The Widows’ Guide to Skulduggery is the third Widows' Detective Club village cozy mystery by Amanda Ashby. Released 30th June 2025, it's 280 pages and is available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free. The other books in the series are also currently available on KU.

Small village cozies are perennially popular and it's lovely to find a solid series. The book is populated by small town eccentrics, undercurrents of rage, jealousy, and scandal, into which the new local village librarian has been unceremoniously thrust without warning. It checks all the boxes: intelligent late middle aged sensible widow/librarian, small town gossip, an outlandish ensemble cast of apparently harmless oddball characters, and a satisfying resolution and epilogue.

Compared to the first books in the series, the series has found a footing and more surety in the plotting, with a host of secondary characters who are a bit of a handful to keep track of, but overall, still readable and enjoyable.

It's not derivative, but fans of Robert Thorogood (Marlow Murder Club), Janice Hallett, and Richard Osman will find a lot to like here. The author has a genuinely good grasp of character and setting, good pacing, and a satisfying denouement and conclusion.

The unabridged audiobook has a run time of 8 hours 40 minutes and is capably read by series narrator Diana Croft. She has a well modulated alto voice and an impressive command of regional accents (East London, Midlands, etc), and switches seamlessly between a range of ages and male and female (even Scottish) without a hiccup. Sound and production quality are high throughout the read.

Four stars. It's a diverting read. It would be a great choice for home library, or a binge/buddy read. There are now three books extant in the series.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Thank you, Storm Publishing, and NetGalley for letting me review The Widow's Guide to Skulduggery, to provide an honest review in return.

I absolutely love this series! This is the third book, and definitely the best for me! There was more suspense, and I will never get enough of the group of widows, that can get away with sneaking around to work on investigations.

The widows are always running into trouble on accident or on purpose, and then being older widows, they get looked over, which has helped them uncover many murders.

This one had me wanting to turn the next page, then the next page, until I know it, I have read the whole book in one sitting. It was gripping, and I love all of the characters in this book. You just fall in love with them and their quirks.

This book is suspenseful, gripping, and twists and turns throughout the whole book starting at the very beginning, with Little Shaw and a skull just uncovered and crashing a wedding. An old skull, a new dead body, can they solve this before another one drops dead?

Check this book out you guys! I absolutely love this series.

Ginny, JM, Hen and Tuppence are back, and I can't get enough of them!

Ginny Cole is invited to a wedding. All is going well until a skull rolls onto the bride's feet. Chaos ensues, and the police are called. However, it seems like no one is interested in finding out the origin of the skull. It is up to Ginny and the Widow's Club to figure it out.

It is always such a treat to read this series. There are enough twists, turns, and secrets to make this another fast-paced success.

Thank you, Netgalley and Storm Publishing, for this ARC. All opinions are entirely my own.

I have been thoroughly enjoying this series! The widows a quirky without being "too much" and the mysteries offer up some nice twists and turns. I especially like how the author has added depth to the side characters and keeps them involved throughout each book. With this book we also get to know more of Connor's complicated family - his grandmother is somehow both terrifying and someone you would want to sit around and have a drink with. Having the initial events occur during the wedding opened up the door for plenty of new characters all of whom made good suspects. The rivalry between the towns offered some levity as well as plenty of motives for the various crimes. The big reveal of the murderer came as a surprise to me - I did not see it coming until Ginny made the realization herself. The only bigger surprise (for me at least) was the reason behind of the initial murder that kind of got everything started. Of course, the best parts are those in which the widows are carrying out their investigations. I would not mind growing up to be any one of these women!

I enjoyed this book like I did the other two in the series, they are easy to read and are charming, twisty, and have just the right amount of macabre.

I really enjoy this series, with a great cast of characters and very involving mysteries. In this one, I especially enjoyed the research into maps that the writer must have done.

This is the third book in the series and they have improved over time.

To give too much information would be to provide too many spoilers for what is a cozy mystery thriller..

It’s well written with lots of twists and turns to keep the reader entertained - and to encourage just one more page/chapter.

The group of widows are developing their own characters and their own roles within the group as they investigate the Skulduggery.

Can’t wait for the next in the series - I sincerely hope there will be a next !

I love a good cozy crime, and this ticks all the boxes: a mystery to solve, lighthearted, cute characters with friendships galore. If a book had a map on page one, I’m locked it! An easy read, I flew through the short chapters.
I read this from NetGalley before I had read the first two in the series, I will be going back to start the series; I’m looking to reading about how Ginny and Connor struck up their friendship.

Forst I was drawn to the novel by the title! So fun! When a skull makes an appearance at a wedding the story takes off. Highly inventive, thoroughly enjoyable. I dod t want it to end!

