Book eight in my Belinda Lawrence Classic Mysteries. Mysteries confront amateur sleuths, Belinda Lawrence and Hazel Whitby in the Somerset village of Milford.
Among the eccentrics is the shadowy Madam Malefic.
A mysterious woman in black, appears at night.
Arriving in horse and carriage.
Stays at Kyrme Cottage, then at night - disappears.
She always wears black lace.
Abbey Combe's new Vicar vanishes overnight.
A corpse found buried in the garden.
Murder in Richmond Park.
And the link with Jane Austen
These mysteries confront amateur sleuths, Belinda Lawrence and Hazel Whitby in the Somerset village of Milford.
Among the eccentrics is the shadowy Madam Malefic.
"She's nuttier than any fruit cake Escoffier ever baked."
Excerpt
A CRIME
Thud! A body hit the damp earth with a squelch. Two shadowy creatures stood erect: one wheezing, the other wiping hands on dark fabric already taking in muddy fluid. And guilt.
In the Somerset night's pitch black, the only light flowed from a torch resting against a pile of rocks. Its beam played over the scene transfiguring the beings into sinister phantoms as the two reached for shovel and spade. The macabre scene was tempered with the faint perfume of lavender.
The first sod of earth fell into the roughhewn grave. The grave diggers peered into its blackness and could just make out the body twisted to one side, the head at an awkward angle. Soil had fallen on the corpse and was already absorbing the crimson blood.
Birds began to twitter in the nearby trees. The gravediggers worked feverishly to fill in the grave. They had to hurry. Soon, weak daylight would start to reveal the horror. Late Autumn leaves scattered over the monstrous grave would eventually cover the sin.
For the time being.
Professional Reviews
Murders Surround A Haunted Cottage
Cozyreaders Top Contributor
5.0 out of 5 stars Murders Surround A Haunted Cottage
Reviewed in the United States on November 8, 2020
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In this newest adventure of Belinda Lawrence, she is back in the U.K. Of course her best friend and business partner, Hazel Whitby soon arrives to spend the holidays.
As Belinda explores her neighborhood, she learns of a new rector at the church, and two new neighbors to meet. And, they are indeed a mixture of personalities.
A Phaeton and four riding the streets. An ancient woman whose fascination with lace and Jane Austen is just not right. A photographer with clients and a drone that happen to be in the wrong places. A rector who is interested in the haunted cottage where the strange woman lives...these all add to the spooky atmosphere that the villagers feel and are fond of telling the newcomers about.
As I read this book, I seriously was able to see in my mind, a wonderful movie. The entire tale would translate to the stage or movie stage perfectly. So believable and three dimensional.
An excellent read. Please read the entire series, however, this book is a stand alone as well. Enjoy!
You will not want to stop reading
***** Cozy Mystery Book Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars You will not want to stop reading until you get to the last page....
Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2021
I cannot lie, nor would I really even want to, so when I say that I am a HUGE fan of Brian Kavanagh and his Belinda Lawrence Mystery series, you can 100% believe me !!
Calamity at Kryme Cottage is the eighth book in this series and having read all of the books, I am very familiar with Belinda, her life, her friends and her experiences but Kavanagh knows how to always bring the shock factor into his books.
In Calamity at Kryme Cottage Belinda's business partner and friend, Hazel is staying with Belinda while she has some renovations done to her apartment. At the same time a new neighbor moves in next door and the small village of Milford also has a new Vicar. While they are getting use to all of these new changes, a lot of people are showing an intense interest in an abandoned, run down property, the Kryme Cottage. Little do they know that this place holds very old secrets, secrets some are looking to uncover while others will do anything to keep secret....even kill for !!
Belinda and Hazel are again pulled into the middle of all of the chaos and won't stop until they figure out what is going on and when a body is found buried in Belinda's garden, they will stop at nothing to find out who it is and why they were murdered and buried in her garden.
The Belinda Lawrence Mystery series books can be read in one sitting or readers can read them slower to make them last. Even though they can be read in one sitting does not take away the fact that they are packed with explosive stories and captivating situations. Once you open one of these books, you are taken away to Milford and sitting with Belinda and Hazel in front of the fireplace sipping on a cocktail discussing the day. I highly recommend getting lost in this amazing series !!
***** This is yet another triumph for Brian Kavanagh.
Quill
5.0 out of 5 stars This is yet another triumph for Brian Kavanagh.
Reviewed in Australia on December 8, 2020
Verified Purchase
Brian writes with a wonderful sense of place and develops his characters and plot with his usual stylish aplomb.
One wouldn't immediately think that a murder mystery built around white lace and Jane Austen could be so well-written, but throw in a new rector at the church, a missing vicar, a couple new neighbors, a few interesting murders into the hands of a great author such as, Brian Kavanagh and you are bound to see success! Kavanagh is one of my all-time favorite writers and I always enjoy his plots and deep character development. "Calamity at Kryme Cottage" is another Belinda Lawrence mystery novel from his series and it doesn't disappoint. The storyline, of course, includes Belinda's young-at-heart business partner, Hazel Whitby, who's up to her usual shenanigans as the two attempt to learn the who and business of the mysterious Madam Malefic and the identity of the corpse buried in Belinda's garden. "Calamity at Kryme Cottage" is another page-turner that I read straight through, couldn't put it down. Brian Kavanagh never disappoints! I suggest you read the entire series, but this is an awesome stand-alone also. Makes for a wonderful afternoon read.
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