A very English murder mystery!

Daphne Brewster and her family have had enough of life in London - it's so expensive for one thing, and they feel very much as if they're part of the rat race. So they move to the village of Pudding Corner, to a slower pace of life with a decent local school and neighbours who talk to you. Then the local headmaster is found dead on his allotment and local gossip is on fire. What is going on? When Daphne's new friend is accused of being the guilty party, she finds herself getting drawn into finding out who the perpetrator is . . .

I really enjoyed this one, it was refreshing to read a book with different races where it wasn't the main focus of the book. Daphne Brewster was a delightful character and I really hope this develops into a series. It's an enigmatic read with several very plausible red herrings and I decided, many times over, 'whodunnit' only to find myself thwarted at every turn. Never would I have suspected the real culprit! An excellent read and one I'm happy to recommend to all readers of good cosy mystery fiction. 4.5*.

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley; this is - as always - my honest, original and unbiased review.

Daphne and her family have left London behind and moved to rural Norfolk. Their new home is a a historic farmhouse in a seemingly idyllic village that even has a name to match - Pudding Corner. But when the primary school's headteacher is found dead, Daphne realises that all may not be quite what it seems. And she gets even more involved when one of her new friends is implicated in the death. Mr Papplewick was on the verge of retirement after a career spent in the village - could it be that some one from his past wanted him dead, or is it one of the other parents at the school?

I really enjoyed the setting and the characters, but I will admit that I had the murderer pegged pretty early on, but then I read a lot of murder mysteries and this is a debut so I forgive it that, especially as it feels like they’re setting up for a series. So as I liked the premise so much, I will definitely comeback for more if more is offered to me. This is written by Paula Sutton, aka Instagram‘s Hill House Vintage and as well as the murder mystery this also has dollops of her vintage style included in the novel. This has blurb comparisons to Richard Osman and Richard Coles and I think that’s pretty fair, but also some of the American cozies themed around hobbies and handicrafts.

A cosy murder mystery ! I love when a book tells the story from multiple POV's which this book does, it really had be gripped from the very first page!

Daphne moves her family from London to rural Norfolk for the quiet life. Things are not what they seem when the local headmaster is murdered and a series of secrets unfold. The depiction of the rural village, charmingly named Pudding Corner had a vintage type feel I would have expected given Paula Sutton’s, Hill House Vintage instagram page. Of course the village itself had many of the stock characters you would expect from a Miss Marple type novel, shopkeepers, wives, doctors and a bumbling police force. Good connections to the history of the area were introduced.
Daphne, our main character’s first impressions of meeting the inhabitants of the village and trying to settle into her new life and suss out the characters felt realistic with all the snobbery and superficiality going on. Although many of the characters such as Augusta become more complex as the story develops. Daphne has the makings of an excellent sleuth, interviewing suspects, gathering some clues. Some of the secrets were quite juicy and well thought out.
However, I felt the story got a bit lost in parts with pages of being told information and what the character was thinking. The novel could have benefited from more dialogue, direct action and direct thoughts of the character on the page. The latter was where the novel worked best for me. I’d have been happy to have the whole novel from Daphne’s third person view point as I would have liked to know more about her past life and personality. The head hopping at times was a little sprung upon the reader. So glad I read to the end for the twist though. Yes, it was a trope but it rounded the whole book off nicely. 3.5+stars

a familiar concept, escaping busy, hectic London for the slower paced, tranquil surroundings of village life, but murder is just around the corner...

The story is told from multiple character's POV, which I really enjoy, and think it must be such a skill for writers to write in different tones and styles.

I really enjoyed this, being introduced to such a large cast of characters felt like setting up for a series, which I really hope happens.

A great cosy mystery that stands up well in the genre.

