Agnes Sharp and the Trip of a Lifetime


Book Description

This highly anticipated follow-up to The Sunset Years of Agnes Sharp finds Agnes and her octogenarian friends face-to-face with a killer after winning a trip to a beautiful hotel in the seaside town of Cornwall The year is rapidly drawing to an end, Hettie the tortoise is hibernating and Agnes, Charlie, Marshall, and the other elderly residents of Sunset Hall are going stir-crazy at home. They’ve had enough of the broken boiler, draughty bedrooms, and Christmas jingles on the radio. And to top it all off, another series of murders is rocking the hamlet of Duck End. It seems like every villager and his dog is trying to make up for all of the thwarted murders of the past thirty years. Most unpleasant! The residents of Sunset Hall don’t want anything to do with the criminal activities. So when Edwina manages to slip onto Marshall’s computer in an unobserved moment and promptly wins a stay in an exclusive coastal hotel in Cornwall, the Sunset Hall crew doesn’t waste any time in deciding to join her. After all, Edwina can’t be left unsupervised. But they’ve barely unpacked their bags when Agnes sees something unsettling from the terrace of the hotel: two figures in hoods walk away from the hotel along the cliffs, but only one returns. Worried she’s witnessed a murder, Agnes tells the others. At first nobody really believes her, after all the crew have enough to do working their way through the incredible menu, exploring the hotel’s wellness-landscape, navigating old and new love affairs and adopting a boa constrictor. But when the hotel ends up isolated from the outside world after a storm, it becomes clear that a murderer really is on the loose—and they’re trapped, just like all of the other guests!




The Sunset Years of Agnes Sharp


Book Description

A quirky group of seniors attempts to solve one murder while covering up another—with the help of an enterprising tortoise—in this twisty, darkly funny mystery from the author of Three Bags Full. It has been an eventful morning for Agnes Sharp and the other inhabitants of Sunset Hall, a house share for the old and unruly in the sleepy English countryside. Although they have had some issues (misplaced reading glasses, conflicting culinary tastes, decreasing mobility, and gluttonous grandsons), nothing prepares them for an unexpected visit from a police officer with some shocking news. A body has been discovered next door. Everyone puts on a long face for show, but they are secretly relieved the body in question is not the one they’re currently hiding in the shed (sorry, Lillith). It seems the answer to their little problem with Lillith may have fallen right into their laps. All they have to do is find out who murdered their neighbor, so they can pin Lillith’s death on them, thus killing two (old) birds with one stone (cold killer). With their plan sorted, Agnes and her geriatric gang spring into action. After all, everybody likes a good mystery. Besides, the more suspicion they can cast about, surely the less will land on them. To investigate, they will step out of their comfort zone and tangle with sinister bakers, broken stairlifts, inept criminals, the local authorities, and their own dark secrets.




Three Bags Full


Book Description

A witty philosophical murder mystery with a charming twist: the crack detectives are sheep determined to discover who killed their beloved shepherd. On a hillside near the cozy Irish village of Glennkill, a flock of sheep gathers around their shepherd, George, whose body lies pinned to the ground with a spade. George has cared devotedly for the flock, even reading them books every night. Led by Miss Maple, the smartest sheep in Glennkill (and possibly the world), they set out to find George’s killer. The A-team of investigators includes Othello, the “bad-boy” black ram; Mopple the Whale, a Merino who eats a lot and remembers everything; and Zora, a pensive black-faced ewe with a weakness for abysses. Joined by other members of the richly talented flock, they engage in nightlong discussions about the crime, wild metaphysical speculations, and embark on reconnaissance missions into the village, where they encounter some likely suspects. Along the way, the sheep confront their own all-too-human struggles with guilt, misdeeds, and unrequited love. Funny, fresh, and endearing, it introduces a wonderful new breed of detectives to Canadian readers.




A Cotswold Casebook


Book Description

A brand-new collection of twelve short stories, featuring the popular characters from Rebecca Tope's Cotswold mystery novels. A suspicious funeral, a fatal encounter at a garden centre of all places, and a country walk marred by the discovery of a hidden corpse, are just some of the perplexing situations with which Thea Osborne, her friends and a further cast of characters must contend. In this expanded view of the world of her popular books, Tope reminds us that death and crime will visit even the most idyllic country villages.




A Lake District Christmas Murder


Book Description

As Christmas draws nearer, Simmy Henderson is invited to a party in Glenridding at the heart of the Lake District. However, the festivities are overshadowed by two alarming discoveries: a man's body in the beck above the village and a vulnerable newborn baby, apparently abandoned by its mother. Caught in the crosscurrents and tensions of the inhabitants of Glenridding, Simmy is drawn into the investigation. The season of goodwill has been eclipsed by far darker emotions and a murderer must be found.




