April Fool Mysteries:

AUTHOR	YEAR	TITLE
ABBOTT, Victoria	2015	The Marsh Madness
BENNETT, Virginia K	2024	Maple Fools' Day (2024)
BUSH, Christopher	1933	TCOT April Fools
CIESCLWICZ, Edna May	2008	April's Fool
DEMAREE, Steve	2018	A Body on April Fool's Day (2018)
DEVERELL, William	2005	April Fool
FIELDS, Robert J	2002	The April Fool
HARRIS,Lee	2001	The April Fool Murder
HART, Carolyn G	2002	April Fool Dead
KEATING. H R F	1975	A Remarkable Case of Burglary
LOURY, Jess	2019	April Fools
NOVAKOVICH, Josip	2004	April Fool's Day
ROVIN, Jeff	1986	April Fool's Day

‘Left in the Ashes’ by Anna Britton

Published by Canelo London,
18 September 2025. 
ISBN: 978-80436-528-1(PB)

This unusual and complex novel opens with two very different scenes of crime.  The first describes a child’s body found in a barrel floating in Hythe Shipyard in Southampton, whilst the second is a suspected arson attack that has taken place within the grounds of Dunlow Estate.  The Hythe incident bears all the hallmarks of a child killer who has evaded the law for years and is known as The Barrel Man.  DI Paul Willis along with DS Nicole Stuart are tasked with interviewing the shocked informant who made the gruesome discovery.  Their colleagues, DI Juliet Stern and DS Gabe Martin, meanwhile, are sent to the scene of the fire, but their enquiries are put on hold until the scene has been made safe. 

What complicates, and provides an interesting twist, to these two investigations is that whilst Gabe is professionally involved with the arson enquiry, the Barrel Man case affects her personally because she and her brother were abducted by the twisted killer when she was a little girl.  She lives with the memory of her ordeal and still grieves for the sibling killed by the “Bad Man” as she calls him.  Since her dreadful experience, Gabe has been routinely interviewed each time the killer strikes.  This latest atrocity requires her to confront her demons again.  Yet she must remain strong; she has her own investigation to consider and does not want her loss and trauma to impede her professionalism.  Her partner, Juliet, is herself recovering from the pair’s last traumatic encounter and both women are dealing with tricky relationships on the home front.  However, for now they must put personal considerations to one side because the discovery of a woman’s body Left In The Ashes at Dunlow, means Juliet and Gabe are now dealing with a murder enquiry.

 

The narrative unfolds through a variety of text types such as police reports, text messages, newspaper articles and Gabe’s first person narrative.  These enable the writer to echo not only the intricacies of the two cases, but also Gabe’s inner turmoil as she struggles with destructive and haunting memories.  Juliet is more reserved than Gabe, indeed she often presents as cold and aloof.  At times Gabe struggles to reach out to the higher-ranking officer, only to be rebuffed.  As the story nears its conclusion, however, more of Juliet’s situation peeks through – possibly the focus of a future novel?  I hope so.  In this book, though, it is Gabe’s character, is centre stage and invites the reader’s empathy.  Other characters in the book provide plenty of suspects to keep our intrepid officers on their toes as they investigate the killers, new and old.

 

Left In The Ashes explores the reality of life for police officers dealing with difficult and complex cases whilst juggling with personal issues.  This is the third in the series featuring the Gabe and Stern duo.  It works very well as a standalone.  The resolution is unexpected, and the author leaves a tantalising taste of what might come next in the final pages.

 

A well-structured and fascinating novel with believable characters, intertwined plots and an unusual ending. Recommended.

------
Reviewer Dot Marshall-Gent

Anna Britton lives on the Isle of Wight with her husband and their chronically clumsy Labrador. An avid reader, she began writing around ten years ago and hasn’t stopped since. Anna works as a freelance editor and loves helping out other authors. When not filling her head with stories, Anna enjoys baking (and eating) cakes and exploring rivers in her kayak.  