This was a little too cozy for me with a chief proagonist a little too perfect. The writing was a little simplistic and the ending a little unbelievable

arc book review
upcoming pub date: 6.30.25
genre: mystery and thrillers
⭐️⭐️

about:
when a human skull gate crashes her friend’s wedding day, widower, ginny cole, is on the case with the rest of her crew.

my thoughts:
this book is part of the widows’ detective club series and is somewhat akin to richard osman’s thursday murder club in that an older foursome have a knack for solving mysteries together. i really liked the main character, ginny, however, the rest of the story’s structure, wasn’t my favorite. the two town’s where the bride and groom were from being divided felt contrived when layering in a possible curse having to do with the skull showing up to stop the wedding. i felt pretty disconnected from the characters including the murderer so the reveal at the end fell flat. i struggled to follow the implications of the maps and really this one just wasn’t for me. but if you’re into small town murder mysteries this may be the right read for you!

thank you to @stormbooks_co for the early read opportunity!

The third book in this series and somehow I missed number two! This did not affect my enjoyment of number three.

Ginny Cole is attending a friends wedding when a guest's dog presents the bride with an unexpected and unwanted gift of a human skull. The police are called, the wedding is cancelled, and Ginny and her fellow members of the Widows Detective Club set out to solve the mystery and get the wedding happening again.

A fun story with entertaining characters and an interesting mystery. Now I must find book 2.

This is the third of the Widows’ Detective Club and I was keen to reengage with Ginny and her eclectic group of friends and neighbours. The story starts at a wedding with the bride and groom from feuding villages. Tensions are high as the two sides express their dislike of the other with metaphorical daggers drawn. Then an unexpected event causes the wedding to be cancelled. Was it accidental or was it sabotage?

The plot quickly develops with a smattering of red herrings, unexpected twists, murder, and some interesting historical insights. Another well crafted story, brilliantly told.

This is the third book in the series, but this is the first one I have read. I didn’t have any issues reading this without reading the first two books. I enjoyed this book so I plan on going back and reading the first two books. I enjoyed that this took place at a wedding and then turns into an investigation. I thought this book was easy to follow and a fun read. The mystery aspect was also good and entertaining.

Just before a wedding is due to take place a skull is unearthed in the churchyard by a dog, bringing the proceedings to a sudden halt. The two due to be married are from two wildly different families, the groom from a rich, titled background and the bride from a more, shall we say, down to earth one. The four widows are again drawn into investigating a murder.
This is the third book in the series which is the definition of a cozy mystery, with the four friends investigating when the police don't seem interested. There is also a long running fued between two villages, making the investigation even more difficult. A fun story with plenty of twists and turns, read and enjoy.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, however this did not influence my review of the book

The quad of lovable but rebellious amateur sleuths are back.  You'd think a wedding in a small village would be a peaceful affair but village scandal, local politics and a detached skull are about to put the wedding in disarray!

Ginny, Tuppence, Hen, and JM really are a bunch of like minded individuals who have found their tribe.  When they've come through some of the toughest times together, now they get to help a young village resident get the HEA she so deserves.

There were enough twists in the story to keep everything fresh and moving at a decent pace.  Unravelling the threads of the story and gasping at the big reveal (did not see that one coming I'll admit).  I've never seen a truer depiction of the bickering that can happen between the close villages in the countryside - you'd think the next village over would as well be on the moon to some, LOL.

It was nice to see more of the local police teams and a certain Scottish Transplant PC continues to be one of my favourite secondary characters. However, that new DI we met I can't stand her and I really hope we've seen the back of her!  I did feel sorry for poor Wallace I'll admit.  Only home for a few hours and still gets no peace and quiet!

Although this is book 3 of the series it was the first one I had read and it was fine as a stand alone. Cosy crime in a village setting, the crime solvers are older and all widows, with help from other villagers. There is a rivalry with a nearby village which sets the scene for the crime. The story has a good pace and plenty of intrigue and the main characters are very likeable.

This is the third book in the series and I enjoyed it even more than the first book! I love the main character Ginny and her quirky
new friends. There is much unpleasantness between the people of two rival towns, with hints of historical mysteries, and the ladies are in the thick of it all, despite the police not wanting them to get involved.

You can read and enjoy this book even if you have not read the earlier ones in the series. It kept my interest all the way through and I did not guess the solutions to the multiple mysteries.

** “We all carry our scars, don’t we?” **

Amanda Ashby continues her fun cozy mystery series with “The Widows’ Guide to Skulduggery.”

When a 20-year-old skull shows up at a wedding, village librarian Ginny Cole is once again pulled into an investigation of mysterious circumstances. With the help of her friends and fellow widows JM, Hen and Tuppence, the four women try to determine how and why the skull appeared at the wedding. But as the case grows deeper and stranger, will they be able to figure out the connection to modern-day tragedies? And can they save a wedding on the rocks?

As usual, Ashby creates a delightfully fun story filled with mystery and drama that will appeal to all mystery lovers. She develops a fun cast of characters, some lovable, some quirky, and some who are quite loathsome. And through her story she reminds us to find our strengths and abilities and work together with others; the power of friendship; and we all have our own scars to get past.

Fans of series like Richard Osman’s “The Thursday Murder Club,” Robert Thorogood’s “The Marlow Murder Club” and Peter Boland’s “The Charity Shop Detective Agency Mysteries” will love “The Widows’ Guide to Skulduggery,” which is due out June 30.

Five stars out of five.

Storm Publishing provided this complimentary copy through NetGalley for my honest, unbiased review.

I enjoyed the characters and the setting. The mystery kept me guessing.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.