Set in the village of Swanlow, this story gives us a charming feel for the area. The author’s descriptions draw you in, making it easy to picture the setting.
Author Henry Alder returns to his home village to give a talk but rushes off before it is finished. He is soon found dead in strange circumstances, with a letter in his pocket.
The two main characters, Thomas and Minty, work well together as they join the local police in trying to solve this peculiar case. As they speak to the villagers, they uncover some intriguing information and secrets that have long been hidden.
The story is tightly written, with wit and humour woven through the serious business of solving a murder. Every paragraph and chapter keeps the investigation moving forward.
Although I can see why cosy mystery lovers would devour this story, I wanted more feeling and emotion between the characters. That emotional connections are what I enjoy most stories, and I missed it here.
For crime and mystery lovers, though, I would definitely recommend it. It’s the sort of gripping whodunit that many readers will love.
Books
Book Blurb and Link
Welcome to Swanlow: possibly the prettiest village in Cheshire, and this weekend, home to its beloved literary festival. There will be books, gossip and an alarming quantity of Victoria sponge.
There will also, unfortunately, be a murder.
Thomas McInally has only come to sell a few rare books. He’s the sort of man who notices details, and patterns nobody else can see, and once he’s noticed them, absolutely cannot let them go.
His best friend Minty has come to perform. A drag queen with a razor-sharp wit and even greater nerve, Minty can read a room, a lie, and a person’s entire life story in the time it takes to order a pot of tea.
So when bestselling crime writer Henry Alder is found dead behind a locked door, and the local police — lovely, capable, completely baffled — can’t make the pieces fit.
Well, it would be rude not to help.
But Swanlow has been keeping a secret for thirty years. And someone in this charming little village would much prefer it stayed that way.
Buy here
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