"They say curiosity killed the cat, but in the sleepy village of Monksworthy, it's about to unearth a body.

When local aristocrat Sir Barnaby Cavendish-Mortimer joins the village detectorists, he's expecting old Roman coins and a Saturday morning stroll - not a dead body buried on his estate.

A body with eleven toes.

Naturally, the villagers do what they do best: jump to conclusions. And all fingers - and toes, it seems - point to Sir Barnaby as the killer.

As full-time busybodies and part-time sleuths, Sylvie, Liz and Harriet can't just sit back while their friend's reputation crumbles.

With a little snooping, a lot of eavesdropping and more pastries than strictly necessary, the trio are determined to clear Sir Barnaby's name.

But while the gossip swirls and suspicions mount, another body is discovered. And this time, Sylvie, Liz and Harriet know the victim.

This isn't just a case of whodunit - it's a question of who's next.

Can the three amateur sleuths crack the case before the killer strikes again - or will one of them be next to end up six feet under...?

Perfect for fans of Faith Martin, the Reverend Richard Coles, Kristen Perrin, Veronica Heley or Fiona Leitch."

Two, Ten, Eleven. Eyes, fingers, toes. If you know what that's from you're my new best friend.

The village of Monksworthy is all in a tizzy as they prepare to compete in the annual Wye Valley Village of the Year contest. The members of the Monksworthy Action Group (MAG) meet throughout the year to ensure they are on track with everything that needs to be done for the competition, as well as keeping their village looking clean and picturesque. They are in equal measures horrified and thrilled when a neighboring village (and one of their biggest competitors) is vandalized and left looking bedraggled. When a group of metal detector enthusiasts (detectorists) asks for permission to search on a nearby estate, the owner is only too happy to oblige and to join in the detecting. Of course, what he ends up detecting is a buried body. After some investigation, the police determine the victim had been murdered and buried within the last ten years. The villagers are upset but carry on with their plans to wow the visiting judges for the competition. When another body is discovered, it looks as if they will have a hard time being Village of the Year.

The action in the story moves along at a very leisurely pace. There were quite a few villagers mentioned, but as none of them really stood out for any reason so it was hard for me to keep up with who was who. I liked the cozy village feel of the setting and the characters, but the story's slow pace frustrated me at times while I waited for something to happen other than another gossip session among the villagers!