1958, newlyweds Jack and Flora Carrington have only just said their vows when they find a body in a ditch and are catapulted into a murder investigation. They need to keep each other safe as danger looms, but also adapt to married life…
Murder at Cleve College is the 9th book to feature amateur sleuths Flora and Jack and they finally make it down the aisle!
Jack is settling into his new job at Cleve College but finds that the murder victim has a connection to some of his colleagues and his own deceased predecessor. Flora and Jack should be thinking ahead to their future together but instead are digging into the past of a stranger. There is quite a lot of travel involved as Jack takes up his new role and this also separates our married pair so they are investigating different suspects. This adds to the danger as they are not together so are vulnerable.
As usual, the 1950s, quintessential English village is brought to life and underpins the plot and character development. Views about class and gender are old fashioned but appropriate to the era. It is refreshing to visit a technology free society and this series has a classic feel reminiscent of Agatha Christie where the sleuths rely on clues and understanding the suspects and their motives.
Murder at Cleve College is an enjoyable historical murder mystery.
Book Description:
Bookshop owner Flora Steele and writer Jack Carrington fell in love solving mysteries. Now they’re taking their first steps as husband and wife… straight into their most perplexing case yet.
Sussex, 1958: A radiant Flora is being twirled across the dancefloor by her dashing new husband, Jack. It’s the perfect wedding in Abbeymead, until a mysterious stranger is found dead just outside the village.
But when Flora finds an envelope tucked into the man’s silver cigarette case, the address is key to discovering the poor chap’s name – Russell Farr. He isn’t known to any of the villagers, so at first all signs point to a tragic accident. That is, until they discover Farr previously worked at the esteemed Cleve College, where Jack is now a writer-in-residence.
The college has made Jack feel uneasy ever since he learned his predecessor drowned in its lake, and now it appears a second suspicious death is connected to it. But who would want two mild-mannered academics dead?
Could it be Jocelyn, the ambitious young teacher with her sights set on the top? Joe, the sly porter living beyond his means? Or perhaps Maurice, the college dean who seems far more interested in power than educating students?
Just when it looks like no amount of studying will crack this case, a chance encounter brings Flora closer to the truth. But when Jack goes missing,it seems someone is determined to teach them both a lesson.
Can Flora and Jack outwit the killer before they graduate to becoming the next victims? Or will their first case as husband and wife be their last?
An absolutely page-turning cosy mystery, packed with unforgettable characters and sensational twists! Perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, Faith Martin and Joy Ellis.
Author Bio:
Merryn taught university literature for many years, and it took a while to pluck up the courage to begin writing herself. Bringing the past to life is a passion and her historical fiction includes Regency romances, wartime sagas and timeslip novels, all of which have a mystery at their heart. As the books have grown darker, it was only a matter of time before she plunged into crime with a cosy crime series set in rural Sussex against the fascinating backdrop of the 1950s.
Merryn lives in a beautiful old town in Sussex with her husband. When she’s not writing, she tries to keep fit with adult ballet classes and plenty of walking.
