Book Review: Killer at the County Show by Kate Wells

I’m so pleased to be welcoming Kate Wells  back to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her latest book, Killer at the County Show – book five in the Malvern Mysteries series. 

Foul play at the sheep show…

Tensions are high at the Three Counties Show when accusations of cheating add fuel to a longstanding feud. For Jude Gray, whose only hope was to not make a fool of herself showing her Kerry Hill sheep, farming life has never been so dramatic.

When a body is found, belonging to one of the competitors, there is no shortage of suspects. Every sheep farmer in this close-knit community has a motive and beneath their show-ready smiles, they all have something to hide.

Experience has taught Jude that when there’s a murderer at large, nobody is truly safe. And with secrets simmering beneath the surface, this may be her most challenging investigation yet. Can she unearth the truth before it’s too late?

A gripping new instalment in the Malvern Farm Mystery series, perfect for fans of Frances Evesham, Merryn Allingham, and Faith Martin.

*****

When a farmer is murdered at the Three Counties Fare it rocks the small farming community and sets people to gossiping and suspecting their neighbours. Was it the annoying, do-gooder celebrity who bought a farm or one of the other farmers down on their luck? Jude, a sheep farmer and best friend of a local police detective has her suspicions and cannot help but get involved.

This is the first book I have read by Kate Wells and I really enjoyed it. It raised some interesting questions and made some good arguments both for and against re-wilding (the process of allowing farm land to return to a wild state) and the use of arable land for solar farms which was quite elucidating whilst not being preachy or even a prevailing theme, but it certainly got me to thinking.

The book is well written and is certainly not your typical police procedural murder mystery – indeed the police only really feature as a supporting cast. It blends murder, intrigue and romance really nicely, leading to well rounded characters who, to me at least, were very believable and relatable. As someone who grew up around farms it was also a nice nostalgia trip.

This is not the first book in the series, but if I didn’t know that then I would not have been able to tell as it stands on its own very well. I will be searching the Novelkicks bookshelf for the others in the series.
 
 

About Kate Wells –

Kate Wells is the author of a number of well-reviewed books for children, and is now writing cosy crime set in the Malvern hills, inspired by the farm where she grew up.

Say hello to Kate on Facebook, Instagram and Bookbub. Click here to sign up to her newsletter. 

Killer at the County Show, book five in the Malvern Mysteries series was released by Boldwood Books on 13th May 2025. Click to buy on Amazon, Kobo and Waterstones. 

by

Chris Parish