"Oh you should realise by now, anything that happens here is known in every nook and cranny within the hour. And murder - well, that's big news by Lower Dimblebrook standards"
When Isabelle Darby - the main protagonist of a cosy mystery Deadly Whispers in Lower Dimblebrook by Julie Butterfield - moves to a quaint Cotswolds village of Lower Dimblebrook, she doesn't expect it to turn into a chilling setting for Midsomer Murders. "It was a gentle village of thatched cottages and honey-coloured stone where everyone knew your name and what day of the week you washed your sheets but in Issie's case, knew nothing about her past."
Issie's moved to the village in search of peace and quiet and to recuperate from the broken heart (her husband left her on Christmas eve). Transition to the rural setting goes well, she enjoys her cottage, working as an illustrator of children's books, but then the tragedy strikes.
Her close friend Fiona Lambourne is found dead in the car park of the local beauty spot. Fiona, like Issie, was a relative newcomer to Lower Dimblebrook. "She had married Anthony Lambourne a little over two years previously after a whirlwind romance carried out mostly in London and had agreed to turn her back on a rather unispiring career in a bank and move to Lower Dimblebrook, joining Anthony in Lambourne House which had been in his family for generations".
Anthony's first wife has died in a tragic accident, when their younger son was a toddler.
Fiona and Issie "had become firm friends, both finding solace in the fact that neither of them really belonged in Lower Dimblebrook".
Issie is shocked. Who would want to kill her friend? The local gossip mill is getting out of hand - the rumours claim Fiona had been having an affair, she had been meeting her lover in the unused car park, and that he killed her. "The incessant gossip of small villages drove her to distraction. What an absolutely ridiculous suggestion. If Fiona was having an affair, Issie would have known about it". A loyal friend, Issie insists that Fiona was happily married and she loved her husband.
She refuses to believe that her friend would embark on an affair, and sets up her mind on finding out the truth, "Everyone says they heard that Fiona was having an affair, they heard she was seeing someone. But who is the person who supposedly saw her with this other man? Who started this rumour because I think that's what is happening... a rumour has taken over the village and it's quite wrong".
DI Wainwright is in charge of the murder investigation. He is convinced Issie knows more than she tells him. He is exasperated with her attitude, but he's also drawn to the secretive artist, so loyal to her friend. As he tells her, "This is a murder investigation, Issie, and you should be careful and sensible. Not it appears, two of your strongest skills." He's spot on.
DI Wainwright's side kick, DC Cotterill, grew up in the village, and knows the local ways.
"They were a new team, in fact, this would be thier first case together. He had inherited DC Cotterill along with his promotion and his first instinct had been frustration at having such a young and inexperienced constable by his side."
There are several comical supporting characters who inject the narrative with a great dose of humour. Meet the local gossip Doris Stokes, who sincerely believes she is the next Miss Marple. She is eager to help Issie get to the bottom of the rumours and maybe even find the murderer. When Issie gently tells Doris that catching a murderer is probably better left to the police, "the older lady's face had fallen and there was definite disappointment in her eyes. She had clearly been envisaging the two of them becoming a crime-busting team, breaking a murder case with nothing but their handbags and Doris' incredible knowledge of the entire village's comings and goings".
There is Madeleine, Issie's next door neighbour and landlady, who "had lived in Lower Dimblebrook for 60 years and Issie had found her to be a hive of information about the village, its occupants and the surrounding area".
And there's a funny Geraldine, a small dog with a big personality, who will prove that friends come in all shapes and sizes.
The fictional village of Lower Dimblebrook is a chucklesome, caricature exaggerated vision of the Cotswolds village. The scenery described is very recognisable. The villagers, on the other hand, are a bit of a stereotype.
Issie "had ended up in Lower Dimblebrook, a village from bygone era where women still visited the village shop with wicker baskets over their arm, made their own jam and bread and the thought of having to lock your front door was an alien concept". (Very close friends of mine lived in one of the Cotswolds villages, in what used to be a manor house, later developed into apartments. I have never seen my friend with a basket, neither did she ever make her own jam or bread. And the door was always locked). It's a sort of an idealised village, where the neighbours care for each other, and where a vicar's wife is always a mother-figure who dispenses cake and advice in equal measure.
Even the front cover is an idealised vision of the Cotswolds loveliness (where are all the aerials and masts, cars parked next to the cottages and swamps of tourists?!).
I have guessed the main culprit pretty early in the book, but this didn't prevent me from enjoying the story.
If you are looking for a light cosy mystery set in the British countryside, do visit the world of Lower Dimblebrook with its colourful and whimsical characters. It's a charming story, you're sure to enjoy it.
Purchase Links
Amazon UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Deadly-Whispers-Lower-Dimblebrook-delightful-ebook/dp/B08L9FP2SK
Amazon US - https://www.amazon.com/Deadly-Whispers-Lower-Dimblebrook-delightful-ebook/dp/B08L9FP2SK
Kobo https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/search?query=deadly+whispers+in+lower+dimblebrook
Author Bio – Julie Butterfield belongs to the rather large group of 'always wanted to write' authors who finally found the time to sit down and put pen to paper - or rather fingers to keyboard.
She wrote her first book purely for pleasure and was very surprised to discover that so many people enjoyed the story and wanted more, so she decided to carry on writing.
It has to be pointed out that her first novel, 'Did I Mention I Won The Lottery' is a complete work of fiction and she did not, in fact, receive millions in her bank account and forget to mention it to her husband - even though he still asks her every day if she has anything to tell him!
Social Media Links –
https://www.facebook.com/juliebeewriter
This review is part of the blog tour.
Many thanks to Julie Butterfield and Rachel's Random Resources for my e-copy of the book!
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