I have been shockingly lucky with my choice of "celebrity novels" over the past few years. Until this one, that is. But I persevered to the end - skipping a bit on occasion - ever hopeful it would deliver some kind of reward. It sadly didn't, for many reasons.
I found the characters to be either too bland or to over the top - both extremes - so they either passed me by or annoyed me along the way. Certain ones did develop along the way but not enough to hold the story.
I found the narrative to be a little (quite a lot) too wordy. It felt like it was padded out too much which was rather distracting.
The story was OK, the premise of the demise of listeners to a late night radio show was intriguing, but it didn't really deliver any wow moments. I did do a fair bit of eye-rolling though! And parts of it were a bit easy to guess. I also didn't really get on with the author's style of writing, bit too formal for the genre of book he was writing I thought...
And when I got to the end I didn't really feel any satisfaction other than the relief that it was finally over.
All that said, there were some rather funny moments to be found and I did chuckle a bit along the way. So it's not all bad
So... basically... not one for me I am afraid. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to give it a go though!

If you should write what you know then Jeremy Vine can claim extensive broadcasting knowledge. Set in the world of local radio the bereaved Edward has been sacked from his job but begins to investigate the deaths of his listeners who have been subjected to the very current crimes of cat fishing and financial scams. Well developed characters and dark humour. I enjoyed this book.

The story in this book is super original and I’ve not read any other like it. The characters were well written and the story interesting. I did however solve the mystery very early in the book, as it seemed very obvious to me.

This was a quirky, low-key mystery with an intriguing premise. The pace was a little slow for me at times but it was still interested in what was happening next. This story blends dark humour with light suspense, and though it moves slowly at times, the characters and unique setup made it a quick, fun read. If you’re in the mood for a cozy mystery with a bit of a bite and a touch of melancholy, this one might be for you. Thank you to the team at HARPER COLLINS for an advanced copy ahead of its release later this month.

Edward Temmis has just been sacked from his beloved radio station. Still reeling from the death of his son he takes a job at the local garden centre. He is asked to look into the murder of one of his listeners who has sent him a letter. A letter which is now missing!
He is aided by Kim, an ex and an estate agent.
It soon becomes apparent this murder is just the tip of the iceberg and Edward is soon on the lookout for all of his listeners.

I enjoyed this book
I felt it was a slow burn
Character development was good
Lots of detailing but I didn’t feel this took away from the story
Loved the humour throughout was a great touch
As it had all the elements of a murder mystery keep the suspense and tense moments
Overall was very pleasantly surprised

This was not my cup of tea sadly. I felt the chapters overlong and waffly. I didn't like the characters or the storyline. Maybe the author will improve with time but I just felt like I could hear his posh voice as I was reading it and it put me off.

Thank you for allowing me to review this book. I had not previously read any previous books by Jeremy Vine so I was unsure what to expect from him. I found the story to be slow to get into. I was unsure of the characters, particularly Edward, the ex radio presenter. However, as I continued to read the book the storyline interested me. A modern day crime, of befriending vulnerable people online. The exploitation of grief and loneliness. Stevie, was an interesting character, who many would find uninteresting in real life. Probably, even ignoring her because of her appearance. Edward grew on me. However, at times the story was still slow to gain momentum. The conclusion was a little disappointing as I hoped for more.
I can still recommend this book to those who enjoy mysteries.

This is a first time author for me. Unfortunately, the writing style and characters were not for me. I struggled from page one. I could not connect with this storyline. Sadly, this book was not for me.

THANK YOU TO NETGALLEY FOR THE OPPORTUNITY OF READING AN ADVANCED COPY OF THIS BOOK IN RETURN FOR AN HONEST REVIEW

DNF at 22% sorry just couldn't get into the story. And the writing felt too formal. The ending of the first chapter was good but didn't connect with it after that and felt I couldn't continue.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆ (4/5)
Smart, snappy, and full of media-world intrigue. Jeremy Vine’s background brings authenticity to this newsroom-set mystery, which blends murder, satire, and a fast-paced plot. A witty whodunit for readers who love their crime stories with a sharp, modern twist.

If I hadn’t received this book as an advanced copy from NetGalley I don’t think I’d have got past the first two chapters, which I found depressing, overly long and very oddly written. Although I did finish the book, it continued in much the same way although I felt the pace and story did pick up slightly.

My disappointment was mainly because I thought the clever concept and three interesting main characters were let down by the poorly executed storytelling. There were many red herrings along the way but they all felt weak and the reveals predictable. There seemed to be a lot more words than there needed to be in this book and they definitely detracted from any enjoyment I might have found in it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for an eARC of this book.

Edward, the radio host meets Stevie who knows about a murder. Her grandmother, a listener of the show and then others connected to listening to the show become further possible victims. Sidmouth isn’t a big town so what’s happening, someone must know and when Edward’s ex, Kim, joins their sleuthing team, you never know what will happen next. This is a story that stands a good chance of going somewhere, but it took a long time to get going. I expected a really good read but it was quite average.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free advance copy in return for an impartial review. It seems everyone is trying their hand at a cosy mystery these days, spurred on by the meteoric rise of Richard Osman into assuming anyone can do it. Unfortunately, it is certainly not the case that they can!

