Cathie Dunn writes...

I hope you're all wrapped up warm (at least in the northern hemisphere) as the nights grow colder. It's the best time of year for reading – and Victorian murder mysteries should be on your list! I'm delighted to share my views on another fabulous read, A Portrait of Death by Rhen Garland , organised through Rachel's Random Resources . My thanks to Rachel for the opportunity. A Portrait of Death is a Victorian murder mystery with a paranormal twist. The beginning takes you through a couple of gruesome murders, but the details aren't graphic, so readers of cosy crime can enjoy this tale. The main plot takes you to the sleepy English countryside, to the manor of the Marmis family. A weekend house party quickly turns into a trap when two men are found dead early on. And slowly, the real reasons behind the façade of the event are becoming apparent, but not without further discoveries.  When Detective Inspector Elliott Caine begins to investigate, he uncovers...

Joe Murray , of Sanford 3rd Age Club fame, is visiting today, so I took the chance to quiz him before he starts pestering the locals for information about missing chocolate eggs. Joe? Joe!! Ahh, there you are... 1)  It’s Easter. You’re in Weston-super-Mare. Whatever happens on the Great Egg Hunt? I don’t wanna say too much, but I get my feet wet. That’s because it’s raining. It rained all the way from Sanford to Weston-super-Mare and when we got there, it rained even harder. And I think you’ll be surprised by what I did turn up on the Great Egg Hunt. It wasn’t just Easter eggs, although to be truly honest, it wasn’t my discovery. It was Sheila’s. 2)  You’re quite a way from home. How do the locals take to a stranger investigating a murder? The police were okay… eventually. As usual, they called our Gemma in Sanford, and she put them right. It’s handy having a niece who’s also a Detective Sergeant. The locals were a bit more iffy. I think it’s a language difficulty...

It's a mystery... Yes, it's again time for murder. If you haven't yet checked out my Murderous Christmas Treat #1 , you should do so before you read on. Don't miss the chance to meet the amateur sleuths and discover A Murder for Christmas . Just don't forget to come back here! As promised, here's the second of this week's teasers from the murderous seasonal English mystery novels by cosy crime author, David W Robinson . Enjoy! This second excerpt comes from the fifth STAC Mystery, Murder at the Murder Mystery Weekend , which is set in Lincoln over the New Year. In the extract, Joe is in the bar and is talking with the lading actor in the murder mystery production, Gerry Carlin, fresh from playing one of the victims. “Always been an actor, old son.” Carlin’s pride glowed through his words. “Nothing big. Rep, mainly. I’ve had a couple of speaking parts on TV, too. Ever see Inspector Hucknall?” Joe shook his head. “I don’t watch much TV.”...

Love English murder mysteries? Then meet the STAC team! The indomitable amateur sleuths investigate crimes and usually manage to expose the culprits. And not just one, but two treats are in store for you this week as we post snippets from two releases, A Murder for Christmas (today) and Murder at the Murder Mystery Weekend (Friday). So, I'm handing over to the man who created the team, murder mystery author, David W Robinson , to reveal the characters behind the Sanford 3rd Age Club (STAC) team. Here goes... When reviewing The Filey Connection, the first STAC Mystery, one reader wrote, ‘The characters all seem like people you've met at some time’, and I feel that is part of the success of the series. The natural interplay between characters is one of the driving forces behind the tales, particularly the antics of the three central characters; Joe Murray and two of his staff, coincidentally, his two closest friends, Sheila Riley and Brenda Jump. The three have...