Debut author Mel Pennant is drawn to stories that explore what’s hidden below the surface and celebrate the richness and strength of tight-knit communities. In this event, she will be introducing the first of a gripping new crime series – A Murder for Miss Hortense.
Retired nurse, avid gardener, renowned cake maker and fearless sleuth Miss Hortense has lived in Bigglesweigh, a quiet Birmingham suburb, since she emigrated from Jamaica in 1960. She takes great pride in her home, starching her lace curtains bright white, and she can tell if she’s been short-changed on turmeric before she’s even taken her first bite of a beef patty. Thirty-five years of nursing have also left her afraid of nobody – be they a local drug dealer or a priest – and an expert in deciphering other people’s secrets with just a glance.
It is time for Miss Hortense to solve a mystery that will see her, and the community she loves, tested to their limits.