Kindle Unlimited
Unlimited reading. Over 4 million titles. Learn more
Read for Free
OR
Kindle Price: $2.99

Save $7.00 (70%)

Promotions apply when you purchase

These promotions will be applied to this item:

Some promotions may be combined; others are not eligible to be combined with other offers. For details, please see the Terms & Conditions associated with these promotions.

Read with our free app
You've subscribed to ! We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.
Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships & Subscriptions

Buy for others

Give as a gift or purchase for a team or group.
Learn more

Buying and sending eBooks to others

  1. Select quantity
  2. Buy and send eBooks
  3. Recipients can read on any device

These ebooks can only be redeemed by recipients in the US. Redemption links and eBooks cannot be resold.
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Amazon book clubs early access
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Amazon book clubs early access

Join or create book clubs

Choose books together

Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Explore Amazon Book Clubs

Follow the author

Paula Williams
Follow
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Murder Served Cold (The Much Winchmoor Mysteries Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Paula Williams (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 280 ratings
See all formats and editions
A quiet English village where nothing ever happens. Until…

After her boyfriend runs out on her with the contents of their joint bank account, Kat Latcham has no choice but to return to the tiny Somerset village of Much Winchmoor, where she grew up. A place, she reckons, that is not so much sleepy as comatose, and she longs for something exciting to happen to lessen the boredom of living with her parents.

But when she and her childhood friend, Will Manning, discover a body, and Will's father, John, is arrested for the murder, Kat suddenly realises she should have heeded the saying "be careful what you wish for”.

Much Winchmoor is a hotbed of gossip, and everyone is convinced John Manning is guilty. Only Kat and Will believe he's innocent. When there's a second murder, Kat is sure she knows the identity of the murderer – and sets out to prove it. But in doing so, she almost becomes the murderer's third victim.

Readers of Sue Grafton might enjoy the Much Winchmoor series of cosy murder mysteries spiked with humour and sprinkled with romance.
Previous page
  1. Book 1 of 4
    The Much Winchmoor Mysteries
  2. Print length
    241 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publication date
    October 19, 2018
  6. File size
    1026 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
Next page
All 4 for you in this series See full series
See included books
Total Price: $12.96
By clicking on above button, you agree to the Kindle Store Terms of Use

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07FSZ6NWD
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ darkstroke books (October 19, 2018)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 19, 2018
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1026 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 241 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 280 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Paula Williams

Paula Williams

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Paula Williams is living her dream. She's written all her life - her earliest efforts involved blackmailing her unfortunate younger brothers into appearing in her plays and pageants. But it's only in recent years that she discovered, to her surprise, that people with better judgement than her brothers actually liked what she wrote and were prepared to pay her for it.

Now, she writes every day in a lovely, book-lined study in her home in Somerset, UK, where she lives with her husband and a handsome but not always obedient rescue dog, a Dalmatian called Duke. She is very proud to be a member of both the UK Romantic Novelists' Association and the Crime Writers' Association.

Her Much Winchmoor Mysteries are based in a small Somerset village which bears in uncanny resemblance to her own - although none of her friends and neighbours have murderous tendencies - as far as she knows! Her novels often feature a murder or two, a dog and cat or two and are always spiked with humour and sprinkled with a touch of romance.

She writes a monthly column, Ideas Store, for UK magazine Writers’ Forum and blogs at paulawilliamswriter.com. Her facebook author page is www.facebook.com/paula.williams.author, on Twitter at @paulawilliams44 and Instagram at paulawilliams_author where pictures of her incredibly handsome Dalmatian appear more often than pictures of her book covers.

Paula is, indeed, living her dream. But she worries that one day she's going to wake up and find she still has to bully her brothers into performing 'the play what she wrote'.

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
280 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

CJB
5.0 out of 5 stars Great cozy mystery series!
Reviewed in the United States on July 13, 2020
Verified Purchase
I just discovered this series, and let me say I'm going to binge-read the whole thing now!
The story is about Kat, a delightful girl who's had some hard luck and is forced to move back to the small town where she grew up, Much Winchmoor. It's such a small town that everyone knows everybody else's business, and they aren't afraid to share their opinions about it. Kat is hoping to get back on her feet, but it's not long before she stumbles across a dead body, and has to try to figure out who the murderer is. Why? Because the prime suspect is the father of her childhood friend, and she knows he's innocent.
The story is great read without being too heavy. It's set in a cute little British village, the characters are well developed, and there's not really any graphic violence or anything upsetting. It's a perfect cozy mystery. There's even a sense of humor in the writing that is subtle but really adds some flavor to the story.
What I liked best about the story, though, was Kat herself. I'm a good bit older than her, but I can still relate to being that age and seeing the world through young eyes. She is smart and charming, and not too perfect...in all she's the kind of heroine you just want to see succeed. I can't wait to see what happens next in this series!
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Elisabeth Carey
4.0 out of 5 stars Fun start to a mystery series in a small British town
Reviewed in the United States on November 23, 2018
Verified Purchase
Kat Latcham was working at a radio station in Bristol, sharing a nice flat with friend, and dating a handsome guy.

