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Frances Evesham
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A Village Murder: The start of a cozy crime series from the bestselling author of the Exham-on-Sea Murder Mysteries (The Ham Hill Murder Mysteries Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Frances Evesham (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 out of 5 stars 3,748 ratings

'I loved A Village Murder and its setting. It kept surprising me!' Faith Martin, #1 bestselling author
The start of a brand new series from the bestselling author of the Exham-on-Sea Murder Mysteries.
An English village can be deadly, when your past catches up with you...

In the beautiful rural Somerset village of Lower Hembrow, crammed full with English eccentrics, something is amiss...
Landscape gardener Imogen Bishop has spent the last thirty years trying to forget one fateful school night but when her estranged husband Greg Bishop is found dead in the grounds of her fathers' Georgian hotel, danger threatens to overwhelm her.
Retired police officer Adam Hennessey, hoping for a peaceful life running his traditional Somerset country pub, finds himself drawn into the unfolding drama in the hotel across the road.
Imogen, Adam and Harley the stray dog form an unlikely partnership as they try to untangle a knot of secrets, solve a murder mystery, and bring a killer to justice.

A brand new cosy mystery series from the bestselling author of Murder at the Lighthouse, perfect for fans of Faith Martin, Betty Rowlands and Joy Ellis.



Other Books in the Ham Hill Murder Mystery series by Frances Evesham

A Racing Murder

A Harvest Murder



THE EXHAM-ON-SEA MURDER MYSTERIES:
1. Murder at the Lighthouse
2. Murder on the Levels
3. Murder on the Tor
4. Murder at the Cathedral
5. Murder at the Bridge
6. Murder at the Castle
7. Murder at the Gorge
8. Murder at the Abbey




What readers are saying about A Village Murder:


’Wonderfully portrayed characters, a mystery that keeps you guessing till the end, this is a brilliantly written piece of cozy mystery.'

’I loved this book and think that it marks the beginning of a fun new series!’

’There are plenty of red herring plus twists & turns & a growing number of murders before the culprit is revealed. I happily whiled away a few hours with this engrossing read.’

’I would recommend it to anyone looking for an entertaining read.’

’An enjoyable and entertaining plot making for an engaging, relaxing read providing some much needed escapism.’

’What a wonderful beginning to a series that I just know I am going to follow.’
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  1. Book 1 of 3
    The Ham Hill Murder Mysteries
  2. Print length
    256 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Boldwood Books
  5. Accessibility
    Learn more
  6. Publication date
    June 23, 2020
  7. File size
    1.6 MB
  8. Page Flip
    Enabled
  9. Word Wise
    Enabled
  10. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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From the Publisher

Frances Evesham
Frances Evesham

Introducing Frances Evesham...

One day I walked on a peaceful Somerset beach and discovered a unique nine-legged Victorian lighthouse. My first Agatha Christie-style murder mystery, Murder at the Lighthouse, was born that day. Like many of my readers, I love Sherlock Holmes, Miss Marple and Murder She Wrote, and the grand tradition of whodunnits with intriguing puzzles to solve, villains who must be brought to justice, and amateur private investigators. The Exham-On-Sea series is set in a small seaside town very like my own home, surrounded by the wonderful rolling hills of the West Country. It’s the perfect place to indulge my obsessions with beautiful places, cake and chocolate, overgrown dogs, and self-possessed cats. In my spare time I collect poison recipes and other ways of dispatching my unfortunate victims. I like to cook with a glass of wine in one hand and a bunch of chillies in the other, my head full of murder―fictional only. I love to hear from readers, so don’t be a stranger!

Happy reading! Frances

Murder at the Lighthouse
Murder on the Levels
Murder on the Tor
Murder at the Cathedral
Murder at the Bridge
Murder at the Castle
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Customer Reviews
4.2 out of 5 stars 6,176
4.3 out of 5 stars 2,718
4.2 out of 5 stars 3,012
4.4 out of 5 stars 2,333
4.4 out of 5 stars 2,760
4.4 out of 5 stars 2,755
Price $4.99 $4.99 $4.99 $4.99 $3.99 $4.99
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Audiobook ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Paperback ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Murder at the Gorge
Murder at the Abbey
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Customer Reviews
4.5 out of 5 stars 2,031
4.3 out of 5 stars 1,943
Price $4.99 $4.99
Ebook ✓ ✓
Audiobook ✓ ✓
Paperback ✓ ✓
A Village Murder
A Racing Murder
A Harvest Murder
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Customer Reviews
4.3 out of 5 stars 3,748
4.4 out of 5 stars 1,698
4.4 out of 5 stars 2,053
Price $4.99 $4.99 $4.99
Ebook ✓ ✓ ✓
Audiobook ✓ ✓ ✓
Paperback ✓ ✓ ✓

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08666VGW8
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Boldwood Books
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 23, 2020
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1.6 MB
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 256 pages
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1800480650
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Book 1 of 3 ‏ : ‎ The Ham Hill Murder Mysteries
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 out of 5 stars 3,748 ratings

About the author

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Frances Evesham

Frances Evesham

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Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Follow Frances at www.francesevesham.com to join her VIP list and pick up a free short story, The Fish and Chip Shop Murder.

