30 January 2024.
ISBN: 978-1-785134289 (PB)
Jude Gray lives in a small Malvern village, now widowed following the death of her husband Adam who had spent most of his life running a working farm full-time. Now Jude has taken over the reins assisted by her farmworker Noah, her shepherd, who was the third-generation shepherd to have been employed by Malvern farm. After a rather gruelling lambing season, she is looking forward to some time off.
Her sister Lucy has now moved into the farm and following a disaster at the start of the year Jude is thrilled to hear that the paperwork has now been signed off and Lucy has full custody of her son Sebbie.
Sitting in her office, which had been her husband’s old music room, when he was a child Jude ponders on an idea of a glampsite. Bell tents and toilet blocks in the bottom field instead of sheep. Then she thought Shepherd’s huts. A quick log onto Farmer’s Guardian and the idea takes hold.
But not everyone is delighted with her new venture. Particularly Des Smith. Her obnoxious neighbour who had recently moved into the cottage previously inhabited by her friend Sarah. His wife Loretta is pleasant and kind unlike arrogant, pompous Des.
Although Noah didn’t exactly love the idea of turning a grazing field into a camping site, he knows that Malvern Farm needs more than just agriculture to keep the place afloat.
Apart from the unpleasant Des, Jude thinks
that things are going well, until a night out at the local pub surrounded by
friends Des gets a right hook from Spud with ‘Stay away from my wife’. When
Lucy verbally hits out at Des, he comes back with ‘Sanctimonious Bitch, you’ve
no idea what’s coming your way. No Idea at all’.
In this second book in the series, we meet again Police Detective Binnie who was also enjoying an evening at the Lamb. But it was short lived as the evening was shattered by a loud screech of tyres followed by a thump and the sound of rubber spinning as the driver tried to get away fast. It was too late for an ambulance. Was it an accident or was it murder?
The installation of her Shepherd’s huts did not go smoothly. But her first guest Marco Ricci had a wonderful smile. Will her other guests be as charming?
Reports of a stranger wearing red trainers roaming over her farm at night is unsettling. Who is He? What is he looking for?
Complex and intriguing, this mystery will
grip you to the end. It did me.
------
Reviewer: Lizzie Sirett
Kate Wells is
the author of the Malvern Farm Mystery series. She began her adult life
training as a nurse at Great Ormond Street Hospital and then moved to Reading
where she took a teaching degree. When she took a career break to have her two
daughters, she began creating stories and hasn't stopped writing since. Having
spent time living and working on farms she developed a love of the rural life
and often dreamt of running a sheep farm, especially when she married the son
of a farmer. It wasn't to be though, so, she lives out her farming dreams
through researching and writing her books. These days she lives in Malvern with
her family and is often found out on the common talking to the free-grazing
sheep and cattle or walking her collie-cross up on the hills. As Kate Poels she
writes books for children. 
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