Publication: 30th January 2024 – Quercus Books
A cosy, twisty standalone mystery from the bestselling author of the Dr Ruth Galloway Mysteries.
Natalka and Edwin are running a detective agency in Shoreham, Sussex. Despite a steady stream of minor cases, Natalka is frustrated, longing for a big juicy investigation to come the agency’s way.
Then a murder case turns up. Local writer, Melody Chambers, is found dead and her family are convinced it is murder. Edwin, a big fan of the obit pages, thinks there’s a link to the writer of Melody’s obituary who pre-deceased his subject.
The trail leads them to a slightly sinister writers’ retreat. When another writer is found dead, Edwin thinks that the clue lies in the words. Seeking professional help, the amateur investigators turn to their friend, detective Harbinder Kaur, to find that they have stumbled on a plot that is stranger than fiction.
I am delighted for the return of the dynamic trio of amateur detectives, Benedict, Edwin, and Natalka. You may remember them from The Postscript Murders where Benedict, a monk-turned-coffee-shop-owner, Natalka, a carer with high math and economic skills, and Edwin, a retired TV and radio host, got together to help the police solve the murder of their friend Peggy. Now, a few years later, Edwin and Natalka have opened their own investigative company, mostly working on divorce cases, while Benedict helps them on the side, while still working at his coffee shop. Their new case, however, could be much more interesting as they are asked to investigate the death of a local writer. The police thinks she died of natural causes, but her daughter is convinced she was murdered. They discover that other writers have seemingly died of natural causes in the last few months and they all have in common having attended the same writing retreat. And when another writer turns up dead at that same writing retreat where Edwin and Benedict are undercover, they ask detective Harbinder, now working in London, for help.
I loved the characters of Edwin, Natalka, and Benedict in The Postscript Murders and I was excited to see them solving yet another murder, using their skills and their deep knowledge of crime novels. Edwin and Natalka own a successful investigative company, while Natalka still works as a carer, managing the business side of it. Benedict is still struggling with his life choices, but he and Natalka are living together, although their relationship is sometimes strained by the presence of her mother sleeping on their couch. Detective Harbinder Kaur takes a more secondary role in this book as she lives and works in London, but she is always there to help her friends.
The suspense, the twists, and the cast of incredible characters make The Last Word a superb and gripping read and I enjoyed every single page of it!
A huge thank you to Quercus Books and NetGalley for providing me with a proof of the novel.
Book After Book 