Moved to Murder is cleverly written with lots of fun interjections of appropriate British terms for American ones Vivien automatically recalls and tries to mentally correct. Gianetta Murray does an excellent job of dropping subtle yet timely clues to solving the murder, all while painting a vivid portrait of life in a small English village complete with unique and quirky personalities. When the murderer’s identity is astonishingly revealed, it comes as a surprise to the reader but not to Vivien, whose sleuthing skills have even bested local authorities. A winsome yet entertaining British whodunnit, Moved to Murder’s charming American sleuth puts an intriguing and winsome spin on the search for a murderer amidst life in a delightfully typical English village.

I do love getting in on the ground floor of a new mystery series, and book one in Gianetta Murray’s Vivien Brandt Mystery was a treat! I found our main character and sleuth Vivien Brandt thoughtful and compassionate and not hesitant to operate with the best of intentions. Getting to experience her new home (a quaint village in South Yorkshire) right alongside Vivien was lots of fun and felt like armchair travel, especially as we are currently stuck in some solid summer heat. Her new husband Geoffrey is a dear, as well as her neighbor Hayley. They all paired well together and brought unique attributes to the investigation. And let’s not forget her reluctant cat Sydney! Gianetta captured that cat’s personality perfectly. I would note that some of the mystery and situations in the story involved heavier themes than I typically see in a cozy. These themes, though, were handled with care and it still made for a fast read. The quotes at the beginning of each chapter are not to be missed, and I found myself wanting to jot down a few in my book journal! I look forward to more adventures featuring Vivien, and while I hope she has great success as an interior decorator, the librarian inside me wants her to always be in libraries somehow. She’s got that community spirit that makes a wonderful librarian!