Dot Marshall-Gent worked in the emergency services for twenty years first as a police officer, then as a paramedic and finally as a fire control officer before graduating from King’s College, London as a teacher of English in her mid-forties.  She completed a M.A. in Special and Inclusive Education at the Institute of Education, London and now teaches part-time and writes mainly about educational issues.  Dot sings jazz and country music and plays guitar, banjo and piano as well as being addicted to reading mystery and crime fiction.  

‘The Shrine’ by Lesley Thomson

Published by Head of Zeus,
12 March 2026.
ISBN: 978-1-03592024-2 (HB)

When an author creates interesting characters who belong to a world outside her familiar series, sooner or later they're going to turn up in that series. And that's exactly what has happened in Lesley Thomson's latest foray into the world of the Detective's Daughter. Stella Darnell, whose nickname emanates from the fact that she's exactly that, prefers cleaning other people's houses to solving crimes, but that doesn't stop the dead bodies from turning up wherever she goes.

 This time she's in a campervan on a campsite in the Cotswolds, trying to sort out her feelings after a rift with her train driver partner Jack, over his attempts to contact his long-dead mother through a medium. In a cottage in the nearby village are a couple of those interesting characters from other books (and incidentally, other parts of the country). Mobile fishmonger Freddy Power is covering for a colleague's holiday, and D I Toni Kemp is on holiday herself. 

And inevitably, Stella stumbles across a body. She's out with Freddy on her fish-selling round, and they pass, or rather don't pass, a shrine to a popular teacher killed decades ago in a hit-and-run accident. The teacher's body is safe in the cemetery, but a much more recent one is propped up at the shrine: an unpopular builder and conman. It's the mixture as before for reluctant sleuth Stella. 

Equally inevitably, who should turn up at the campsite but Jack, in the company of Lucie May, their investigative journalist friend, who, conveniently for them both, lives in a large motorhome. Between the five of them, they set out to unravel the knottiest of tangled webs. Not only is there a murder to solve (the local police don't appear to be up to the job); the mystery of the long-ago hit-and-run has to be resolved, Stella has to resolve her differences with Jack, and Lucie May has to file a suitably dramatic story. 

Also in the village, and somehow involved, are Amanda Proudie, daughter of a notorious medium who is nominally dead but still around in spirit despite her elaborate grave in the village cemetery, and Jane Cato, a retired pharmacist who has her own agenda. And an old flame, or possibly adversary, of Stella's is lurking in the background. 

It all comes to a satisfactory conclusion, of course; it always does in fiction. And it does it with Lesley Thomson's sure hand on the tiller, creating a wealth of characters you'd recognize if you met them, locations you could step into, and situations and misdirection’s that will keep you guessing right to the final page. Stella, Jack, Lucie and their partners in crime-solving will feel like old friends by the end of the book. Not that you'll want it to end, at least not till the next one is there to replace it.
------
Reviewer: Lynne Patrick 

Lesley Thomson was born in 1958 and brought up in Hammersmith, West London. She went to Holland Park Comprehensive and graduated from Brighton University in 1981 and moved to Sydney, Australia. Returning to London she did several jobs to support writing. Her novel A Kind of Vanishing won The People's Book Prize in 2010. In 2013 her first book in The Detective’s Daughter series was published, featuring Stella Darnell (MD of Clean Slate Cleaning Services) and Jack Harmon, driver on London Underground’s District Line. There are now nine books in the series.  Lesley combines writing with teaching creative writing at West Dean College. She lives in Lewes with her partner.

 

www.lesleythomson.co.uk/

Lynne Patrick has been a writer ever since she could pick up a pen, and has enjoyed success with short stories, reviews and feature journalism, but never, alas, with a novel. She crossed to the dark side to become a publisher for a few years and is proud to have launched several careers which are now burgeoning. She lives in Oxfordshire in a house groaning with books, about half of them crime fiction.

‘A Dangerous Train of Thought’ by Faith Martin

Published by HQ Digital,
15 January 2026.
ISBN: 978-000873843-2 (PB)

Sir Bayard Cherville surveyed his lovely Georgian Manor house and his gently rolling acres of south Yorkshire only six miles from the coast. Although the Great War, taxes and the changed times had made inroads into his coffers, the family were still an important part of society.  Lady Sybil was not over keen on country living and hosted lavish weekend parties which Sir Bayard bore stoically.

