When a body is discovered at their local country fair, amateur detectives Flora and Jack Carrington agree this death smells suspicious – and it’s not just the killer cheese. It’s the scent of murder…
Sussex, 1960: It’s the perfect day for Abbeymead’s autumn fair. The village green has been transformed into a riot of stalls and tents, and Flora and Jack are keen to sample all the local produce. But when local cheesemaker Gilbert Barrow crashes into the fair, he brings the festivities to a dead halt.
Flora rushes to the van and finds Gilbert slumped over the wheel, killed by his prize-winning round of cheese, which has broken free of its bonds. Flora is immediately alert – surely Gilbert would have been more careful with his treasured prize… and with his life?
Certain there’s more to this than just a tragic accident, Flora and Jack begin investigating Gilbert’s close circle – his jealous cousin, Bea, his corporate dairy rival, Reginald, and his estranged wife, Vivienne. When Gilbert’s new girlfriend is attacked, the race to find out who had the biggest motive heats up faster than fondue. But can Flora and Jack sniff out the killer – or will their investigation crumble before the murderer strikes again…?
A completely gripping and page-turning, charming cozy mystery novel packed to the brim with brilliant twists. Fans of Agatha Christie, Faith Martin and J.R. Ellis will love Murder at the Country Fair.
Merryn taught university literature for many years, and it took a while to pluck up the courage to begin writing herself. Bringing the past to life is a passion and her historical fiction includes Regency romances, wartime sagas and timeslip novels, all of which have a mystery at their heart. As the books have grown darker, it was only a matter of time before she plunged into crime with a cosy crime series set in rural Sussex against the fascinating backdrop of the 1950s.
Merryn lives in a beautiful old town in Sussex with her husband and one last cat, Bluebell. When she’s not writing, she tries to keep fit with adult ballet classes and plenty of walking.
My thoughts: When local cheesemaker Gilbert is crushed to death by a massive wheel of cheese, in his van, after someone cuts through the straps holding it in place. (It’s ok, cheese doesn’t kill people normally.) Flora and Jack investigate, Gilbert seems to have plenty of people who might have wanted him dead – his ex-wife, the dairy that wanted to buy his business, his cousin.
The police are stumped but since Flora and Jack are good at thinking outside of the box and are good at getting people to talk, they soon unravel why so many of the people around him seem to have reasons to do away with Gilbert. And narrow it down for the police.
A smart and entertaining case with an interesting cast of characters.
*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 