I am absolutely thrilled to be on the blog tour for this amazing read.
All aboard for the plot: Ever so wholesome.
Ever so deadly...
When a local man is found murdered in an English Trust stately home, the community is shaken to its core.
None more so than newcomer Astrid Swift, who finds the body. When she moved from London to the sleepy Dorset village and got a job at the house as an art restorer, she thought she was heading for a quieter life.
Far from it. Because it turns out that rather than being the genteel organisation it seems on the surface, the Trust is a hotbed of politics and intrigue. As Astrid's new friend Kath from the village says: 'It's like the mafia, but with scones.'
As the suspicious deaths mount up and the threat draws closer, Astrid must use every gadget in her restorer's toolkit to solve the mystery, save her reputation – and maybe even her life.
Bobs and Books honest review:
This book caught my interest purely on the name of Astrid Swift. Classic name. But this is so much more than a name and features all the perfect components for a cosy crime read. Actually, this is better than a stereotypical cosy crime as these characters have more depth and feel much more relatable and real.
The characters in the village remind me of my Cornish home village where Londoners are perceived as posh and snobby unwanted visitors and the locals have known everything about each other for decades. True to life, yet added for good humour.
This is very witty and has some excellent one liners throughout that are laugh out loud funny.
I love Astrid's job and how art comes into play here. I liked how the author used her profession to enable her to become the amateur detective. She is everything you want from a female detective. Feisty, outspoken, a little bit reckless but channels her energy into doing the right thing and solving these crimes. Her relationship with the police is also unusually brilliant.
Lots of suspicious characters and sprinkled with some great ones too. Kath is utterly brilliant. The volunteers also make for particularly endearing reading.
Fun, classic, surprising.
About the author:
M.H. Eccleston has had a fairly meandering career – starting out as a radio presenter for the BBC, then staying at the Beeb as a journalist and producer for six years. After that, it's a bit of a blur – he spent a couple of decades, at least, freelancing as a foreign correspondent, TV presenter, voice-over artist and film critic. For the last few years he's been a full-time screenwriter and now novelist, with some wildlife gardening in the summer to keep himself sane and pay the bills.
Out now. Order link
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3tSe0Bv
Follow M.H. Eccleston Twitter: @MarkEccleston1
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