Book Review
Welcome to Murder Week by Karen Dukess
Cozy Mystery | Fiction
Cozy mysteries are a go-to, relaxing read for me. So, give me a story about a faux murder mystery set in a small English village, and I’m all in. But what I didn’t expect was the beautifully layered emotional elements of this story, tackling subjects of grief, self-discovery, and found family. Karen Dukess’ newest novel, Welcome to Murder Week, provides a refreshing blend of contemporary mystery and fiction with this heartfelt, humorous, and absolutely delightful read.
After the death of her mostly absentee mother, thirty-four-year-old Cath is perplexed to find that her mother had purchased two tickets to an upcoming “murder week” in England’s Peak. Taking a step outside her comfort zone (the tickets had been pre-paid after all), Cath agrees to go on the trip by herself. But it soon becomes apparent that there’s more than one mystery to be solved – the real reason why she’s there – and that Cath is on a greater journey than she could have ever anticipated.
This is a very character-driven story. While the mystery has a slower pace, I thought it was gorgeously written. Despite the title and description implying a typical cozy mystery, I think this book will appeal more to those who enjoy light general fiction with a dash of mystery. While the mystery was fun and well done, it almost takes a secondary seat to Cath’s journey of self-discovery.
The characters in this story were a home run for me. Not only do we have Cath, a woman determined to live a quiet and unassuming life, who suddenly finds herself thrust into adventure, we also have a whole cast of supporting characters who are vivid, witty, and unforgettable. The friendship and found family that grows throughout this novel is heartwarming, and I loved the banter (both romantic and platonic) throughout.
Having the story centered around a fake murder mystery was brilliant. This is every cozy mystery lover’s dream. Please, sign me up! (But also, the actual act of putting a village mystery like that together sounds like a nightmare. How did they so fully prep each actor / villager? And keep track of all the details and who knows what?) Regardless, it gave all the cozy mystery vibes while feeling realistic and layered, rather than cheesy, and I LOVED it.
This story was full of humour and heart, family and grief, a little mystery, a little romance, and some surprising depth. It wasn’t at all what I expected but I’d give it a sixth star if I could. Welcome to Murder Week will certainly be hitting my top ten favourites for the year!
Recommended for:
Fans of contemporary fiction with light mystery and romance plotlines
This post contains affiliate links; as an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Copy of the book provided courtesy of the publisher, Simon and Schuster Canada. All opinions expressed are my own.
About the book:
(From the publisher): When thirty-four-year-old Cath loses her mostly absentee mother, she is ambivalent. With days of quiet, unassuming routine in Buffalo, New York, Cath consciously avoids the impulsive, thrill-seeking lifestyle that her mother once led. But when she’s forced to go through her mother’s things one afternoon, Cath is perplexed to find tickets for an upcoming “murder week” in England’s Peak. A whole town has come together to stage a fake murder mystery to attract tourism to their quaint hamlet. Baffled but helplessly intrigued by her mother’s secret purchase, Cath decides to go on the trip herself—and begins a journey she never could have anticipated.
Teaming up with her two cottage-mates, both ardent mystery lovers—Wyatt Green, forty, who works unhappily in his husband’s birding store, and Amity Clark, fifty, a divorced romance writer struggling with her novels—Cath sets about solving the “crime” and begins to unravel shocking truths about her mother along the way. Amidst a fling—or something more—with the handsome local maker of artisanal gin, Cath and her irresistibly charming fellow sleuths will find this week of fake murder may help them face up to a very real crossroads in their own lives.
Witty, wise, and deliciously escapist, Welcome to Murder Week is a fresh, inventive twist on the murder mystery and a touching portrayal of one daughter’s reckoning with her grief, her past—and her own budding sense of adventure.