Mince Pies and Murder is book 3 in J. R. Leigh’s Morwenna Mutton Mysteries series set in the Cornish town of Seal Bay, and although it’s part of a series it’s easily read as a standalone.
The story is written from the point of view of Morwenna Mutton, a grandmother who balances her job at a library, with supporting her family members, and with a reputation for helping the police solve their cases. When a man dies at a costume party after having had some disagreements with several people in town, Morwenna is sure his death is not an accident and is determined to find the truth behind his death.
There are a lot of characters and some regional words used in this book, so I found it wonderful that the author included both a list of characters and a glossary at the beginning of the book for readers to reference.
I really enjoyed Mince Pie and Murder, I love cozy mysteries set around the holidays. I will be honest though, I did find Morwenna to be a bit of a busybody, even more so than most amateur detectives in cozy mysteries. Despite that I didn’t find that aspect of her character too irritating so I was able to enjoy the mystery.
The one thing that did irritate me about Morwenna had nothing to do with the mystery. What I found irritating was how she couldn’t admit to herself her feelings about her (ex?) husband. As a result it kind of felt like she was keeping both him, and another romantic interest in limbo, and didn’t really communicate her feelings, or lack of them, to either man.
I really enjoyed Morwenna’s relationship with her other family members, and I especially liked her mom. She seemed like a very feisty old lady, maybe she reminded me a bit of my grandmother with her feistiness.
I found the mystery itself to be very interesting, and as things ramped up it became quite suspenseful and kept me glued to my ereader. As a result this was quite a quick read for me.
I think Mince Pies and Murder would appeal to any cozy mystery reader, and although I think it would be great at any time of year, it would make a great holiday read.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Mince Pies and Murder will be available on August 23 2025.
Life, Tea, and Everything 