A Thursday in 1926 finds Bayard is contemplating the arrival of his first guests. While Sybil his wife is uneasy, he couldn’t know, could he?  She’s been so careful. 

Meanwhile, Arbuthnot 'Arbie' Lancelot Swift is looking forward to the promise of a lavish weekend party.  He has no idea that he has been cast as a celebrity, but he is a happy go-lucky kind of chap simply looking forward to a spot of fishing, maybe a bit of cricket and a few games of billiards. However, Sybil is an avid reader of Arbie’s books and is eager to show him off to her distinguished guests. Arbie is also tasked with investigating rumours of a ‘ghost train spitting fire’ for the third instalment of the increasingly popular (to Arbie’s great surprise) Gentleman’s Guide to Ghost-hunting. Sitting opposite to him on the train is Miss Valentina Coulton-James, a vicar’s daughter, who keeps Arbie’s nose to the grindstone re his ghost-hunting. He has tried desperately not to sign another contract for a third book, but Val has other ideas, she also harbours feelings for Arbie, of which he is totally unaware. 

Also on route is Miss Agnes Warren, who is so excited that she finds it difficult to sit still, for something beyond her wildest dreams has happened. And not far away is Bill Endicott, an adonis just over six feet with, blue eyes and a strong jaw. But Bill is not looking forward to the weekend party, but sometimes you just have to grit your teeth and grin and bear things.  Roger and Daphne Potts-Gibson have very different reasons for looking forward to this weekend break. 

But when the guests start dying, Arbie finds himself thrust into the middle of a murder investigation.  Will he and Val be able to uncover the truth? 

With a terrific mix of characters this is an intriguing mystery. But can Val and Arbie solve it? Cleverley plotted this is an exciting mystery. I look forward to the next instalment'
---------
Reviewer: Lizzie Sirett

Faith Martin is a pen name of English author Jacquie Walton who was born in Oxford. She is best known for writing a series of books set around Oxfordshire, with the starring character being DI Hillary Greene. She also has a series set in Oxford in 1960 featuring PC Trudy Loveday, who is assigned to help coroner Clement Ryder. Writing as Joyce Cato, she has published 7 books featuring Jenny Starling, a travelling cook and amateur detective. And four books featuring Monica Noble, a vicar's wife with a taste for solving crimes. Her latest series is set in the featuring Val and Arbie.

‘The Body at Rookery Barn’ by Kate Hardy

Published by Storm Publishing,
12 September 2023.
ISBN: 978-1-80508084-8 (PB)

Following the death of her husband Stephen, Georgina Drake moves to Little Wenborough in rural Norfolk. To supplement her income, she rents out her converted barn as a holiday cottage to holidaymakers.  Her current tenant Professor Roland Garnett, an arrogant and unpleasant man had booked the cottage for three weeks which had terminated this morning.  As she walks to the cottage to change the linen and clean the cottage for the next arrivals, she hears a female voice say, ‘I wouldn’t go in there if I were you’. 

The voice had a local Norfolk accent but wasn’t a voice Georgina recognised.  It continued, ‘Call the police and Ambulance’.  Looking around her Georgina cannot see anyone. Maybe, she thinks it is her new hearing aids, that have somehow picked up a radio. Ignoring the voice, Georgina lets herself into the cottage and immediately picks up a smell of strong stale vomit.  ‘I did tell you not to open the door,’ said the voice plaintively. 

Leaving the kitchen door open, Georgina checks each room. Clearly the professor hadn’t left as his things were strewn over every room. He was in the bedroom and dead. In panic and struggling to breathe Georgina dials 999. 

While waiting she asks the voice to show herself. ‘That’s a bit tricky says the voice’. 

The first police response is a Sergeant Kennedy, followed by Inspector Colin Bradshaw.  Pathology rules that Roland Garnett was poisoned. The news in the village travels fast, no doubt helped by Jodie, who does the cleaning of the guest cottage for Georgina. 