Shadows in the Cotswolds


Book Description

When Thea Osborne agrees at the last minute to house-sit for Oliver Meadows as a favour to her mother, she expects a few days of peace with her spaniel, Hepzie. Uncomfortable with the news of her mother's sudden involvement with an old flame, and Thea herself unsure of how to deal with her feelings for Drew Slocombe, she hopes that some time alone in the historic town of Winchcombe will help to clear her head. But, as usual, Thea quickly finds herself at the centre of a dark mystery when she discovers a dead body in the gardens of the house.




The Affair of the Mutilated Mink


Book Description

The Earl of Burford can't believe his luck; Rex Ransom, his favourite star from the 'talkies', and his hot-shot producer, Haggermeir, want to film their next feature at Alderley, the family's seventeenth-century country estate. Somewhat less enthusiastic is the Countess, who suddenly finds herself hosting an impromptu house party for the incoming Hollywood crowd. It's almost too much for poor Merryweather, the family's imperturbable butler, to cope with. And that's before there's a murder in the dead of night. By morning Inspector Wilkins of the Westshire Constabulary is cast in the unlikely role of hero, as he tiptoes through the evidence and endeavours to unravel the slightly batty, thoroughly baffling mystery.and work out just what a mutilated mink coat has to do with anything.




Shadows of Sounds


Book Description

***Discover your next reading obsession with Alex Gray's bestselling Scottish detective series*** Whether you've read them all or whether this is your first Lorimer novel, THE DARKEST GOODBYE is perfect if you love Ian Rankin, Val McDermid and Ann Cleeves WHAT THEY'RE SAYING ABOUT THE LORIMER SERIES: Warm-hearted, atmospheric' ANN CLEEVES 'Relentless and intriguing' PETER MAY 'Move over Rebus' DAILY MAIL 'Exciting, pacey, authentic' ANGELA MARSONS 'Superior writing' THE TIMES 'Immensely exciting and atmospheric' ALEXANDER MCCALL SMITH _______________ When George Millar, the City of Glasgow's orchestra leader, is brutally murdered in his dressing room before a performance, his colleagues are shocked. As the show goes on, DCI Lorimer and psychologist Solomon Brightman uncover a series of irrevocably tangled relationships between the orchestra members. Millar had been involved in a series of homosexual relationships and was well known for playing his lovers off against one another - but were his controversial dalliances really enough to incite cold-blooded and calculated murder? _______________ ***PRAISE FOR ALEX GRAY*** 'Convincing Glaswegian atmosphere and superior writing' The Times 'Brings Glasgow to life in the same way Rankin evokes Edinburgh' Daily Mail 'Exciting, pacy, authentic' Angela Marsons 'Sums up everything that is golden and enthralling about a good book' Fully Booked




Poles Apart


Book Description

Four women, one sleepy village ... It's time to give life a whirl. The Welsh village of Morlan is a beautiful place to live, but four of its female residents are searching for more. Gwen appears to have it all but her marriage is on the rocks. Meg struggles with her health and her love life has barely got a pulse. Recently widowed Ivy wonders whether she can revamp more than just her home. Summer dearly loves her young children but is desperate to broaden her horizons beyond her sleep-deprived fog. The announcement that pole dancing exercise classes are coming to the village hall brings the disparate group together and a bond is formed that will help them with the trials and tribulations that lie ahead. 'Poles Apart is an absolute joy to read and a reminder of the value of female friendship' Helga Jensen, author of Fly me to Paris 'This book is an absolute tonic. If you need a lift, read it!' Luisa A. Jones, author of The Broken Vow




The Dog Sitter Detective Takes the Lead


Book Description

'Antony Johnston has done it again - Funny, endearing and a juicy mystery to solve, it's the very best of modern cozy crime magic.' JONATHAN WHITELAW ' The Dog Sitter Detective Takes the Lead is a dog-lover's treat and Gwinny is a delight.' S. J. BENNETT 'cozy crime at its very best.' - TOM MEAD ---- Gwinny Tuffel, preparing for her first West End role in a decade, is continuing to dog-sit to keep the wolf from the door. What should be an easy gig, staying on a Little Venice houseboat to help ageing rock star Crash Double with his Border Collie, takes a sinister turn when the singer's dead body surfaces during the annual Canal Carnival festivities. While the police dismiss the death as an accident, Gwinny suspects murder most foul and it is up to her, with Ace's on-the-ground knowledge, to make sure the killer faces the music.