Synopses & Reviews
She’s had her hands full sorting out both clues and clutter in the village of Long Farnden. But a mother’s work is never done, and Lois Meade is discovering detective work is both dirty and dangerous… A wedding is always a happy occasion, even if Lois Meade must remind herself she isn’t losing a daughter, but gaining a policeman. Luckily, her new son-in-law is in the Tresham force—and the nephew of her friend and collaborator Inspector Cowgill—so Lois has another link to the law at her disposal.
But sleuthing suddenly seems a little too close to home when her youngest son invites a mysterious young woman, Akiko, as a guest. Lois isn’t the only one who wonders why she refuses to talk about herself or her past. And when a thief waltzes off in the night with the young woman’s cello, Lois wastes no time in enlisting the inspector to help find the valuable instrument.
Before Lois can take note of the whereabouts of the vanishing cello, Akiko goes missing. The discovery that this could be another in a string of murderous musical thefts means Lois must pull out all the stops to find the girl and protect her son—before the music stops permanently…
Review
“A fine series that just keeps getting better.”—
Booklist
Review
Praise for Ann Purser and the Lois Meade Mysteries
“A refreshingly working-class heroine.”—Publishers Weekly
“A treat for cozy fans.”—Booklist
“Purser’s expertise at portraying village life and Lois’s role as a working-class Miss Marple combine to make this novel—and the entire series—a treat.” —Richmond Times-Dispatch
“Notable for the careful way Purser roots every shocking malfeasance in the rhythms and woes of ordinary working-class family life.”—Kirkus Reviews
“The characters are fun. The setting is wonderful…Anyone who delights in an English village mystery will have a good time with this book.”—Gumshoe Review
“A must for British cozy fans.”—Booklist
Synopsis
Lois Meade decides to open up a new branch of her cleaning business in the neighboring town of Tresham. But when bloody murder starts staining the quaint town, Lois has to put her own life on the line to straighten things out.
Synopsis
To her own credit, Lois’s cleaning business is really starting to clean up. So much that she decides to open up a new office in the neighboring town of Tresham, where she takes note of an unusually busy—and slightly sinister—storefront across the street. But business quickly mixes with Lois’s nose for sleuthing when she’s hired to clean the house of the pompous mayor, and then witnesses his honor’s limo picking up a dubious-looking package from the mysterious shop. There’s a filthy underside to Tresham, and when bloody murder starts staining the quaint town, Lois has to put her own life on the line to straighten things out…
Synopsis
She’s had her hands full sorting out both clues and clutter in the village of Long Farnden. But a mother’s work is never done, and Lois Meade is discovering detective work is both dirty and dangerous… A wedding is always a happy occasion, even if Lois Meade must remind herself she isn’t losing a daughter, but gaining a policeman. Luckily, her new son-in-law is in the Tresham force—and the nephew of her friend and collaborator Inspector Cowgill—so Lois has another link to the law at her disposal.
But sleuthing suddenly seems a little too close to home when her youngest son invites a mysterious young woman, Akiko, as a guest. Lois isn’t the only one who wonders why she refuses to talk about herself or her past. And when a thief waltzes off in the night with the young woman’s cello, Lois wastes no time in enlisting the inspector to help find the valuable instrument.
Before Lois can take note of the whereabouts of the vanishing cello, Akiko goes missing. The discovery that this could be another in a string of murderous musical thefts means Lois must pull out all the stops to find the girl and protect her son—before the music stops permanently…
About the Author
Ann Purser was born in Market Harborough in Leicestershire and has lived most of her life in villages. She has turned her hand to many things, including journalism (as a columnist for SHE magazine), keeper of hens and donkeys, art gallery manager, clerical assistant in a village school, Open University graduate, novelist, mother of three, wife of Philip Purser, critic and writer. She is an avid reader of detective stories.