Download or read book Bones Under the Beach Hut written by Simon Brett and published by Severn House Publishers Ltd. This book was released on 2020-11-01 with total page 228 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Welcome to Fethering! Amateur detectives Carole and Jude investigate a slaying by the seaside in this quirky, cozy, British village mystery. Carole is delighted to take ownership of a beach hut in the affluent nearby seaside resort of Smaltings - until, that is, human remains are found under the floorboards. Who do the bones belong to - and who put them there? Carole and her best friend Jude are determined to find out. Their suspicion quickly falls on attractive Philly Rose, a young Londoner newly arrived in the area, whose boyfriend has recently vanished in mysterious circumstances. But Kelvin Southwest, self-appointed 'ladies' man' and caretaker of Smalting's beach huts, seems to be hiding a dark secret beneath his smooth exterior . while Reginald Flowers, pompous President of the Smalting Beach Hut Association, is also strangely defensive about his own history. As Carole and Jude dig for the truth, one thing becomes clear: there are secrets buried deep in Smaltings, which someone is determined will never reach the surface.

Download or read book The Body on the Beach written by Simon Brett and published by Canongate Books. This book was released on 2019-06-06 with total page 283 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'A new Simon Brett is an event for mystery fans' P. D. JAMES 'One of the wittiest crime writers around' ANTONIA FRASER 'Murder most enjoyable' COLIN DEXTER Very little disturbs the ordered calm of Fethering, a pleasingly self-contained retirement town on England’s southern coast. Which is precisely why Carole Seddon, who has left behind both her husband and her career at the Home Office, has chosen to reside there. So Carole is surprised to encounter a new neighbour with one name and a colourful past. 'Jude' is not really Fethering . . . but even she is not as surprising as the body Carole finds on the beach. A body, it has to be said, that has disappeared by the time the police arrive. Only Jude is ready to believe what Carole says she saw – and from that moment on, the two women resolve to turn detective.

Download or read book The Strangling on the Stage written by Simon Brett and published by Severn House Publishers Ltd. This book was released on 2014-02-01 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "As usual with the Fethering mysteries, the characterization of part-time sleuths Jude and Carole Seddon is rich with subtlety. And, as with the Charles Paris mysteries, readers are treated to a cunningly crafted mystery set in a world where stagecraft can serve sinister uses." Booklist Starred Review The local dramatic society provides fertile ground for murder in the brand-new Fethering mystery When Jude agrees to lend her vintage chaise longue for the local Amateur Dramatics Society's production of George Bernard Shaw's The Devil's Disciple, little does she realize she'll end up in a starring role. It's an ambitious play, culminating in a dramatic execution scene: a scene that's played for real when one of the leading actors is found hanging from the especially-constructed stage gallows during rehearsals. A tragic accident - or something more sinister? Carole and Jude make it their business to find out.

Download or read book Murder in the Museum written by Simon Brett and published by Canongate Books. This book was released on 2019-06-06 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'A new Simon Brett is an event for mystery fans' P. D. JAMES 'Simon Brett writes stunning detective stories' JILLY COOPER 'King of the witty village mystery' Telegraph Bracketts, an Elizabethan house near the town of Fethering, is about to be turned into a museum, but the transition is proving nightmarish. Carole regrets her decision to be on the museum’s Board when she witnesses bitter antagonism and rivalry amongst the other members. The tensions climax when a human skeleton is found in the kitchen garden and then another body is discovered, not yet cold. These murders in the museum quickly turn into a case that tests the sleuthing powers of Carole, and her neighbour Jude, as never before . . .