Then the falling economy cost her the job at the radio station, her boyfriend took off with her flatmate, and they even took her car and her treasured memorabilia.

She's now back in the little village of Much Winchmoor, living with her parents, working in her mother's beauty salon, and listening to the local gossip--which is currently mostly about her failed love life.

Then one of the local gossips mentions that Donald, the local pub owner, is looking for a new barmaid. Temporarily, since his wife is away on a cruise, but it'll get her out of working at the salon while she looks for a real job.

The gossip there is just as bad, and still about her love life, but at least she's not working for her mom. But she also has to mend fences with her childhood best friend, almost-a-brother Will Manning, whom on her last visit she had a huge fight with about her now ex-boyfriend.

And while they are talking, they head out to the farm shop, where they find Will's father John, dead drunk, and one of the more obnoxious local gossips, just dead. And not of natural causes.

For several reasons, John Manning seems like the obvious suspect, and is promptly arrested. But John has always been a very gentle man, and Kat doesn't believe it. She's the only one other than Will who doesn't. Even John at least briefly believes that he must have.

Soon Kat is getting reacquainted with the little town she had planned to never live in again, asking unwanted questions and getting people mad at her, and discovering unsuspected things about the village elders, her school friends, and even Will.

Initially I found it hard to warm up to Kat, but she grew on me. Less expectedly, so did some of her difficult neighbors, including the gossips. She's in some ways very naive, and too sure of her own brains, but she also really is smart, and tougher than expected, and quite resourceful. The ending is clever and satisfying.

This looks like the start of a series with real potential.

Recommended.

I received a free electronic galley of this book from the publisher, and am reviewing it voluntarily.
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Audrey Davis
5.0 out of 5 stars Quirky, clever and highly entertaining
Reviewed in the United States on August 2, 2019
Verified Purchase
Not much happens in the sleepy village of Much Winchmoor. The occasional pub lock-in, blue rinses at the local hair salon, and petty squabbles about day to day life. Until everything changes, when an incomer (someone with less than twenty years under their belt) is found in a rather dead state.
I loved this book, with its quirky humour, cast of delightful (and dubious) characters and its pithy one-liners. At its centre is the disillusioned Katie (Kat) whose initial ennui turns to gritty determination to find the perpetrator of the terrible crime. While the locals sup their pints of Ferret's and Kat tries to make amends with her old friend, Will, the reader is kept guessing to the very end. A couple of gems that made me laugh out loud: 'Or that I had to spend Saturday night with my parents watching an episode of Midsomer Murders that was so old, John Nettles was skipping around like a two-year-old.' And – 'a senior member of the Planning Department and a member of the Council's Planning Committee were tangled together like tights in a washing machine.' Genius. Highly recommended.
3 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Leanne
3.0 out of 5 stars Irritating!
Reviewed in the United States on August 25, 2021
Verified Purchase
I thought the story was irritating because at times the lead character, Kat, seemed to want to solve a murder but was so incredibly dumb going about it.
The only smart thing about the writing was the twist at the end.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Joan Livingston
5.0 out of 5 stars A happy UK mystery fan
Reviewed in the United States on December 8, 2018
Verified Purchase
After her lousy boyfriend dumps her and cleans out their bank account, Kat Latcham has no choice but to move back home, not a fun prospect for this millennial. But with a murder soon after she arrives, the village of Much Winchmoor turns out not to be so boring after all — especially since she not only finds the body but knows the man who is the chief suspect. From working in her mother’s hair salon to tending bar to trying to prove a close friend's father is innocent, Kat handles this adventure with energy and humor. I am a huge fan of mysteries set in the U.K. and I’m glad I found Paula Williams’ debut mystery.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
B. McKee
4.0 out of 5 stars Great mystery
Reviewed in the United States on May 13, 2022
Verified Purchase
I kid you not, this is a really great book. I haven't heard of this author before, but now I'll be on the lookout for another of her books.

Katie had left the nest to put her education to work. She found a job with a radio station, but lost it when she was made redundant. So she had to return home to live with Mum and Dad.

