Pages

Monday, May 19, 2025

Killer at the County Show by Kate Wells - Book Review - Blog Tour

Series: Malvern Farm Mystery #5

Publication Date: 13th May 2025

Purchase Link: https://mybook.to/KillerCountyShow

Goodreads Book Page: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/223338724-killer-at-the-county-show

Genre: Contemporary Cozy Mystery

3.8 Stars

One Liner: A good mystery

Book Blurb:

Foul play at the sheep show…

Tensions are high at the Three Counties Show when accusations of cheating add fuel to a longstanding feud. For Jude Gray, whose only hope was to not make a fool of herself showing her Kerry Hill sheep, farming life has never been so dramatic.

When a body is found, belonging to one of the competitors, there is no shortage of suspects. Every sheep farmer in this close-knit community has a motive and beneath their show-ready smiles, they all have something to hide.

Experience has taught Jude that when there’s a murderer at large, nobody is truly safe. And with secrets simmering beneath the surface, this may be her most challenging investigation yet. Can she unearth the truth before it’s too late?

A gripping new installment in the Malvern Farm Mystery series, perfect for fans of Frances Evesham, Merryn Allingham, and Faith Martin.

***

My Thoughts:

The story comes in Jude’s third-person POV.

This is the fifth book in the series and can be read as a standalone, except for the sad love track (more on this later).

I read this series to learn something new about current farming practices and difficulties in other countries, namely the UK. It doesn’t shy away from showing the hard work required to run a farm and keep it at least borderline profitable in today’s times. As always, the book scores high marks in this aspect.

The mystery starts well. The dead man is not someone you’d want to be associated with, so it’s no surprise that the list of suspects is long and includes almost everyone who was around him at that time. Binnie makes a grand entry and is as efficient as ever. I liked her from the first book (in fact, I like her more than Jude, the MC).

The topic of discussion here is rewilding – the concept of letting nature take over fields in an attempt to bring back lost animal/ insect species and strengthen the ecosystem again. While it sounds idealistic in theory, the practicalities are different. Not every land is suitable for rewilding. A wrong choice could cause more harm than good and destroy farmlands that are still useful for cultivation.

There are some developments in the personal tracks, and that is where I have a huge issue. I’ve grumbled about Jude’s ‘should I or should I not’ debate with Marco. Here, it gets even worse with deliberate miscommunication and immaturity. Please, act your age and have a proper discussion like adults. I don’t want something like this to put me off a good series. But if this stretches for more books, I will have to rethink my options.

Of course, as always, Jude rushes into danger to solve the case, and this time, she might have gone a bit too far! Still, you can trust her to solve the case. If only she used the same brain to deal with her personal life!

To summarize, Killer at the County Show is a good mystery set in the countryside and deals with quite a few themes. The pacing is on the slower side, as it often is in this series.

Thank you, Rachel's Random Resources and Boldwood Books, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

#NetGalley

***

About the Author – Kate Wells

Kate Wells is the author of a number of well-reviewed books for children and is now writing cozy crime set in the Malvern hills, inspired by the farm where she grew up.


Follow the Author:

Facebook: @KateWellsPoels

Instagram: @KatePoelsWrites

Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/KateWellsNews

Bookbub Profile: @katewellscrime

***

This has been a stop on the #KillerAtTheCountyShow blog tour by Rachel's Random Resources (@rararesources). Thanks for stopping by!



No comments:

Post a Comment