‘The Borrowdale Body’ by Rebecca Tope

Published by Allison & Busby,
22 February 2024.
ISBN 978-0-7490-3161-9(HB)

Rebecca Tope is a prolific writer with three series of mystery novels to her credit. The Borrowdale Body is the thirteenth novel in her Lake District Mysteries.

Christopher Henderson, recently married to florist and amateur detective Simmy, is an auctioneer and his business is about to receive a boost when he is asked to sell the entire contents of High Gates House in Borrowdale following the death of its owner Sir John Hickory.

Two days before the auction, Christopher decides to take a last look at High Gates House. There he meets a woman who turns out to be Jennifer Reade, the heir to the entire High Gates estate. They discover a dead man in the cellar of the house. Christopher goes to call the police, but Jennifer insists they wait until after the auction. The body has been badly eaten by rats and must have been there sometime, so two days will make no difference to the investigation. Reporting it now might stop the sale going ahead. Against his better judgement, Christopher agrees.

The auction goes ahead, but towards the end of the morning, the police arrive to close it down. Confusion ensues, but it appears that Jennifer has been murdered and her dying words were that the sale must be stopped.

Simmy’s detective skills are immediately put to the test as she attempts to find the killer ably assisted by Ben, (Christopher’s young assistant), Bonnie (who works in the flower shop) and her father Russell. The more they investigate, the muddier the picture becomes. Can they believe what they are told?

Rebecca Tope is a master at creating the complex plot. Just when the reader feels close to solving the problem, more unanswered questions arise, and everything is turned on its head. Only in the final chapters are the various separate threads woven together to reveal the final picture.

The beautiful but remote setting of Borrowdale and the Lake District provides the perfect backdrop to this enjoyable novel.
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Reviewer: Judith Cranswick  

Rebecca Tope is the author of four popular murder
mystery series, featuring Den Cooper, Devon police detective, Drew Slocombe, Undertaker, Thea Osborne, house sitter in the Cotswolds, and more recently Persimmon (Simmy) Brown, a florist. Rebecca grew up on farms, first in Cheshire then in Devon, and now lives in rural Herefordshire on a smallholding situated close to the beautiful Black Mountains.

Besides "ghost writer" of the novels based on the ITV series Rosemary and Thyme. Rebecca is also the proprietor of a small press - Praxis Books. This was established in 1992.

www.rebeccatope.com

Judith Cranswick was born and brought up in Norwich. Apart from writing, Judith’s great passions are travel and history. Both have influenced her two series of mystery novels. Tour Manager, Fiona Mason takes coach parties throughout Europe, and historian Aunt Jessica is the guest lecturer accompanying tour groups visiting more exotic destinations aided by her nephew Harry. Her published novels also include several award-winning standalone psychological thrillers. She wrote her first novel (now languishing in the back of a drawer somewhere) when her two children were toddlers, but there was little time for writing when she returned to her teaching career. Now retired, she is able to indulge her love of writing and has begun a life of crime! ‘Writers are told to write what they know about, but I can assure you, I've never committed a murder.
I'm an ex-convent school headmistress for goodness sake!’
Her most recent book is Passage to Greenland 

http://judithcranswick.co.uk/