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The Flower Arranger at All Saints
Northbridge Chronicles Murder Mystery

by Lis Howell



      Tarnfield is a rural parish in the north of England, picturesque and seemingly idyllic. But the usual feuds, old secrets and long shadow-casting sins simmer just below the surface. The new vicar wants to shake everything up, and get rid of what he sees as the meaningless trappings of middle class religion, but hardly anybody supports him. Looking on from the outside is reluctant working mother Suzy Spencer, whose failed marriage and scatty appearance cause locals to see her as an unwanted newcomer. It seems she might have a new friend, in the unlikely shape of Robert Clark, one of the most traditional members of the parish. But everything else seems trivial when the flower arranger is found dead in the church. Was it an accident, or murder?

Villages are inevitably seen as seething hotbeds of rivalries and ancient feuds, and therefore make fitting settings for murder mysteries. This debut novel takes the scenic route as it thoroughly introduces readers to Tarnfield and its inhabitants, making doubly sure we understand everything about it. Normally I would be keen for an appearance of the editing pencil, but all the information seems germane to the case, the first book in a new series and our understanding and enjoyment of the experience. It is a novel that will appeal both to readers of cozies, and those who prefer more realism, as you can find both in abundance. Anybody who has lived in a similar place (this reviewer for example) will be nodding their heads at the descriptions, and thus it should please a fairly large number of readers. The author manages to combine a novel about village life with a whodunit, and has produced a very readable and absorbing tale. I will be wanting to read the next one.

The Book

Constable Robinson
May 2007
Hardback
978145294700
Crime - Contemporary, Yorkshire, UK
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Excerpt
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The Reviewer

Rachel A Hyde
Reviewed 2007
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