‘Sins of the Past’ by Eileen Robertson

Published by CreateSpace Independent Publishing,
28 December 2015.
ISBN:978-1519155757

The village of Fawdon was expanding, new houses were sprouting up everywhere. And as residential development grew so did the businesses. Some relished the changes, others feared the competition, and the survival of their small businesses.

Simon Mitchell the florist was aware that the premises almost directly opposite his, a shop with a flat above had been let, what sort of shop, he mused would it be?

Rumour had it that Martha McPherson, the owner of the Golden Rose Tea Shoppe was feeling the pinch since Alfredo Lorenzo had opened his Italian restaurant at the other end of the High Street, and started serving morning coffee.

Cynthia Roberts has recently returned to Fawdon and set up her own private investigation agency. She has no shortage of clients in the village. All with notes from a blackmailer who is bleeding them dry.  Cynthia realises that she may need help in finding the blackmailer and her thoughts turn to Laura Windle. A retired teacher, who is not above a little blackmail herself. But all in a good cause.*

Laura Windle is saddened at the death of her friend Julia and horrified to discover that Julia’s house has passed to her sister Claire, who had not been in touch with her sister for many a year. Worse, she seems to be entertaining unsavoury characters.

This is the real village mystery we all love. It is rich in characters - they leap off the page to meet you.  And yes, they all have secrets. Secrets that they thought were buried when they started a new life in Fawdon. Secrets that will destroy their lives in Fawdon if they get out.  Can Cynthia find the blackmailer?   Can we ever truly escape out past?

Intricately plotted, Sins of the Past will keep you turning the pages.

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Reviewer; Lizzie Hayes

*See Blackmail for Beginners.

Eileen Robertson was born in Yorkshire and was for many years a lecturer in German and Creative Writing at Highbury College, Cosham, and at Portsmouth University. Eileen’s first cosy crime novel, Miss McGuire is Missing, was published by Robert Hale in July 2010. It went into reprint three months later and in May 2011 was taken up by Harlequin Books of Canada. Her second book, Blackmail for Beginners, was published in February 2012. Her third book, We’ll be Watching You, was published September 2013. Eileen’s books have been described as ‘cosy crime with a hard edge.’

www.eileenrobertson.co.uk/