Download or read book The Torso in the Town written by Simon Brett and published by Canongate Books. This book was released on 2019-06-06 with total page 310 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'Few crime writers are so enchantingly gifted . . . as Simon Brett' Sunday Times 'Simon Brett writes stunning detective stories' JILLY COOPER 'King of the witty village mystery' Telegraph Grant and Kim Roxby had hoped that their first dinner party at Pelling House would make an impression with their new neighbours. And the next day it’s certainly the talk of the village in Fethering. For their guests – including the couple’s old friend Jude – had been enjoying a pleasant meal when they were rudely interrupted by a gruesome discovery. A human torso hidden in the cellar. Carole and Jude turn amateur sleuths once again. They begin to question the locals, but they can’t help wondering why a town notoriously distrustful of outsiders is proving so terribly amenable to their enquiries . . .

Download or read book The Hanging in the Hotel written by Simon Brett and published by Canongate Books. This book was released on 2019-06-06 with total page 322 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'Crime writing just like in the good old days, and perfect entertainment' Guardian 'Simon Brett writes stunning detective stories' JILLY COOPER 'King of the witty village mystery' Telegraph Fethering resident Jude soon regrets helping out at an event at the Hopwicke Country House Hotel. The all-male society, The Pillars of Sussex, are visiting and keep Jude up until the small hours when the last of the rowdy men goes to bed. When one guest doesn’t show up for breakfast the next morning, Jude presumes he’s feeling the effects of the night before and searches him out. Only to discover his body hanging from the beams of a four-poster bed. Unconvinced that this was suicide, Jude enlists the support of fellow amateur sleuth Carole to crack the case.

Download or read book The Death on the Downs written by Simon Brett and published by Canongate Books. This book was released on 2019-06-06 with total page 299 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: ‘King of the witty village mystery’ Daily Telegraph ‘Simon Brett writes stunning detective stories’ JILLY COOPER ‘A new Simon Brett is an event for mystery fans’ P. D. JAMES It wasn’t the rain that upset Fethering resident Carole Seddon during her walk on the Downs, or the dilapidated barn in which she was forced to seek shelter. No, what upset her was the human skeleton she discovered there, neatly packed into two blue fertiliser bags . . . Amateur sleuths Carole and Jude go to the small hamlet of Weldisham where gossips quickly identify the corpse as Tamsin Lutteridge, a young woman who disappeared from the village months before. But why is Tamsin’s mother so certain that her daughter is still alive? As Jude sets out to discover what really happened to Tamsin, Carole digs deeper into Weldisham’s history and the bitter relationships simmering beneath the village’s gentle facade.

Download or read book The Killer in the Choir written by Simon Brett and published by Canongate Books. This book was released on 2020-11-05 with total page 205 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: At her husband’s funeral, Heather Mallet is publicly accused of his murder. But did she really kill her husband, as many residents of the sleepy coastal town of Fethering believe? To get to the heart of the matter, local amateur sleuths Carole and Jude join the community choir and discover that amidst the clashing egos and petty resentments there lurk some decidedly false notes. At least one chorister would appear to be hiding a deadly secret – and it’s up to Carole and Jude to unearth the truth.

Download or read book The Witness at the Wedding written by Simon Brett and published by Canongate Books. This book was released on 2019-06-06 with total page 314 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'King of the witty village mystery' Telegraph 'Simon Brett writes stunning detective stories' JILLY COOPER 'Crime writing just like in the good old days, and perfect entertainment' Guardian It's time to celebrate in Fethering Village, as Carole’s son is getting married to a wonderful girl, albeit one with rather odd parents. Not only do they have no interest in the wedding preparations, but the mere thought of talking about the event frightens them beyond words. When the bride’s father is found murdered, Carole and Jude fear the bride-to-be is the killer’s next target. They must unravel the bride’s family’s past before the killer makes another deadly move . . . and before the wedding festivities become completely funereal.

Download or read book The Liar in the Library written by Simon Brett and published by Canongate Books. This book was released on 2019-06-06 with total page 217 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Fethering has everything a sleepy coastal town should: snug English pubs, cosy cottages, a little local library – and the occasional murder . . . Bestselling author Burton St Clair, complete with soaring ego and wandering hands, has come to town to give a talk. But after his corpse is found slumped in his car, he won’t be leaving. Jude is the prime suspect; she was, after all, the last person to see Burton St Clair alive. If she is to prove her innocence, she will have to dust off her detective skills and recruit her prim and proper neighbour (and partner-in-sleuthing) Carole to find the real culprit.

