Poison At The Village Show by Catherine Coles (Audiobook)

 

When the Chairwoman of Westleham Village show is poisoned, suspicion falls on Martha Miller. Martha has been living under a cloud since the day her husband disappeared and some of the residents believe she's murdered him and buried him in her garden. In an effort to clear her name, Martha joins forces with the new vicar to uncover the real murderer.

When choosing an audiobook I really want something that I don't have to focus on too much, therefore Poison At The Village Show from Catherine Coles sounded ideal. I was looking forward to immersing myself in this cozy murder mystery, especially as it's the first of a series.

Set just after the end of World War II, we quickly learn of Martha Miller's background. Since the day her husband, Stan, left for work and never returned Martha has always been viewed suspiciously by the rest of the village. Everything is in her husband's name, so Martha has had to lead an extremely frugal existence. To make ends meet her younger sister has moved in.

When someone is poisoned at the village show suspicion falls on Martha not only because of her history but also because the person was drinking some of Martha's homemade gin. Rather than hide away, Martha is determined to clear her name by discovering who is responsible for the murder.

Initially, I wasn't gripped by the story, possibly because a lot of time was spent building Martha's backstory. Once the murder took place and the investigation began I became more invested and was hooked by the end.

The setting was perfect for a cozy murder mystery, a sleepy little village where everyone knows everyone else's business and secrets are almost impossible to hide. Despite this, we learn that appearances can be deceptive and that behind closed doors lives are less than perfect. It was funny listening to characters dealing with the conventions of society. A married woman, alone with the young vicar is fuel for village gossip.

Martha manages to solve more than one crime by the conclusion of the story, however, there are still a few unanswered questions. By leaving a couple of threads unfinished this is an ideal way to tempt readers/listeners to the next book in the series.