker has returned from London to Penstowan in Cornwall to set up her catering business, after leaving the police force. But somehow, she always seems to find crimes which need investigating and this time is no different.
The catering van containing Jodie, her mum Shirley, her teenage daughter Daisy (13) and their Pomeranian dog Germaine, plus Debbie (a former nurse) arrives at Kingseat Abbey, where there’s a big children’s Christmas party.
We are soon introduced to the cast of characters, who end up snowed in and have to spend the night at the Abbey together. And one of them does not come out alive…
The book is perfect for this time of year, as it begins on December 20th. I’m a big Agatha Christie fan and this was right up my street! There’s a really great humour in the writing style, it’s very witty and there are wonderful, fun characters you can relate to.
I loved the whole Britishness of it too, it was very heart-warming and held my interest throughout, as we are encouraged to try to work out “whodunnit” and why, as Jodie and friends investigate. It’s a gentle, cosy mystery and I would definitely read more in this series.
One of my favourite quotes was “as an English person, there is nothing I fear more than allowing my tea levels to fall below a certain point and risk dehydrating” – hee hee! So true!
9 out of 10

⭐⭐⭐⭐

This was a super fun cozy! Well written. Stood up well as a standalone. Well paced. Humourous. Loved the setting. Likable characters. A satisfying ending, plus a bonus yummy sounding recipe for mincemeat tarts (a personal fave of mine).

The only niggle I had with this one was I didn't find it particularly "festive". Yes, it takes place around Christmas, yes there was a fake Santa, but I didn't feel the Christmas vibe throughout most of the book. Not a deal breaker for me, as I still thoroughly enjoyed this book. I just enjoy holiday cozies to be festive on steroids. 🤷🏻‍♀️😂

**ARC Via NetGalley**

The main character, Jodie ‘Nosey’ Parker, is one of my favourite amateur sleuths, and she brings her training as a former London police officer to good use as she tries to settle into her new life as a caterer in Cornwall. She is smart, capable, down-to-earth and has a wicked sense of humour.

The characters around her are just as memorable, from her teenage daughter, Daisy, to her hilariously inappropriate mum, Shirley, from her good friend Debbie, to her new boyfriend, DCI Nathan Withers. I really enjoy the distinct personalities of the group that Jodie has around her.

There are some newcomers this time around, including Jodie’s old school friend Lily, who is helping abbey-owner Trevor turn the old building into a resort-hotel, and multi-millionaire philanthropist Isaac Barnes, who has a not-so-friendly past. We get to know these characters pretty well in a short span of time and I hope that a few of them pop up in future stories.

The pacing of this story is very steady and never slows down too much. There are lots of new characters to meet, and a haunting old building to explore, but everything is done at a good pace so that you’re excited to learn more. I enjoyed meeting the new characters and getting to know their backstories.

If you’ve never read a Nosey Parker book previously, it’s pretty easy to jump into this one as a standalone – there’s enough of a “introduction” to Jodie and her gang that you won’t feel lost and you definitely don’t need to know what happened in books 1-3 to follow along here (although I do recommend you read the entire series – they’re all fantastic!)

I love a good classic story in which a bunch of strangers are stranded in a remote location and a murder occurs. It has always been a typical setting in murder mysteries and can be overdone, but when it’s done right, it can be SO entertaining. Dame Agatha Christie was a master at this, with two of her stories, And Then There Were None and The Erymanthian Boar being among my favourites. And now we can add A Cornish Christmas Murder to the list. It’s the perfect cozy holiday read – there’s a variety of interesting guests, an old abbey with hidden secrets, a snowstorm and of course, a murder. Plus, it’s Christmastime!

