[review] Murder at the Summer Fete by Victoria Walters [blog tour]

Murder at the Summer Fete is the second book in the Dedley End Mystery series by Victoria Walters and continues the adventures of the mystery-solving granddaughter-grandmother duo in a quiet Cotswold village.

Title: Murder at the Summer Fete
Author: Victoria Walters
Series: Dedley End #2
First Published: March 17, 2022
Publisher: Hera Books
Genres: Mystery, 
Acquired: from Rachel’s Random Resources for blog tour

*** Thank you to book tour organiser, Rachel’s Random Resources, and the author, Victoria Walters, for providing me with an advanced e-copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. ***

A fete worse than death…

After finding the killer of Lucy Roth six months ago, life has settled back to normal for bookshop owner, Nancy Hunter, and her grandmother, Jane. The annual Dedley End village fete is just around the corner, and Nancy is delighted when bestselling author, Thomas Green, agrees to launch his first new novel in ten years there.

But then a series of sinister events lead Nancy to realise someone is trying to sabotage their fete, so she, along with Jane and their journalist friend Jonathan, must turn detective to discover who isn’t at all thrilled about the return of Thomas Green.

When a body is discovered at the summer fete, the death scene mirroring that in Thomas’ latest bestseller, they realise that there’s another killer in Dedley End, but can they outsmart someone who appears to have pulled off the perfect crime?

The clues are right under Nancy and Jane’s noses, if only they can find them. Because the answers to life’s questions can always be found in a book…!

A twisty, unputdownable cozy mystery that fans of Richard Osman, S.J. Bennett and The Marlow Murder Club will love.

Purchase Links: AMAZON | KOBO | APPLE

A fun return to Dedley End

I really enjoyed the first book in the series so was excited to sign up for the blog tour for the sequel. There’s always a risk that the second book doesn’t live up to the expectations but I actually enjoyed Murder at the Summer Fete even more than I did Murder at the House on the Hill, which I liked a lot (you can read my review of that book here).

Also, this book takes place around a summer fete! After binge-watching Midsomer Murders a couple of years ago, I REALLY wanted to go to a summer fete – do these things still exist? Someone who lives in a small English village – enlighten me! Of course, murders always seem to happen in and around these fetes, so maybe I shouldn’t be so eager to go…

The main core of characters – Nancy, Jane, Jonathan and Penelope – continue to grow together and are a delightful mix of personalities. There are also several townspeople that we get to know better, plus some newcomers, including the famous author Thomas Green and his entourage (agent, wife and a bodyguard).

I really like Nancy as a protagonist because she’s not perfect – she’s very capable but she has insecurities, anxieties and flaws that make here incredibly realistic and easy to root for. There was a lot of character development for Nancy in this book, including the return (again) of her ex, her growing closeness with best friend Jonathan, more hints about what happened to her mother (who disappeared decades ago) and Nancy even gains an unexpected ally by the end of the book. I can’t say more without giving away spoilers, but I really liked all the changes that have moved her character forward. I’ve only known this character for two books but I want to be her best friend, hang out in her crime and mystery bookshop, chase away her ex and solve mysteries with her.

As for the murder – I actually guessed the correct motive REALLY early in the book, but it took me two guesses to get to the right murderer. And honestly, it didn’t really matter – I enjoyed the story so much and seeing how Nancy, Jane and Jonathan got to the final conclusion was really satisfying.

As this is the second book in the series, it does help to read the first one. You could read it as a standalone, but Murder at the Summer Fete (Book 2) does refer to the events in Murder at the House on the Hill (Book 1) quite a bit so I would suggest starting at the beginning (it’s worth it!)

About the author, Victoria Walters

Victoria Walters writes up-lifting and inspiring stories. She’s the author of the bestselling Glendale Hall series, which continues with its third book Hopeful Hearts at Glendale Hall in September, as well as two other standalone novels – Summer at the Kindness Cafe and The Second Love ofMy Life. She has been chosen for WHSmith Fresh Talent and shortlisted for two RNA awards. Victoria was also picked as an Amazon Rising Star, and her books have won wide reader acclaim.

Victoria is a full-time author. She lives in Surrey with her cat Harry, and loves books, clothes, music, going out for tea and cake, and posting photos on Instagram.

Find out more about Victoria by following on Instagram at @vickyjwalters, on Twitter at @Vicky_Walters or by visiting her blog at: https://victoria-writes.com/.