Author: Amanda Ashby
Series: The Windows’ Detective Club #1
Publisher: Storm Publishing
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Format: Kindle ARC
No. of Pages: 264
Date of Publication: March 3, 2025
My Rating: 4 Stars
DESCRIPTION:
Ginny Cole doesn’t want to be a widow. She’d rather not be forcibly adopted by an opinionated black cat. And she’d give anything not to have just found the murdered body of her rude and dislikeable new boss…So she’s as surprised as anyone to realise that she doesn’t hate being on the wrong side of the law, searching a graveyard for evidence in the company of three fellow widows, and doing a whole host of un-Ginny-like things in order to solve a fiendish mystery.
It was a bumpy start, but Ginny might even be starting to like her new life. Certainly well enough that when her sleuthing puts her too close for the killer’s comfort, she’ll do whatever it takes to hold onto it…
If you love Sarah Yarwood-Lovett, Robert Thorogood and The Thursday Murder Club mysteries, you’ll adore this charming cozy mystery full of page-turning twists and endearing characters.
MY THOUGHTS:
Ginny Cole, initially seeking a part-time job at the small library in Little Shaw, found herself entangled in a web of intrigue upon her arrival. When she discovers the dead body of her unlikeable boss, she is determined to discover what happened to him.
Ginny is not alone in this. In fact, she soon meets some other ladies her age, and she becomes fast friends with them. They are JM, Hen and Tuppence, all widows like Ginny, who possessed a quirky charm that Ginny couldn’t resist. The group is eager to form a club, one that would find the four of them solving crimes together.
However, as with any case involving a civilian, the police were not amused. Detective Inspector Wallace, the assigned investigator, was determined to have Ginny leave the crime-solving to him. Despite the tension, Ginny remained steadfast in her commitment to solve the crime with her little group. .
This delightful first book in a cozy mystery series has left me eagerly anticipating the subsequent installments. In fact, I couldn’t resist reading The Widows’ Guide to Backstabbing immediately, the second book in the series, which was an equally enjoyable adventure.
Many thanks to Storm Publishing and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
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Author: Amanda Ashby
Series: The Windows’ Detective Club #2
Publisher: Storm Publishing
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Format: Kindle ARC
No. of Pages: 270
Date of Publication: March 10, 2025
My Rating: 4 Stars
MY THOUGHTS:
Well, Ginny and her small group of friends, JM, Hen and Tuppence, have become a neat little group of amateur detectives. In one of the town’s shops, a gruesome discovery was made—a body. Remarkably, Ginny was the one who stumbled upon the scene. When the police arrested a young man named Milo, who seems their most likely prime suspect, Ginny decided to step in on his behalf.
Just like before, these older widows power on, much to the consternation of DI Wallace. He doesn’t want any of them involving themselves in this case, finding them to be an annoyance. The victim’s daughter appeals to the little group that the police have the wrong suspect, just as Ginny herself believes. Interestingly, not only had Ginny become the owner of a black cat she named Edgar (after much deliberation), but he keeps bringing home little gifts for her. One of these gifts is undoubtedly connected to the murder, much to Ginny’s surprise, so she stays firm in her resolve to solve the crime.
The Widows’ Detective Club series made a strong debut with the first book, The Widows’ Guide to Murder, and this second book in the series was just as delightful as the first book. I very much look forward to continuing the series with The Widows’ Guide to Skullduggery, set to be released this June.
Many thanks to Storm Publishing and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
She has a degree in English and Journalism from the University of Queensland and is married with two children. Her debut book was nominated for a Romantic Times Reviewers Choice award, and her first young adult book was listed by the New York Public Libraryʼs Stuff for the Teen Age. Because she’s mysterious she also writes middle grade books under the name, Catherine Holt and hopes that all this writing won’t interfere with her Netflix schedule.
She also runs writing workshops and loves to speak to people about Buffy (er, she means writing). See her Website for more information.
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