The Cornish Wedding Murder (A Nosey Parker Cozy Mystery, Book 1)

Fiona Leitch

Jan 2021 · A Nosey Parker Cozy Mystery Book 1 · Sold by HarperCollins UK

About this ebook

‘A sparklingly delicious confection to satisfy the mystery reader’s appetite’ Helena Dixon, bestselling author of the Miss Underhay Mysteries

Still spinning from the hustle and bustle of city life, Jodie ‘Nosey’ Parker is glad to be back in the Cornish village she calls home. Having quit the Met Police in search of something less dangerous, the change of pace means she can finally start her dream catering company and raise her daughter, Daisy, somewhere safer.

But there’s nothing quite like having your first job back at home be catering an ex-boyfriend’s wedding to remind you of just how small your village is. And when the bride vanishes, Jodie is drawn into the investigation, realising that life in the countryside might not be as quaint as she remembers.

With a missing bride on their hands, murder and mayhem lurks around every corner...

But surely saving the day will be a piece of cake for this not-so-amateur sleuth?

This title was previously published as Murder on the Menu.

Ratings and reviews

this book is average as who done its go, the big twists were mostly predictable and the humour feeble. I felt the use of writing in the first person restricted the story to much, and focused more on the uninteresting aspects, mainly the love interest.

Jodie Parker has left London and the police force to return to her hometown with her daughter, Daisy. Jodie is opening a catering business. She happens upon a job catering a wedding for an old beau while shopping for a sofa. The fiancé does not appear keen, but Tony is gung-ho especially since the wedding is less than a week away. Jodie is prepared to work hard to show what she can do, but she is unprepared for a missing bride and a dead ex-wife. Jodie gave up policing to please her daughter who was worried about her safety. But old habits die hard. Jodie cannot help but do a little snooping. Murder on the Menu by Fiona Leitch is the first A Nosey Parker Cozy Mystery Novel. Murder on the Menu is set in Cornwall which means British terms and slang. There was not as much as I would have expected, and it is easy to discern the words based on the context. I wish the author had provided vivid descriptions of this beautiful area. I also wanted to know more about Jodie’s hometown, Penstowan besides it is small and there is a beach. The mystery was fun to solve. It is not a predictable mystery which was the best part of the book. The details are wrapped in the long reveal. Murder on the Menu is a lighthearted British cozy. There are humorous situations and remarks. The story does contain some mild profanity. There is a potential romance for Jodie with DCI Nate Withers. It is a good thing DCI Withers likes Jodie since she frequently gets in the way of his investigation. The nickname “Nosey” suits Jodie to a T. I have to wonder if Jodie’s heart is really in starting her new business. She spends her time investigating instead of getting her new business off the ground. There is a recipe at the end of the book. If you enjoy blithe and witty cozies with a British twist, then you will enjoy reading Murder on the Menu.

I think I'm going to like this series - Nosey Parker is my kind of girl! Jodie Parker has come back home. After serving as a police officer in the Met. she wants to spend a quieter life with her daughter Daisy. Having retrained for a new career, Jodie is setting up her own business and, as luck would have it, her first job is catering for an old friend's wedding. When the bride vanishes, Jodie can't help but get caught up in the ensuing investigation - is it a missing person or could it be murder? In the spirit of all cosies, this is a grand read with a good cast of characters. Fiona Leitch has written an excellent mystery with plenty of suspects, doubt, red herrings and the cutest dog ever! It's all going on between the pages and although I had my suspicions (just about everyone!), I was nowhere near working out what happened. Jodie herself provides plenty of amusement - I was so happy to be reading this one out of bed as my husband has been disturbed enough by me shaking with laughter when he is trying to sleep! A really good all round read, recommended to all lovers of this genre. Four well earned stars.

About the author

Fiona Leitch is a writer with a chequered past. She's written for football and motoring magazines, DJ'ed at illegal raves and is a stalwart of the low budget TV commercial, even appearing as the Australasian face of a cleaning product called 'Sod Off'. After living in London and Cornwall she's finally settled in sunny New Zealand, where she enjoys scaring her cats by trying out dialogue on them. She spends her days dreaming of retiring to a crumbling Venetian palazzo, walking on the windswept beaches of West Auckland, and writing funny, flawed but awesome female characters.

Her debut novel 'Dead in Venice' was published by Audible in 2018 as one of their Crime Grant finalists. Fiona also writes screenplays and was a finalist in the Athena Film Festival Writers Lab, co-run by Meryl Streep's IRIS company.