4 Stars 

Jude Gray accepts DI Binnie Khatri’s invitation to join the local walking group in Malvern Hills. However, what’s supposed to be a peaceful outing ends up with a few scuffles and what seems like an unfortunate car accident where one of the walking members dies. 

Jude cannot ignore the tingling feeling that the accident might be deliberate. But, there’s no proof; not until another death happens in a totally different manner. As Jude and Binnie start to dig, they realize there’s a lot to uncover! 

The story comes in Jude’s third-person POV. 

 My Thoughts:  

This is the fourth book in the series but the mystery works as a standalone. It is a dark cozy, so there might be a couple of triggers. 

It doesn’t take long to notice that things aren’t great with the walking group. The characters stand out making it easy to track who is who despite being introduced to a bunch of them at once. 

Jude and Binnie give everything to investigate the case(s) as always. Of course, Jude does a lot more since she is the heroine of the series. She also has a farm to manage and a neverending list of tasks. 

I like that Granny Margot has more presence in the book. Moreover, she shares vital insights that guide Jude in a new direction. Hoping to read more of her in the coming books. 

The reveal comes in stages with a few red herrings and keeps the reader hooked. While the details and the rest make sense, I wish they weren’t revealed so easily (yeah, there’s some risk involved but still). 

Jude seems to be in two minds about her love life or the lack of it. I can’t understand her thought process here. It’s too mercurial. Since I didn’t particularly like Marco, I don’t care one way or the other. 

The family element really shines. Jude’s relationship with her sister, nephew, and Noah is heartwarming. I like the progress here. An important step for sure. 

In the author’s note, the author mentions there will be eight more books (the series should conclude by the end of 2027). Count me in!  

To summarize, Death in the Hills is steady paced dark cozy mystery with enough secrets and suspects to keep you reading. 

Thank you, Rachel's Random Resources and Boldwood Books, for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book. 

#NetGalley