A review by theakilahbrown
Your Guide to Not Getting Murdered in a Quaint English Village by Maureen Johnson

dark funny lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? N/A
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? N/A
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

If you've ever read or watched a cozy mystery, especially one set in, you guessed it, a quaint English village, then you may enjoy this book. Johnson basically covers most of the tropes you'll see in an Agatha Christie/early British murder mystery and therefore even in contemporary books/texts of the genre as well. (For example, the village fete can basically be any town event and the historical reenactment--well, that speaks for itself. And we all know if anyone answers the door with "Oh, it's you," [or it's very close cousin "Hello? Is anyone there?"] then it's a wrap.)

The book is broken into two sections: The Village and The Manor. Each section is then further broken down into Buildings & Spaces, people (residents, staff, guests), and events you can expect to happen at each. There are also tips and tricks for who/what to avoid, if you absolutely insist on visiting the murder village anyway. (Do NOT visit any vats! Stay away from anyone who leaves messages! etc.) At the end of each section is a quiz that tests both what you learned and how likely you are to survive visiting the village (spoiler: not very).

There are also illustrations that are both whimsical and a little bloody, drawn in black and white with splotches of red. In true cozy mystery fantasy, there isn't really any gore. I only counted two or three that showed a dead body, and they're pretty tame, but that is a thing to look out for, if you're sensitive about those types of things.

All in all, a really fun read for fans of the genre.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings