Max Tudor may be a vicar now with all the attendant problems
of living in a small village but his past as an MI5 agent
keeps cropping up.
Max has traveled to London to speak at a symposium. London
and dinner with his old boss brings back some bad memories.
He isn't very pleased to spend the final leg of his journey
home to Nether Monkslip with Lady Baynard. An elderly
female who exhibits all of the worst bigotry of the upper
crust, Max does his best to avoid a long discussion with
her.
Max's good looks have everyone in the village trying to
engage his interest. His only interest is in Awena, a witch
who he is sure the Bishop won't approve of.
When Max is called by local police with the news that Lord
Footrustle was killed and his sister, Lady Baynard was found
dead, he finds it hard to refuse his help.
The family party being held at Chedrow Castle is even more
dysfunctional than one might expect. The various family
members are all hoping for more money from the deceased.
Max must discover how the two deaths link together and who
amongst all of the relatives has the most motive for murder.
There are plenty of them about.
A traditional English mystery involving a small village, a
dysfunctional family and an attractive vicar can't help but
appeal to mystery lovers everywhere. Max Tudor is an
intelligent man who turned his back on everything he knew
when his partner was killed. The changes and challenges he
faces as he moves forward make for interesting reading. The
identity of the killer was well hidden until the end.
Last year, Agatha Award-winning author G. M. Malliet charmed mystery lovers, cozy fans, and Agatha Christie devotees with Wicked Autumn, the first mystery featuring her captivating protagonist, Max Tudor, and the small English village of Nether Monkslip. In A Fatal Winter, Max—Anglican priest, former MI5 agent, and village heartthrob—investigates two deaths at Chedrow Castle. But his growing attraction to Awena Owen complicates his case, as does the recent arrival at Chedrow Castle of a raucous group of long-lost, greedy relatives, any one of whom has a motive for murder. With a cozy setting, intricate puzzles, and a handsome (non-celibate) priest doing the sleuthing, the books in this series are destined to become instant classics in the mystery world.