| Title | : | The Wild Thyme Farm Murders (DS Sara Hirst #6) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1835264204 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781835264201 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 341 |
| Publication | : | First published March 28, 2024 |
It’s the hottest summer on record. Norfolk is parched.
One steaming night an old thatched barn at Wild Thyme Farm is torched. The battle to put out the blaze rages.
The Wild Thyme Farm Murders (DS Sara Hirst #6) Reviews
-
DS Sara Hirst wasn't the only one feeling the heat. The summer was relentless with its ability to make everyone sluggish. To top it off, there were fires starting during the night, with the fire brigade rushing to each one - a barn, a shed, a thatched roof building - and the police invariably following as they proved to be deliberate. But it was when the barn burnt down during one hot night at Thyme Farm that the seriousness of the situation heightened. The body was so badly damaged it took some time to identify it.
Jean, her daughter Faye and Faye's husband Darren, ran Thyme Farm, selling herbs among other things to the willing public. The two women in the cafe kept the cool drinks - and the cups of tea - up to the visitors, while Jean kept her medical condition to herself. But things were looking dire. And at the building site where young Kyle worked as an apprentice, under the calming eye of Eric, the fire stopped their work in its tracks. What was going on? Who was lighting the fires? And why - with the oppressive heat, there couldn't have been a worse time...
The Wild Thyme Farm Murder is the 6th in the DS Sara Hirst series by
Judi Daykin and I devoured it. Each book to date has been excellent, and this one is another exceptional read. I enjoy Hirst's character as she's settling into her new workplace, after working with the Met in London. She has some good strong characters to back her up, though there are a couple of dodgy ones! I can't wait for #7 and recommend this one - and the series - highly.
With thanks to NetGalley & Joffe Books for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review. -
As I have only read a couple of Judi’s books before, I was a tad behind with the characters, but it didn’t spoil the book as I soon got acquainted with them.
This was a different sort of crime, and a most enjoyable book, the ending had a good twist to it. I did feel for the characters, as with a lot of rural areas, there’s not a lot of employment available and locals just have to do what they can to survive. Therefore when people were having their barns and fields set alight, it was really soul destroying.
As the story progresses you get more insight into the characters and what their lives are like. I expect Norfolk had never seen so many fires and the police were struggling to find the culprits. Poor Jean and her horrible daughter tried to keep their business afloat with Wild Thyme Herbs but it was a struggle.
I have to say it made a pleasant change from some of the gruesome murders I usually read.
My thanks to Judi and Joffe Books for the ARC. -
Sara Hirst book six.
Norfolk Constabulary Wymondham H.Q.
It has become a wild very hot summer with a series of wildfires and Holkham beach os badly effected with the heat, the mad cat lady Sara is finished her shift and on her way home to Happisburgh.
She is still dating Dante Adebayo but their relationship isn't anything more to her than the odd date, its not as exciting no more.
As we join all the crew in this book, that I so enjoy reading, like joining friends again,
It's a mindblower, every chapter has a slap bang feeling to make your heart skip.
I love this series and this book left me with a can't wait for next one this is all to do with the ending, that is all I am saying.
Perfectly planned out from the author. loved it. -
Thank you to NetGalley and Joffe Books for the ARC copy of this book.
Review-
This was my first read of any story written by Judi Daykin; and is to be the sixth of the DS Sara Hirst series. When starting out the book I was nervous because I hadn’t read any of the other Sara Hirst books; and was concerned that I would miss character details about her. Fortunately this is a standalone book which I was pleased to not be in the dark about her past.
I connected to the characters rather quickly which is pleasant. However the story did start out kind of slow for my liking. It did pick up about halfway through. I continued thinking about the story even when I wasn’t able to read it.
There were a couple twists that I didn’t see coming which is my option is always good. The end felt like everything was wrapped up neatly.
Overall it was an enjoyable read that kept me entertained -
An interesting and enjoyable murder mystery set in Norfolk. I liked the vivid descriptions of the hot weather which leads to suspicious wild fires. Lots of twists, turns and family dynamics.
-
Thank you NetGalley and Joffe Books for the eARC.
