A perfect country garden is full of flowers and gently buzzing bees... But the man lying dead beneath the trees can no longer see the beautiful scene. Melissa Craig is thrilled that summer has arrived. She has decided to give up her career as an amateur sleuth and enjoy a quiet life in her beautiful cottage. The only digging in Melissa's life now happens in her garden. However, when a keen beekeeper is found dead, covered in multiple stings, her new resolve is tested. As she gets to know the family of the dead man, she realises he was no saint. Could someone have possibly wanted him dead? Could this be a very clever murder? As Melissa starts to probe the victim's friends and acquaintances, another member of the family is also stung to death. Who could have turned the bees against their keeper? And when will they strike again? With the residents of Upper Benbury now fearful to open their windows to the summer air, and the police treating the deaths as accidental, Melissa must solve this case herself. To find the killer with the sharpest sting, she may have to delve deep into the hive... If you can't get enough of mysteries by Agatha Christie, P.D. James or Faith Martin, you will love this unputdownable mystery novel.
Meet Belinda Penshurst. Castle owner, dog lover... crime solver? Belinda Penshurst loves her home village Little Challham, with its shady lanes, two pubs and weekly market, and she's determined to keep it peaceful. She may live in Challham Castle but she knows almost everything that goes on under her nose. So when irritable pub landlord Tipper is found dead in his cellar, she's perfectly placed to investigate. Retired detective Harry Powell moved to Little Challham for a quiet life. He didn't expect to be dragged into a murder investigation. But the police don't seem half as enthusiastic as Belinda about the case, and there are strange things happening in the village. Particularly the number of dogs that have disappeared lately... Is there a dognapper snaffling schnauzers and luring away Labradors? Is Belinda barking mad to be worried that her brother Marcus was arguing with Tipper on the day he died? Belinda and Harry track down the suspects: the rival landlord, the outraged barmaid, the mysterious man in the black car following dogwalkers around. But are the dogged detectives running out of time to sniff out the killer, before he starts hounding them? A charming cozy mystery full of laughs and eccentric characters. Fans of M.C. Beaton, H.Y. Hanna and Emily Organ will love the first novel in the Belinda Penshurst series! See what readers are saying about Murder in the Village 'Wonderful... I absolutely adored this book! Had me reading and finishing the book in no time! I highly recommend this book! Stunning, a page-turner which stays long in the memory!' NetGalley reviewer 'What a great start to a new series!... A lively, spark-filled investigation... Wonderfully entertaining with the perfect set of ingredients.' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Charming... A super quick read perfect for the beach!' Bless Their Hearts Mom, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'A zany cast of characters, most of whom are suspected of being dognappers, murderers or both. A humorous mystery perfect for dog lovers' Goodreads reviewer 'Fun, full of mystery... Top notch cosy crime... Has a kind of Midsomer Murders vibe and in spite of the murderer on the loose, kept me smiling from start to finish... Fabulous... I can't wait to see what this fabulous duo get up to next. Fans of cosy mysteries (and dog lovers) are just going to eat this up.' Jen Med's Book Reviews 'Excellent village mayhem and murder' NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Meet Melissa: cat lover, caring mother... daring detective? Melissa Craig is absolutely delighted with her new life in an old crumbling cottage, spending her days pruning the primroses and getting to know Binkie, the ginger cat next door. She only wishes she had made the move to the countryside sooner. But when a knock at the door brings news of a shocking discovery, she suddenly finds herself thrown in to the middle of a baffling mystery: the bones of a young woman have been found in the woods just behind her new home. Perhaps the little village of Upper Bembury is not as idyllic as it first seemed? Strange phone calls in the night convince Melissa that the police are barking up completely the wrong tree, so she can't resist doing a little digging of her own. From the bingo hall to the beauty salon and beyond, her search ruffles a few feathers and uncovers many of the village's most scandalous secrets, but gets her no closer to finding the culprit... The discovery of a tatty old photograph in a drawer is the final piece of the puzzle she needs, but as a newcomer in this close-knit community, does Melissa have what it takes to get to the bottom of this extraordinary murder mystery alone? A joy to read! An absolutely unputdownable whodunnit for fans of Agatha Christie, P.D. James and Faith Martin. This book was previously published as A Little Gentle Sleuthing.
