Kindle Edition Amazon Amazon.com Amazon Category:  Crime Type: Fiction Pages: 176 Copyright: December 13, 2018 Join Beth, DI Harry York of the Met Police and the dog walkers of Peckham Rye in a story of murder, mayhem – and bloody revenge Beth Haldane, SE21’s answer to Miss Marple, thinks she is going for a carefree stroll on Peckham Rye with her best friend, Katie, and her annoying new puppy, Teddy. But before she knows it, she is embroiled in her most perplexing mystery yet. Strange events from her family’s past, present-day skulduggery in the art world, and the pressures of moving school in south London threaten to overwhelm Beth. Will she be able to piece together the puzzle before her son’s crucial interview at Wyatt’s? Or will Beth’s insatiable curiosity finally drag down all her dreams for the future? Join Beth, her irascible on-off boyfriend, Detective Inspector Harry York of the Metropolitan Police, and the dog walkers of Peckham Rye in a tale of murder, mayhem – and bloody revenge.

Annother hit from the queen of observational wit
Castle's cosy crime series goes from strength to strength, and this canine calamity of a tale (tail) gets another BIG paws up from me. Throw some gritty art, Dulwich yummy mummies, and the familiar pea coat clad Harry York into the mix, and you have an unputdownable read brimming with mystery, malice, comic moments and romance. An author to watch!

Dastardly goings-on among the dog walkers of south London
The fifth book of this excellent series introduces two splendid new (canine) characters. Beth and her drooling side-kick, Colin, triumph against dark deeds, whilst the author gently pokes fun at everything from yummy mummies to bridge-obsessed parents and the contemporary art scene.


Delightfully quirky
While she appeared to have started with an exceptional skill set and an enviable level of innate ability, Alice Castle continues to hone her craft as each new installment of this pleasantly entertaining and enticing series has proven to be even better than the last. Each cunningly plotted tale has provided ample servings of clever wry humor, engaging storylines, endearingly flawed and intriguing characters, and an unusual and unpredictable murder mystery. I am besotted with this quirky collection of characters; several of which reappear in each interconnected book. I am also totally enamored with this series and keenly await each new tale.

The main character of Beth is a pint-sized, pixie boot wearing young widow and single-mom with an insatiable curiosity, a somewhat short attention span, and a tenacious tendency to follow her own instincts. I adore her! She is as prone to daydreaming and being easily side-tracked as she is to stumbling into crime scenes and discovering murder victims. Her domestic skills and time sense are humorously haphazard yet she somehow keeps her beloved young son and well-adored pets fed and content, and is fortunate enough that her work output is largely unmonitored and her frequent absences go unnoticed. Beth generally intends to show up at her office, yet she just cannot seem to keep herself from careening off-track to snoop and delve into the lives of those unfortunate creatures she has found without a pulse. All despite the rigorous admonitions from her overworked and jaded police detective paramour to cease and desist.

In addition to providing high-quality entertainment, Ms. Castle has gifted me with a toy box full of new terms and idioms and for my Brit Word List with: in bits - to be very upset; titchy – a small person; chuntering – talk or grumble monotonously; swish – fashionable; inside gen – information; and Bonio – a popular brand of dog biscuit. What would I ever do without my blessed Mr. Google?