It's the hottest summer on record in Norfolk and Detective Sara Hirst is trying her best to put out the fire, literally. Someone is starting fires all over the place and at the last one, a body is found and the hunt is on for the perpetrator(s).
It's a good read, but nothing special. I preferred her previous books and hopefully the next one will be back on track. Sorry! -
Set in the middle of a searing heatwave, DS Sara Hirst and her colleagues, DCI Hayley Hudson, DI Edwards, DC Mike Bowen and DC Ian Noble and motherly admin Aggie, at the Serious Crimes Unit in Norfolk haven’t had a major case for a while. In the meantime they are studying the spate of wildfires that have occurred in the area. Whilst some are natural and some caused by human carelessness, some are definitely deliberate and appear to have been targeted on one farm in particular, Belaugh Manor Farm, spreading to two nearby businesses, the fruit farming glasshouses of Howards UK and the family run Wild Thyme Herb Farm. There’s very little by way of clues except two reports of a moped leaving the scene and tensions in two of the families who work the farms. Then an old pub being converted into social housing goes up in flames and another moped is heard. The following night a fire destroys a barn at the herb farm, this time claiming a life. Whilst the detectives wait to establish the victim’s identity, they focus on a likely looking suspect with a good motive but are they on the right track to catch the arsonist before everything goes up in flames?
This is an engrossing and exciting read from start to finish, dealing with feuding dysfunctional families and a firestarter in addition to the murder investigation, and the reader can positively feel the heat beating down from a relentless sun. It was lovely to see Aggie and Mike now married and Sara happily making a home for herself in Happisburgh in her father’s old cottage although having her doubts about her relationship with Dante and the prospect of taking her inspector’s exams and probably having to leave the area she has come to love. Well written, it features a clever and twisty plot with plenty of red herrings to keep the reader guessing who the culprit was. The whole team of detectives are very likable, my favourites throughout this great series being Aggie and Mike, and I hope to be reading more about them soon. -
Another addition to the Detective Sara Hirst series by Judi Daykin. The books do work as stand alone but I am sure you will want to read the whole series to learn about the characters. I love this series and this book is a brilliant read.
Sara and her team are investigating a series of fires in the area. It is the hottest summer on record and wildfires are a big risk but these fires are arson and risk spreading out of control. So Sara and her team are working hard to find the culprit. Then everything changes. A big fire at Wild Thyme Farm takes all the local resources to put out and when the fire investigators can get inside the building they find a body. So badly burned identification is going to be difficult. Now they are investigating murder as well as arson.
The characters continue to develop and I like how their personal lives are seamlessly made part of the story. I love how the team is built of totally different personalities that all bring something to the story.
A very enjoyable read that has a lot going on all the way through. Dysfunctional families play a large part in this book for different reasons and makes the whole story interesting. Loads of suspense and intrigue as the investigation progresses and Sara realises that there is a tangled web of lies and revenge that needs to be untangled to access the truth.
A brilliant read that I recommend to anyone who likes crime fiction. -
I read the previous of Judi's books in this series, so was keen to see what Sara Hirst and her team had been up to.
This time the crime is unusual in that its arson rather than murder.
A series of fires have been breaking out across Norfolk. It's hard to tell whether it's the suffocating heat, or if someone is doing it deliberately.
The various farms around the area decide to club together to try and report new fires and act quicker to keep damage to a minimum.
The descriptions of the heat and the farms was superb and really put you within the pages. I remember those types of summer days when it feels like you'll never be cool again and pray for rain.
Sara and her team question all the owners and discover there's a lot of tension around the area, and many dysfunctional families. These add a real extra layer to the story and I enjoyed the tension and uncovering of lies.
The construction company was a great addiction too. They become involved by way of Kyle, and when their buildings gets set alight. However they show themselves to be very loyal and generous and I loved that. I'm sure many get a bad rep.
I was really hooked on this very quickly. I couldn't wait to get back to it and find out what happened next. Already looking forward to book 7. -
3.5 stars 🌟
This was a classic "who dun it" tale. A fun small town setting filled with gossip and family drama.
This story follows a detective force investigating a string of suspicious fires. It seems like a minor crime streak until somebody winds up dead.
