If you enjoyed the Thursday Murder Club series you will likely enjoy this new series as well. It was a lighthearted cozy mystery with a delightful cast of characters.

Ginny Cole is a recent widow. She and her husband had recently settled in a new village for their retirement. Now she is alone. To pass the time and earn some extra funds, Ginny gets a job as an assistant at the local library. Her new boss, Louisa, is something special, has the skill to rile up many of the library patrons, and not unexpectedly is the victim in the book.

This was a well written cozy mystery with lots of good supporting characters, including Edgar (Allen Poe) the black cat that has adopted Ginny. Ginny and her compatriot widows in the village pool their knowledge to help solve the mystery behind Louisa's murder. A fun, fast read.

I really enjoyed this cozy mystery which is the first book in a series that is based around friends who all happen to be widows who decide to do their own detective work after a murder. I liked how the three widows embrace Ginny when she moves to the area after the death of her husband to start her new job at the library. I thought that the other main characters fitted well into the story. I always like it when there are pets or animals in books that I read so was pleased that there was a cat that arrived early on in the story. I think that people who like to read cozy mysteries will enjoy this book. Thanks to NetGalley, Storm Publishing and Amanda Ashby for the ARC of this book which I received for free in exchange for my review.

For everyone who would like a cosy mystery with quirky characters and twists and turns, I cannot recommend a better book. The protagonists is relatable and has her heaet in the good place. And the twists, and the writing style kept my attention the whole way. The only negative I can say, is that I have trouble with names, so I got lost with the side characters a few times.

Ginny Cole, recently widowed and determined to rebuild her life, takes a job as a library assistant. But her fresh start is quickly overshadowed when her boss is murdered soon after she begins. Thrust into the chaos, Ginny is taken under the wing of a group of spirited widows who refuse to sit on the sidelines. Their quest for justice leads them down a wild path—one that even includes a late-night grave - digging adventure!

This book is a fantastic read — clever, well-written, and thoroughly enjoyable. I hadn’t come across this author before, but I will be reading more! There’s already a sequel, and I’m eager to dive into it.

This was a cute and cozy murder mystery with some unpredictable twists. I enjoyed it for what it was. Perfect for fans of the Thursday Murder Club. This review was posted in Goodreads as well.

It's a quirky, cosy mystery that has many unique elements and features vibrant characters. The well-described setting in a Lancashire village is easy to visualise, and the characters are distinctive but relatable. You get to know the widows and the village community. Ginny, the main character, is easy to like, and the layered mystery with multiple suspects and motivations makes this an engaging read. I enjoyed the characters, solving the mystery, and the story's humour and poignancy.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

After moving to Little Shaw following her husband's passing, Ginny unexpectedly gets caught up in a murder investigation after finding her new boss, the town librarian, dead. What ensues is a entertaining and fun read with quite a few twists.

Ginny was an endearing main character and reminded me so much of my MIL at times. She is an easily likeable character with her heart in the right place. I enjoyed the writing style and could easily tell the author was someone who knew how to keep her audience hooked and entertained.

While I enjoyed it, I do think cozy mysteries maybe just aren't for me. I prefer higher stakes and thrills, however this would suit anyone who enjoys a good sleuthing without the adrenaline and instead a cozy vibe with a dose of found family. A fun little read all-round that kept me guessing till the end.

** I received a complimentary copy of this book from Storm Publishing via Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Ginny Cole has moved to the quaint village, Little Shaw, for a fresh start following the death of her husband. She gets a job at the local library and meets a few friends, who invite her into their unofficial widow club. All is going well for Ginny until her manager is found dead. It is initially thought to be an accident, but thanks to Ginny they realise she was murdered. Like all little villages, the mystery is subject to a lot of gossip and speculation and Ginny is soon drawn into this herself along with the rest of the widows to find out whodunnit.

I really enjoyed the portrayal of Ginny and the widows as they eschew the stereotype for woman of their age - you’ll find yourself forgetting they’re in their 60s! But they still have that familiar warmth and no-nonsense attitude you associate with your older relatives.

For a cosy mystery there were a lot of deaths and you don’t know who’s safe and who’s next! The plot has lots of twists and doesn’t slow down. Added bonus is that this is a nice short book to get you out of a reading slump. Definitely recommend!

Cozy mystery that was a fun, fast read, so if that is a genre you enjoy, you will probably like this. Felt like there were too many side characters, which made if difficult to keep them straight and connect with the characters.

I received an ARC of this novel from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Ginny is a widow who gets a little job in the local library but then finds the murdered body of the disliked library manager. She joins forces with other widows in the village. But then there are more murders. Fantastic book

Ginny Cole, initially seeking a part-time job at the small library in Little Shaw, found herself entangled in a web of intrigue upon her arrival. When she discovers the dead body of her unlikeable boss, she is determined to discover what happened to him.

Ginny is not alone in this. In fact, she soon meets some other ladies her age, and she becomes fast friends with them. They are JM, Hen and Tuppence, all widows like Ginny, who possessed a quirky charm that Ginny couldn’t resist. The group is eager to form a club, one that would find the four of them solving crimes together.

However, as with any case involving a civilian, the police were not amused. Detective Inspector Wallace, the assigned investigator, was determined to have Ginny leave the crime-solving to him. Despite the tension, Ginny remained steadfast in her commitment to solve the crime with her little group. .

This delightful first book in a cozy mystery series has left me eagerly anticipating the subsequent installments. In fact, I couldn’t resist reading The Widows’ Guide to Backstabbing immediately, the second book in the series, which was an equally enjoyable adventure.

