‘A Body At The Tea Rooms’ by Dee MacDonald is the third book in the Kate Palmer cosy mystery series set in Cornwall. I have read every book in the series and they seem to be getting even better as the series goes on.
Semi-retired registered nurse Kate has gone over to California with her retired Detective boyfriend Woody Forrest on a trip to visit his family. As they get back home and Kate reaches the door to Lavender Cottage she is approached by her sister Angie. Angie had recently inherited a large sum of money unexpectedly from her ex-mother-in-law and decided to buy The Locker Cafe, near the beach, with the plan to renovate it and rename it Tea Rooms; she was having the property gutted to hopefully open a bar for the evenings. Angie discovers a bricked-up cellar complete with a skeleton.
Kate and Woody begin their investigation almost immediately. As the gossip makes its way through the village it seems the skeleton is connected somehow to the Hedgefield’s on the Tremarron Estate. Katie and Woody actually met Aaron Hedgefield on the flight home from California and he even gave them a lift home. Katie and Woody very cleverly decide to take Aaron up on his offer of dinner. This works for Katie as she is very adamant that she wants to discover something to hopefully help them. Can they get to the bottom of who the skeleton is in Angie’s tea rooms?
I always love revisiting Katie and the village. The characters are all ones you can easily picture in a small village community where everybody knows everyone’s business. The setting itself is such a cute village I can imagine the quaint houses with the locals pottering about making sure they are all up to date with the latest news!
A story that is a riveting and addictive read with plenty of drama and action too. I always enjoy a cosy mystery from Dee Macdonald, as I know it will be a page-turner.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the copy of the book.
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