Meet Julia Bird: recently single, reluctantly retired, and... an amateur sleuth? Julia Bird has left London for a fresh start in a picturesque Cotswolds village, and the rustic charm and cosy fireplaces of her little cottage are everything she'd hoped for. But when she tears down the old garden shed to make way for a chicken coop, she unearths much more than she'd bargained for... the body of a young woman, apparently buried for decades, thrusting Julia into a baffling mystery. With only one copper on the case in Berrywick, Julia decides to solve the who and whodunnit herself, taking her wayward puppy Jake along for the ride. And so begins a whirlwind tour of the village - from the dotty 90-year-old to the delightful doctor and the village gardener, it seems everyone has something to hide. Soon, Julia is convinced she has discovered the killer's identity, until Jake, a true Labrador, finds a new love of the local lake's waterfowl and instead ends up catching her chief suspect... drowned. Back at square one, with potential culprits galore, Julia - newly nicknamed the Grim Reaper - despairs at ever solving the murders. But as Julia ruffles feathers village-wide, the clock is ticking. There is someone in the village who has killed twice already. Will they be prepared to make it third time lucky to keep their secret safe? This totally addictive page-turning cozy mystery is perfect for fans of M.C. Beaton, Faith Martin and Betty Rowlands. Readers love Katie Gayle: 'Wow! I need to get my breath back after that... A lie down in a darkened room is also definitely required to recover!... Moves along at a break-neck pace.' Fiction Books Blog 'Katie Gayle never fails to keep me laughing, entertained, and trying to figure out the mystery til the very end. I absolutely adore this book... 10/10... This book is absolutely perfect!' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars 'Fantastic... I can't say enough good things about this book. I just loved every minute of reading it.' Fireflies & Freekicks 'Undoubtedly rollicking good fun. If the need to escape reality for a few hours presents itself, I can highly recommend this hilarious hullabaloo of a read.' NetGalley reviewer, 5 stars 'There is so much I adored about this book!... The perfect mixture of humour and mystery makes this book an absolute page turner that I would highly recommend to everyone!' Victoria Wilks Blog 'Thrilling and immensely enjoyable... An absolute joy to read... Will have readers laughing out loud and keep them glued to the pages from beginning to end.' Bookish Jottings 'A hilarious romp of a mystery.' NetGalley reviewer, 5 stars 'Compelling and compulsive... An uplifting, endlessly charming and highly original cosy mystery series... Filled with drama, action, twists... A fabulous, and much-needed, piece of escapism in these times.' Readers Retreat
A gifted and knowledgeable writer . . . engaging and readable' Financial Times Melissa Craig has taken time away from writing bestselling mysteries to script a murder play for an amateur drama group. 'Murder with a giggle' is how she thinks of it. But no one is laughing when a cast member dies in the cellar of the old Cotswold Heyshill Manor Hotel where the play is to be produced. Persuaded by the manager to investigate, Melissa finds . . . nothing. No well-ordered clues, no sure suspects, just lots of tension. Then she chances upon a vital discovery in the hotel's parking lot, and everything begins to fall into place. This isn't a matter of "murderous plots and murky deeds, all in rhyming couplets" but a death-defying journey along a trail of crime on an international scale.
Move over Miss Marple, there's a new sleuth in town! Meet Eleanor Swift: distinguished adventurer, dog lover, dignified lady... daring detective? England, 1920. Eleanor Swift has spent the last few years travelling the world: taking tea in China, tasting alligators in Peru, escaping bandits in Persia and she has just arrived in England after a chaotic forty-five-day flight from South Africa. Chipstone is about the sleepiest town you could have the misfortune to meet. And to add to these indignities - she's now a Lady. Lady Eleanor, as she would prefer not to be known, reluctantly returns to her uncle's home, Henley Hall. Now Lord Henley is gone, she is the owner of the cold and musty manor. What's a girl to do? Well, befriend the household dog, Gladstone, for a start, and head straight out for a walk in the English countryside, even though a storm is brewing... But then, from the edge of a quarry, through the driving rain, Eleanor is shocked to see a man shot and killed in the distance. Before she can climb down to the spot, the villain is gone and the body has vanished. With no victim and the local police convinced she's stirring up trouble, Eleanor vows to solve this affair by herself. And when her brakes are mysteriously cut, one thing seems sure: someone in this quiet country town has Lady Eleanor Swift in their murderous sights... If you enjoy witty dialogue, glamorous intrigue and the very best of Golden Age mysteries, then you will adore Verity Bright's unputdownable whodunnit, perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, T.E. Kinsey and Downton Abbey!