*** Thank you to One More Chapter/HarperCollins, for providing me with an e-copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

This was by far the most bizarre mystery yet for Jodie, Met copper turned chef. A remorseful exec, a sot for a Santa, a secret passage, and cursed sword take center stage in this holiday cozy featuring delectable mince meat pies (no meat included). While Santa may be hitting the sauce, Jodie is just plain saucy and a tad snarky, truth is she can be downright scary with her powers of deduction. As many people tend to point out, she is a chip off the ole block, meaning that her Dad, former Chief Inspector for the Penstowan police station, was a man of high regard. Was Santa on someone's naughty list or was it a case of mistaken identity (not bloody likely, I mean have you seen the guy). Some nice distracting moments and I applaud Debbie and Daisy for their abilities to help Jodie, not that she wants Daisy to following that path, but what mum wouldn't be proud. Great fun and a little romance to boot when DI Nathan shows up to help save the day, or at least save Jodie's sanity. Looking forward to making the minced pies, going to use the premade mincemeat fruit but will make my own pie crust using Jodie's recipe.

This Christmas, ex-police officer Jodie 'Nosey' Parker is winding down for the holidays, sort of, with a big catering event at an old abbey. With her family around her as capable assistants, they get on with the job... until a snowstorm strikes, a bunch of people have to stay over at the abbey and by morning - one of them is dead!

As you may guess from the description, this crime book falls quite firmly into the cosy crime genre - and it's a nice place to be. I know Jodie and family from the previous books in the series, and that just adds to the charm. It's probably a half-decent book without that prior knowledge, but when you have a series like this, deeper knowledge leads to deeper warmth and enjoyment.

It takes a while for the grisly Christmas murder to take place, but that's okay because you know what's coming, and you enjoy spending time with the characters in the meantime. Then we have a locked room mystery, police delayed by snow, and Jodie has no choice but to get stuck in.

A lot of fun - if you like cosy crime novels!

Having read other books in the I knew what to expect.

This time Jodie Parker is continuing to build her catering business at a grand country pile on Bodmin Moor during a particularly snowy pre Christmas period.

It took a while to really get going but in the end there were egotistical and turns in the plot to maintain interest.

I believe that the book stands on it's own merit. if you can read the stories in order, you get the benefit of getting to know the backgrounds of Jolie, her family and friends, which adds to the enjoyment.

The style of writing is entertaining and rather amusing. The storyline is fairly unbelievable, yet I still enjoyed the Agatha Christie-esque red herrings which abound along the way to discovering who was behind the murder of Santa Claus.

This is a lighthearted murder mystery and I give my thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins UK for a copy in exchange for this review.

It's been quite a while since I've read a book from #netgalley and I'm glad I started back with #acornishchristmasmurder

Here's the synopsis: It's three days before Christmas, and detective-turned-chef Jodie 'Nosey' Parker is drafted to cater a charity event run by a notorious millionaire at a 13th-century abbey on Bodmin Moor. Things get more complicated when a snowstorm descends, stranding them all, and the next morning they find one of the guests gruesomely murdered in their bed.

My thoughts: This was a fun #lockedroommystery with the right amount of red herrings vs. unnecessary characters, you know what I mean? Sometimes it's so obvious that characters are there just to be a distraction, and that drives me bonkers. I wasn't aware that it was a series before I started reading, but I'd definitely like to try another one 👍🏻

Well. I *hated* this book with a burning passion. There's literally nothing positive I can say about this book, except that it finishes. If I were a reader who DNF'd book, I would totally have DNF'd this one, because from very early on I could tell that this wasn't something I would enjoy, but I wanted to be able to give an honest review, so here we are.
First of all, the writing style is atrocious to say the least. I have read an e-ARC, so maybe (hopefully) the finished copy has had some editing. It felt like a rough first draft and if I had to read one more sentence with a question tag at the end I think I would have thrown my e-reader to the wall.
The characters were fastidious and I wanted to strangle the protagonist. I don't know how to explain it, but reading this book I could *feel* the presence of the author behind every word. It was extremely annoying.
I also hated the plot, the "themes", the plot twists which were extremely predictable, the ending and everything in between. I will definitely won't be reading anymore books by this author, because I would actually prefer to stab myself with a sword than have to endure Jodie for one more page.
Thanks so much to the publisher and Netgalley for the e-ARC.

