Nobody should be in the market… for murder!
Even though its famous opera house has shuttered its doors for the war, Covent Garden remains one of the most exciting, bustling areas of London. It’s where Hannah Merrill and Aunt Violet have their
bookshop and, in spite of the recent spate of burglaries in the area, it’s generally thought to be a good neighbourhood.
So Hannah is surprised when she sees a fellow shopkeeper – a jeweller named Jacob Cornelis – having a heated argument with a stranger. Especially when the next day Cornelis is found dead in his shop, apparently the victim of another burglary.
But what shocks Hannah more is when she meets the policeman supposedly there to investigate the crime. Because he is none other than the man who Hannah saw arguing with Cornelis the day before.
Hannah knows it’s up to her and Violet to investigate. But they don’t know they’re about to uncover a secret underworld of theft, murder and blackmail. And they must act fast, before the Covent Garden Killer strikes again…
A gripping and unputdownable Golden Age cozy crime mystery, perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, Helena Dixon and Verity Bright.
Anita was brought up in London, a city with a history that has always fascinated her and influenced her first attempts at writing. Her first three novels featured a 17th Century West Country family on
the losing side of the Monmouth Rebellion of 1685. Other previous work includes an Edwardian Cosy Mystery series featuring amateur sleuth, Flora Maguire set in early 20th Century London and Cheltenham. Anita’s most recent work is the Miss Merrill and Aunt Violet Mysteries set in WWI from Boldwood Books.
Twitter: @AnitaSDavison
Instagram: @anitadavison3740
My thoughts: Aunt Violet is a little preoccupied as her one great love is in town, and there’s also Aiden to think about, so Hannah involves Archie and Penny, the bookshop’s staff, in this caper.
Determined to solve both the spate of burglaries and the murder of the jeweller Mr Cornelis, she goes undercover to try to find out who is selling on stolen goods, and almost meets her maker in an upmarket Gentleman’s club that hides plenty of secrets.
It’s another fun WW1 set adventure as a senior police officer is implemented and Aiden has set his own traps to catch the crooks. Hannah wants to help the Cornelis family, but discovers more than she bargained for and the spectre of the war looms closer when Aiden’s newest DC is conscripted and sent to the front.
Hannah’s relationship with Darius comes under strain as she feels he will want her to give up investigating when they’re married and her mother is driving her a little mad with wedding planning as though nothing has changed.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.
ramblingmads 