I picked this up at a used book shop during our aborted Christmas travels; having spent time in the Lake District, specifically, the towns of Windermere, Bowness, and Ableside that this story is set in, it appealed to me instantly.

Alas, it was no more than a drab average. The characters didn't know what they wanted to be: the MC tells an inspector at the beginning she's moved to Windermere after her divorce, that she was childless and insisted that there were "compensations". By the end of the book she's barely coping with the stillborn birth she had 2 years before. Coping and repression are likely, of course, but they aren't part of of the narrative, so the reader is left with no grasp of this MC. The Inspector is either attractive and friendly or greasy-haired and antagonistic. The MC's mother is supposed to be a hippy, but acts more like a criminal attorney; I never once got the impression she liked her daughter. The bride of the story is either flaky, naive and needs to be protected, or a headstrong woman who is the only one that can steer her much older husband's life. Flip-flop.

The elements of the plot were interesting, but the plot itself wasn't anything special. The motivation was pathetic and unbelievable, given the characters, and the murderer pretty obvious after about half-way.

The setting was what I'd hoped for, at least. My memories of the Lake District are still vivid, and I loved the area, so 're-visiting' it through the book kept me picking it back up. This is the first in a series all set here, and while weak, not so bad that should I come across another one at a used book shop, I'd probably pick it up. ( )

Not bad. Typical cozy mystery with a bit more psychological emphasis. Main character is interesting and her job as a florist is a great addition to the story. She’s a bit wish-washy for my money, but I’ll continue the series. ( )

This is the first of a series of contemporary murder mysteries set in various locations in the Lake District. Reading the book during this year's holiday in this lovely part of the country that is one of our favourite holiday destinations, I had every incentive to like it and pursue the series, especially as most of the subsequent books in the series are currently available at very low prices in ebook form. However, I'm afraid it is unlikely I will be reading them. While the author displays a great familiarity with Lake District locations that I loved to relate to where I have actually been, I found the plot of this novel, based on two murders around a high society wedding at a posh hotel on the shores of Windermere, rather unrealistic. Worse, I didn't really like any of the characters, finding nearly all of them rather irritating to a greater or lesser degree. The central character, Persimmon Brown, a florist, seemed to change her attitudes frequently towards the other characters and the murderous events in which she becomes unwittingly involved, at times trying to act the private detective and find out everything she can about the high society families involved, and at other times ruing her involvement in the affairs of people with whom she has little in common, and yearning for her quiet ordinary life. And at the end I still wasn't really clear about the murderer's motivations for the specific murders he committed. ( )

An OK read with some lovely descriptions.

For a full review please click on the link below or past it to your browser.

http://onerightword.blogspot.co.uk/2016/05/windermere-witness-rebecca-trope.html
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This was my first book by Rebecca Tope, and the central character is a florist who gets caught up in a murder at a wedding in Windmere in the Lake District. It is very much a cozy, and in the book Simmy is put at the forefront of the murders and sets out to find out who the killer is. It was an enjoyable read without being a great read, will certainly give other books by Rebecca Tope a try. Overall I would describe it as good honest writing which isn't too taxing on the old grey cells! ( )