3.5*, rounded up.
A Cornish Christmas Murder is an light and entertaining seasonal romp, set in an isolated Cornish mansion during a blizzard. As it's not stated either on the cover or in the Netgalley blurb, I was unaware until I started reading that this is in fact book #4 in author Fiona Leitch's Lottie "Nosey" Parker cosy mystery series. While having read the previous instalments may have provided greater background and character development, I can attest that the book reads perfectly well as a standalone.
Former police officer turned caterer Lottie Parker is engaged by her former schoolmate, Lily Swann, to cater for a children's Christmas party hosted by Lily's boss, Trevor Manning, at his isolated property Kingseat Abbey, located on Cornwall's Bodmin Moor. The party's being bankrolled by Cornwall native, millionaire philanthropist Isaac Barnes, who's also in attendance with his young son, Joshua.
Lottie successfully caters the party with a selection of Christmassy treats, aided by her assistant Debbie, mother Shirley, teenaged daughter Daisy and (to a lesser extent) her Pomeranian, Germaine. However, before they're able to pack up and leave, a blizzard descends and roads around Bodmin are cut off from the outside world. Santa impersonator Steve becomes progressively more irascible, as he helps himself to Trevor's brandy, and an argument breaks out between him and Isaac. Meanwhile, two carloads of stranded travellers arrive at the front door, seeking shelter from the worsening weather. The unexpected guests are allocated rooms in various stages of renovation, either on the plush first floor or in more spartan surrounds in the former servants' quarters a level above.
By morning the weather has started to settle but the odd assortment of inhabitants of the Abbey are shocked when housekeeper Pippa discovers that one guest hasn't survived the night - "Santa" Steve has been murdered, using an Elizabethan-era sword that has dark historical links to the property. With the roads still impassable and telephone reception sporadic at best, Lottie is persuaded - without too much resistance on her part - to swap her chef's hat for a deerstalker and solve the crime. By the time the authorities arrive - in the shape of Lottie's boyfriend DCI Nathan Withers of Penstowan CID and a vanload of officers from the local Carricksmoor station - Lottie is a fair way towards solving the mystery, having unmasked imposters, uncovered a possible financial motive and explored one of the Abbey's several secret passages.
As readers expect from the "cosy mystery" sub-genre, there's plenty of humour, a sprinkling of romance, and only the necessary level of gory descriptions. With plenty of suspects, a stunning but isolated crime scene reminiscent of the "golden age" and an engaging sleuth, A Cornish Christmas Murder is an entertaining Christmas mystery read.
My thanks to the author, Fiona Leitch, publishers HarperCollins UK and One More Chapter, and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this title.

4,5* rounded up
I think this a homage to Golden Age mysteries and Nancy Drew as some of the tropes of this type of mysteries are present in this book: being snowed in, plenty of suspects in a closed environment, a locked room puzzle.
The beginning is a bit slow burning and the introduction of the characters and the setting helps to understand what will happen.
I was a bit disappointed by the solution of the puzzle but had a lot of fun and was glad to catch up with Jodie and the cast of characters.
I found this book high on entertaining level and it kept me reading.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I love nothing more than reading a cosy mystery on a winter night. Especially, a locked room (or house) mystery. This book was great and I would love to read more like it.

Ex met police officer turned caterer Jodie Parker gets more than she bargains for when she ends up snowed in at an old Cornish stately home. Her policing skills are needed when a dead body is discovered…but which one of her fellow guests is the murderer?

This was my first cosy mystery and I thoroughly enjoyed it! Unfortunately, this means my TBR list has grown by three because now I’m compelled to go and read the first three in the series!

Get wrapped up in a warm blanket and read this one with a hot cup of cocoa next to the fire.

Thank you to Fiona Leitch, Netgalley and One More Chapter for my copy of this book.

Jodie Parker, ex-detective and now chef, is catering a charity Christmas event for a millionaire at an old 13th century abbey in Cornwall. After the event however is a snowstorm and Jodie, along with her mother, daughter and friend Debbie, are stranded overnight with a hodge podge of other guests, with a few more arriving due to the bad weather. In the morning they discover one of the guests has been brutally murdered. Old habits die hard and Jodie's curiosity gets the better of her. While they await the roads to be cleared so the police can investigate, Jodie starts to do her own investigation and uncovers some secrets.

