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| About the Book |
Toffee Apple Strudel
A NEW BEATTIE BRAMSHAW MYSTERY - It’s the summer of 2001, and for WI Secretary and practised busybody Beattie Bramshaw, it’s a time of new beginnings.
Her much-anticipated wedding to vegetable grower extraordinaire Doug Sparrow is now just months away. However, in the throes of setting up their marital home and new market garden business, she receives a surprise request to care for a distant relative.
Likewise, a number of her fellow Elmesbury residents also find their lives on the cusp of change, and not all for the good. Is it pure chance that the arrival of Beattie’s young ward coincides with yet another murder in the village? Or were plans already afoot?
Once again, Beattie picks up the gauntlet, but can she solve the case and uncover the murderer’s identity before it casts a shadow over her wedding to Doug?
Toffee Apple Strudel is a comedy crime caper in the style of Agatha Raisin and sees the conclusion of the ‘Beattie Bramshaw Mysteries series’. Make a brew, grab a chair, and prepare for a fun-filled finale.
Purchase Link - https://amzn.eu/d/42yGCkH
Susan King is hosting a giveaway on X, take a look here for all the details - https://x.com/SusanKing63/status/1954490392193151027
Author Bio –
Susan A. King lives with her husband in the North East's equivalent to San Tropez, otherwise known as Hartlepool.
The inspiration for her debut novel, Marrow Jam, came from her long experience and observation of competitors at a local country show where she regularly aspires to win Best in Show with her floral arrangements. Unsuccessful to date, she has been tempted to investigate more underhand methods by which to acquire the trophy but has yet to sink to the depths described in her novel. Or so she would have you believe!
Marrow Jam was shortlisted for the Write Here, Right Now novel competition at the Bradford Literature Festival.
The second book in the 'Beattie Bramshaw Mysteries series', Banana Devil Cake, is available in e-book and both are published by Eye/Lightning Books.
Toffee Apple Strudel sees the conclusion of the ‘Beattie Bramshaw Mysteries series’.
Social Media Links –
Facebook - www.facebook.com/SusanKing63
Instagram - @susan.king63
X - @SusanKing63
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| My thoughts |
Pensioner Beattie Bramshaw is about to get married but must first settle into her new, posh, home. She is an outright, old-fashioned opinionated busybody, but with a hidden heart-of-gold, encountered in two previous comedy cosy mysteries which I have not yet read.
Beattie is to marry champion veg-grower and prospective market-garden grower (and I suspect, long-suffering but he loves her...) Doug Sparrow. In this story there's also a distant teenage relative to suddenly take care of, and a good friend to help out ... and, of course, a puzzling murder to solve.
I think readers who enjoy UK TV's Keeping Up Appearances will enjoy Toffee Apple Strudel ... the comedy elements struck me as very similar, and Beattie did remind me very much of the over-fussy Hyacinth Bucket (for those unfamiliar, it's pronounced Bouquet!) But, I must be honest here, this is where I initially found the character of Beattie somewhat irritating. (I also find Hyacinth irritating - she's funny, but in small doses.) Several of the other characters were quirky and interesting in their own right, and I did like Doug - and yes, Beattie as well once I got to know her better.
The opening chapter was fun, with our detective policeman acting out possible scenarios for prospective promotional exam questions, but I struggled when the story switched to Beattie and her prim-and-proper pedantics. However, I kept reading and once I'd become used to her the story started to take off as it was intended.
So possibly not a read for everyone - it will depend on an individual's sense of humour. To really get to know these characters, though, it might be best to start at the beginning with Book 1.
All in all, an entertaining, worthwhile read.
* * * * 4 stars
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