Although none of the villagers liked Roland Garnett, as in his short stay in the area he managed to offend most of them. But as a relative newcomer to the village, Georgina is suspect No I.  So, she feels that she has no choice but to investigate herself. In doing so she finds an unlikely team to help her, aristocratic gardener, Sybbie, Francesca and Jodie.  But Georgina in her endeavours to clear herself of the crime finds herself in the killer’s firing line. 

And what of the disembodied voice? Just who is it? 

A fascinating and gripping cosy crime novel. Recommended.
----------
Reviewer: Lizzie Sirett

Kate Hardy started writing stories about ponies and dogs, moved onto ghosts and history, and then into local history and romance, and is now thoroughly enjoying her new life of crime!  She loves learning new things, which is why you'll always discover something different in a Kate Hardy book. She lives in Norwich with her husband

 

Unsung Heroes of Crime Fiction by Lynne Patrick

 An occasional series which looks at the work of authors whose books qualify as bestsellers, but who still aren’t quite as famous as they deserve to be.

Caroline England

A Yorkshirewoman by birth, Lancastrian by adoption. After university in Manchester, Caroline England trained as a solicitor, and after a brief early encounter with the criminal fraternity, moved into divorce and professional indemnity. Her work only served to deepen her fascination with the human condition: the differences and similarities between people, their failings and frailties, the masks they wear to cover their hidden depths and secrets. Later, voluntary mediation work gave her an insight into the nature of storytelling: how there is always more than one point of view, and multiple versions of the truth. 

The leap from writing divorce petitions and court reports to making up stories for her three daughters was a short one, and the jump into fiction for adults even shorter. Early in her writing career she put her legal background to good use in a two-book mini-series with a village setting, featuring a feisty feminist solicitor, written under the pen-name Caro Land. 

Her debut psychological thriller Beneath the Skin was a tense mystery based around the secrets and lies she finds so intriguing, and she has gone on to write seven more highly acclaimed standalones under her own name. They are all a perfect fit for the domestic noir sub-genre, set in the home, family and friendship ties at their heart with all the consequent frictions, conflicts and convolutions. 

As C E Rose, she writes darker thrillers with an element of the gothic, in which the location acts almost as another character in the story and adds a sinister layer to the atmosphere. Who knows what goes on behind the closed doors of a crumbling stately home, a spooky farmhouse, a mysterious cottage? 

Spirited solicitor, domestic noir or gothic thriller, her books have acquired a considerable following. She writes about characters who are fallible and all the more human for it; their relationships have unexpected twists, and their secrets are well hidden until the layers are peeled away. They are complex, often tense and menacing, the kinds of books that keep you up all night because the itch to know what happens won't go away. 

With all these best-seller ingredients in place, you'd imagine that Caroline England had earned a place at the top of the crime-writing tree. So why hasn't she? It's a mystery. 

                  Books by Caroline England

                            The Wife's Secret (2017)
                             aka Beneath the Skin
                       My Husband's Lies (2018)
                       Betray Her (2019)
                       Truth Games (2020)
                       The Sinner (2022)
                       The Stranger Beside Me (2023)
                       The Return Of Frankie Whittle (2025)
                       Behind Her Smile (2025)

                Books Written as C E Rose 

                The House of Hidden Secrets (2021)
                      The House on the Water's Edge (2021)
                      The Shadows of Rutherford House (2022)
                      The Attic at Wilton Place (2023)

                By Caro Land

                 Convictions
                 Confessions. 

Home - CAROLINE ENGLAND  

‘A Country Manor Murder’ by Alice Castle

Published by Bookouture,
13 February 2026.
ISBN: 978-1-80550458-0 (PB)

Sarah Vane has barely waved off her two daughters and two tiny granddaughters, when Daphne Roux, Sarah’s oldest friend and next-door neighbour rushes in with the news that she has signed them both up for the Vanstone Fair bake-off, and that they should make some scones and win first prize. Sarah is sceptical of this, but says OK, when is the contest? This afternoon says Daphne crunching a biscuit. 