This is the 4th book in a series, which I wasn't aware of when I requested it. You can read it as a stand alone, it won't spoil much in the previous books or leave you confused. However I think I would have preferred to have read the previous books first. The setting is perfect for a cosy mystery, all the right ingredients: a big old abbey with hidden rooms and passage, a snowstorm, a bunch of strangers with secrets. I do think there are a few too many unnecessary characters in the story, they didn't really add anything (either themselves or how they interact with others). And while the book is a pretty fast, enjoyable read, the murder doesn't happen until 1/3 through the book which I felt was a bit late in the story for this happen. Overall I did enjoy it, it was a nice Christmas read if you're a fan of cosy crimes and like Christmas books but not romance ones

This is a great cosy Christmas read, perfect for evenings by the fire. I enjoyed the relationships between the characters and the twists and turns of the story. I didn't realise it was part of a series when I started, but this really didn't impact my reading or enjoyment.

This is the fourth instalment in Fiona Leitch's Nosey Parker Mysteries series. Set in a Cornish coastal town, Jodie 'Nosey' Parker has moved back to her small hometown; she has served in the Metropolitan Police force for longer than she cares to remember and is in Penstowan after her retirement along with her daughter Daisy, now aged 13. Passionate about baking, she wanted to own and run her own catering company so she has retrained as a caterer, setting up Banquets and Bakes.

This is a fun series smothered in good humour, some of it witty and some the belly laugh kind. Jodie is a terrific character; I continued to warm her extremely down-to-earth manner and her no-nonsense attitude. Kingseat Abbey on Bodmin Moor adds loads of atmosphere along with a hidden library, rumours of a ghost, secret passages and priest holes, all of which are used to good effect within the plot. Stir some colourful characters into the melting pot and you have a great mystery.

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

This was my first cosy mystery and it did not disappoint. With entertaining characters and the quaint setting of Cornwall, you're bound to get a few laughs out of this. Although this was the first book I have read from the series, I felt able to slip into the story and enjoy the characters just as much as if I'd read the previous novels.

A Cornish Christmas Murder by Fiona Leitch is a murder mystery book set in Bodmin Moor in Cornwall, England. The story follows our protagonist, Jodie Parker and several other guests at the abbey on Bodmin Moor. Jodie, her daughter, mother and friend arrive at Bodmin Moor for a catering job on a snowy and stormy day before Christmas. As they work and mingle, a plethora of other characters are introduced. By the evening, everyone realizes that the snow is too much for anyone to get home so they settle in at the abbey for the night with their gracious hosts and as time passes, more accidental guests arrive. When morning approaches, someone has been murdered and Jodie, an ex-police officer can’t help but lead an investigation while they wait for the police to arrive on scene.

A Cornish Christmas Murder is exactly the type of Christmas book I want to read during the holidays. It is a cozy, wintery, English, fast-paced mystery with possibly too many characters and a somewhat predictable twist. I found that I lost track of the characters because there were so many however I enjoyed each character’s back-story and the facts that put suspicion on them. This keeps the reader guessing! (I did predict the murderer but not the how or why and the motive so it is still quite interesting). I also loved the witty humour and dialogues, especially things Jodie’s mother says. An added bonus is the delicious recipes Jodie describes as she is a caterer after all.

Going into this book, I did not know that A Cornish Christmas Murder is an installment of Leitch’s mystery books however this book is great as a standalone. If you’re looking for a wintery mystery to read this holiday season or if you enjoy reading Agatha Christie books, pick up A Cornish Christmas Murder!

Thank you to HarperCollins UK, Netgalley & Fiona Leitch for this advance review copy. A Cornish Christmas Murder is out on December 9th, 2021!

First time reading this author and thoroughly enjoyed this story. It was a nice cozy read for the season. Christmas mysteries are my favorite and this didn’t disappoint. Highly recommend.

A snowy setting + a large country house + a crime-solving baker = the very definition of a cosy murder mystery. While A Cornish Christmas Murder doesn't break new ground, that is very much not what readers of the genre want. Instead it is gently humourous, with surprisingly good characterisation, and everything works out ok in the end (well, except for the victim). Fans of Midsomer Murders will enjoy it.