Murder at Honeychurch Hall

‘Just the thing to chase the blues away’ M C Beaton If the stones of the house could talk . . . When Kat Stanford abandons a successful television career to help her mother, Iris, move into a rustic carriage house in Devon she quickly discovers that, behind the well-trimmed hedgerows, Honeychurch Hall is populated by more eccentrics than Kat ever met in all her time in London. The Dowager Countess, Lord and Lady Honeychurch, their precocious seven-year-old heir, his missing nanny, a brooding stable manager, a housekeeper with an extensive designer shoe collection . . . Everyone seems to harbour a secret – and Kat’s mother may be hiding the darkest of them all . . . Praise for Hannah Dennison ‘The perfect classic English village mystery but with the addition of charm, wit and a thoroughly modern touch.’ Rhys Bowen ‘Downton Abbey was yesterday, Murder at Honeychurch Hall lifts the lid on today’s grand country estate in all its tarnished, scheming, inbred, deranged glory.’ Catriona McPherson ‘A fun read.’ Carola Dunn ‘Sparkles like a glass of Devon cider on a summer afternoon.’ Elizabeth Duncan If the stones of the house could talk…When Kat Stanford abandons a successful television career to help her mother Iris move into a rustic carriage house in Devon, she quickly discovers that behind the well-trimmed hedgerows, Honeychurch Hall is populated by more eccentrics than Kat had ever met in all her time in London.The Dowager Countess, Lord and Lady Honeychurch, their precocious seven-year-old heir, his missing nanny, a brooding stable manager, a housekeeper with an extensive designer shoe collection… Everyone seems to harbour a secret -- and Kat’s mother may be hiding the darkest of them all…

An antiques expert's plan for relaxation is spoiled by murder and her mother's zany life in this cozy whodunit series debut. Kat Stanford is just days away from starting her dream antique business with her newly widowed mother Iris when she gets a huge shock. Iris has recklessly purchased a dilapidated carriage house at Honeychurch Hall, an isolated country estate located several hundred miles from London. Yet it seems that Iris isn't the only one with surprises at Honeychurch Hall. Behind the crumbling façade, the inhabitants of the stately mansion are a lively group of eccentrics to be sure—both upstairs and downstairs—and they all have more than their fair share of skeletons in the closet. When the nanny goes missing, and Vera, the loyal housekeeper ends up dead in the grotto, suspicions abound. Throw in a feisty, octogenarian countess, a precocious seven-year-old who is obsessed with the famous fighter pilot called Biggles, and a treasure trove of antiques, and there is more than one motive for murder. As Iris's past comes back to haunt her, Kat realizes she hardly knows her mother at all. A when the bodies start piling up, it is up to Kat to unravel the tangled truth behind the murders at Honeychurch Hall. Praise for Murder at Honeychurch Hall "With believable characters, a modern take on manor-house life, a juicy subplot involving Kat's mother, and a possible love interest, this is a good start to a new series." — Booklist "One of the most delightfully entertaining cozies I've read in a long time. It's humorous and silly without becoming clichéd, tacky, and trite. It's realistic enough not to force readers to put their brains into cold storage." — Gumshoe Review