Welcome to Murder Week
A Novel
Published on 17. July 2025
Book
Hardback
304 pages
978-1-6680-7977-5 (ISBN)
Description
In this delightfully funny and heartfelt new novel from the author of the "bittersweet page-turner" (The New York Times) The Last Book Party, an American woman travels to the English countryside when she discovers tickets her late mother had purchased for a murder mystery simulation in a small British town.
When thirty-four-year-old Cath loses her mostly absentee mother, she is ambivalent. With days of quiet, unassuming routine in Buffalo, New York, Cath consciously avoids the impulsive, thrill-seeking lifestyle that her mother once led. But when she's forced to go through her mother's things one afternoon, Cath is perplexed to find tickets for an upcoming "murder week" in England's Peak District: a whole town has come together to stage a fake murder mystery to attract tourism to their quaint hamlet. Baffled but helplessly intrigued by her mother's secret purchase, Cath decides to go on the trip herself-and begins a journey she never could have anticipated.
Teaming up with her two cottage-mates, both ardent mystery lovers-Wyatt Green, forty, who works unhappily in his husband's birding store, and Amity Clark, fifty, a divorced romance writer struggling with her novels-Cath sets about solving the "crime" and begins to unravel shocking truths about her mother along the way. Amidst a fling-or something more-with the handsome local maker of artisanal gin, Cath and her irresistibly charming fellow sleuths will find this week of fake murder may help them face up to a very real crossroads in their own lives.
Witty, wise, and deliciously escapist, Welcome to Murder Week is a fresh, inventive twist on the murder mystery and a touching portrayal of one daughter's reckoning with her grief, her past-and her own budding sense of adventure.
When thirty-four-year-old Cath loses her mostly absentee mother, she is ambivalent. With days of quiet, unassuming routine in Buffalo, New York, Cath consciously avoids the impulsive, thrill-seeking lifestyle that her mother once led. But when she's forced to go through her mother's things one afternoon, Cath is perplexed to find tickets for an upcoming "murder week" in England's Peak District: a whole town has come together to stage a fake murder mystery to attract tourism to their quaint hamlet. Baffled but helplessly intrigued by her mother's secret purchase, Cath decides to go on the trip herself-and begins a journey she never could have anticipated.
Teaming up with her two cottage-mates, both ardent mystery lovers-Wyatt Green, forty, who works unhappily in his husband's birding store, and Amity Clark, fifty, a divorced romance writer struggling with her novels-Cath sets about solving the "crime" and begins to unravel shocking truths about her mother along the way. Amidst a fling-or something more-with the handsome local maker of artisanal gin, Cath and her irresistibly charming fellow sleuths will find this week of fake murder may help them face up to a very real crossroads in their own lives.
Witty, wise, and deliciously escapist, Welcome to Murder Week is a fresh, inventive twist on the murder mystery and a touching portrayal of one daughter's reckoning with her grief, her past-and her own budding sense of adventure.
Reviews / Votes
"Drawing inspiration from the Golden Age whodunits of Christie and contemporary cozies, Karen Dukess forges her own path in her warm and layered mystery...Romantic, reflective and self-aware." --Bookpage "Warm, witty...Full of quirky, engaging characters and delicious British details, Welcome to Murder Week is a cream-tea treat for mystery fans and a touching story of a woman coming to terms with her family history." --Shelf Awareness "An aching family mystery wrapped in a comedic whodunit with a delicious dose of travelogue and romance to boot? That's Welcome to Murder Week: steamy, grief-struck escapism--as genre-defying as it is delightful." -Catherine Newman, New York Times bestselling author of Sandwich "Welcome to Murder Week is full of delights for fans of Downton Abbey, British village mysteries, romance and, above all, page-turning fun." -Natalie Jenner, internationally bestselling author of The Jane Austen Society "A charming and funny homage to cozy mysteries. All the genre's tropes are here...But this is also a poignant, redemptive tale of a grief-stricken daughter reconciling her troubled past with her promising future. An entertaining whodunit with a touch of heartwarming pathos." --Kirkus "This charming and heartfelt cozy...is just the thing for a rainy afternoon and a cup of tea. The dialogue is snappy, the characters are endearing, and the plot is satisfyingly quirky." -Library Journal, starred review "Welcome to your perfect escape! If Jane Austen stepped into a cozy mystery, she'd find herself at Wisteria Cottage, unraveling clues in a cleverly staged murder. Picture a charming, eccentric English village where everyone plays a part. Add a touch of romance and an unsolved family saga, and you've got the perfect reading escape. Welcome to Murder Week is witty, heartfelt, and utterly unputdownable." -Ellie Alexander, author of the Bakeshop Mystery series "Full of intrigue and adventure, charm and heart, Welcome to Murder Week is downright enchanting! With characters you'll want to befriend and an irresistible setting you'll long to visit, this captivating story is as wise as it is fun. A double mystery, a touch of romance, and, above all, a truly perfect ending-I adored this book!" -Amy Poeppel, author of The Sweet Spot "An ingeniously plotted, charming story that captivates readers with two mysteries unfolding at once-I came for the murder and stayed for the family secrets. A must-read for anyone who loves novels with both head and heart." -Kristin van Ogtrop, author of Did I Say That Out Loud? "A trio of Americans trying to solve a fake murder in an English village is the novel I didn't know I was waiting for. Get ready to lose yourself in this smart, funny, utterly original, five-star read." -Annabel Monaghan, bestselling author of Nora Goes Off Script"If you're looking for a satisfying twist on a cozy mystery, look no further! Set in the English countryside, this book was just the escape I was craving. It's one of those books that feels like it was written for book lovers...It's a delightful, quick read." -@beachreadsandbubbly
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York, NY
United States
Publishing group
Simon & Schuster
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
Dimensions
Height: 231 mm
Width: 156 mm
Thickness: 29 mm
Weight
452 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-6680-7977-5 (9781668079775)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
06/2025
Gallery/Scout Press
€13.84
Available for download
Person
Karen Dukess is the author of The Last Book Party and Welcome to Murder Week. Karen has been a newspaper reporter in Florida, a magazine publisher in Russia, and a speechwriter on gender equality for the United Nations. She has a degree in Russian studies from Brown University and a master's in journalism from Columbia University. She lives outside of New York City and in Truro on Cape Cod, where she interviews some of today's most acclaimed writers as host of the Castle Hill Author Talks for the Truro Center for the Arts. Find out more at KarenDukess.com.