Three hours later they are on their way to Vanstone complete with scones. Driving through the picturesque village they head for Coates House, which is a Jacobean manor complete with sweeping lawns, owned by Madeleine Brett-Coates. As they join a slow-moving queue of cars seeking a parking space.  Sarah asks what time does the competition start? 4pm says Daphne, we need to get our scones on the judging table quickly as it’s now. Oh! 4pm. And she off sprinting across the car park. Sarah makes her way to the big white tent, to display their scones. It’s gloomy and dark inside the tent. Then she sees two feet sticking out from beneath a pile of coloured flags. 

The arrival of Police Constables Dumbarton and Deeside, known as Tweedledum and Tweedledee, followed by Daphne’s daughter Mariella, who has just transferred to the Canterbury police force, sets the ball rolling, announcing that the dead body is that of as the Madeleine Brett-Coates. 

The three children of the late Mrs Brett-Coates’s, (Mumsy! to her children), Bernard, Helena and Jonathan appear heartbroken over the death of their mother, but Sarah soon learns that matriarch ruled her children with a rod of iron. Keeping them all living at the house. They all clearly disliked each other.  Without doubt even more when the terms of her will are read out. Oops! 

The discovery of a second dead body muddies the water and poses even more questions. 

Like all good murder mysteries, it is soon revealed that everyone at the manor, even the staff, have secrets. Can Sarah aided by Hamish her black Scottie dog, and Mariella track down the killer before, yet another victim is claimed?

It kept me guessing to the end.  Heartily recommended.
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Reviewer: Lizzie Sirett 

Alice Castle had a long career as a feature writer on national newspapers including the Daily Express, The Times and The Daily Telegraph, before turning to crime. Alice has also written a nine-book crime series set in south east London.  Her recent series features Sarah Vane. There are six books in this series. Alice grew up in south London and, after a stint in Brussels (where her first novel, Hot Chocolate, is set) she is back in the UK, dreaming up adventures for her heroine’s. She writes psychological thrillers for HQDigital as A.M. Castle. Alice is married with two children, two stepchildren. Follow Alice on Twitter as @DDsDiary or visit her website at

http://www.alicecastleauthor.com  

'Beware' by Roger Corke

 “Beware of Greeks bearing gifts,” said Virgil’s Aeneid about the Trojan Horse. Trust Artificial Intelligence to come up with its very own version.  

A year ago, my first crime thriller was published. Deadly Protocol is about the murder of a man researching the Holy Grail of medicine – a cure for cancer: who killed him and why? And it features a feisty American female protagonist, Dr Ronnie Ackerman who has to solve the mystery to save her career – and her life. All that information is easily available online. You’ll soon see the relevance of that.  

Deadly Protocol has had far more plaudits from my fellow crime writers than I ever dared to hope for – but nothing like as glowing as the praise, I’ve suddenly started receiving in my inbox from a whole string of people supposedly running book clubs.  

 “Your book is on our radar,” said one. “The authenticity of the world you create is unmistakeable,” wrote another. 

Well, I’m not going to argue with that…if only they really meant it. But I’m not sure they do. In fact, I’m not sure some of them exist at all. So far, none of the book clubs I have checked out have a website. A few feature on
Instagram but by no means all of them. Curiouser and curiouser. 

Out of interest, I picked one these emails to follow up. Claire W Johnson introduces herself as the organiser of the Feminist Book Club and at other times describes herself as representing the Feminist Readers Guild. 

“As we welcome the New Year, our community is curating a New Author Introduction & Feature to highlight selected authors and books our readers are genuinely excited about as part of our fresh reading line-up for the year ahead,” she says. 

“I’m delighted to share that your book has resonated strongly with our readers and is currently ranked among the top titles based on member interest and engagement. As part of this New Year feature, we’ll be spotlighting a select group of authors whose works truly stood out to our community. 

“Your book would be introduced through a New Year Newspaper-Style Spotlight, a thoughtfully designed, editorial-style feature that presents your work in a format that feels timeless, credible, and engaging.” 

Spotting a sales pitch coming, I write back: “I would be delighted to take part, as long as it doesn't cost me any money! I have several approaches similar to yours each week and, after several back-and-forth emails, it usually seems that the writer wants money out of me. If you do, then I don't want to waste your time in pursuing me. But if not, I would love to take part.” 

