This is a great cosy mystery that kept me reading from start to finish. Starting with Honey and Steve on a very long holiday until they must turn home to Bath, their jobs and of course a murder. This book gave me everything I love and enjoy about a good cosy mystery. There was scamming, murder, sleuthing and so much more. I love the quirkiness of the characters and the story, the setting plus it had the twists and turns I would expect and the intrigue to keep me guessing.

And although I haven't read and of her other books I still enjoyed this one and will certainly look into reading more of not only this eries but her other books as well.

Thank you NetGalley and Joffe Books for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Here is my review for A Claim To Murder by Jean G Goodhind

I truly enjoyed this intriguing cozy mystery which ends up being set in Bath. Honey Driver and her husband DI Steve Doherty have to return once their lovely yacht sinks after hitting something from a cargo ship. They have been trying to contact their insurance broker, Norman Glendower, but the phone is just ringing out and his office at the address they have for him. Unfortunately, it appears that something has happened to Norman. His upset cat manages to lead a curious neighbour straight to where his prone body lays. He’s been attacked and left for dead on the tiles of his kitchen floor. Honey gets onto the case of trying to find out who killed him from the list of enemies he had. I got into this great story straight away right from the start of the book. I liked Honey, who seemed lovely, quirky and bright plus I liked the introduction to her although this is book fourteen and the first book I have read in the series. The other characters seemed to be written well with plenty of realization to them. I liked the setting of their hotel and the two people they have running it for them. The story is the type of mystery that I love reading. I was hooked right from the start of the story and found that I couldn’t put the book down as I wanted to know what happened next. I liked the author’s writing style and I found it really easy to get into. I felt as though I could visualize the scenes as I was reading them, the writing made it feel that real to me. The writing was very descriptive and everything was described in great detail. The synopsis of the story drew me to read this book and I most certainly wasn’t disappointed in reading it. I would like to read more books in this series.

Blurb :

Discover a fiendishly twisty new whodunit, starring Bath’s answer to Miss Marple — quirky, chaotic and utterly lovable hotelier Honey Driver.

Life couldn’t be sweeter for Honey, floating around the Med on her own private yacht, with her dishy detective husband Steve.

But dark clouds are gathering on Honey’s perfect horizon. And the forecast looks like murder!

When Honey’s love boat sinks in a freak accident, she has no choice but to return to rain-drenched Bath. But now that Honey needs him, her insurance broker, silver-tongued Norman Glendower, is nowhere to be found.

He’s not at his luxury offices in town and he’s not answering his phone.

Honey could kill Norman for leaving her in this fix. But what if someone got there first?

Behind the gates of leafy Regency Gardens, the exclusive complex where Norman lives, something is terribly amiss. Norman’s mewling cat leads a curious neighbour straight to his dead body!

He’s been bludgeoned and left for dead on the pristine tiles of his designer kitchen. Which of his many enemies was the one to strike the fatal blow?

Honey’s on the case — with a killer watching her every move . . .

Fans of Faith Martin, Jane Adams, Frances Evesham, M.C. Beaton, Clare Chase or Jeanne M. Dams will love this addictive cozy mystery!

MEET HONEY DRIVER
As the boss at a Bath hotel, Honey Driver is in charge one day and washing dishes the next. As a widowed mum, she’s balancing mothering an increasingly challenging teenage daughter alongside a new and budding relationship with local police officer, DI Steve Doherty. As the police liaison for the Bath Hotels Association, she’s supposed to be staying out of trouble . . .

THE SETTING
Nestled in the rolling hills of Somerset, the beautiful city of Bath brims with lovely Georgian architecture, a buzzing cultural scene and the well-preserved Roman baths that give it its name. As the owner of the Green River Hotel, Honey is immersed in the city’s bustling hospitality scene — where gossip flows as freely as the afternoon tea, and scandal is never far from the surface. It’s a honey-coloured haven for tourists — and the occasional criminal element.

I had not read any other books in this series, or by this author, and I'm afraid this missed the mark. There seemed to be a lot of over the top and convoluted aspects to the story, including some of the characters. Not a fan.