Many thanks to Storm Publishing and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Great for fans of The Thursday Murder Club and The Marlowe Murder Club, I loved this cozy mystery set in quaint Little Shaw and its community library. I loved the way Ginny’s grief and new widowhood is woven into the mystery (which turns out to be driven by twisted grief.), and loved the quirky characters that populate the world of Little Shaw. There are multiple mysteries afoot, which kept me guessing. 🌟🌟🌟🌟 Highly recommend.

This was an really enjoyable book! I loved the main character Ginny and her quirky new friends. This is the first in what promises to be a great new cozy series. It is well written and easy to read. The plot revolves around the library but is not exclusive to it. The widows are anything but boring and very little stops them, including the local police, in their pursuit of a solution. If you've watch "The Marlow Murder Club" on PBS, this book has a similar feel and premise.

The author kept my suspicions switching around among various characters, and although I wasn't entirely surprised at the identity of the murderer, the motive never occurred to me.

I look forward to the next books in the series.

Thank you to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for the Arc.

This brought me out of my reading slump! For the past few months I have been so busy and could not for the life of me pick up or finish any of my books until now.

This novel follows Ginny, a widow who recently moved into a quaint little town. Wanting to become more independent, she decides to get a job. She gets hired as a library assistant at the community library, only to hate her employer. It seems no one else in the town liked her boss either as she ended up dead soon after. Soon, Ginny and her new widow friends meddle and solve the crime.

I really liked Ginny, I think she’s a great character and super interesting. She’s not particularly complicated but she has some depth for a cozy mystery. The book was also very easy to read and I finished it in about three sittings, but only because I am still quite busy. You can easily finish this in one day.

The first in the Widow’s Dective Club followed newly widowed Ginny and the friends she makes in the village she has just moved to. When her new boss in the village library is murdered, Ginny finds herself making friends with other widows who like to break into houses, dig up graves and drink!
Edgar, the black cat is a delightful side character.
Ashby kept me guessing til the very end, and I can’t wait to read the 2nd book.
The characters are so relatable, and Ashby keeps the twists coming.
Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc.

This is the start of a new series and it is one that I would highly recommend, I loved it and have book 2 ready to read which I can’t wait for. Ginny is very down to earth in the way she thinks and goes about solving crimes and has made lots of new quirky and interesting friends. It’s a nice, cosy mystery and I look forward to seeing how the series develops.

Fans of cosy murder mysteries and senior citizens behaving badly will enjoy this - as I did. The senior sleuths are unlikely but fiercely loyal friends plus adorably fun and funny from calling people toads, gooses or ninnies to digging up graveyards and YouTubing how to pick locks. Then pair them with a dead librarian and a close-knit village rife with gossips and secrets and and you've got an entertaining and heartwarming murder mystery. Whilst not necessarily a must-read, it's a solid, fun four-star read - and what looks to be the first in a new series.

This is ideal for lovers of Agatha Christie, Richard Osman and Robert Thorogood. It’s a cosy murder mystery set in a village in Lancashire. A murder occurs and some of the villagers get involved in solving it. In this case, it’s a Quartet of widowed ladies. Throw in some accommodating police officers and the ladies get to work it all out. The second in the series The Widows’ Guide to Backstabbing is the follow up. Delightful and engaging. Perfect for Mother’s Day!

After the death of her beloved husband, Ginny Cole, is left with no choice but to start over. She's heartbroken and misses him dearly, but it cannot be changed. What is going to change is Ginny's life. She decides to move to the village of Little Shaw for her fresh start, and she needs to get a job. She's happy, though also nervous, when she ends up securing a position as a librarian's assistant.

She's never worked at a library before, but she loves to read and it seems like it could be a fun and fulfilling job. Her unlikable new boss, Louisa, is startlingly rude, but Ginny just supposes that's something she will have to get used to. At least the volunteers seem lovely, and she imagines she'll fit in with time. Her hopes of an easy transition are nixed though, when on her second-day on the job she discovers a dead body in the library. Now Ginny finds herself thrust head-first into local scandals and secrets.

She ends up being approached and befriended by a small group of local widows, feisty and full of fun, the lot of them, who take Ginny under their wing and start to include her in their activities. Of course, their current activity is getting to the bottom of this murder mystery. One of the widows, her daughter, Alyson, is currently the prime suspect. The women know she's not guilty, meaning the killer is still out there, and they plan to find them.

This is such a strong start to a new Cozy Mystery series. This main character, Ginny, is definitely one I could picture myself enjoying for many books to come. Bonus points: in this book, she adopts an adorably-cheeky black cat that she names, Edgar. He's so cute!

I loved the friend group that Ginny gets brought into as well. They all know what it's like to be in her shoes, and I think she found strength in their friendship. It was incredibly healing for Ginny and she really needed that. Ginny's character arc was very well done. Watching her coming into her own, I'm definitely looking forward to more of that as the series continues.

There's also a teenage volunteer, Connor, who I hope is a recurring character in the series. I feel like he and Ginny could end up having a sort of grandparent/child relationship and it's so sweet to read about. I enjoyed how Ginny is new to town, so you get to learn all about the townsfolk at the same time she does. It makes it feel really natural. I also appreciated how logical Ginny is in such a realistic way. She doesn't have OTT-powers of deductive reasoning like some sleuths.

While I had a few issues at the conclusion, overall, I adored this. The library, the cat, the hilarious group of widows; well played, Amanda Ashby. I'm looking forward to more!! I would definitely recommend this to Cozy Mystery fans who love small town settings and slightly older protagonists. Full of humor and heart, this one shouldn't be missed.

Thank you so much, Storm Publishing, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I'm looking forward to getting my hands on the next book soon!