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dulwichdiverter · 5 years ago

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Dastardly deeds in Dulwich

CRIME WRITER ALICE CASTLE, KNOWN FOR HER CHILLING SERIES OF DULWICH WHODUNNITS, HAS JUST SIGNED A TWO-BOOK DEAL WITH HARPERCOLLINS

BY KATIE ALLEN

Miss Marple’s St Mary Mead. Agatha Raisin’s Cotswolds. Midsomer.

Now you can add Dulwich to the list of quaint, seemingly quiet locations which attract a lot of murderers – fictional ones that is.

Dulwich and the surrounding area is the unlikely setting for Alice Castle’s popular series of whodunnits, which began with Death in Dulwich in 2017. The sixth, Body in Belair Park, was published last month.

The books all follow Beth Haldane, a slightly chaotic single mum. She stumbles upon a terrible crime on her first day in her new job at Wyatt’s, a prestigious Dulwich school, and sets about trying to solve it.

While Alice remains tight-lipped on whether the school is based on any real educational establishments (“there have been questions asked at various PTA meetings…”) she wanted her amateur sleuth to be believable.

“When I decided to write whodunnits, I thought, ‘Who do I want to read [about], who would be a compelling person to follow through lots of adventures?’

“I wanted to have a woman – and who are the interesting women around? They’re always the ones who are super, super busy, juggling lots and lots of different things.

“Also, underdogs are always interesting and you find yourself sympathising and wanting them to do well. So I wanted Beth to have that quality.”

Beth is also “extremely dogged”, and from book one, sets about fitting sleuthing in alongside the school run.

“I wanted readers to feel a little bit every now and then as though they could solve the mystery much better than she could… I wanted the main character to be sympathetic but infuriating and recognisable,” Alice says. “I think the fact that she is from Dulwich yet not part of the yummy mummy culture is quite useful, because it means I can poke lots of fun at things that happen in Dulwich.”

Locals will recognise not only the parks and playgrounds, but the cafe culture and streets thronged with four-by-fours and buggies. “I can [poke fun] from an affectionate point of view, because I was a yummy mummy with children at these schools, and it’s a lovely way of life, but it is quite funny too.”

In the first book, Death in Dulwich, Alice sets the scene for the other titles, introducing handsome DI York, Beth’s friend Katie, who teaches yoga, and Beth’s young son, Ben. And while each book can be read as a standalone, she always intended them to be a series.

“I always thought that there would be six: I’m now writing a seventh! I really enjoyed writing the sixth one, Body in Belair Park, because it has brought together a lot of the strands I’ve left tantalisingly dangling. That’s a lovely feeling as a writer.

“Now with book seven [The Slayings in Sydenham] I’ve had to unravel a whole load of different clues to set them going, which is also quite a challenge.”

She describes her books as fitting within the cosy crime genre, and adds: “The thing about Dulwich is that it is slightly similar to St Mary Mead from the Miss Marple books, in that it’s a small, closed community and there is a little circuit of people who bump into each other several times a day on the high street, so it’s full of people who know each other’s business to a certain extent, which you need in a whodunnit.”

Alice always wanted to write, and began her career crafting speeches for MPs and MEPs. But it was while she was at university that she had a temp job at The Sunday Times, and convinced them to let her write a story about student drug culture, which became front-page news.

After that, “I pestered other newspapers to let me come in and work on their diaries. I ended up doing feature writing. [But] then we moved to Brussels and it was really hard to keep it all going with young children. So it was really nice to move into writing books.”

Her first novel, Hot Chocolate, was a romance, which was so popular that her publishers asked her to write a sequel – but it didn’t go quite as planned.

“I wrote 60,000 words – which is almost there – and I was so bored by the whole thing. [I thought] I can hardly put myself through it, I can’t ask any readers to drag themselves the same weary route [too]. I talked to the agent I had at the time, and she said, ‘Are you steeping yourself in the genre?’ and I thought, ‘No, I never pick up a romance, maybe this is giving me a bit of a clue.’”

Instead her bedside table was stacked with crime novels. “In the evening I’d be watching Scandi crime dramas, and I thought, ‘I’m just writing in the wrong genre, I should be writing whodunnits.’ And as soon as I had that mental switch, the whole thing really fell into place.”

She is a big fan of the crime genre, spanning from “the 1930s golden age writers like Dorothy L Sayers, Margery Allingham, Agatha Christie”, to “Sue Grafton’s Alphabet series, Jo Nesbo and Peter James.”

She adds: “I also like contemporary cosy crime people like Simon Brett, who went to Alleyn’s. And hard-boiled noir like Raymond Chandler, who went to Dulwich College. So there’s loads of Dulwich inspiration.”

She is set to move in a slightly different direction this year as she has just signed a two-book deal with HarperCollins to write domestic suspense novels under the name AM Castle, to differentiate them from the Dulwich series. A “keep the lights on all night” kind of book, the first one, called The Perfect Widow, will be published in November.

Alice describes it as a “psychological thriller” and a “chilling did she, didn’t she novel, which I hope will keep people guessing”. She adds: “It’s quite a change from my cosy crimes but it does continue my theme that the nastiest secrets can lurk in the nicest places.”

So in these troubled times, what does she think people enjoy about reading crime? “Solving is great, but you don’t have to solve the mystery yourself – somebody [else] solves it, so you get this impression that the world makes sense, and there is a right and wrong… and there is revenge on evil-doers,” she says. “Things you can’t get in real life, so it’s nice that they exist somewhere.” She adds: “They are often real page-turners.”

With her own detective having returned to Dulwich with the publication of her sixth book, I wonder what local residents have made of her turning the area’s leafy streets into a crime hotspot.

“I’ve been invited to some Dulwich book groups to chat about the books,” she says. “People have been really supportive of it and have taken the jokes really well. It’s all written from a place of really loving Dulwich.”

Photo by Lima Charlie

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valpenny · 6 years ago

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Calamity in Camberwell by Alice Castle

Calamity in Camberwell is the third in Alice Castle’s best selling London Murder Mystery series. I have read the first two novels in the series and really enjoyed them, so I was waiting for this book to come out so that I could take it on holiday.

The author has created a delightful heroine in Beth Haldane, a single mum with intelligence and curiousity that always seem to land her in trouble…

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#Alice Castle #Calamity in Camberwell #Crooked Cat Books #Death in Dulwich #Hot Chocolate #London Murder Mystery series

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touchmyspinebookreviews · 6 years ago

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I would like to thank the author and Rachel’s Random Resources for allowing me to take part of this awesome tour!

https://giphy.com/gifs/catandnat-coffee-morning-3KwxSc3Bu9OqQ

Death In Dulwich by Alice Castle

Thirty-something single mum Beth Haldane is forced to become Dulwich’s answer to Miss Marple when she stumbles over a murder victim on her first day at work. To clear her name, Beth is plunged into a cozy mystery that’s a contemporary twist on Golden Age crime classics. But can she pull it off? She already has a bouncy young son, haughty cat, a fringe with a mind of its own and lots of bills to pay, as she struggles to keep up with the yummy mummies of SE21. Join Beth in #1 of the London Murder Mystery series, as she discovers the nastiest secrets can lurk in the nicest places.

The Girl In The Gallery (The London Murder Mysteries #2) by Alice Castle

Just when you thought it was safe to go back to Dulwich…

It’s a perfect summer’s morning in the plush south London suburb, and thirty-something Beth Haldane has sneaked off to visit one of her favourite places, the world-famous Picture Gallery.

She’s enjoying a few moments’ respite from juggling her job at prestigious private school Wyatt’s and her role as single mum to little boy Ben, when she stumbles across a shocking new exhibit on display. Before she knows it, she’s in the thick of a fresh, and deeply chilling, investigation.

Who is The Girl in the Gallery? Join Beth in adventure #2 of the London Murder Mystery series as she tries to discover the truth about a secret eating away at the very heart of Dulwich.

I am crazy about this series! What, What! I really enjoy books based in London even there’s some nasty murder to go with it. I also love that the sleuth was a single mom battling issues that us moms can relate to. I also can see why reviewers are saying she’s the next Miss Marple. There wasn’t loads of gore and violence in these novels, just great murder mysteries that are sure to captivate many readers. I wish there was more mysteries like this. I loved the characterization in these novels and loved the steady pace that captured my attention from beginning to end! I highly recommend this series to anyone who loves a good murder mystery with great characters are that great added bonus. I give the first two novels in The London Murder Mystery Series a definite 5 freakin’ fantabulous stars out of 5!

Click Here to View The Author’s Books In The U.S. Amazon Store!

For U.K. members you can click this image to view the author’s books! Any other country can click any of the links and click their country to see if available!

Giveaway – Win signed copies of Death in Dulwich and The Girl in the Gallery (UK Only)

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/33c69494106/?

*Terms and Conditions –UK entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then I reserve the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time I will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

Author Bio – Before turning to crime, Alice Castle was a UK newspaper journalist for The Daily Express, The Times and The Daily Telegraph. Her first book, Hot Chocolate, set in Brussels and London, was a European hit and sold out in two weeks.

Death in Dulwich was published in September 2017 and has been a number one best-seller in the UK, US, Canada, France, Spain and Germany. A sequel, The Girl in the Gallery was published in December 2017 to critical acclaim. Calamity in Camberwell, the third book in the London Murder Mystery series, will be published this summer, with Homicide in Herne Hill due to follow in early 2019. Alice is currently working on the fifth London Murder Mystery adventure. Once again, it will feature Beth Haldane and DI Harry York.

Alice is also a mummy blogger and book reviewer via her website: https://www.alicecastleauthor.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alicecastleauthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DDsDiary?lang=en

The London Murder Mysteries by Alice Castle~Rachel’s Random Resources I would like to thank the author and Rachel's Random Resources for allowing me to take part of this awesome tour!

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reviewsfeed-blog · 6 years ago

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Hi everyone and welcome to another weekly summary! Have you had a good week? I hope so! It’s been another hot one here, with plenty of blue skies!

This week has been a really exciting one… for reasons bookish and not! The first and most exciting news is family related. Anyone following me on social media will know that my sister graduated from University this week – I couldn’t be prouder!

Now onto bookish events; on Monday I took part in my first Blog Tour organised by Gollancz, posting my review of Ravencry by Ed McDonald. I thoroughly enjoyed both Blackwing and Ravencry, and I am grateful to have taken part! If anyone is yet to read my review, I would be eternally grateful if you could.

The “To Be Read” pile was reviewed and culled this week. Four out of ten books were axed in my Down the TBR Hole #11 post. Whilst it may not sound like much, over time this adds up. The TBR will look a lot healthier for it.

Books Read

This week I have made real progress in reading The London Murder Mysteries books. This is ready for the upcoming blog tour organised by Rachel’s Random Resources. I had to postpone finishing Death in Dulwich to take part in the Gollancz tour for Ravencry. Luckily I made a good start on the book as early as I did so I could afford to. I finished reading this on Tuesday and already have my thoughts drafted for the review. I am currently reading The Girl in the Gallery… and most of the way through it too! I’m hoping to finish reading this by tomorrow, giving me plenty of time to draft my review.

In between chapters of The Girl in the Gallery, I have been reading A Darker Shade of Magic by VE Schwab. I’m currently 20% through, but reading brief sections at a time makes it feel like I have barely started at all! I cannot wait to start reading this one in earnest!

Nevernight makes the list again this week, but I have only listened to this audiobook one morning or two. I think things are about to get really interesting, so I may find myself starting to binge listen to this. It’s hard enough getting myself out of the door in the morning as it is!

Books Discovered

I’ve basically undone all the hard work in my Down the TBR post because I have added as many books as I took off the list in that post…

The first addition to the list is The Dragonbone Chair by Tad Williams. From what I can gather, it is a bit of a classic in the Fantasy genre that has inspired modern writers. Needless to say, this was pretty much an automatic add. I typically find the orphan/coming of Age storyline a little overused, but I’ve added the book knowing it’s there. I can’t complain about it.

Hold me to that. Please.

Yesterday I received a fabulous book bundle from Gollancz – The Relic Guild trilogy by Edward Cox. I am yet to read any books by this author, so I can’t wait to be properly acquainted with the series and let you know my thoughts!

Coming Up…

Things are going to be a little different than usual because due to family commitments, I am not going to be able to post my usual Sunday Summary next week.

Don’t worry – I have plenty of other exciting posts lined up for you! To cover all bases, here are the posts coming up in the next TWO WEEKS: –

Week 1

I’ll be dropping my next post on Tuesday, in which I’ll be reviewing The Toymakers by Robert Dinsdale. I actually finished this book at the end of May. But, due to other commitments, I haven’t gotten around to reviewing it yet! Oops…

Friday the 13th may be unlucky for some, but certainly not for me – or you! Empire of Silence is the fantastic debut novel by Christopher Ruocchio; it officially hit bookshelves on Thursday this week! I was privileged to receive an advance copy from Gollancz. If you want to check out the review I have written for the book, you’ll be able to find it here. What does this have to do with Friday 13th, you ask? Well, as part of the launch tour, I will be sharing a guest post written by the author himself!

I may not be posting on Sunday next week, but I will have ANOTHER Blog Tour post lined up for you on Saturday. In this post, I will be reviewing Death in Dulwich and The Girl in the Gallery by Alice Castle. If you like a cozy murder mystery, then the adventures of Beth Haldane, coined “Dulwich’s answer to Miss Marple”, may be of interest to you.

Week 2

Jumping now to Wednesday, I will be reviewing the TBR pile again to further cull any impulse additions or books I no longer wish to read due to changing tastes. I am determined to get to the end of the list, so then I’ll have a realistic idea of how many books I truly want to read. Well, as much as is possible to gauge from an ever-expanding list, anyway.

Then, after two weeks, I’ll post the much anticipated Sunday Summary. I hope to have plenty to tell you about! If nothing else, these summaries help me get the house in order. It will be as much anticipated by me as anyone else!

The end of another week beckons my weekly summary to grace the internet. The Fantasy and Mystery genres dominate the reading list this week. I also have a couple of exciting Blog Tours coming up! #bookworm #bookblogger #sundaysummary #bloggerstribe Hi everyone and welcome to another weekly summary! Have you had a good week? I hope so!

#amreading #bookblog #bookblogger #bookreview #bookworm #downthetbrhole #Ed McDonald #Empire of Silence #fantasy #Gollancz #Ravencry #reading list #sunday summary

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annarellix · 2 years ago

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Beth Haldane cozy mystery series blog tour: The Murder Mystery & The Murder Museum

Bookouture is reissuing the Beth Haldane cozy mystery series written by Alice Castle. They are seven books featuring a single mother in a village called Dulwich. Even if the entire series is on my TBR I review the first two instalments and I recommend them because they highly entertaining.

The Murder Mystery (A Beth Haldane Mystery #1) – Review : I've been reading cozy mystery for ages and was curious to read this series. I discovered it was printed some years ago but I think it aged well. Beth is an interesting character: witty, down to the earth, very different from Dulwich social butterflies. I like how she's a woman who must work, pay for her credit card. She hopes for the better future for her child and her first day at the local top school could help. Thinks never works in the proper way and she finds her boss killed. This is the start of Beth's career as amateur sleuth and I had fun following her investigations. This is a humorous cozy and there's plenty of funny moment even if the mystery is solid and kept me guessing. I liked the well-developed and relatable characters and the witty and sharp social remarks by Beth. It's the good start for a cosy series and I recommend it. Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

The Murder Museum (A Beth Haldane Mystery #2) – Review I liked the first book in this series but this one is even better as it's more complex and there's multiple POVs. Beth is as likeable as usual and the author did a good job in developing the plot and the interesting characters. There's plenty of twists and the solid plot kept me guessing till the end. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, had fun and was glad that Beth is still the witty and sharp character I loved in the first instalment. The social remarks and the satire are still valid and I like them. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Buy link(s) The Murder Mystery: https://geni.us/B0B5F85LQ3social The Murder Museum: https://geni.us/B0B5F5WP8Hsocial The Murder Question: https://geni.us/B0B5HC99ZBsocial The Murder Plot: https://geni.us/B0B8QMTGGJsocial The Murder Walk: https://geni.us/B0B8QMTGGCsocial The Murder Club: https://geni.us/B0B8TCHFGZsocial The Murder Hour: https://geni.us/B0B8TBYHFLsocial

Descriptions

The Murder Mystery: Meet Dulwich Village’s most daring resident, Beth Haldane. Mother to a sweet little boy, owner of a sulky cat… and solver of mysteries?

It’s a crisp spring day in Dulwich Village when Beth arrives at the intricate iron gates of Wyatt’s School for her new job as the historian’s assistant. But on a lunchtime stroll admiring the pristine grounds of this five-hundred-year-old institution, Beth is shocked to stumble over the body of her new boss Alan Jenkins: spectacles askew, his mustard-yellow tweed jacket covered in blood. Gossip about outsider Beth spreads like wildfire. The parents in the playground are all whispering: did she bump him off to get her hands on his job? Desperate to clear her name and protect her own little boy, Beth turns her research skills to hunt for the true killer. She soon discovers Alan rubbed his fellow teachers up the wrong way… could the handsome headmaster be involved? Why did Beth see a flash of the school receptionist’s bright pink jumper at the murder scene? And what is the groundskeeper hiding? When Beth returns from her sleuthing to find her office in disarray and documents missing from the archives, it’s clear this prestigious school hides a deadly secret. But with parents and teachers panicking that the long-protected reputation of Wyatt’s is under threat, will Beth herself be in the murderer’s sights before the school bell rings?

This book was previously published as Death in Dulwich.

The Murder Museum: Caring mother, school historian, and amateur sleuth Beth Haldane loves to while away an afternoon in the Museum of Art. But will she be next in the frame… for murder?

Beth Haldane is gazing at enchanting paintings of the rolling English countryside when her daydream is rudely interrupted: by the discovery of a teenage girl unconscious on a marble bench. Shocked, Beth realises this is no snoozing schoolchild. Someone dastardly has carefully crossed the girls’ hands across her white dress, as if she’s in a painting herself. And the girl’s discarded red backpack found in a corner of the museum is totally empty. Is someone suspicious hiding evidence? And who would want to harm this innocent soul? With poor Sophia in hospital, and the parents of Dulwich Village in uproar that their little darlings might be next, Beth pesters police for updates. And with her keen eye for detail and research skills, Beth is perfectly placed to do some sleuthing of her own… but why are Sophia’s gaggle of friends so close-lipped? Has some typical teenage drama taken a dark turn? But her questions are ruffling feathers at every turn. With Sophia’s life hanging by a thread, can Beth find her attacker before it’s too late – and before the finger points at Beth herself?

This book was previously published as The Girl in the Gallery.

The Murder Question: When her best friend goes missing, amateur sleuth Beth Haldane is determined to do some digging of her own… but can she crack the mystery before it becomes a murder?

Beth Haldane is worried. First her dear friend and fellow single mother Jen suddenly gets married to a new man who seems too perfect to be true, then she moves out of leafy Dulwich Village – and now seems to have disappeared without a trace. Beth knows Jen would never leave her little daughter to handle playground predicaments or her sneaky stepmother alone. Heading to Jen’s new home for answers, Beth’s knocks on the periwinkle-blue front door go unanswered. Police are convinced the lovebirds are on an extended honeymoon: but Beth suspects Jen’s new husband is up to no good… why does no-one in Dulwich know where he came from? Are his looks hiding a dark past? With Jen’s unpleasant ex popping up at every turn, and gruff but handsome policeman DI Harry York insisting Beth should leave things to the professionals, it’s going to take all her sleuthing skills to track Jen down. But searching Jen’s overgrown garden for clues, Beth hears a twig snap… and next thing she knows, she’s woken up in a hospital bed. Someone in normally peaceful Dulwich Village will do anything to stop her reaching the truth. Can Beth get to the bottom of this mystery before she’s the next to disappear?

This book was previously published as Calamity in Camberwell.

The Murder Plot As snow covers perfect little Dulwich Village, amateur sleuth Beth Haldane is certain something’s amiss. There’s a suspicious solicitor, poorly pooches and… a plot to murder?

Beth Haldane is getting ready for a quiet Christmas with her son and their beloved grumpy cat when fellow single mother Nina begs her for help. Something fishy is going on with Mr Potter, the solicitor she works for… business is slow, with the accounts empty. So why does his wife have such an impressive collection of designer dresses? Unable to resist a puzzle, Beth agrees to cover Nina’s job as a receptionist to get a closer look. But just as she finds a mysterious key hidden away in the office, Mrs Potter arrives in floods of tears with terrible news for her husband. Their precious pet, Lancelot the Great Dane, has been found dead in his basket. Mrs Potter suspects a poisoning… Beth is shocked anyone would harm a beloved family pet, but the Potters are definitely hiding something. When an elderly widow comes to Mr Potter’s office begging for help with her will, Beth starts to suspect foul play… is Mr Potter taking advantage of this sweet old lady? And why is he curiously cool, when his whole family are distraught about Lancelot? Beth is determined to find what the mysterious key unlocks, discover Mr Potter’s secrets and get answers about the local pet-killer before they set their sights on an owner next time. But is Beth getting closer and closer to her own sticky end?

This book was previously published as Homicide in Herne Hill.

The Murder Walk: A pleasant stroll in the park, catch ups over coffee and... a body among the spring bulbs?