The book opens on the sunny Mediterranean where Holly and Steve have chucked it all to live the dream life. Reality sinks that ship literally and when they return to Bath trying to connect with their insurance agent, they are drawn into a very deep and dark web. Holly is able to go back to her hotel and the police are only too glad to have Steve back on the job. As it turns out, their insurance guy has been scamming them and they are but a drop on the dirty dealings in which he has been immersed. In fact, it has got him killed. His body is found only because his beloved Bengal cat has been roaming the gated community yowling her head off. Tassel, said kitty, proves to be key to solving not only one but two murders and various serious and nefarious deeds of gangland London.

I have enjoyed each of the Holly books I have read. I love how Steve leans on her powers of observation and ability to get people to talk. The two of them are a formidable team and there is so much affection between them too. Plus, there are some colourful characters around the hotel including a self described psychic and Holly’s eccentric mother. And I look forward to their next book and hope Tassel has more to do in future investigations.

Five purrs and two paws up.

A claim to murder by Jean G Goodhind.Honey Driver mystery book 14.
This is a new author for me. I didn't realise that it was a series. This was a good read. I did like Honey and Steve. It took me a while to get into this book. I had to get used to the writing style. I did like the cover and blurb of this book. I did love the setting. I did end up enjoying this book. I will start at book one. Hopefully, I will enjoy it more reading the series from the start.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free copy of the book in exchange for this honest review.

Honey Driver, a hotel owner and amateur sleuth, and her partner Steve (a police detective on sabbatical) are forced to return home from two years of yachting when their boat sinks in a sudden accident. They return to Bath to find that their insurance agent has scammed them–and he’s just been murdered.

I’ll start with the positives. There were a few characters that stood out to me as really interesting and well-written. The most notable of which was Mrs. Faversham. Her background and outlook on life were intriguing and I enjoyed the scenes written from her POV. I also appreciated that the main characters were allowed to have hobbies, complicated feelings, and a sense of humor, despite being middle-aged. This book was the fourteenth entry in a series, and you could tell, but I thought the author did a good job introducing established places and characters in an accessible way for new readers.

However, I felt writing was unimpressive overall. The pacing was very odd and the conclusion of the mystery was not well-explained and really rushed. The plot left a lot to be desired. I also didn’t care for Steve, Honey’s partner (Boyfriend? Husband? Fiance? Unclear). He struck me as childish (despite being in his fifties) and self-centered.

For me, this was two out of five stars. It wasn’t awful, but I didn’t really enjoy it very much either. If you like cozy (and sort of silly) mysteries with a large cast of quirky characters, you might enjoy this series.

A new cozy mystery in the Honey Driver series (14).. However this is my least favourite so far I think. It all felt very convoluted with not much solving going on just lots of running around until they seems to fall over the answer and Honey and Steve are not solving it together either. As I said not my favourite but ok in that things got solved. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Never having read any of this author before, I looked forward to reading this new book. I became a little confused with the many characters all who had strangest sounding names! I also felt that the story was going nowhere but in circles! I didn't really enjoy this book but can see that it would be so for other readers.
Many thanx to NetGalley, the author and the publishers for allowing me to read and review this book.

Part of a series but works as a standalone. The best bit about this story are the many and varied characters,including the cat.

I had not read any of the other books in the Honey (Hannah) Driver series but I have read many books by the author under another name - so was intrigued by the change of tack in this to a cozy mystery. Her other books tend to be gritty historical sagas so this was a real eye-opener.

It really didn’t matter that this was my first Honey book - the author provided enough back story to understand the long running characters - one was mentioned too often for my liking if I am honest - and of course there were lots of new ones to get to know.

Honey and Steve had gone on the yacht trip of a lifetime - but Steve had been remiss in taking the word of his colleagues for insurance. Who knew containers often fell of ships and caused maritime incidents? So they were forced back to Honey’s hotel in Bath. Mary-Jane was certainly eccentric with her paranormal ideas and quirks

I had guessed where Tassel - the pampered Bengal cat - would fit in - and her collar was the key to the murders and mystery. A gated estate, an inept ex-policeman security guard and a nosey but very fit busy body meant that there were secrets but none that anyone would want let out.