The Potting Shed Murder by Paula Sutton is a thoroughly genre-busting cosy mystery and I am absolutely here for it. I adore cozy mysteries, they are perfect for a Sunday afternoon with a cuppa, but Paula Sutton has created her own space in the genre with a new type of sleuth

I have said previously that my favourite Cozy Mysteries are based in the annuls of history, the Regency and Victorian eras and early 1900s and that I was open to exploring more contemporary titles and I am so glad I have as there is a wonderful new wave of Cozy's of different, unique styles and this is one of them

Daphne Brewster is our FMC and she decides to leave London behind to move to a slower pace of life in Norfolk. However, Daphne's new friend Minnerva is accused of murdering the local school's headmaster and leaving him in his potting shed so what is an amateur sleuth to do? Get on the case! But, instead of snooping and investigating, Daphne immerses herself in the community, learning, watching and listening

I really enjoyed this cozy as the writing style flows beautifully and each character has an interesting story, coming together in a highly descriptive, highly immersive cozy. Paula Sutton is going right on to my Cozy authors to watch list and I am looking forward to the next in the series

Thank you to Netgalley, Dialogue Books | Renegade Books and the author Paula Sutton for this wonderful ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

A bit of a mess really, nor the murder, I am afraid, but rather, this country murder mystery tale.
Paula Sutton's novel is attempting to be a cosy murder mystery set in rural Norfolk, but with the added twist of involving an incomer family from London, with a feisty young Black woman, Daphne as it's amateur sleuth.
Several plot devises are extremely unlikely, and, by page 251 of 350 pages it was very obvious who the murderer was.
Sadly, I will not be reading any more of what it is obviously hoped will be a "Daphne Investigates" series

I was sent an advance proof copy of The Potting Shed Murder by Paula Sutton to read and review by NetGalley. This is quite a nice little foray into the lives of the community in a sleepy Norfolk village. There wasn’t anything that particularly grabbed me about this novel, the characters were quite well drawn, if a little stereotypical, and the descriptions of the surroundings and the buildings were positively idyllic. I did feel that there was rather too much emphasis at times on protagonist Daphne coming from South London – we had been told this at the beginning and I didn’t feel I needed to be reminded quite so often. There were a few twists and turns, one of the main ones I did happen to guess fairly early on, which was a shame, but all in all if you want a pleasant easy read then why not give it a go!

Still Waters..
The very first outing in the Hill House Vintage Murder Mystery series, set in the village of Pudding Corner, finds Daphne Brewster adjusting and settling into rural life. The last thing that she, or anyone else, expects is murder most foul - although still waters run deep and nothing is ever quite as idyllic as the surface depicts. An enjoyable and entertaining cosy mystery with a frothy plot populated by an eccentric and eclectic cast of characters and with a well imagined backdrop. An engaging start to a new series,

Daphne comes too close for comfort to a serious crime and decides to move her family from London to Norfolk in search of a quieter life.
In true Midsomer Murders/Agathie Christie style, the local headmaster's body is discovered in his potting shed, surrounded by his prize cabbages.
The Potting Shed Murder is a good read with some interesting characters.

The Potting Shed Murder is a modern take on the murder in the small village trope. Pudding Corner is a scenic village in Norfolk, populated with eccentric characters forming a close-knit community. Everyone has their secrets. Eventually, one of these secrets will lead to murder.
This book was a cosy murder mystery sub-genre. The plot was a little predictable, but this didn't stop the enjoyment of the book. I thank the publishers and NetGalley for sending me a copy of this book to review.

The Potting Shed Murder is a modern take on the murder in the small village trope. Pudding Corner is a picturesque village in Norfolk, populated with eccentric characters forming a close-knit community. Everyone has their secrets. Eventually, one of these secrets will lead to murder.

One aspect I enjoyed about the book was Daphnes' experiences as a Black woman in a small, mainly white village. The book deals with the dual aspect of her concerns about being accepted into the community. Both a Londoner and also as a person of colour. She is also concerned about her children and their experiences and not receiving a white-washed education. It was good to read about other experiences of idyllic village life.

The plot was a little predictable. But this didn't stop the enjoyment of the book.

A cosy murder mystery?! What a time to be alive. I really enjoyed this book that sits so comfortably in this sub-genre of murder mysteries.

We follow the majority of the story with Daphne, one of the kindest main characters you will ever experience. This kindness really allows the world building and storytelling to shine through this book. You feel as though you are walking around the quaint little town of Pepperbridge alongside her.

Paula Sutton has a fantastic way of using this character and world building to keep the murder mystery just that - a mystery! There’s even times they’re not sure it’s a murder! I honestly forgot momentarily about one of the characters while we were focusing on the others as I was so invested in them.