“Thank you for explaining your concern so clearly,” replies Claire.  “I genuinely appreciate your openness, and I completely understand why you’d want clarity upfront. 

“To be fully transparent: the feature itself is free. There is no fee simply to be included or introduced to our readers, and there is absolutely no obligation to purchase anything in order to participate in the New Author Introduction. 

“Some authors choose to opt into optional professional services, such as editorial polishing, layout refinement, or print-ready design support for the newspaper-style spotlight. Those services do involve a fee, as they cover
professional editing and production work, but they are entirely optional, clearly explained in advance, and never a requirement for being featured.”

This is the first time Claire has talked about a fee of any kind. Once again, I make it clear that I’d like to take part, but I don’t want to pay her anything.  

She sends me a Q&A sheet, asking for further details about me, the book and how I came to write it. 

“The background you’ve provided is excellent and gives us exactly the depth we need to present Deadly Protocol and Ronnie’s story accurately and thoughtfully,” she responds. “As we’re now moving into final production for the upcoming feature slot, the next step is to confirm your participation in the Author Spotlight. Once confirmed, I’ll send over the payment details and the exact publication timeline so we can lock everything in and begin editing.”

“Payment details?” I reply.

“Thank you for confirming!” gushes Claire. “The Author Spotlight fee is $200. Could you let me know whether you’d like to pay via PayPal or receive an invoice? Looking forward to featuring Deadly Protocol and Ronnie to our readers!”

 “I think I made it clear - please look back at my previous emails - that I don’t pay for marketing, and you agreed that I didn’t have to,” I reply.

“I want to be completely clear so there’s no confusion,” says Claire. “While we do occasionally offer complimentary editorial mentions, inclusion in our scheduled feature line-up for the Feminist Book Club does require the Author Spotlight, which includes editing, formatting, and coordinated presentation to our readers. That element carries a small fee and is part of how we deliver a consistent experience for all featured authors.” 

It felt a bit like pulling teeth by this point, but I wasn’t going to give up.

“What can you do for me without me paying anything?” I ask. “Your emails certainly indicated that either I could pay for one service or get another that is free.”

 After a couple more emails went back and forth, Claire wrote with good news.

“I’m happy to let you know that Deadly Protocol will be featured with our Feminist Book Club members tomorrow,” she said. “This is a pre-prepared editorial feature there’s no live session or Zoom required. Once it’s shared, our readers will also be encouraged to drop reviews and share their feedback on your book. I’ll follow up afterward so you can see how it appears.” 

I’m still waiting to hear from Claire – despite a couple of emails from me prompting a reply. And I don’t expect to hear from her, because I ran all of her billets-doux through an AI checker. It said that 100 per cent of them were written… by Artificial Intelligence. 

Roger Corke is a TV journalist who has travelled the world producing and directing documentaries for flagship current affairs series like the BBC's Panorama, Channel 4's Dispatches and ITV's World in Action and Tonight. That experience was invaluable in writing his first crime thriller and it was a chance conversation with a scientist whilst on a filming trip in America that led him to devise the plot for Deadly Protocol. 

HOME | rogercorkeauthor.com 

‘The Mystery of the Gold Rings’ by Judith Cutler

Published by Joffe Books,
5 January 2026
ISBN: 978-1-80573443-7 (PB)
Originally published as
Ring of Guilt, March 2013. 

Lina Townend is the partner in an antiques business, alongside her unofficially adopted grandfather, Griff Tripp. Lina is returning from an auction with a van full of items she has just bought at an auction when she sees a body lying in an isolated field. Lina is more capable of defending herself than most young women, but she is also aware of the dangers of leaving her van to check out the body, which could result in the theft of her valuable, and at this point, uninsured cargo. Unfortunately, she cannot get a phone signal, and there is nobody around to help her, so Lina takes a long-distance photograph of the body, and goes to find a signal to phone the police. When the police arrive, the body has disappeared. Although they would like to dismiss Lina’s story, the photo prevents them from doing this, and they say that they will investigate and be in touch. 