This was a cosy mystery with many a twist and turn, it was an easy read and I personally found the end and arrest of the culprits rather rushed. I understood the why for both murders but it seemed that Steve - now reinstalled as a policeman (I presume that’s possible when one has gone on a. Sabbatical) - had no idea on one page then all the pieces dropped together and he was arresting people on the next.

But having said that I really enjoyed this book - there was no bad language or anything else offensive in my view.

Will look out for more Jean G. Goodhind books as well as others by this author,

The plot is sneaky and well calculated, but it's the characters that had me laughing my sox off! The publisher's blurb is a good place to start, but my favorite character is a seventy something ex spy who keeps her nosiness on the inhabitants of the gated community while pedaling furiously on her exercise bike which overlooks the most travelled part of the location. Although the self-described psychic runs a close second in the laugh department.
I think it can be read as stand-alone because anything needed from the earlier books is alluded to. Absolutely loved this hilarious book masquerading as serious!
If you like your cozies irreverent and with a lot of laughs, you'll love this one as much as I did!
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected proof copy from Joffe Books via NetGalley.
#AClaimtoMurder by #JeanGoodhind #HoneyDriverMurderMysteriesBk14 @joffebooks
#cozymystery #England #laughriot #snarky #twisty #unputdownable #laughyoursoxoff

Hotelier Honey Driver and her police inspector husband, Steve, are living the dream. Cruising the Mediterranean on their yacht, Footloose, life couldn’t be better, until the yacht is sunk and Honey and Steve find themselves back in Bath trying to get the insurance payout. However, all does not go well when their so-called broker Norman Glendower, turns up dead in his home in the high end gated community Regency Gardens. With Steve back on the job, Honey teams up with the eccentric long term inhabitant of Honey’s hotel and Norman’s mewling cat to try and track down a murderer before anyone else gets hurt.
A Claim to Murder takes the reader on a twisting turning journey peopled with a variety of familiar and new characters. The plot is complex enough to hold the reader’s attention and keep you turning the pages in an attempt to find the murderer before Honey and Steve. The solution is not obvious.4/5

In the fourteenth installment of Jean G. Goodhind’s Honey Driver series, the author once again proves her mastery of the cozy mystery form, delivering a smartly plotted whodunit that balances intrigue, charm, and an undercurrent of humor. Longtime fans and new readers alike will find much to enjoy in this latest outing.

The story opens on an adventurous note, with Honey and her husband Steve—now living aboard their yacht Footloose—having traded domesticity for life at sea. However, this idyllic phase is short-lived. A turn of events forces them back to land, where they are promptly drawn into a fresh mystery involving not one, but two murders. As the investigation deepens, a complex web of deceit and long-buried secrets comes to light, propelling the narrative through several satisfying twists.

What elevates this entry in the series is its delightful cast of supporting characters. A quirky psychic friend lends a touch of the mystical, while the inclusion of a regal Bengal cat adds both humor and heart. These elements inject the novel with a light eccentricity that keeps the tone engaging without veering into the absurd.

Despite being part of a long-running series, this book stands comfortably on its own. Goodhind’s writing remains accessible, her pacing brisk, and her plotting as tight as ever. The chemistry between Honey and Steve, particularly with Steve’s background as a professional police detective, grounds the mystery with a realistic investigative thread while still embracing the charm of the amateur sleuth tradition.

Overall, Murder in Mid-Channel is a warm, clever mystery with just enough bite to keep the pages turning. Fans of character-driven cozies will be more than satisfied.

First time reading this author. I enjoyed the book.

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

This was such a fun cozy. It was a nice light read with a twisty plot, mystery, romance, and great main characters. I look forward to reading the next book in this series.

When Honey Driver, owner of the Green River Hotel and her partner, Steve Doherty ( on leave from the police dept.) are suddenly back home in Bath after their sailing boat hit a sunken storage container in the Mediterranean, and sank. On their return, they were unable to contact their agent nor the insurance company to file a claim. Then the body of their agent is found dead in his house at the Regency Gardens gated community, Steve is reinstated so he can investigate. As Honey and Steve question the people at Regency Gardens another resident is murdered. Honey feels that it is all connected to criminal insurance claims.
A new entertaining and enjoyable cozy mystery in the Honey Driver series. With the culprits being apprehended with the help of a cat named Tassel.
Thank you NetGalley and Joffe Books for the opportunity to read this e-galley of "A Claim to Murder".

Honey Driver and her partner Steve Doharty, a policeman, are on their sailing yacht Footloose out in the Mediterrean when they hear a sudden bang against the hull. Water begins dashing the decks, and they have to grag their emergency bag and get to the life raft. They are finally rescued, and try ringing their insurance broker, Norman Glendower, but there was no answer. They finally returned to Bath, to the Green River Hotel and check into the Honeymoon Suite. Then they begin looking for their insurance broker. He wasn't at his old site which was now the Pampered Pooches. Steve decides to go back to the police, and hears that Norman had been dead about a week in his house in the fancy Regency Gardens, but the police had only just heard that morning. Honey's Mom says her friend Gladys Fabersham lives there, and Steve knows the ex-policeman gate man Warren Hart, so they can get into Regency Gardens. They spend some time with Warren at the gate house and then go to the Fabersham house. Conveniently, Gladys lives next door to Norman and they can see police vehicles outside his house. Gladys is a little strange: she does exercises in a room with a great view of the surrounding houses and writes up stories about her neighbors with things they wouldn't want anyone else to know. It appears that Norman had a daughter who is "an influencer" and somewhat of a shut. She also has very expensive tastes'

There are a few very strange characters including Gladys and Honey's friend Mary Jane. However, in spite of not being very realistic, it was a fun read.

2* This missed the mark for me. I don't really think the author thought the plot out, just characters that she wanted to use, relevant or not, the best of which was the bengal, followed by Mary-Jane.

I really wanted to like this cosy mystery, but it wasn't well-thought-out enough. I'm new to the series, but it wasn't hard to get into the tale, though the start with the boat sinking was a bit wordy and convoluted. Yes, it gave an opening and an intro to the first deceased, but it felt unrealistic that a cop on a sabbatical that'd lasted around 2 years would be straight back in the fold and 'investigating' a murder (he wasn't at all professional and didn't seem in charge) even before being brought up to speed with changes, and with retraining and current events. It was also unrealistic that Honey would be accompanying him on official jaunts, but tbh, with Mary-Jane, she might have done OK by herself as part of an unorthodox investigating duo.

Why this didn't work for me:

The 2 or 3 cop characters mentioned went nowhere. Why big one up to hate Steve but do nothing with it?

The Turnip/Turpin thing went nowhere and I couldn't see what allegedly happened, happening. Especially with the reveal about CCTV.

The scenes at the cattery were OTT and bigged up nothing into nothing.

Having more than one character with a name starting with the same initial was confusing.

Tassel was the best thing in the tale.

The reason for the first murder wasn't explained, nor was the M.O. of the second.

Steve wasn't very intelligent - who makes payment on an insurance policy to a personal bank account of a broker, especially without a policy document? He's meant to be a cop but came across as not living in 2025.

There's an offensive term in this, just a few pages in, that's long deemed un-PC, and racially derogatory, that the editor should've pulled from this tale. I'm stunned to come across it.

ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Joffe Books for my reading pleasure.

Honey and Steve are on their yacht when they hit a container in the Mediterranean, and the ship sinks. Luckily they made it safely to the life raft, and sent a signal to be rescued. Heading back to England they find out the person who gave them an insurance policy, which is no good, is also dead. Steve is semi-retired from the police force, but is asked to step in, and Honey offers to help. I did enjoy this one, although it is my first in the series I've read, so a few characters had little meaning to me. Still though, can stand alone and would highly recommend it.

Nosedive..
The latest outing in the Honey Driver series of mysteries finds Honey’s fortunes taking a drastic nosedive when she is forced to return to Bath and away from the sparkling Mediterranean seas. Annoyed and irritated she immediately seeks out Norman - she could never have imagined what she will find. Another enjoyable and entertaining mystery with a likeable protagonist in Honey, a well formed cast and a pacy plot. A worthy addition to this long running and engaging series.