One day, as Frances walked on a beach in peaceful Somerset, she came upon a unique nine-legged Victorian lighthouse. Her first cosy crime story, Murder at the Lighthouse, was born.

Now, she writes mystery stories: the Exham on Sea and Ham Hill Murder Mysteries, all set in Somerset.

She collects poison recipes and cooks with a glass of wine in one hand and a bunch of chillies in the other, her head full of ingenious ways to dispatch her victims - in fiction, of course.

She's been a speech therapist and a road sweeper, and worked in the criminal courts seeing crime from all points of view: victim, prosecution and defence.

She also has a special interest in writing for children who struggle with reading. Dragon Ring is an easy-read book, produced especially for dyslexic children.

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
3,748 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find this cozy mystery series engaging, with a satisfying plot that keeps them guessing throughout. The book features well-developed characters and is wonderfully written, making it an enjoyable read. They appreciate the pacing, with one customer noting they could picture the hotel and pub settings vividly.

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PlotCharacter developmentEnjoymentWriting styleSeries qualityPacing
30 customers mention "Plot"24 positive6 negative

Customers enjoy the plot of this cozy mystery series, finding it satisfying with twists and turns that keep them guessing throughout.

"...Can't wait to start reading the next book in the series. Great mystery, wonderful humor and wonderfully written." Read more

"...It has interesting characters, and an interesting, enjoyable, and fresh plot. I recommend you read it." Read more

"I liked the plot, the characters and a decent writing. The plot had a few twists that made it a good read. A good cozy Brit mystery." Read more

"Oh my goodness, how wonderful to find a new mystery series by one of my favorite authors (I inhaled the Exham-by-the Sea mysteries)...." Read more

17 customers mention "Character development"17 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the characters in the book.

"...Every character is developed so well, even Harley, the stray dog that shows up at the pub...." Read more

"...It has interesting characters, and an interesting, enjoyable, and fresh plot. I recommend you read it." Read more

"I enjoyed this first in a new cozy mystery series. Good character detail...." Read more

"I liked the plot, the characters and a decent writing. The plot had a few twists that made it a good read. A good cozy Brit mystery." Read more

10 customers mention "Enjoyment"10 positive0 negative

Customers find the book very enjoyable and entertaining, with one customer mentioning they want to read the whole series.

"...It has interesting characters, and an interesting, enjoyable, and fresh plot. I recommend you read it." Read more

"...The plot had a few twists that made it a good read. A good cozy Brit mystery." Read more

"I enjoyed the book. The plot was good and flowed well...." Read more

"...able to pick it up at odd times—it was the type of mystery that holds your attention and yet you can put it down and pick it up again without re-..." Read more

8 customers mention "Writing style"8 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the writing style of the book, describing it as wonderfully written, with one customer noting it's a well-crafted cozy mystery.

"...Great mystery, wonderful humor and wonderfully written." Read more

"I liked the plot, the characters and a decent writing. The plot had a few twists that made it a good read. A good cozy Brit mystery." Read more

"I love Frances Eve sham' style of writing. She keeps you guessing, which is hard to do with 'who done it' stories...." Read more

"Enjoyed the style of writing, characters and setting, looking forward to reading the next installment in this series" Read more

7 customers mention "Series quality"7 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the series, with one describing it as quite nice.

"The twists and turns throughout this first book in the series were wonderful...." Read more

"...All in all, a quite nice novel.." Read more

"Enjoyable New Series!..." Read more

"Great new series..." Read more

4 customers mention "Pacing"4 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the pacing of the book, with one mentioning they could picture the hotel and pub settings.

"...Great story, lots of possible suspects, and all in a sweet little town in Somerset, England." Read more

"...Enjoyed the characters very much. Good story and lovely locale. I have to be patient now and wait for the next one." Read more

"Could picture the hotel the pub and really enjoyed the twist and turns this book took me on Waiting for book two in The Ham Hill series..." Read more

"Interesting characters, a lovely setting, and clues that kept you guessing. I look forward to enjoying more reads in this series." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • JayBet
    5.0 out of 5 stars Hooked!
    Reviewed in the United States on May 20, 2023
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    The twists and turns throughout this first book in the series were wonderful. Every character is developed so well, even Harley, the stray dog that shows up at the pub.