Before Lina came to live with Griff, she had endured a disrupted childhood, living in numerous foster homes, but now she is settled with Griff, who has educated her and encouraged her belief in her self-worth. He has also helped her do informal apprenticeships with antique dealers and restorers, so that she has become highly skilled and respected in her career. Lina also has a gift that cannot be learned, she is a ‘divvy’, a diviner who can instinctively sense precious objects. One of the least impressive things she bought at the auction is a box full of battered and broken household articles, but in it she discovers a gold ring of great antiquity. Soon afterwards, by chance, Lina buys a similar ring from a dealer in dress jewellery at an antiques fair. She and Griff take the rings to London, to show them to an expert at the British Museum, Sir Douglas Nelson, who is an old friend of Griff. Lina thinks that Douggie, as Griff calls him, is very distant in his manner, but she assumes this is because he disapproves of Griff taking her into partnership, an attitude she has encountered before. 

However, a few days later, Detective Sergeant Will Kinnersley, Kent Police’s Heritage Officer, turns up to question Lina, not about ‘her body’ as she first assumes, but to interrogate her about the rings. To Lina’s fury, Douglas Nelson has reported her to the police for illegally acquiring the rings, possibly by digging in an archaeological site. Fortunately, she and Griff always keep immaculate records and receipts, and they are able to prove Lina’s innocence. 

It is evident that Will Kinnersley admires Lina, but she is less keen, as the last attractive police officer she considered starting a relationship with, returned to a former relationship when his previous partner told him she was pregnant with his child. However, Lina has another admirer in high-end antiques dealer, Harvey Waverley, who seems to admire both her personal charms, and her skill as a restorer and her knowledge of antiques. 

The queries around the gold rings could be the sort of misfortune that can happen to even the most reputable dealers in antiques, but strange things continue to happen, which could endanger the professional reputation of Tripp and Townend. It seems that Lina has a powerful enemy who will go to great lengths to discredit her and may even go further and attempt physical harm. Lina and Griff are determined to discover the truth, but they have no idea of the identity of this ruthless adversary, or how the attacks could be connected to the body that Lina had seen. 

The Mystery of the Gold Rings is the third book in the series featuring Lina Townend. It is an interesting addition to a lively series, based in the fascinating world of antiques. Lina is a delightful and engaging protagonist, working tirelessly to improve her memory, knowledge and vocabulary, and she is surrounded by many regular characters that are likeable and eccentric. This is an enjoyable cosy crime novel, which I recommend.
------
Reviewer:  Carol Westron 

Judith Cutler was born in the Black Country, just outside Birmingham, later moving to the Birmingham suburb of Harborne. Judith started writing while she was at the then Oldbury Grammar School, winning the Critical Quarterly Short Story prize with the second story she wrote. She subsequently read English at university. It was an attack of chickenpox caught from her son that kick-started her writing career. One way of dealing with the itch was to hold a pencil in one hand, a block of paper in the other - and so she wrote her first novel. This eventually appeared in a much-revised version as Coming Alive, published by Severn House. Judith has seven series. The first two featured amateur sleuth Sophie Rivers (10 books) and Detective Sergeant Kate Power (6 Books). Then came Josie Wells, a middle-aged woman with a quick tongue, and a love of good food, there are two books, The Food Detective and The Chinese Takeout. The Lina Townsend books are set in the world of antiques and there are seven books in this series. There are three books featuring Tobias Campion set in the Regency period, and her series featuring Chief Superintendent Fran Harman (6 books), and Jodie Welsh, Rector’s wife and amateur sleuth. Her more recently a series feature a head teacher Jane Cowan (3 books). Judith has also written three standalone’s Staging Death, Scar Tissue, and Death In Elysium. Her new series is set in Victorian times featuring Matthew Rowsley. Death’s Long Shadow is the third book in this series.  

http://www.judithcutler.com   

Carol Westron is a Golden Age expert who has written many articles on the subject and given papers at several conferences. She is the author of several series: contemporary detective stories and police procedurals, comedy crime and Victorian Murder Mysteries. Her most recent publications are Paddling in the Dead Sea and Delivering Lazarus, books 2 and 3 of the Galmouth Mysteries, the series which began with 
The Fragility of Poppies. 

www.carolwestron.com