Publisher: Taw River Press
Series: A Jan Christopher Murder Mystery – Episode #6
Pages: 140
Genre: Cosy Mystery Book Description The village Flower and Veg Show should be a fun annual event – but who added mischief and murder to the traditional schedule? July 1973 Old friends and new enemies? Jan Christopher’s Aunt Madge is to be a judge at Chappletawton’s annual village flower and vegetable summer show – a chance for the family to have a holiday in the Devon countryside, especially as Jan’s fiancé, DS Laurie Walker, is still recovering from gunshot wounds and her uncle, DCI Toby Christopher, is enduring injury-related sick leave. The event should be a fun occasion where friendly rivalry between gardeners, cooks and crafters lead to the hopeful winning of the coveted Best In Show trophy – but who added mischief and murder to the traditional schedule? Praise for the Jan Christopher Mysteries "A delight—Miss Read meets The Darling Buds of May, with a dash of St. Mary Mead. Helen Hollick's signature voice shines throughout, full of warmth and wit. The characters keep growing in such satisfying ways, making every visit feel like coming home." Elizabeth St.John "The Darling Buds of May ...but in Devon instead of Kent." Alison Morton “I sank into this gentle cosy mystery story with the same enthusiasm and relish as I approach a hot bubble bath, and really enjoyed getting to know the central character, a shy young librarian, and the young police officer who becomes her romantic interest. The nostalgic setting of the 1970s was balm, so clearly evoked, and although there is a murder at the heart of the story, it was an enjoyable comfort read.” Debbie Young, author of the Sophie Sayers cosy mysteries “A delightful read about a murder told from the viewpoint of a young library assistant. The author draws on her own experience to weave an intriguing tale.” Richard Ashen – South Chingford Community Library “I really identified with Jan – the love of stories from an early age, and the careers advice – the same reaction I got – no one thought being a writer was something a working-class girl did! The character descriptions are wonderfully done.” Amazon Reader “Brilliant! I’m so enjoying Helen’s well-researched murder mystery. I’m not giving anything away here, except to say there’s lots of nostalgia, and detail that readers of a certain age will lap up. A jolly good read. In my opinion, it would make a great television series.” Amazon Reader Snippet Slugs were not at all popular with my family. Those connected to the no-good criminal kind and the other sort. I’m talking the slimy garden variety. You know, homeless snails. (As I thought of them when I was a kid.) Slugs were never popular at any time of the year for a keen gardener like Dad, but come mid-to-late July they were especially abhorred because the last Saturday of the month was the very important Village Flower and Vegetable Show. A big, by village standards, event, where anyone who was anyone in many a rural setting vied to become the proud owner of a silver trophy. My village of Chappletawton was no exception to this annual, national, traditional rivalry for a coveted First Place red rosette. This sort of show had been going since the Victorian age, when they’d been introduced to encourage good practice in horticulture – and to keep the general hoi polloi’s gardens tidy. Even small flower shows like ours were judged according to the precise (and to my mind, nit-picky) rules laid down by the Royal Horticultural Society. Rules that had been known to elicit various strategies of cheating, and on occasion in the past, even outright sabotage. Not for the gain of prize money, as the winnings were little more than a recuperation of the few pence per class entrance fee. No, winning was for the prestige of a year-long ownership of a silver trophy and the accompanying gardening expertise kudos. Where to Purchase Universal Buy Link HERE This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited. Meet the Author
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