Download or read book The Killing in the Caf written by Simon Brett and published by Severn House Publishers Ltd. This book was released on 2016-03-01 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The wickedly entertaining new Fethering mystery featuring chalk-and-cheese detective duo Carole and Jude Polly’s Cake Shop has been a feature of the shopping parade for many years, but when its owner announces her retirement, the Fethering residents start to worry about the loss of this popular amenity. Alarmed by rumours that the café might become a Starbucks, a group clubs together to form the Save Polly’s Cake Shop Action Committee. The plan is that Polly’s should become a community venture, managed and run by volunteers from the village. Roped in to help, Jude finds the committee meetings fraught with petty power struggles, clashing personalities and monstrous egos. Matters take a turn for the worse when she and Carole come across a badly-decomposed body on Fethering beach – and uncover a link to Polly’s. Not only do the two neighbours have to find out whodunit, they are also faced with the thorny question: is it possible to run a business on that most volatile of commodities - goodwill?

Download or read book An Untidy Death written by Simon Brett and published by Severn House Publishers Ltd. This book was released on 2021-08-01 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When the body of a prospective client is discovered in her burned-out home, declutterer Ellen Curtis is drawn into a baffling investigation where nothing is as it first appears. “My mother’s going to kill herself . . . That is, if I don’t kill her first.” When Alexandra Richards approaches professional declutterer Ellen Curtis to ask her to help sort out her mother’s chaotic flat, Ellen gets the impression Alexandra doesn’t like her mother very much. But when Ingrid Richards’ body is discovered in her burned-out home, Alexandra’s exasperated words don’t seem such a joke. Due to the hazardous state of the victim’s over-cluttered residence, the police are inclined to dismiss her death as an unfortunate accident. Ellen’s not so sure. Could Alexandra’s resentment towards her mother have escalated into outright violence? The more she discovers about the dead woman’s remarkable past, the more convinced Ellen becomes that there’s something decidedly suspicious about her death. At least she can console herself that clearing out widower Edward Finch’s bungalow will be a straightforward job in comparison. But in this assumption, Ellen couldn’t be more wrong . . .

Download or read book Death and the Decorator written by Simon Brett and published by Severn House Publishers Ltd. This book was released on 2022-07-05 with total page 195 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Neighbours Carole and Jude uncover more than they bargained for when Jude decides to redecorate her cottage in this lighthearted cosy mystery. "An edgy cozy, filled with dry wit and deft plot twists"- Booklist Starred Review Having decided to redecorate Woodside Cottage, Jude has engaged the services of local man Pete, who has painted and decorated the homes of Fethering residents for many years. Pete is currently working on Footscrow House, a large Victorian building which is being converted into holiday flats by a local developer. Having arranged to meet at 'Fiasco House', as it is known locally due to the many failed business enterprises over the years, Jude and Pete make a surprising discovery behind a wall panel: a woman's handbag! The casual discovery becomes serious when the police identify the handbag's owner as Anita Garner, a young woman who vanished in suspicious circumstances twenty years earlier. Determined to find out what really happened to Anita all those years ago, Jude and her neighbour Carole's investigations plunge them into a maze of deception and murder, as they uncover a number of uncomfortable secrets beneath the serene surface of Fethering life . . .

