The Eskdale Episode : The intriguing English cosy crime series

As Rebecca Tope tells it, every rural idyll is blighted by underlying menace. Such is her writing skill, I’m inclined to believe her’ Daily MailWith the approach of autumn, a heavily pregnant Simmy Brown is anticipating the imminent arrival of her new child and juggling the move of her florist business to Keswick. A bouquet order to be delivered to the beautiful but remote Eskdale is an awkward addition to Simmy’s to-do list. There she encounters three generations of women – and the next day, one of them is brutally murdered. Drawn into the mystery, Simmy and her friends soon find themselves navigating eccentric artists and fractured families. As her new assistant Evie proves unexpectedly determined to try her hand at sleuthing, and tangled motives begin to surface, Simmy realises the truth is darker than anyone imagined – and closer. And time is running out, in more ways than one. ‘A Rebecca Tope novel, be it one of her Lake District, Cotswold or West Country Mysteries is a guarantee of a complex, page turning plot that will keep the reader guessing until the last page. A thoroughly enjoyable read which I heartily recommend.’ Mystery People