Death in the Bush

<p>A historic knife. A mysterious major who wants the knife. The body of a young woman found deep in the bush. And a chance for retired coachman James Hardy to reinvent himself in a new country.<br><br>New Zealand 1881: After a reclusive Maori on the run from the police leaps onto the back of his spring buggy retired coachman JAMES HARDY discovers he has stumbled into a murder scene. While tracking a gang of lumber thieves police have found the body of a young housemaid beside a log. The local hermit is hunched over the corpse clutching a knife with ties to the past but did he do it? And why does he claim he took the knife for the major?<br> <br>When the inspector in charge of the case asks Hardy for assistance in the mistaken belief that he is a retired Scotland Yard detective he agrees. He's a great listener he's kept up with crime in the English broadsheets he's an expert cryptic crossword solver and he can drive a coach better than anyone he's met; he can catch the person who used the famous knife to kill Rosie. But he'll need help from his intrepid American wife Beatrice and a young constable recently arrived from Ireland.<br><br>For readers who enjoy cozy mysteries with unusual settings and a cast of likeable characters tossed with snippets of history. History and mystery: an unbeatable blend.</p>