Death in an English Village

A Cressida Fawcett Mystery, Book 7

De: Fliss Chester

Narrado por: Daphne Kouma

A totally unputdownable historical murder mystery

When the family gardener is murdered near a site of legendary buried treasure, dog-lover and mystery-solver Cressida Fawcett is on the case!

1926, Sussex. The Honourable Cressida Fawcett is delighted to return to her parents’ rambling mansion to introduce them to her pug Ruby’s puppies. But when the pups go running off with Cressida in hot pursuit, they lead her to a bubbling stream – Hell’s Ditch. And the body of Bob the gardener is floating there, his outstretched hand clutching a soggy cheese and pickle sandwich.

Everyone assumes Bob died of natural causes. But when Cressida finds a glittering gold coin grasped in his other fist, she realises this is part of the long-hidden Saxon hoard. Was Bob struck down by the gold’s ancient curse? As Cressida interviews the colourful members of the local historical society, she learns that Bob had been boasting of new-found wealth, much to the annoyance of his wife, and perhaps deadly jealousy of the other members…

Luckily for Cressida, eminent historian Sir James Colston, friend of the family, arrives at the mansion with tantalising information on the whereabouts of the rest of the Saxon gold. He promises to tell all, but the very next day he collapses into his morning porridge…

To Cressida’s horror, Marian – Bob’s widow and her parents’ cook – is accused of poisoning both the porridge and Bob’s sandwich and is carted off to jail. But Cressida is sure the answers are buried in the past. Just how far would a history boffin or a hard-up local go for an ancient pot of gold? And can Cressida dig up the truth before poison worms its way into her family’s kitchen again?

An absolutely addictive, warm and witty whodunnit that will keep you listening late into the night, perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, T.E. Kinsey and Verity Bright.

©2025 Fliss Chester (P)2025 Bookouture, an imprint of Storyfire Ltd.

Fun and Complex

I do enjoy time with Cressida, her family and friends, and this book is no exception. It is both delightful (the aforesaid characters) and devious (the rather complex mystery). Readers are treated to an Anglo-Saxon tale, complete with a curse, the allure of buried treasure, and a much more modern twisted tale of treachery and betrayal. Oh my! In addition to the mystery, there is more personal, shall we say "character development" taking place, adding to the enjoyment. And for Ruby's fans, she is ever-present with the added mischief of 6 puppies. Like I said - delightful.

Fun

Another fun adventure with Cressida and friends. I'm excited to see how the developments in this story play out!