Single mum and school historian Beth Haldane has promised her new beau, Detective Harry York, that her sleuthing days are behind her. But when she stumbles over the body of local artist Mark Smeaton while ambling in the park, it’s clear a dangerous killer is on the loose in peaceful Dulwich Village. Shocked, Beth can’t resist delving into the mystery. Snooping around the nearby cozy cafes, Beth listens carefully to gossip and soon learns Mark's graffiti-style art was famously controversial. There are plenty who might want him gone. Was it the suspiciously charming gallery owner? A disgruntled resident offended by Mark’s art? Or an old school chum with a dark secret about Mark’s true inspiration? A dinner party hosted by a dear friend soon gives Beth the chance to grill all her suspects over wine and nibbles. But following a lead back to the scene of the crime, Beth’s search of a hollow tree throws up a mysterious envelope that stops her in her tracks… will her sleuthing get her in hot water before she can find the villain, and before there’s another fatal plot in the park?

This book was previously published as Revenge on the Rye.

The Murder Club: A club of card enthusiasts gather in a magnificent mansion. But someone has been dealt a deadly hand…

In peaceful Dulwich Village, a group of elderly residents meet every week for Bridge Club. Green cloths are laid over square tables, the deck is carefully dealt, and every beady eye is on the lookout for cheating. Amateur sleuth Beth Haldane has never understood the rules, but she’s drawn into the drama when her mother’s bridge partner Alfie Poole is found dead. He was last seen heading out for a breath of fresh air after a particularly tricky hand. Beth knows poor Alfie was a sweet old man, but when she learns he was poisoned it’s clear someone wanted him gone… Suspecting skulduggery, Beth questions each member of the club. Did the retired doctor slip Alfie a sedative? Is the ex-English teacher quite as clumsy as she seems? Or was it Alfie’s daughter, wanting her inheritance early? Organising a re-enactment of the day Alfie was killed, and making sure exactly the same cards are dealt, Beth keeps a close eye on who comes up trumps… but then her own mother Wendy starts choking on her cup of tea. Thankfully Wendy is rushed to hospital just in time: but the poisoner is still on the loose. If Beth plays her cards right, can she catch the killer – or is the deck stacked against her?

This book was previously published as The Body in Belair Park.

The Murder Hour: A ticking clock, a grand Edwardian home… and a countdown to murder?

Beth Haldane stands on a quiet street outside an ornate front door, glances down at her watch and taps her foot impatiently. Since her partner Detective Harry York moved into her little house in Dulwich Village, things are a bit too snug. Now Beth whiles away the hours waiting for house viewings and searching for the perfect new home for them and her little boy. When a flustered young woman finally arrives and introduces herself as the estate agent, Beth is looking forward to taking in the exposed red bricks and wooden floorboards of this charming Edwardian property. But when she peeks into a built-in wardrobe, a lifeless body is a greeting she wasn’t expecting. Panicked, the estate agent soon identifies the man as her boss Richard Pettit.With police on the way, Beth takes charge of scouting for clues. Why is the house echoingly empty of furniture except for a carefully folded pile of clothes in one room? Was the estate agent late because she was bumping off her boss? And what are the nosy neighbours hiding? With rumours spreading all over Dulwich that Beth herself was the intended victim, when she is sent an anonymous message warning her off the case she knows she’s on the right track. But can she catch a killer before her own time runs out?

This book was previously published as The Slayings in Sydenham

The Author: Before turning to crime, Alice Castle was a UK newspaper journalist for The Daily Express, The Times and The Daily Telegraph. Alice is an avid reader of crime fiction, her favourite stories are cozy crimes with a strong sense of place. When she couldn’t find a series about her beloved south London, she decided to write her own – and single mum amateur sleuth Beth Haldane was born. Alice also writes twisty psychological thrillers for HQ Digital under the name A.M. Castle. The Perfect Widow was a top selling audiobook in 2019 and The Invitation hit the top 50 on Amazon UK in 2021. Alice lives with her two children and two cats and, if she isn’t writing or reading a whodunit, she’ll be watching one on telly.

Social Media Links Website:https://alicecastleauthor.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alice.castle.355 Twitter: https://twitter.com/AliceMCastle Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alice_castle__/ Bookouture Email Sign Up: https://www.bookouture.com/alice-castle

#bookouture #beth haldane #cozy mystery #blog tour #NetGalley #review

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