A Midsummer Murder by Kate Wells

About the Book:

Jude Gray is delighted to hear that her friend Kerry is setting up a wellness retreat with her new boyfriend. If anyone deserves to find peace and happiness, it’s Kerry and a retreat at the foot of the Malvern Hills sounds perfect. So Jude – as any good friend would – offers to pitch in.

But the appearance of charismatic keynote speaker Inigo Sage sets Jude’s instincts on edge. With his mystical mantras and too-perfect smile, he strikes her as more showman than spiritual guide. Still, he keeps the guests happy, and with a few unexpected extra arrivals, Jude and Kerry certainly have their hands full.

When a fatal accident shatters the peace, the weekend of relaxation descends into anything but tranquility. And Jude learns that Inigo’s connections to many of those at the retreat go back decades, and their shared secrets have been deeply buried.

As tensions flare and old resentments bubble to the surface, can Jude find the truth before someone else gets hurt?

My Review:

This cozy mystery is a good one, although it does get off to a bit of a slow start. I liked the exploration of establishing a wellness retreat as a way to keep the farm. Wells did well in creating a character in Indigo that, even I as a reader was ready to knock over the head. Wells includes many characters in her novels so there were many suspects. While this is part of a series, it read pretty well on its own.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

About the Author:

Kate is the author of the Malvern Farm Mystery series for adults, she also writes books for children as Kate Poels.

She began her adult life training as a nurse at Great Ormond Street Hospital and then moved to Reading where she took a teaching degree.

When she took a career break to have her two daughters she began creating stories and hasn't stopped writing since.

Having spent time living and working on farms she developed a love of the rural life and often dreamt of running a sheep farm, especially when she married the son of a farmer. It wasn't to be though, so instead, she lives out her farming dreams through researching and writing her books.

These days she lives in Malvern with her family and is often found out on the common talking to the free-grazing sheep and cattle or walking her collie-cross up on the hills.

Boldwood Books, 352 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent review.

(My star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it, 1-I hate it.)