Four weeks ago, a man died. He fell - out in the wildest part of the grounds where the nettles are, where ivy and bindweed have climbed up the plinth of an old stone cherub so the cherub can't be seen now...
***
Florence Butterfield has lived an extraordinary life full of travel, passion and adventure. But, at eighty-seven, she suspects there are no more surprises to come her way.
Then, one midsummer's night, something terrible happens - so strange and unexpected that Florrie is suspicious. Was this really an accident, or is she living alongside a would-be murderer?
The only clue is a magenta envelope, discarded earlier that day.
And Florrie - cheerfully independent but often overlooked - is the only person determined to uncover the truth.
As she does, Florrie finds herself looking back on her own life . . . and a long-buried secret, traced in faded scars across her knuckles, becomes ever harder to ignore.
***
Florrie, the main character in this wonderful book, is an octagenarian amputee living in a retirement home. She is also spirited and quick witted, and she is a delightful character to become aquainted with in this novel.
One night Florrie witnesses the apparent suicide of someone at the retirement home. However, she is not as convinced as the police that it should be attributed to suicide. Appearing quiet and unassuming, she and her new friend, Stanhope, investigate what exactly did happen. This becomes a classic did she jump or was she pushed scenario.
There has been a number of books published in the last year or two set within a similar environment. However, compared to some others which I have read this one is much more absorbing than many of those.
It has been well-written and the characters well portrayed. I found the book engrossed me from the very beginning.
The pace of the book is gentle, mirroring the genre and I really liked that. I enjoy books that have a more sedate pace as they provide opportunity to absorb the story and the characters. That said, this is not a slow book and much happens to keep a reader interested.
The mystery running throughout is compelling and at times I worried for Florrie's safety as she continues to investigate.
There are several flashbacks to Florrie's past, and I enjoyed reading her backstory. There are moments of both sadness and humour and the author has created a marvellously well rounded character in Florrie.
The book is a great addition to the cosy crime genre and I highly recommend it.
ISBN: 978 1787637412
Publisher: Bantam
Formats: e-book, audio and hardback
No. of Pages: 448 (hardback)
About the Author:
Susan Fletcher was born in Birmingham and studied English Literature at the University of York.
Whilst taking the MA in Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia, she began her first novel, Eve Green, which won the Whitbread First Novel Award (2004) and Betty Trask Prize (2005). Since then, Susan has written seven novels - whilst also supplementing her writing through various roles, including as a barperson, a cheesemonger and a warden for an archaeological excavation site near Hadrian's Wall. Most recently, she has been a Royal Literary Fund Fellow at the University of Worcester.
She lives in Warwickshire.
(book and media courtesy of Random Things Tours)
(all opinions are my own)
Thanks for the blog tour support x
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