Death in an English Village

<p><strong>When the family gardener is murdered near a site of legendary buried treasure dog-lover and mystery-solver Cressida Fawcett is on the case!</strong></p><p></p><p><strong>1926 Sussex. </strong>The Honourable <strong>Cressida Fawcett </strong>is delighted to return to her parents' rambling mansion to introduce them to her pug <strong>Ruby</strong>'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 <strong>Bob </strong>the gardener is floating there his outstretched hand clutching a soggy cheese and pickle sandwich. </p><p></p><p><span style=color: rgba(36 36 36 1)>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</span><strong style=color: rgba(36 36 36 1)> </strong><span style=color: rgba(36 36 36 1)>had been boasting of new-found wealth much to the annoyance of his wife and perhaps deadly jealousy of the other members... </span></p><p></p><p><span style=color: rgba(36 36 36 1)>Luckily for Cressida eminent historian </span><strong style=color: rgba(36 36 36 1)>Sir James Colston</strong><span style=color: rgba(36 36 36 1)> 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...</span></p><p></p><p><span style=color: rgba(36 36 36 1)>To Cressida's horror </span><strong style=color: rgba(36 36 36 1)>Marian </strong><span style=color: rgba(36 36 36 1)>-</span><strong style=color: rgba(36 36 36 1)> </strong><span style=color: rgba(36 36 36 1)>Bob's widow and</span><strong style=color: rgba(36 36 36 1)> </strong><span style=color: rgba(36 36 36 1)>her parents' cook - is accused of poisoning both the porridge</span><strong style=color: rgba(36 36 36 1)> </strong><span style=color: rgba(36 36 36 1)>and Bob's sandwich</span><strong style=color: rgba(36 36 36 1)> </strong><span style=color: rgba(36 36 36 1)>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 </span><strong style=color: rgba(36 36 36 1)>can Cressida dig up the truth before poison worms its way into her family's kitchen again?</strong></p><p></p><p><strong style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>An absolutely addictive warm and witty whodunnit that will keep you reading late into the night perfect for fans of Agatha Christie T.E. Kinsey and Verity Bright.</strong></p>