A Village Murder (A Ham Hill Murder Mystery #1) by Frances Evesham
Genre: Crime fiction, Cosy Mysteries
Read: 17th March 2021
Published: 23rd June 2020
★★★★ 4 stars
DESCRIPTION:
An English village can be deadly, when your past catches up with you...
In the beautiful rural Somerset village of Lower Hembrow, crammed full with English eccentrics, something is amiss...
Landscape gardener Imogen Bishop has spent the last thirty years trying to forget one fateful school night but when her estranged husband Greg Bishop is found dead in the grounds of her fathers' Georgian hotel, danger threatens to overwhelm her.
Retired police officer Adam Hennessey, hoping for a peaceful life running his traditional Somerset country pub, finds himself drawn into the unfolding drama in the hotel across the road.
Imogen, Adam and Harley the stray dog form an unlikely partnership as they try to untangle a knot of secrets, solve a murder mystery, and bring a killer to justice.
A brand new cosy mystery series from the bestselling author of Murder at the Lighthouse, perfect for fans of Faith Martin, Betty Rowlands and Joy Ellis.
MY REVIEW:
Welcome to Lower Hembrow, a rural village nestled in rolling hills of Somerset. A hidden gem often bypassed en route to more sought after destinations like Devon and Cornwall. The village is filled with winding lanes, rolling hills and quaint little chocolate box houses as well as the resident eccentrics and busybodies. But as charming and as picturesque as Lower Hembrow is, something is amiss. And soon secrets will come bubbling to the surface.
Local businessman and councillor, Horace Jones, has died as a result of a car accident. His landscape gardener daughter Imogen has returned to the village she grew up in for his funeral and to decide what to do about the Georgian hotel her father owned that she has now inherited. But returning to Lower Hembrow brings with it a whole deluge of memories she has spent that last 30 years trying to forget. Taking over the Streamside Hotel was never part of the plan but having recently split up with her husband and selling the flat they shared has left Imogen at a bit of a loose end. But all that is about to change when a body is discovered in the Orangery in the hotel's gardens.
Retired police detective Adam Hennessey, a former DCI, had come to Lower Hembrow for a quiet life. Leaving his police life back in Birmingham, Adam bought The Plough pub - across the road from the Streamside Hotel - and was looking forward to spending his retirement quietly running his pub and painting landscapes. And then Adam's quiet life was disrupted by the sudden and exuberant entrance of a stray dog that has chosen to lay his head, and his paws, at Adam's feet. Knowing nothing about dogs, for he'd always been a cat person, Adam found the young dog to be something of a hurricane...albeit a lovable one. But despite his police background, Adam never imagined to be investigating a murder but upon discovering the body of of Imogen's estranged husband Greg Bishop, his detective nose starts twitching and he soon finds he is unable to resist getting involved.
Imogen, Adam and Harley the dog join forces in an unlikely partnership as they attempt to untangle the knot of secrets to uncover the murderer and clear Imogen's name, as the police seem to think she's the most likely suspect with the most to gain from his demise. Throughout their investigations, Imogen learns a lot about her father, her estranged husband and their nefarious activities. Shocked at their discoveries, Imogen also reconnects with old friends from school that she hasn't seen since leaving three decades ago. But as they follow the trail leading them back 30 odd years into Imogen's past, will they be successful in their quest for the truth or will the killer evade justice?
I love the handful of characters in this delightful cosy mystery. I especially loved Adam and his quirky features, and of course the delightful Harley. Who doesn't love a book where the dog takes centre stage? My only concern on that front would be that something happens to the dog...and in my opinion, that can never happen. Kill off whoever else you want BUT LEAVE THE DOG ALONE!! In any event, Harley - so named by the little boy Adam rescued after being knocked off his bike by Councillor Smith - has landed on his paws when he adopted Adam and the two become something of an unlikely duo before Adam despairs that he knows next to nothing about dogs or who to train then when Imogen takes the effervescent Harley off his hands. And then the duo somehow become a trio hot on the trail of killers, blackmailers and buried secrets of the past. Together they are tenacious as they root out all possible suspects to get to the truth.
I have to admit, Frances Evesham had me completely bamboozled by red herrings that I had no clue as to who the guilty party was. Not. A. Clue. I felt like I was in Midsomer with a dash of St Mary Mead as the plot thickened with yet even more suspects. The finale is in true Agatha Christie style bringing each and every suspect into the room as hypotheses are theorised and methods are speculated...until the killer is finally revealed.
With an abundance of quirky characters, A VILLAGE MURDER is an engaging read from start to finish with plenty of surprises along the way to keep you guessing. It is a fun, light read that can be devoured rather quickly. I read it in one sitting last night curled up in bed.
The first in a delightful new cosy series, I look forward to further adventures involving Imogen, Adam and of course, Harley.
If you love Agatha Christie-type mysteries, then this book is for you!
I would like to thank #FrancesEvesham, #NetGalley, #BoldwoodBooks for an ARC of #AVillageMurder in exchange for an honest review.
MEET THE AUTHOR:
Like many of her readers, Frances loves Sherlock Holmes, Miss Marple and the grand tradition of whodunnits with intriguing puzzles to solve, villains to be brought to justice and amateur private investigators.
The Exham on Sea contemporary crime series is set in a small seaside town surrounded by the wonderful rolling hills, green levels and narrow roads of the West Country. It’s the perfect place for Frances to indulge in her obsessions with beautiful places, cake and chocolate, overgrown dogs, and aloof, self-possessed cats.
The Thatcham Hall Mysteries sprang from a life-long interest in history, especially the English Victorians. These stories are set in a 19th Century English country house, where gothic chapels, secret rooms, dusty corridors and hidden cottages provide a perfect backdrop for historical mystery romances, where determined heroines have to fight hard against the strict rules of behaviour of the day.
In my spare time, she collects poison recipes and other ways of dispatching her unfortunate victims. She also likes to cook with a glass of wine in one hand and a bunch of chillies in the other with her head full of murder ― fictional only.
Frances loves to hear from readers, so don’t be a stranger. Contact her via any of her social media links.
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