While looking for another job, she was working in her mother's beauty salon but managed to work a couple of days as a barmaid in the local pub. All of the characters in the town were well done. The murders were truly mysteries. There were clues (I figured it out rather quickly) but they weren't too obvious.

I don't particularly like series because I like to read lots of different genres, so I can't say I will read all of this series. But I do like this writer's style.

103
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

Michelle Owen
4.0 out of 5 stars Cute story
Reviewed in Canada on September 13, 2021
Verified Purchase
Neat combo of a detective/murder mystery story and a romance. I enjoyed the characters and the story, would def recommend
Report
Bevik
5.0 out of 5 stars Well I never!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 18, 2019
Verified Purchase
I don't like cosy mysteries at all. I bought this book because I noted that people who had bought books in this series had also bought books from the Masters and Green series, which I love, so I thought I'd give it a spin and see. I favour writers like Wes Markin and Robin Roughly, so slightly darker than this, but one needs to be open, right? However, I am well-impressed with this book. Why? I hear you cry. Let me expand. Firstly, it is well-written - I enjoy people who know how to use language, and are able to draw the reader in - Paula Williams has this gift. Another element, perhaps more personal, is that I connected immediately with the author's (and therefore with her main protagonist's) sense of humour - it's like meeting someone you click with - it doesn't happen that often, but when it does, you feel at home. Finally, and this, also, is connected with me, the author writes about a class of people from which I come - this could be me talking about my mother and her friends. I did not grow up in a village, but I recognise the ways of interaction and the undeniable humour inherent within. I would guess that Paula Williams is a good observer and enjoys people-watching. I really hope she carries on with Kat/Katie and the goings on (murderous and otherwise) in Much Winchmore. The second book is waiting on my Kindle, and I am already looking forward to getting stuck in. I encourage, if not urge, Paula Williams to keep going with this series - Thanks Paula.
Report
Megan14
5.0 out of 5 stars Baffling mystery and great characters!
Reviewed in Australia on November 19, 2018
Verified Purchase
A very enjoyable cosy mystery that kept me guessing until the end!

Murder Served Cold is the story of Kat (or Katie as she is known around her hometown) who has returned to live with her parents after a series of events outside her control. Unemployed, she is helping out in her mum's home-based business and taking on some bar work. When trying to mend fences with a childhood friend, she is drawn into a murder investigation and is desperate to find the killer to avoid the wrong man being charged.

The author has a lovely, warm writing style and the characters were believable and engaging. Kat is smart and tough, and I found her amusing in her descriptions (her outfits to her bar job cracked me up and her mum's weird diets) and I enjoyed the dialogue between her and a couple of rather interesting potential love interests.

The town is well described and a lovely 'world' has been created that is well-set up for a series.

The mystery itself is a good one - it kept me guessing to the end, but the characters made it for me. Will look forward to future books in this series!
Report
Robert Crouch
4.0 out of 5 stars A fun cosy mystery
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 3, 2019
Verified Purchase
I enjoyed the wit, humour and characters in this cosy mystery, where the village busybody is murdered and dumped in a chest freezer. As she has upset so many people, the suspects include most of the village, though several characters do their best to jump to the front of the queue.

The story is told by Kat Latcham, who’s returned to Much Winchmoor after a disastrous relationship. When an old friend’s father becomes the prime suspect, she refuses to accept this and vows to unearth the real killer. Despite the lack of clues and experience of sleuthing, she’s a keen observer of people and gossip and soon begins a somewhat stumbling but colourful investigation with more than a few mishaps and humorous moments.

The relaxed pace and humour didn’t quite compensate for the low level of sleuthing involved, but Kat’s a likeable and fun character, who brought the village and its residents to life. There were more similes than you can shake a stick at, and I felt the two chapters written from the killer’s point of view were an unnecessary distraction that did little to increase the tension or suspense.

That apart, Murder Served Cold is entertaining, well written and observed, filled with quirky but recognisable characters, the obligatory false trails, and a likable lead character that lifted the story above the average cosy and kept me turning the pages.
Report
Heidi Reads
5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous cosy mystery.
Reviewed in Australia on December 18, 2018
Verified Purchase
A terrific page-turning story. Great characters and an intriguing mystery, but it was the writing style that drew me straight in and held my attention. The hopeless romantic in me really enjoyed the ending too!
Report
Report an issue

Does this item contain inappropriate content?
Report
Do you believe that this item violates a copyright?
Report
Does this item contain quality or formatting issues?
Report