Really enjoyed the unfolding of this story and the way it was written.
What lacked for me here was ease of understanding at the beginning. There were so many characters introduced so early that I had to take notes to keep track. I wish there had been chapter titles and maybe setting descriptions at least for the first few chapters as the reader tries to learn the characters. -
DS Sara Hirst left London’s Metropolitan Police Force to work Norfolk Police’s Serious Crimes Unit.
With a slow start and a cool welcome from team it begins with a hot summer and multiple grassfires but one. That one looks deliberate and has a murder victim who was locked in from the outside. There are many things going on with many of the characters that add to the wicked twists until the surprise twist at the end. Riveting.
I requested and received a free temporary EARC from Joffe Books via NetGalley. Thank you!
#DSSaraHirstBk6 *Available 04 Apr 2024 -
The Wild Thyme Farm Murder by Judi Daykin.
Detective Sara Hirst Book 6.
Detective Sara Hirst is at a crossroads. Can she take the heat, or is she about to burn out?
Can Sara solve this case and keep everyone happy — or will it all go up in smoke?
I really did enjoy this book. I love this series. I did like the cover. I love this author. Short chapters, which I love. I love Sara and her team. I had no clue who it was. I thought I did but got it wrong. Twisty and gripping. Read in two sittings. I did sort of feel for Jean. I think it was because of her age. I do hope there is more to come. 4*. -
Yet another winner from @joffebooks, I can highly recommend #thewildthymefarmmurders by @judidaykinauthor. This was my first DS Sara Hirst read, definitely adding the series to my ever-growing list. I enjoyed the multiple POVs, both in terms of the police and the farmers (for lack of a better term). I appreciate delving into everyone's backstory (including the detectives) so we understand what got them to the point in the story; yet you're not lost if you haven't read 1 -5. A few twists and turns make for an excellent read.
P.S. Thanks to #netgalley and @joffebooks for the ARC. -
This was the first Judi Dayton book I have read. I was very pleased though and will search other books out. The book started out slow and maybe it is because I wasn’t familiar with her style or characters. But it ramped up quite nicely and made for a great story! I loved that it wasn’t gruesome but descriptive. This book does jump from person to person, but to me, that keeps me intrigued and guessing. I will definetly be looking into this author more.
-
It's the hottest summer on record and detective Sara
Hirst is trying her best to put out the fire, literally.
Someone is starting fires and at the last one, a body was found. The hunt is on for the perpetrator(s).
The book is good, but nothing special. I preferred her previous books and hopefully the next one will be back on track.
Thank you NetGalley and Notre Books for the eARC.
It's a good read, but not as good as her -
Very nice to read a whodunit that is not over the top with all sorts of twists and turns, thank you very much :) This mystery is about regular people with difficulties, conflicts and secrets amongst their families and people they work with.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book. -
Thank you to Joffe Books and NetGalley for allowing me to receive this ARC
This is a great addition to this series. It is a great fast paced read and is well worth your time. Looking for a great series give Judi Daykin a read. You won't be disappointed. -
It’s a record breaking, scorching summer in Norfolk. Tempers are short, energy is failing, air conditioners are running hard and a series of fires has plagued the county. Farm buildings, an old pub, thatched roof buildings have all been destroyed by an unknown arsonist. DI Sara Hirst and the team at Wymondham HQ are on alert, trying to find a link between the fires in this rural area. After an abandoned barn at the Wild Thyme herb farm is burned down, a body is found in the ruins. Now an arson case becomes murder and Sara and her fellow officers must find the arsonist before there is another death.
Judi Daykin is a master of the British police procedural. The sense of place here dominates the plot. You can feel the heat rising off the sun dried ground. You sense the lethargy of the farmers who keep to their routines regardless of the drought. And you recoil from the hateful rage between mother and daughter, boys and grandfather, and the frustration of an overworked DCI. It is both physical and emotional tinder, just waiting to blaze. The cover blurb describes The Wild Thyme Farm Murder as “ An Absolutely Gripping Crime Thriller.” I couldn’t say it better. 5 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley, Joffe Books and Judi Dayton for this ARC.
