Pelham Farm and Repton Hall in the English countryside have been turned into a film location, in this lively mystery in the 'Cherringham' series. Soldiers, horses, armour, swords, a fair lady... talk about exciting! But the pretend Civil War hides a real danger, and more than one accident occurs on set before the FINAL CUT.

Sarah Edwards is a busy divorced mother of two, working at web design, and while she's pleased that the filming creates jobs, it does make getting around the village difficult. Her young son is keen to tell her all about the day he's watched, including an actress getting thrown off her horse. Then Sarah is asked to consult for real on the serious incidents plaguing the set. Her American friend Jack Brennan, a former NYPD homicide detective, has been approached by the actress who was nearly hurt. This lady Zoe Harding believes something sinister is at work.

While nobody in the film world will talk to outsiders, the enterprising Jack gets a place as Zoe's driver, so now he's one of the crew. He hopes to spot any risks or sabotage. Period costume films are expensive, so why would anyone be trying to sabotage one? Or is there a personal motive behind the attacks? Can Jack and Sarah figure it out before anyone gets badly hurt - or worse?

This is a short book in an ongoing series which began with MURDER ON THE THAMES, in which Sarah suffered the loss of a friend and Jack decided his cosy retirement was too boring. They came together to resolve the murder and have been co- operating on cases since. I feel that the Cotswolds are a good location for the series as the picturesque hills are near London so a wide variety of people live in the area, while the Thames River flows past as a reminder that the city is not far away from the village. Stately homes often host filming to contribute to their upkeep.

Meeting the prop guys, the First Assistant Director, the Hungarian producer and the publicity assistant, we quickly become immersed in the world of the film shoot. Matthew Costello and Neil Richards have produced an enjoyable, easy reading book which doesn't take long to get to the heart of the action. But will you solve the case by the FINAL CUT?