Chef Maddie Penrose is taking a break from her busy life and staying with her grandmother on her Cornish farm. While there, a tourist is killed on a neighbouring farm, was it an accident or something more sinister?
Murder In A Cornish Teashop by Fliss Chester is the first in a new cosy crime series. The author is new to me, but upon investigation she has an extensive back catalogue of period cosy crime novels. The ones set in the 1920s certainly appeal to me.
In this new series we meet Maddie Penrose, a successful chef who is burnt out. Needing a break from her life in London, she has headed to her grandmother's farm in Pendragon Creek in Cornwall. Maddie is horrified to see that her grandmother's once-booming teashop has deteriorated rapidly. It's while helping out in the teashop that the owner of a neighbouring farm rushes in to say that he's found a walker who's been killed by a falling wall.
Maddie springs into action, convinced that this was more than an accident. As she investigates, a long list of suspects emerges, and the body count begins to rise. Maddie is a likeable character, she comes across as relatable, if not a little scatty. I easily identified with Maddie as she's a list maker, although the continual referral to these lists was a little annoying.
A long list of suspects means that it's impossible to guess who the villain is until the final revelation. The crimes outlined are entirely realistic and extremely relevant, including the theft of farm machinery and surreptitious property development. The important question is, are all of the crimes linked? I loved the minor crimes too, such as who was stealing the clotted cream.
Supporting characters help to keep your interest, and there's even a hint of romance. Maddie's grandmother, Nor, has lots of potential, as do the farm cats Crumpet and Toast.
If you enjoy cosy crime, then this is an easy read/listen, with engaging characters and a twisty plot. I'm pleased to learn that there will be a sequel later in the year.
Murder In A Cornish Teashop by Fliss Chester will be published on 11th March 2026 in ebook and Audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for a review copy.
Author Details
Fliss Chester lives in Surrey with her husband and writes historical cozy crime. When she is not killing people off in her 1940s whodunnits, she helps her husband, who is a wine merchant, run their business. Never far from a decent glass of something, Fliss also loves cooking (and writing up her favourite recipes on her blog), enjoying the beautiful Surrey and West Sussex countryside and having a good natter.
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