Download or read book Guilt at the Garage written by Simon Brett and published by Severn House Publishers Ltd. This book was released on 2021-01-01 with total page 195 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When Carole Seddon's car is vandalised, it heralds the start of a disturbing series of events in the witty and entertaining new Fethering mystery. Carole Seddon's trusty Renault is one of her most treasured possessions. So when it is vandalised, there's only one person she will entrust with its repair: Bill Shefford has been servicing the vehicles of the good citizens of Fethering for many years. But how could something like this happen in Fethering of all places? Then the note is shoved under Carole's kitchen door: Watch out. The car window was just the start. It would appear that she has been deliberately targeted. But by whom . and why? Matters take an even more disturbing turn when a body is discovered at Shefford's Garage, crushed to death by a falling gearbox. It would appear to be a tragic accident. Carole and her neighbour Jude are not so sure. And the more they start to ask questions, the more evidence they uncover of decidedly foul play .

Download or read book Clutter Corpse written by Simon Brett and published by Severn House Publishers Ltd. This book was released on 2020-04-01 with total page 196 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Introducing an engaging new amateur sleuth, declutterer Ellen Curtis, in the first of a brilliant new mystery series. Ellen Curtis runs her own business helping people who are running out of space. As a declutterer, she is used to encountering all sorts of weird and wonderful objects in the course of her work. What she has never before encountered is a dead body. When Ellen stumbles across the body of a young woman in an over-cluttered flat, suspicion immediately falls on the deceased homeowner's son, who has recently absconded from prison. No doubt Nate Ogden is guilty of many things – but is he really the killer? Discovering a link between the victim and her own past, Ellen sets out to uncover the truth. But where has her best friend disappeared to? And is Ellen really prepared for the shocking revelations to follow?

Download or read book A Messy Murder written by Simon Brett and published by Severn House Publishers Ltd. This book was released on 2024-09-03 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ellen Curtis - professional declutterer, amateur sleuth and woman of a certain age - investigates the puzzling death of a TV personality who's past his prime Professional declutterer Ellen Curtis doesn't need to like her clients to help them sort their homes out. Aging TV personality and curmudgeon Humphrey Carter might have a chip on his shoulder the size of England about the decline of his career, but a job's a job. But when Ellen arrives the morning after Humph's eightieth birthday party, primed and ready to tackle his study - no matter his protests - she gets the shock of her life. Humph's dead . . . and all signs point to him having taken his own life. Did the egotistical chat show host really die by suicide? His wife is adamant he's been murdered, and the more Ellen looks, the more dirt on Humph she digs up . . . and the more suspects she uncovers. Can she track down a killer - if there even is one? And, just as importantly, can she keep herself from killing not only her own infuriating mother, but also her two grown-up children, who all seem determined to destroy her peace of mind? This thoroughly engaging contemporary mystery is perfect for fans of Richard Osman, Janice Hallett and M.C. Beaton.

Download or read book Mrs Pargeter s Patio written by Simon Brett and published by Severn House Publishers Ltd. This book was released on 2023-10-03 with total page 190 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A bizarre discovery right under Mrs Pargeter's patio turns a quiet and sunny June morning into a thrilling hunt for answers in this new instalment of the light-hearted and entertaining Mrs Pargeter mystery series. When widow Mrs Pargeter decides to have her morning coffee on the patio of her mansion in Chigwell, her intention is to admire her beautiful garden in peace and quiet. Little does she expect one of the patio's paving slabs to crack in two, depositing her on the ground - and revealing a human skull with a neat hole in the middle of its forehead! Not wanting to bother the police just yet, Mrs Pargeter decides to save them some trouble and starts investigating the curious find herself. And who better to assist than her late husband's 'business associates', private investigator Truffler Mason and chauffeur Gary? The trio are soon certain that a murder has been committed and the body disposed of under some convenient building works. But who is the mysterious victim? And more importantly, who put the body under Mrs Pargeter's patio? Mrs Pargeter and her friends must find out the truth and soon, before the finger of suspicion points in an unthinkable direction: towards the late, great Mr Pargeter, whose business dealings Mrs P remains - naturally! - in blissful ignorance of . . . Mrs Pargeter's Patio is the ninth book in the series by CWA's Diamond Dagger winner Simon Brett. Fans of cozy mysteries will enjoy this funny and exciting ride with unexpected twist and turns.