A Cornish Christmas Murder

Nosey Parker, Book 4

De: Fiona Leitch

Narrado por: Zara Ramm

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

A PINCH OF PARANOIA

It’s three days before Christmas, and detective-turned-chef Jodie ‘Nosey’ Parker is drafted in to cater a charity event run by a notorious millionaire at a 13th-century abbey on Bodmin Moor.

A DASH OF DECEPTION

Things get more complicated when a snowstorm descends, stranding them all, and the next morning they find one of the guests has been gruesomely murdered in their bed…

A MURDER UNDER THE MISTLETOE

Secrets mull in every corner – can Jodie solve the crime before the killer strikes again?

A Cornish Christmas Murder is a must-read mystery full of heart and humour – perfect for fans of Richard Osman and The Appeal.

This title was previously published in the US as A Murder Under the Mistletoe.

©2021 Fiona Leitch (P)2024 HarperCollins Publishers

Fantastic narration, fun story, but some ethnic stereotyping blunders

This was a fun cozy murder mystery, as always, with some interesting twists. My main critique is that Jodie makes a number of uncomfortable comments about the “Japanese girls” (all adult women) who enter the story early on. While these four characters all have names, they are moved around like faceless paper dolls in Jodie’s mind. She has difficulty keeping track of them as individuals, seemingly because she thinks their Japanese ethnicity and rather stereotypical culturally derived behaviors are their only distinguishing characteristics.

Leitch has attempted to portray this stereotyping as a shortfall of Jodie’s character by including some internal monologue where Jodie comments that her own expectations of how the women will act is all based on media portrayals and, therefore, likely wrong. Leitch could have taken this as an opportunity to have the women act as individuals and in contrast to the stereotypes as a way of commenting on/dispelling them and rounding out Jodie’s character. Unfortunately, she has simultaneously written these characters into the physical world of the story, the world outside of Jodie’s mind, in a way that completely confirms the stereotypes of “Japanese girls” that Jodie has noted. Because of this, any possibility of commenting on the issue of cultural stereotypes completely collapses and, instead, the stereotype is propped up as truth.

There are also a couple of awkward places where Nathan mansplains things that Jody absolutely already knows to her, and Jody doesn’t call him on it either aloud or mentally. This felt false to me. I think it was an attempt to ensure that readers who started the series with this novel rather than beginning at the beginning wouldn’t be lost, but still.

Good characters

Story line is usually good but lacked a little pizzazz in this title. I don’t cook so I don’t appreciate the recipes like some would.

Fantastic installment to the series! 

The narrator Is fantastic! The story and the characters are absolutely lovely, and have become like old friends. I am looking forward to the next book in the series!

Brilliant Narrator, good story

The story was interesting, but not spectacular. The narration was wonderful as always I still can’t understand why someone who’s written. This many books doesn’t know basic grammar. Her editors let her down when they allowed things to remain in there like “Me and Debi went downstairs.” That is embarrassing. It was not like it was just one time either. I don’t recall that in the previous three books.

The author has a marvelous story ability ❣️

If you have a sense of hummer and enjoy the British sense hummer, you will enjoy this series.

Fun likable characters

Love the Cornish Murder mystery’s, I was really excited when this next one came out today. I love the characters,really down to earth and very humerus ,a great cosy mystery I couldn’t put it down. The narrator is excellent .

Fun series

The narrator is perfect for this entertaining series. I’ve enjoyed every one. Looking forward to the next installment!

The presentation is wonderful

The story and presentation are the best. I enjoy listening to this series as deal with driving in construction season. No road rage.

Not as good as the previous novels

This one was set in a different location and left out some of the regular characters. It wasn't as funny or witty as the previous novels. It seemed off somehow. i was really looking forward to it, but it was disappointing. The narration was superb though.