    Can't wait to start reading the next book in the series. Great mystery, wonderful humor and wonderfully written.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Nancy Moody
    4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable New Series!
    Reviewed in the United States on September 5, 2022
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    I like this new series of Ham Hill Murders by Frances Evesham. It has interesting characters, and an interesting, enjoyable, and fresh plot. I recommend you read it.
    One person found this helpful
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  • quaintreader
    5.0 out of 5 stars A New Cozy Mystery Series............
    Reviewed in the United States on July 20, 2020
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    I enjoyed this first in a new cozy mystery series. Good character detail. I am hoping the main characters, Imogen and Adam, will be returning and maybe even eventually become a couple. The ending was a surprise because there were several red herrings and not a hint of the real murderer. I agree with one reviewer that there maybe should have been a small one. If there was, it eluded me. Loved the dog Harley and I think Adam needs to rescue a cat in the next one since he is a cat lover. (So am I.) With Adam owning a pub and Imogen now owning a hotel there are a world of possibilities for plots and characters. I can't wait for the next mystery to follow in the series.
    15 people found this helpful
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  • Midwest Gal
    4.0 out of 5 stars Fun and entertaining
    Reviewed in the United States on August 12, 2021
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    I liked the plot, the characters and a decent writing. The plot had a few twists that made it a good read. A good cozy Brit mystery.
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  • CarlinK
    5.0 out of 5 stars A great new cozy mystery series
    Reviewed in the United States on November 2, 2021
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Oh my goodness, how wonderful to find a new mystery series by one of my favorite authors (I inhaled the Exham-by-the Sea mysteries). I adore the characters, Imogen who just inherited her father's hotel, and Adam, a retired police detective who owns the pub across the road (and Harley the stray dog who adopts them both!).

    Imogen's estranged husband has been found dead in the hotel's orangery the day of her father's funeral. Are these deaths connected to another death from 30 years ago? Adam and Imogen team up to solve the mystery after local police suspect her in her husband's murder. Great story, lots of possible suspects, and all in a sweet little town in Somerset, England.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Lovetoread
    3.0 out of 5 stars Red herrings galore
    Reviewed in the United States on January 22, 2021
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    And way too many to keep track of. The writing is a bit off kilter and out of sync but I liked Adam. The heroine though, oy! Way past the age of grow the heck up. All she does is whine and obstruct. Story is pretty good but developing it further would have helped make it a must read. That being said, I didn’t know this was a “romantic” cozy mystery. I detest those so my review is probably biased. Please spare your readers dumb females pining for some unattainable happily ever after. Think I’ll skip on to the next author.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Kindle Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Good mystery
    Reviewed in the United States on June 29, 2022
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    I enjoyed the book. The plot was good and flowed well. I did like the main characters and hope to get to know them better through the future books in the series. I like the fact that there are no gruesome descriptions, only the process of uncovering the puzzle of the crimes.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Ethyl
    4.0 out of 5 stars Not the best
    Reviewed in the United States on July 14, 2020
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    This series is too predictable - some of the characters are becoming quite tiresome. This book was also sloppy: no insurance company would insure a dive unless they had copies of all the necessary paperwork and partly written obituary was libelous at best. Unlikely to continue with the series.
    5 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Trevor Ward
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great murder mystery
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 4, 2025
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Intriguing story of multiple murders. Lots of interesting characters. Well written with the murderer only being revealed right at the end. Worth reading.
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  • Zalewski Valerie
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
    Reviewed in France on July 21, 2020
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    I love Frances Evesham's Exham series, so I had to try her new series, and how happy I am that I did. It's an excellent beginning to what I hope to be a great new series. The main characters are interesting and likeable. The plot is good and keeps the reader interested throughout. I didn't guess the ending, because there are several plausible answers.
    To all those who like good, British cozies, I recommend this book.
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  • A. Hill
    5.0 out of 5 stars Charming
    Reviewed in Canada on November 2, 2020
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    A lovely charming murder mystery, harkens back to Miss Marple but there is nothing old fashioned about the characters. Adam is a delight, as is his dog. During this time of Covid stress, it was wonderful to lose oneself in a charming book.
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  • Marls
    4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable
    Reviewed in Australia on December 30, 2021
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Really enjoyable read with interesting characters and a beautiful stray dog. The real criminal was very well disguised until the end.
    Report
  • Avid Reader
    4.0 out of 5 stars One of my favourite authors
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 6, 2025
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Enjoyed this, though a seemed a bit slow, rather a lot of characters. Ending surprising, didn’t see this coming.
    Report

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