There’s the potential for an interesting story here, and Vine sticks to an area he’s familiar with - that of radio. However, for a large part of the book, seemingly unrelated storylines meander around, struggling to develop and some of the actual writing verges on the ridiculous, particularly when it comes to the relationships in the book.

It starts well, but quickly falls away, only really picking up in the last 15-20% of the book. I won’t give away the twist but suffice to say that even I managed to work it out.

Perhaps another editor could turn this around as there is the nucleus of a good plot here, but as it stands it just doesn’t deliver. I really had to force myself to read at times, which definitely isn’t usually the case with this genre of book. The book is about substantially longer than it needs to be and it would have been better at half the length.

It’s also not sure what it really wants to be - is it a cosy mystery, a thriller or a romance? These different styles don’t work well together and in particular the romance parts are dire.

Not a book I could recommend I’m afraid.

MURDER ON LINE ONE by Jeremy Vine

3 STARS

The premise of this sounded interesting. Unfortunately, it didn't quite work for me. The story started off very slowly and by that point, I'd lost interest in the characters. However, as the book moved along, the story did pick up, as well as the characters and their development. The ending was satisfactory.

Overall, worth a read.

Murder on Line One is not merely a mystery. It's a thorough analysis of how we recover from a loss. Incorporating humour and romance provides much-needed respite. The plot is filled with red herrings and hints, and I was held in suspense until the very end. The protagonist has a strong sense of character development. In addition to mourning a family member, a radio DJ is also having difficulties since he was laid off. It was a fun read, and I believe it will be a huge hit.

The three main characters in the book, Edward, Stevie and Kim, are drawn together by what appear to be two tragic accidents. Edward, former radio presenter, is approached by Stevie to help solve the mystery surrounding her grandmother's death. Kim, former lover of Edward is called in to help. Together they uncover a widespread scam and eventually solve the mystery.
I was attracted to this book both by the genre and the author. I felt that something which Jeremy Vine had written would be well written. In that, I was not disappointed. Both the description of the characters and settings is well done and brings them alive. However, if I had not been reviewing the book for NetGalley, I might well not have given up early on. The start is long winded. The relevant information could have been covered just as well in far fewer words.
Once the book got going, I found it more enjoyable as the different strands of the plot came together. Disappointingly, though, I solved the mysteries fairly early on.

The main character is Edward Temmis a local radio presenter. His audience was mainly elderly women. One day he is approached by a young woman who is looking for help at locating a letter that her grandmother sent to him at the radio station. She believes that the letter might help prove that her grandmother was murdered and did not commit suicide as the police had concluded.

This book was not for me. It opens with a long detailed scene of an amateur football team playing a match. I don’t know if it is because I don’t like football but I was immediately bored. I could not understand why there was so much detail around this football match. It did make sense in the end. Not a lot of other things in this story made sense to me. I am used to suspending my disbelief a little for this genre but some of the things that happens just pulled me away from having any interest in the story. I was more interested in a subplot than I was in the main story.

I would describe the book as slow and repetitive and to be honest there was several points where the book could have ended but didn’t. I felt that the author just wanted to add twists. This made the ending was over complicated. I am still processing and trying to get the full story of what actually happened straight in my mind. This could actually be because I had lost interest and was not paying full attention. I am not quite sure. It is a shame because I really enjoyed the characters.

I wasn’t sure what to expect with this book as it is written by another tv personality who thinks they can write a murder mystery! Think Richard Osman, Rob Rinder et alia but in fact I was pleasantly surprised. mr Vine is not simply jumping on the bandwagon- he actually has an interesting story to tell. Although the book got off to a slow start which was mostly setting the scene, the pace soon picked up and I was turning the pages quickly, thoroughly enjoying the story.
Mr Vine writes what he knows about, the life of a radio presenter which works well as it makes the background more authentic.
Edward Temmis is the radio presenter in question, taking a break from his job after the hit and run death of his young son. When he is approached by Stevie, a young woman whose grandmother has died in mysterious circumstances and who was an avid listener to Edward’s morning show, Edward is persuaded to look into the matter. Throw in Kim, an estate agent who knows Edward well, we have a band of unusual detectives!
I liked the character development, particularly in the case of Edward- he is grieving the loss of Matty but desperately trying to get on with his life. Kim is dealing with an abusive husband who is suffering mental health issues and she harbours feelings for Edward who was once her client.
There are moments of humour too which lightened the seriousness of the subject - Stevie is a breath of fresh air and very likeable, dealing with all life throws at her in a wonderful manner.
I must admit that I guessed the perpetrators of the crimes but I am an avid crime thriller fan so that was probably down to my knowledge of this genre.
I rather liked the end when all was revealed- a bit “Death In Paradise” but definitely entertaining.
From the blurb it looks like this is going to be a series and I will certainly be looking out for the next book as I’d like to catch up with all these interesting characters.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my advance copy.

I wanted to love this as the premise is soooo up my street it’s crazy but I just .. liked it ?

I don’t know whether it was because it could have been shorter or what but it didn’t have the suspense and grip that I was hoping for.

Is it a good pallet cleanser? Yes , is it entertaining? Also yes, I just feel there was something missing and I’m not quite sure what it was.

I’d still definitely recommend this book as it’s easy to settle into for the most part.

The beauty is we’re all different and what might not have hit for me might be your favourite book ever 🫶🏼