2.7 Stars 

No one expected Albert Franklynn to die in an accident. His wife Sylvie is shocked. However, nothing prepares her to find the truth of her husband’s life. When two other women come claiming to be his wives (unknown to each other), they can’t help but wonder how Albert managed to lead three lives separately. 

Soon, the police find out his death is likely a murder. Sylvie and her friend-cum-business partner, Liz, along with Albert’s other widow decide to get to the bottom of the issue. What else was Albert hiding? 

The story comes in the third-person POV. 

This is the first book in the series and is set in Monksworthy, a (fictional) village in Wye Valley, England. 

We are introduced to the main characters at the beginning through individual chapters. Then, the rest of the book has POVs jumping from one character to another. It’s a mix of omnipresent and limited third-person. 

After the first 15%, I realized I might enjoy this better if I increased the reading pace a bit. That helped. Something about the narration doesn’t make it as enjoyable as it should be. There’s a lot of tell (which doesn’t always bother me), making it hard to feel the vibe of the place and the characters. 

That said, the main characters are easy enough to distinguish from one another. A couple of things feel OTT. Not sure if it is for humor because I didn’t find them funny. 

Things take a turn midway through. A surprising development but it kinda makes sense. While the official police are supposed to do very little in cozy mysteries, they seem to do almost nothing here. 

The climax wasn’t well executed. For all the build-up we get until then, the actual scene is over in a page or so. After that, there’s just one mention of it. This is unsatisfying to a reader who wants to know more about the killer and their backstory (or at least a few other details). 

The title suits the book, though that aspect has also been underexplored. Most of the time, it’s the women trying to sleuth and being successful without any trouble. A bit too easy and a few coincidences dilute the feel. 

Nevertheless, the book ends with a detailed glossary of British words (for US readers) listed in alphabetical order. This is an extensive list! It could be useful elsewhere too. Save a copy of the glossary if you read this book. 

To summarize, Death of a Ghostwriter is the first book in a new cozy mystery series with an intriguing premise. The execution could have been a lot better, though. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great either. 

Thank you, NetGalley and Joffe Books, for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book. 

#NetGalley #DeathOfAGhostwriter 

Death of a Ghostwriter has all the makings of a charming cozy mystery: a picturesque English village, quirky characters, and an intriguing murder case. When Albert Franklynn’s sudden death reveals his shocking double—or rather, triple—life as a husband to three women, the story takes a hilarious and chaotic turn. Sylvie, Albert’s first wife, teams up with his other two widows, Liz and Harriet, to uncover the truth behind his murder, setting the stage for an unconventional sleuthing trio.

The premise is unique and entertaining, and I loved the dynamic between the three widows as they begrudgingly work together despite their differences. Each character brought something special to the table—Sylvie’s warmth and resilience, Harriet’s sharp analytical mind, and Liz’s no-nonsense practicality. The backdrop of Monksworthy, with its tea rooms, cobblestone streets, and nosy villagers, added a cozy charm that made me feel right at home.

However, while the book had its strengths, it fell short in pacing and plot development. The mystery, though intriguing, lacked the twists and turns I was hoping for, and the humor didn’t always land for me. Some parts dragged, and I found myself more invested in the character dynamics than the actual whodunit.

 ✧˖°. ⤷ I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review, and all opinions expressed are entirely my own. 

A cleverly crafted theme where a tragic accident soon turns into a murder investigation for three amateur sleuths


Albert Franklynn is killed in a road traffic accident shortly after leaving his young wife for work. The real fun begins at the mortuary when two wives turn up to identify the body. Things get even more complicated when the two wives find out that Albert has a third wife and the accident was actually murder!
Sylvie and Harriet agree in their grief and shock to cooperate for the sake of their children and soon become friends. They are joined by Liz, a lifelong friend of Sylvie, and begin to investigate the murder. It takes all of their amateur investigative skills and a few influential contacts to try and prevent Albert's killer from striking again.
This is a very clever and intriguing theme, well written, even if the ending seemed a little rushed. I am hoping that it's the first of a series for the three ladies of Monksworthy.

 This book has Potential so im giving it 3 stars for a good plot and likeable characters.
It Needs some polishing up before going to print and could then Easily end up being 4 or 5 star. im sending my 'spoiler' notes to publisher, in the hope that somebody saves this book in time.
This could be the start of a very entertaining series.
Thank you to Joffe Books thru NetGalley for this ARC, this is my absolute Fave genre xox 

Loving cozy mysteries, this one grabbed my interest quickly. 
Albert Franklynn was leaving his home when he died in an accident, that later the police think that the accident was murder. Naturally, the shock is overwhelming for his wife, Sylvie. Grief pulls many emotions from a person; however, when two other women arrive, they say they are also Albert's wives. None of the wives knew about each other, they all thought that they were the only ones. How did Albert have three wives without any of them getting suspicious? Sylvie, one of the other wives, and her friend Liz decide that they are going to get to the bottom of everything: his death, how he managed three separate lives, and then if he was hiding anything else. 
So, this was the first of a new series and when I read the description, this one had so much promise and sounded intriguing. However, the pace of the story was slower, and I had to push through several chapters to get into the book. While this definitely was not the worst cozy mystery I have read, but its also not the best, but I still hold hope for the author and will look for the next book. I think that this series does have promise and I will check out the next installment, but this one was not my favorite. Thank you NetGalley and Joffe Books for the opportunity to read and review this one!