You've heard of television spin-offs, well now there is a cozy mystery spin-off. Ann Purser, who is the author of the popular English- based "Lois Meade Mysteries" series, has created a new series featuring the beloved cantankerous character of Ivy Beasley. In THE HANGMAN'S ROW ENQUIRY: An Ivy Beasley Mystery, Ivy has moved into a retirement home in the lovely little town of Barrington and proceeds to liven the joint up with her amateur sleuthing projects. She recruits her cousin Deirdre and village newcomer Gus Halfhide to open an investigative agency, and their first case involves an elderly neighbor of Gus' who had been stabbed with a bread knife. There was no love loss between Winifred Blake and her daughter Miriam, and when Winifred is found with the bread knife in her chest, Miriam is soon the prime suspect in the suspicious death. It's up to Ivy, Deirdre and Gus to sort through the village of quirky characters to determine exactly who the real killer is. Amid the scandals and secrets, the trio develop a working partnership that is amazingly efficient at ferreting out the clues that lead to a surprising ending. Purser's "Ivy Beasley" is a truly unique character, a kind of cross between Jessica Fletcher, Miss Marple and Mrs. Slocum from "Are You Being Served?" -- just a delightful, eccentric old darling that readers are sure to embrace. Pair this with Purser's charming storytelling technique, and you have a fast-paced tale that will keep readers guessing to the very end. I foresee the "Ivy Beasley Mysteries" becoming another popular series for fans of Ann Purser and of English murder mysteries themselves.