Little do the detective duo know that several of their cases are about to collide when identifying the whereabouts of the missing man becomes something far more sinister. However, as I kept reading I did get more into the swing of the current story and found it a compelling read. From stolen washing to inheritance investigations, Bruncliffe’s Dales Detective Agency is being inundated with cases. I have grown very fond of the cast of characters and the well-described locations and had been eagerly awaiting this episode. It tied the narrative strands from the previous books together very well, though I still don't understand exactly how international crime and money laundering work!

I wouldn't recommend anyone to read this book without reading the others first, relationships and storylines all converge in 'Date with Evil', but if that's too much of a reading commitment, I would at least start with the first book to get to know the characters, then read one or two before this one, if by that point you feel you can bear the spoilers. I very much enjoyed and will continue recommending this series to all who love a cosy crime or indeed as a palette cleanser for those who love more gritty crime. I can’t wait for more! In the seventh novel in Julia Chapman’s Dales Detective series, Date with Betrayal, betrayal is rife in the idyllic Yorkshire Dales as Samson O’Brien, owner of the Dales Detective Agency, is targeted by a hitman. Can Bruncliffe save him? A brilliantly engaging and witty mystery, perfect for fans of Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club and M. C. Beaton’s Agatha Raisin series. Still, I feel that this is a series that I would advise is best to read from the beginning, which is something that I hope to do in the upcoming months. In the eighth novel in the Dales Detective series, Date with Evil, Samson and Delilah are about to discover that all of their new cases may be connected to a network of evil that seems to be surrounding Bruncliffe. Will they solve them all before the danger comes directly to their door?The landscape – the gorgeous ondulating landscape draws you in and I loved the characters. There was also a more serious story – one man returning to face his past and his father and everything was nicely and neatly wrapped up – although with just enough threads to leave you wanting more. The plot is fun. It could be called outrageously over the top with all sorts of shenanigans, including murder, kidnapping and fire bombs, but that is just the tip of the iceberg and that’s the point, so much action and crime in a small town. It is an entertaining read with never a dull moment. It held my attention throughout. I know it's counter-cultural and a very small point, but would a gang of pensioners really be so modern about two people going to bed together? In their day people probably believed in commitment first.

Little do the detective duo know that several of their cases are about to collide, as what appears to be a simple matter of identifying the whereabouts of the missing man becomes something far more sinister.In the seventh novel in Julia Chapman’s Dales Detective series, Date with Betrayal , betrayal is rife in the idyllic Yorkshire Dales as Samson O’Brien, owner of the Dales Detective Agency, is targeted by a hitman. Can Bruncliffe save him? A brilliantly engaging and witty mystery, perfect for fans of Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club and M. C. Beaton’s Agatha Raisin series. Samson and Delilah do not work well with each other, actually she hates him. But with funny circumstances, call it fate, they have to work together. It doesn’t help that both his detective agency and Delilah’s business are lettered the same, ‘DDA’ and in the same building! They will have to put the past behind them if there is to be any business coming their way, and now with suspicious deaths, they embark on different mysteries in every book. What changed? The Dales crept up on me. Just as animals can be imprinted by humans if they spend too long with them, so I became imprinted with this amazing part of the world. While I was trying to plot murder in the city, I was constantly noticing the shade of the heather on the hills as September bleeds into October. Instead of turning my thoughts to the voices of the city-dwelling characters I was creating, I was hearing the first call of the curlew as spring arrives. And rather than describing crowded streets and the mayhem of city life, my eyes were drawn to the rainbow colours on the ewes’ rear ends as the breeding season got into full swing! The landscape and its inhabitants got under my skin. How could I not write about them?

Full of charm, wit and characters that will capture your heart, the series begins with Date With Death . Have you read them all? Oblivious to his impending date with fate, Samson is busy juggling a number of cases at the Dales Detective Agency. Too busy, in fact, to notice his partner behaving oddly.In the eighth novel in the Dales Detective series, Date with Evil , Samson and Delilah are about to discover that all of their new cases may be connected to a network of evil that seems to be surrounding Bruncliffe. Will they solve them all before the danger comes directly to their door? Great pace, great finish to so many stories, this feels like it could be a very satisfying end to my time in Bruncliffe with Samson and Delilah, but I don't want it to be, and right there is a mark of the success of this 8th instalment. I can't really comment too much on the plot because it ties up so many loose ends, and a fair amount of motive and villain identity is known before this book even starts This was a great read and is definitely cosy crime with a very hard centre. All of the elements of a standard cosy crime novel are present in this latest instalment of the Dales Detective. We have a close knit community with a colourful cast of supporting characters who stay just the right side of stereotypes, there is the local coffee shop where gossip is exchanged and the amateur detective who is struggling to keep her agency going. However, although the crimes initially seem minor, we soon find that something very serious is going on in the Dales and the book has some very dark scenes. Hooray!!! Not only is one of my most anticipated books in my grasp, but it didn't disappoint, love this series even more for having this book in it! There was a good amount of character building in the story and I felt I got to know the town well. I really liked both the main characters and the small town every knows everyone vibe going on. The mystery had me guessing as to the how's and why's for quite a while and was interesting to follow along. I'd definitely be interested in what is in store for Samson and Delilah in any future books.