Thanks to Rachel’s Random Resources and the author for the gifted ebook in order to write my honest review.
Three dead bodies. Two murders. One missing Bonfire Night effigy.
With Bonfire Night looming, Aldermaston, the Eighth Marquess of Mortiforde, is feeling the heat.
Not only has someone stolen Mortiforde Millie—the town’s beloved fifteen-foot Bonfire Night effigy—just days before the town’s annual firework celebrations, but developer Rupert Rinde wants to torch Mortiforde’s heritage by building a waste incinerator on the historic Mortiforde Meadows. The locals are outraged, as is Rupert’s father, Sir Hugo, who owns the meadows. So when Sir Hugo is found dead, skewered by a medieval dagger, his widow begs Aldermaston to investigate.
Meanwhile, Sir Hugo had promised Aldermaston’s wife and her Ladies’ Legion the meadows for their new eco-friendly burial scheme. Now they’re desperate to plant their first body in the ground before the deal goes up in smoke.
So, when Aldermaston uncovers who stole Mortiforde Millie and why, he realises the waste incinerator project is designed to ignite some explosive repercussions.
Can Aldermaston unmask a killer and save the Mortiforde Meadows before Bonfire Night erupts into chaos? Will the Ladies’ Legion bury a body before their dreams go up in flames? And can Aldermaston rescue Mortiforde Millie’s hidden secret before the fireworks begin?
Purchase Link https://books2read.com/flamingmurder
My Review
My first book by Simon Whaley, and I didn’t realise there were two books before Flaming Murder in The Marquess of Mortiforde Mysteries. I am usually one who will read a series in order, so I just hoped it wouldn’t affect my experience of the book. Luckily it didn’t; it is easily read as a standalone.
A cosy mystery set in Mortiforde, a town on the Welsh borders. We follow Aldermaston, the Eighth Marquess of Mortiforde, as he deals with murders and a missing Mortiforde Millie, the town’s Bonfire Night effigy. How the effigy comes to be missing is a conundrum! At fifteen feet , it isn’t exactly easy to hide!
As if he hasn’t enough to deal withdealing there is also the fact that the council is after installing an incinerator in the meadows-those meadows that the villagers want to use for burials . Does it ever end? Will Aldermaston be able to handle all of this and find the effigy in time for the bonfire?
Flaming Murder was such an easy read. Although it involves murders, it isn’t dark in any way. It’s light, cosy, and funny too! The cast of characters is eclectic, and this gave the book a unique feel. The fact that I felt I could see these people in my everyday life made this such a ‘comfy’ read.
The author has a great way of telling a story that kept me so intrigued. It definitely kept me guessing as well as chuckling. I was in love with this book, the characters, and the plot. I devoured it so eagerly, but at the same time, I didn’t want to leave everyone. I now 100% need to read the other two just to spend more time in the village with everyone!
Author Bio
Simon Whaley lives in rural Shropshire, having escaped from Greater London in the late 1990s. His first published piece was a word search puzzle, aged 17, and he’s since written over 1000 articles in publications as varied as BBC Countryfile, Country Walking, Cheshire Life, The People’s Friend, The Daily Express, The Observer, Outdoor Photography, Coast, The Simple Things and Writing Magazine. His first book, One Hundred Ways For A Dog To Train Its Human, was published by Hodder & Stoughton in September 2003, and spent three weeks on the UK’s Top Ten Non-Fiction paperback bestseller lists. (Lifetime sales now exceed over a quarter of a million copies.)
He became a full-time writer in January 2004. He’s since written over a dozen non-fiction books, and recently published the third novel in his Marquess of Mortiforde cosy crime series.
Social Media Links
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SimonWhaleyAuthor
X.com: https://x.com/simonwhaley
sharonbeyondthebooks.uk 