Melissa Craig is a successful crime novelist who has left London to pursue her career in the more relaxed atmosphere of the Cotswolds. It doesn't take her long to discover that fact and fiction are sometimes frighteningly similar, and the gentle country existence she planned for herself is, instead, providing grist for her creative mill. Finishing Touch finds Melissa becoming more involved with the local community, and teaching creative writing at the local Tech. But murder stalks the college art department, reminding both Melissa and Iris, her artist neighbour, of a bizarre event they had witnessed some time before. 'A gently old-fashioned whodunit, riddled with lurking anguish' The Times
Eve Mallow's stay at the luxurious Abbey Hotel takes a turn for the suspicious when the owner is murdered - leaving Eve surrounded by suspects! Saxford St Peter is Eve Mallow's beloved home, but she can't resist the chance to spend a weekend in the nearby Abbey Hotel, famed for its glamorous owner Debra Moran and an array of celebrity guests. For a confirmed people-watcher like Eve, it's perfect: she can observe the rich and famous while sipping tea in the gardens, her faithful dachshund Gus by her side. But her relaxing break takes a shocking turn when Debra is found lying dead in the shadowy woods around the hotel. One of Eve's fellow guests didn't come to the Abbey for fine food and delightful décor - but to kill. When the investigation gets underway, Eve finds herself trapped with a wide range of suspects. Could it be Debra's new friend Harper, who inherits everything? Her ex-husband Chester, still seething over their messy divorce? Or her estranged sister Amelia, who came hoping for reconciliation, only for Debra to shut the door in her face? As Eve roams the hotel, searching for clues and hunting down alibis, she uncovers a whole host of secrets. But can she find the truth before the killer brings her holiday to a deadly end? A completely unputdownable page-turner, perfect for fans of Faith Martin, Agatha Christie and Joy Ellis. See what readers are saying about the Eve Mallow series: 'Utterly delightful!... I really enjoyed reading this book. It was the perfect coxy murder mystery to become immersed in... Keeps you on your toes!... I highly recommend this to the armchair detectives of the world!' The Two Quills 'Stepping into the pages of a new Eve Mallow mystery is like stepping into your favourite well-worn comfy slippers... Eve now feels to me like a trusted (if fictional!) friend that I can't wait to catch up with... Deliciously moreish... If you haven't already discovered this series then what are you waiting for ' Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
An English cottage to die for . . It’s spring in England, and location scout Kate Sharp has returned to the quaint village of Nether Woodsmoor with its lush gardens, budding hedgerows, and mellow stone cottages to work on a Jane Austen television documentary. The unique opportunity also gives her the chance to explore a possible romance with Alex, the deliciously rumpled local scout. Rumors of recently discovered Jane Austen letters stir up the production, but then an unidentified young woman dies in a fire in a village cottage, and the police investigation narrows to focus on the documentary crew. Desperate to keep her job and help a friend under suspicion, Kate delves into the search for the identity of the woman. Who was she? What was her connection to the seemingly sleepy village? And who in the village is lying? Delve into this traditional British mystery from USA Today bestselling author Sara Rosett and escape to an English village. MURDER ON LOCATION SERIES: Book One - Death in the English Countryside Book Two - Death in an English Cottage Book Three - Death in a Stately Home Book Four - Death in an Elegant City Book Five - Menace at the Christmas Market (Novella) Book Six - Death in an English Garden Book Seven - Death at an English Wedding Have you read Sara Rosett’s other mystery series? If you like historical mysteries with lady detectives, check out the HIGH SOCIETY LADY DETECTIVE mystery series. If you like travel with your mystery, check out the ON THE RUN INTERNATIONAL MYSTERIES
