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What’s Your Book About?
It started with a simple question. It became something of a nightmare. My first public speaking engagement as an author resulted from some welcome publicity in my local newspaper for my first novel, No Accident. Having trained food handlers as part of my day job as an environmental health officer (EHO) and spoken at seminars, I enjoyed talking to the public. Or so I thought. I’m given a rousing introduction by the chair person. I stand and make eye contact with the audience. They appear friendly and welcoming, listening intently to my biography. Growing confidence, I slip in some of the strange and amusing incidents I encountered as an EHO.…
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J is for Judgement by Sue Grafton
13th September 2023. In the tenth outing for PI Kinsey Millhone, she’s faced with two challenges. The first involves an insurance fraud involving Wendell Jaffe, who was declared dead after going missing from his boat out in the ocean. Five years ago, his wife received a substantial payout on his life insurance. When he’s spotted in Mexico, Kinsey’s despatched to confirm the sighting. This she does, but he escapes before she can confront the man. His son, Brian, has escaped from jail in Santa Teresa, and Wendell is believed to be heading there. Back on home soil, Kinsey continues her investigation. She interviews a couple who seem to shed light…
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The Vicarage Murder by Faith Martin
27th August 2023. I enjoyed this traditional cosy mystery, set in a picturesque village in the Cotswolds. The old vicarage is being renovated into a number of flats. Monica Noble, the vicar’s wife, is throwing a garden party for the people who have moved in. But there are tensions already, which come to a head during the party. A shotgun blast is heard. Moments later, Monica finds a dead body in one of the flats being renovated. Some residents have alibis, some don’t, being absent from the party when the shot was heard. It falls to DCI Dury to investigate and uncover the killer. But it isn’t straightforward when so…
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Swansong by Damien Boyd
25th August 2023. The murder of boarding school girl, Isobel Owen, brings back unhappy memories for DI Dixon, who many years before attended a nearby school. The love of his life at the time disappeared without trace. Now he’s back, sent to work undercover when the Isobel Owen investigation stalls. Not only is he reminded of his schooldays, there are teachers and staff who were also at his old school. Will any of them recognise him and blow his cover? It’s not long before there’s a second murder, this time of a caretaker who worked at Dixon’s former school. It’s too much of a coincidence to be a random killing.…
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Appointment with Death by Agatha Christie
19th August 2023. Once more, Hercule Poirot is on hand to investigate a suspicious death. This time it’s a domineering matriarch who keeps such a tight control of her family, they are plotting to kill her. They’re on holiday, but it seems no one is enjoying themselves. On a trip to Petra Mrs Boynton dies. With a puncture mark on her wrist, a missing hypodermic syringe and digitoxin, it looks like the family’s wish has been fulfilled. But nothing is ever that simple in a Poirot murder mystery. With only 24 hours to get to the truth, and enough suspects to keep him occupied, he sets about in his usual…
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The Island Murders by Rachel MacLean
16th August 2023. The body of a National Trust worker washes up on the shores of Brownlea Island, a nature reserve in Poole Harbour. Suddenly, the closed community of workers and volunteers is faced with an awful truth – there could be a killer in their midst. For DCI Lesley Clarke, the problems are quite different – she and her team have to get to and from the island during their investigation. The victim is a well-liked member of the main team on the island. No one can understand why she was killed. But someone knows more and it’s up to the detectives to discover these secrets. Lesley also has…
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Don’t Turn Back by DS Butler
14th August 2023. In the third book of the DS Karen Hart series, she’s investigating the death of a man found beaten to death in woodland. Buried nearby is a notebook with some curious entries that suggest police officers may be involved in some unidentified activities. Of course, it could be no more than speculation by Karen, who’s struggling to come to terms with the death of her husband and daughter. Investigations lead the team into the world of people trafficking, which brings in officers from the adjoining Thames Valley force, leading to tension between officers as the investigation progresses. As more details are uncovered, Karen’s suspicions increase. Is she…
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Skeletons in the Closet by Bill Kitson
8th August 2023. When several skeletons are found in a remote, derelict cottage, it poses another complex murder investigation for Mike Nash and the team. The investigation has barely started when a local solicitor, linked to the property, is murdered. When his business partner and lover is also found dead, the team struggle to keep up, making little headway. Like all the previous novels, this involves another complex and gruelling investigation. The banter and humour among the team, along with Nash’s irreverent take on proceedings, help to keep the story moving along as a series of burglaries take up more of the team’s time. But it isn’t long before Nash…
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Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie
4th August 2023. This is another deftly plotted and ingenious murder mystery, featuring Hercule Poirot. He’s taking a break with a cruise down the Nile when Linnet Ridgeway, a rich and beautiful woman is murdered – shot in the head. The obvious suspect, who has expressed her desire to kill Linnet for taking her lover, has a solid alibi. The story begins by revealing many of the characters that will feature in the drama. The build-up is gentle but intriguing as Linnet is shown as a person everyone loves and admires. But once she’s killed, a number of suspects and subplots are uncovered by the Belgian detective. Never anything less…
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A Knot of Sparrows by Cheryl Rees-Price
3rd August 2023. In the latest intriguing story in the series, DI Winter Meadows investigates the death of a promiscuous young woman, who had antagonised plenty of people in the village. A strange word or code was left on the body to add to the mystery. As the investigation progresses, more murders follow, all linked by the codes left on the bodies or nearby. It appears someone in the area is on a mission. But it’s not clear what. Most of the suspects have alibis, especially when Winters himself is attacked. He believes it’s a warning rather than a death threat and steps up the inquiry until he finally gets…
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Mystery at the Church by Clare Chase
29th July 2023. There’s never a quiet moment for obituary writer, Eve Mallow, or the village of Saxford St Peter. This time, the tranquillity is swept aside by a film crew. Eve and many of the residents become extras in what turns out to be a drama within a drama when the director, Rufus Beaumont is murdered. With a long list of suspects, and plenty of motives among a disparate cast and crew, the scale of Eve’s investigation looks daunting. Once more, she uses her research to write an obituary as an opportunity to get closer to the people involved. But as she digs into the director’s past and relationships,…
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I is for Innocent by Sue Grafton
27th July 2023. Revisiting these novels has given me more pleasure than I imagined. The stories and characters have lost none of their original magic, and feel as fresh and original as they did 30 years ago. This time, Kinsey is employed to complete an investigation carried out by another PI who unexpectedly died. The case concerns the murder of Isabella Barney, whose husband was acquitted of her murder. Unhappy with this verdict, her former husband is mounting his own lawsuit, seeking justice. While all the evidence is there to see, Kinsey’s investigation soon starts to find gaps in the evidence. It isn’t long before she finds herself doubting her…