It’s a slow burn to begin with, but it really picks up the pace (as I believe is fairly usual for this genre) around the 65/70% mark when it becomes impossible to put down, you just need to know what happens! This book is incredibly fun and I enjoyed reading it. It will be the perfect summer read for 2024!

Thanks again to NetGalley and dialogue books for this ARC. The Potting Shed Murder will be published 4th April 2024.

A good cosy crime, slow burn but wasn’t really for me

I just reviewed The Potting Shed Murder by Paula Sutton

A really nice, cozy murder/mystery, which reminds me of an Agatha Christie style, set in a proper English village, with a modern twist. Daphne is an interesting character who really wants to make herself part of the community, throwing herself whole heartedly into it. It’s what everyone imagines living in a quiet village would be like, little realising that they can still be a hot bed of passion, envy, cliques and one up manship. Nicely written and with a good twist at the end. An excellent debut, I look forward to the next book by this author.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Firstly thank you to NetGalley and Dialogue Books for sending me this Arc, and I can honestly say I have loved it. A murder mystery/whodunitstyle book set in a traditional English countryside village called Pudding Corner. Every name chosen in the book is so reminiscent of old school mystery books and made the whole story feel cosy and homely, despite the subject matter being a murder. It has the feels of an Agatha Christie and although set in present day you almost feel the village is in a Lorna Doone timewarp stuck in the 1950's.
The story revolves around the murder of the headmaster of the local school Mr Papplewick, and relative newcomer Daphne find herself becoming a sleuth in order to prove her new friend Minnerva has nothing to do with the crime.
This is such an enjoyable book to read whilst figuring out secret pasts of the villages and their interconnecting storylines and honestly I couldn't have wanted anymore out of a book in this genre.

Fabulous book, great read, I absolutely loved it. Extremely well written, wonderful storyline with a great cast of characters; some you love, some not so much , but all with their own backstory. Highly recommended!

Quite possibly the cutest cottagecore whodunnit in history. Absolutely adored this book by Paula Sutton.

The story follows Daphne Brewster, who’s moved to the Norfolk countryside from the him of London with her family. The village dynamics are a far cry from the bustle she’s used to, and she meets a range of charscters that she must learn how to handle. Scandal soon arrives in the form of the body of the schools headmaster, Mr Papplewick, being found in his allotment potting shed. Daphne finds herself immersed in a world of uncertainty, whispered gossip and raging accusations. Was Mr Papplewick murdered? Or did he really just have a heart attack? Daphne is trying her best to keep her head down, but it seems that she keeps uncovering new information.

This book was absolutely stellar. It is so cosy it’s ridiculous, and I just loved the accurate depiction of rural life in England. The characters are so typical of who you find in these settings (I could put names to a few from my village!!) and it’s so easy to get lost in the story. The different points of view keep you guessing and were a great way to get to know all of the characters. And the language… the language is so eloquent and delicious, but easy to digest.

This is cottagecore at its best! This book will be released 4th April 2024 and you MUST get this on your TBR so you don’t miss it!

Daphne Brewster has moved from London and is embracing her family's fresh start in the tranquil countryside of Norfolk. However, this tranquility is shattered by the discovery of the local headmaster's lifeless body in his potting shed, surrounded by his prized allotment cabbages.
The Potting Shed Murder is a fun read and a delightful debut, perfect for fans of cozy mysteries!

Desperate for a change, Daphne and her family move to a quaint little village in Norfolk. Determined ti embrace village life. Daphne acquaints herself with a number of characters in the village. When a pillar of the community is discovered dead in their potting shed, Daphne finds herself drawn into the complicated lives and dirty secrets of the villagers. 

I really enjoyed the structure of this book. It's quite late on that we discover the body because the start of this book is taken up with introducing our main character and her motivation for leaving London, as well as the characters who will eventually become suspects. Multiple characters had a motive for murder, and we learn many of these before the murder has even happened. It was a really good way of setting up this both as a series and as a single murder mystery. I certainly would be interested in meeting these characters again. 
The mystery itself was solid. There were a couple of red herrings I fell for, and I guessed the twists only a page or so before the main character got there. I didn't feel that Daphne did a whole lot of actual solving in this. It was often a result of nosiness and luck, simply being in the right place becuase she was trying to befriend her new neighbours as opposed to any actual motivation to solve the crime. That being said, I'd be interested in how Daphne develops if there are further books.