Goodreads | Amazon 

*Affiliate link used*

–Synopsis–

Soon to be divorced Julia South never expected to be caught up in solving a murder, until she discovered the body of her cafe’s most awkward customer. With a new smug Detective Inspector in town who underestimates her every move, Julia makes it her mission to discover the real murderer, before her village friends are dragged into the frame, and more bodies are discovered.

–Review–

Another book that one could easily complete in one sitting, this is the first installment in a rather long cozy mystery series.

Set in the English country village of Peridale, the main protagonist Julia owns and operates the local cafe. She was born in raised in the village but moved out when she married her soon-to-be ex-husband, choosing to move to the big city. Now, having been served divorce papers, she has found her way back to this quaint Hamlet. Devastated with her husband kicking her out, she uses baking as a form of therapy and bought and set up her cafe in the middle of town. A series of events leads her to discovering the body of one of the more controversial characters in the village. In a close-knit community where gossip is currency, Julia has brought it upon herself to solve the murder before the new DI, Barker can strong-arm his way through the community, causing even more controversy and chaos.

The atmosphere is amazing in the story. I was getting hard-core New England Fall vibes from the very beginning which is my favorite aesthetic hands down. The cottage style of the homes is described but not overdone, allowing some creative freedom from the readers. Agatha really captures the positives and negatives about living in such a small town where everybody knows everybody else. God bless the soul of any newcomer, for they will be interrogated as criminals.

Being a lover of baking myself, I felt instantly attached to Julia. What inspired her to bake in the first place begins the exploration of her character. I had to look up what a vanilla slice was and now I am inspired to bake that myself! The fact she continues to bake gorgeous desserts throughout the book, even using them as a means to get information out of people, is endearing. She never neglects her responsibilities even with the murder investigation actively going on. At times, she is very brazen and impulsive which could be attributed to feeling too comfortable in this town, so it was more understandable in this setting. Her loyalty to her neighbors was respectable at times, while her preconceptions blinded her judgment at others.

The romance in this story is a slow burn side plot with an obvious set up. Being as long of a series as this is, I was comforted by the slow nature of Julia’s relationship with Barker. I have a strong aversion to the style of getting through the romance plot as fast as possible particular in a series.

Barker, who comes from the big city, moved to Peridale to get away from the hustle and bustle. Only to be met with ALL the drama of this small town, within the first week of moving. He is the typical stoic, all business all the time detective who seems not very interested in involving himself with the community at the beginning. As he begins to uncover the endless connections spiderwebbing across the community, he gets dragged into the camaraderie anyways. He begins to lower his facade, particularly with Julia, opening himself up for meaningful relationships.

The mystery is written very well. I did not have a good grasp of who dunnit, but when it was revealed, it made sense. You can see the puzzle pieces aligning as the case goes on. The sort of vigilante nature of Julia was suspenseful at times, but it always seemed to go in her favor. One negative I found in this aspect was how many of the discoveries, were possible because of coincidences. Julia just so happened to be at the right place at the right time to catch people of interests. I am curious to see if that trend continues throughout the series, and how regular it occurs.

If you enjoy cozy murder-mystery having small town stories, then I would HIGHLY recommend this gem. The struggle was real when it came to having to stop reading due to responsibilities throughout the day, otherwise, I would not have put it down. The next 33 (!!!) sequels are available on Kindle Unlimited, with the 35th installment coming out this month (September 2025). They are relatively shorter reads, so it is perfect binge material! Being the first book from Agatha Frost I have been graced with, she has immediately jumped through the ranks of my favorite authors.

-About the Author-

Agatha lives in the North West English county of Lancashire with her two cuddly beagles and one cat.

When Agatha isn’t writing, she loves reading head-scratching mysteries and thrillers, coffee, baking, and exploring her local countryside on long dog walks.

From a young age, Agatha devoured the great British murder mystery books and television shows, ample inspiration for her Peridale Café and Claire’s Candles series. She loves writing about family women who juggle their ordinary village lives with the challenges of amateur sleuthing.

Add in some good food, close friends and family, cute pets, and plenty of twists and turns, and you have a classic Agatha Frost mystery.

WANT TO STAY UP TO DATE? Agatha tries to publish often so you’re never waiting too long for the next instalment in a series, so sign up to her FREE newsletter at: http://www.AgathaFrost.com

Follow Agatha Frost across social media to stay up to date with the latest books, giveaways, and the occasional pet and countryside picture.