Lois Meade runs a cleaning service in Long Farnden. The
village is attempting to save The Shed, an old building
used by the village for a variety of functions. The slow
economy means they must work harder to raise the money
needed.
Gavin Adstone is new to the village and he'd like to see a
new building instead of saving the old one. He's
volunteered to be on the committee organizing events to
raise the necessary money. Lois's husband, Derek, is the
chair of the committee. He's not sure about Gavin and his
motives for joining the committee but he needs all the help
he can get. Finally, a soap box derby is decided on as a
fundraiser.
While Gavin keeps the committee members under control, Lois
is hiring a new cleaner. Paula Hickson is in need of job.
Her husband abandoned her and her four children. Relief
helps but won't support all of the family. Paula's 13-year
old son, Jack Jr., is causing problems. He stays out all
night and behaves mysteriously. Lois hires Paula despite
her mother's objections.
The local Inspector is love with Lois and he uses her
workers as informants during investigations. When a body
turns up in the canal, Lois will need to use all her
resources to get the information the Inspector needs to
identify the body. She will also have to discover who is
setting fires around The Shed. When Jack Jr. disappears,
Lois will be called on to help solve that mystery as well.
If you like mysteries with a lot of unique and unusual
characters set in a small village in the English
countryside, this might be a book you will enjoy. Cozy
English mysteries are one of my favorite type of book.
This particular story didn't do much for me. There were so
many secondary characters it was hard to keep them all
straight. The plot was overly complicated with a number of
subplots which detracted from the main story. While I
enjoyed many of the characters, I was a little disappointed
in the story.
From the author of "Tragedy at Two"-the latest Lois Meade
mystery in which timing is everything. Lois Meade has
worked through all the days of the week, turning up clues
and scrubbing up both messes and murderers in the village
of Long Farnden. But crime is a persistent stain...
When a dead body is found in a canal, Detective Cowgill
believes the murder is connected to a suspicious fire and
a heated dispute over saving the local village hall. Time
to turn to the ever reliable Lois Meade to sort out the
culprits and pick up the loose ends-before their village
hall turns into a funeral hall...
© 2003-2025