Author: Gina Kirkham
Genre: Mystery
Paperback; Digital Book
ISBN #: 9781914614965
Bloodhound Books
342 Pages
$11.57; $7.99 Amazon
May 11, 2022
⭐⭐⭐
Librarian Prunella Pearce has left heartbreak behind to start a new life in the village of Winterbottom, where there's little social life to be had aside from the meetings of The Winterbottom Women's Institue at the parish hall.
But a bit of excitement ensues when the group is about to elect a new president -- and the nominees for the position begin dropping like flies. One is found face down in a lemon drizzle cake, stabbed with a crochet needle. Another nearly dies spectacularly in the revolving doors of a Harrogate hotel. When Pru and her friend Bree agree to do some undercover snooping to help the police, little do they know that one of the Winterbottom women is hiding a scandalous secret...
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When Prunella Pearce caught her boyfriend of twelve years in bed with her best friend, she moved to a small village to begin anew. As a librarian, she's found a semi-peaceful life and a new friend in Bree, a film researcher with a young son. Her life, while not complete, is at least fairly peaceful. That is, until she attends a meeting at the Women's Institute with Bree. It appears Bree, along with several other women, has been nominated to be the new president.
But there's a problem -- one of the women has been found stabbed in the next with a crochet needle. Now there's a murderer on the loose, and they seem to be targeting members of the group. With the town wondering who's next, it's up to the police force to figure it all out...and with a little unauthorized help from the two women, they just might do that...
Oh, dear. I really wanted to like this book. But it's not really cozy, and I don't know what to label it. First off, the characters aren't really given any depth. Where is Bree's son while she's out getting plastered every chance she gets? Is she leaving him alone? Does he even exist?
I did not like the fact that senior women are depicted as "defective." There is something wrong with every one of them. As a matter of fact, they are all concerned with aging, and those that aren't dress themselves up like tarts to take on the town. It appears Bree and Pru are the only ones not concerned about much... except drinking and sex. I don't even know when they work, since they're never at their jobs.
There are a lot of conversations regarding sex, innuendos aplenty, mild sex scenes that don't have anything of much, and more conversations about sex. This is what every woman has on her mind at one time or another, it appears. Plus, Pru's relationship with Detective Andy Barnes jumps at a rapid pace itself. One wonders if they even know anything about each other.
Then there is also the animal cruelty. Not much; and not blatant, but unnecessary just the same. It could have been handled differently. I love animals and am not happy about that.
Then at the last, we know who the murderer is right off. We watch that person plan and kill, why they do it is rather sad, but I rarely read mysteries where the killer is known immediately. It takes away the enjoyment of discovering who they are yourself, and there's really nothing to discover. Except the fact that the women can't figure it out, even when the clues are there. The ending had a different twist to it, and that was something, but again, as we knew the killer all along, it didn't really matter to me. I wouldn't have finished this book except for the fact that I wanted to give the author a chance, and I will by reading the next in the series.
More on Rita Kirkham's Books: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Gina-Kirkham/author/B072M12HYH?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref
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