I am delighted to reconnect with Alice Castle's Beth Haldane series, with The Murder Affair.It was published by Bookoutre on May 23rd.
In a quiet little village, mourners gather for a church
funeral. But some of the tears flowing are fake – and Beth Haldane suspects
foul play…
On a rainy afternoon, Beth Haldane accompanies her elderly
mother Wendy to the funeral of her boyfriend and local councillor Len. But as
they gather in the church, Beth can’t help but notice how many women are there
who look just like her mother.
As the service begins it soon becomes clear that all of the
women thought they were Len’s special someone – and one of them even claims to
be his distraught wife. Wendy suspects foul play and immediately asks Beth to
investigate.
As Beth begins to speak to the women she has to ask, was one
of Len’s many disgruntled girlfriends out for revenge? Why was Len borrowing
money from the ladies he romanced? And why did his work for the local council
seem so suspicious?
Then, Len’s secretary Bella is found dead amongst the
dahlias in a planter. Beth starts to suspect Len was involved in something far more
dangerous than she’d assumed but what did Bella know about his business that
led to her unfortunate end?
With the village rumour mill in full swing, fingers start to
point at Wendy. After all, distraught Wendy is telling everyone who lends her
an ear that Len was murdered – and she saw Len the very evening he was found
dead. The clock is ticking for Beth to clear her mother’s name before it’s too
late!
A deliciously cozy and gripping murder mystery, perfect for
fans of Agatha Christie, T.E. Kinsey and The Thursday Murder Club.
My Thoughts
Beth Haldane’s personality shines through in this cozy crime story. The dialogue between Beth and her friends and family is full of humour and shows you how down to earth she is. The contrast between Beth and the entitled inhabitants of Dulwich comes over clearly and the observations of how society is operating in this affluent area are pithy and to the point.
Beth’s relationship with her mother is an interesting dynamic. Although you can tell that she is frustrated at her mother’s attitude towards her, Beth nevertheless feels protective and obviously loves her family very much. Family and friendship are important in the story but not everyone is a sympathetic character. The murder mystery at the centre of the story is well paced and makes for an entertaining read. This is Book 9 in the Beth Haldane series but shows no sign of getting stale . Her relationship with Harry is subtly drawn and gives an interesting dynamic as he raises his eyes at Beth’s sleuthing.
In short: clues and red herrings abound
About the Author
Before turning to crime, Alice Castle was a UK newspaper
journalist for The Daily Express, The Times and The Daily Telegraph. Alice is
an avid reader of crime fiction, her favourite stories are cozy crimes with a
strong sense of place. When she couldn’t find a series about her beloved south
London, she decided to write her own – and single mum amateur sleuth Beth
Haldane was born. Alice also writes twisty psychological thrillers for HQ
Digital under the name A.M. Castle. The Perfect Widow was a top selling
audiobook in 2019 and The Invitation hit the top 50 on Amazon UK in 2021. Alice
lives with her two children and two cats and, if she isn’t writing or reading a
whodunit, she’ll be watching one on telly.
Thanks to Alice Castle and Jean Readett of Bookoutre for a copy of the book and a place on the tour.
Follow the rest of the tour!
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