‘The Clutch of Eggs’ by Debbie Young

Published by Hawkesbury Press,
13 November 2020.
ISBN: 978-1911223-64-1 (PB)

The Clutch of Eggs is a quick read, set in the village of Wendlebury Barrow, the setting for the author’s series of Sophie Sayers mysteries. This story is told from Sophie’s viewpoint, it features several of the regular village characters and most of the action is in the village bookshop, Hector’s House, where she works and which is owned by her boyfriend.

The story revolves around young Tommy, a boy in the village who is part of an impecunious, single-parent family. Tommy is always eager for new experiences and is constantly on the look-out for ways to make some extra money or earn an extra treat from the bookshop’s cafe. He is intrigued when he finds an abandoned wood pigeon’s egg and it inspires an interest in other birds’ eggs. Tommy is a very good-hearted boy, and he agrees to walk an old lady’s dachshund while she is recovering from a hip operation. However, when Hector offers him a free milkshake for every customer he brings into the bookshop while he is out and about dog-walking, Tommy’s enthusiasm and imagination has unexpected results.

The Clutch of Eggs is filled with the lively regular characters who inhabit Wendlebury Barrow. Although the storyline centres around the law regarding the illegal acquisition of wild birds’ eggs, it is far more a gentle story of village life than a crime story. The Clutch of Eggs is a very pleasant, short, easy- read.
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Reviewer: Carol Westron

Debbie Young was born and raised in Sidcup, Kent. When she was 14, her family relocated to Germany for her father’s job. Debbie spent four years at Frankfurt International School, broadening her outlook as well as gaining the then brand new IB (International Baccalaureate). She returned to the UK to earn her BA (Hons) in English and Related Literature at the University of York, then lived and worked for a while in London and the West of England as a journalist and PR consultant.  In 1991 she moved to the Cotswolds. In 2002, she married a Scot named Gordon whom she met in Swindon – and not, as village rumour once had it, a Swede named Scottie.  In 2003, her daughter Laura was born.  Best Murder in Show was the first in her series featuring Sophie Sayers. There are now a further three books in this series.

https://authordebbieyoung.com

 Carol Westron is a successful author and a Creative Writing teacher.  Her crime novels are set both in contemporary and Victorian times.  Her first book The Terminal Velocity of Cats was published in 2013. Since then, she has since written 5 further mysteries. Carol recently gave an interview to Mystery People. To read the interview click on the link below. 

https://promotingcrime.blogspot.co.uk/2017/11/carol-westron.html www.carolwestron.com
http://carolwestron.blogspot.co.uk/
To read a review of Carol latest book This Game of Ghosts click on the title.