**WINNER OF THE CWA WHODUNNIT DAGGER AWARD****SHORTLISTED FOR THE MCDERMID DEBUT AWARD**

''What a joy - a brilliant new amateur sleuth to rival Miss Marple!'' Good Housekeeping''Warm, witty and sharply observed'' I Paper''Fresh, original and intriguing from start to finish!'' Janice HallettDEATH HAS COME TO HER DOORSTEP...

Retired nurse, avid gardener, renowned cake maker and fearless sleuth Miss Hortense has lived in Bigglesweigh, a quiet Birmingham suburb, since she emigrated from Jamaica in 1960. She takes great pride in her home, starching her lace curtains bright white, and she can tell if she''s been short-changed on turmeric before she''s even taken her first bite of a beef patty. Thirty-five years of nursing have also left her afraid of nobody - be they a local drug dealer or a priest - and an expert in deciphering other people''s secrets with just a glance.

Miss Hortense uses her skills to investigate the investments of the Pardner network - a special community of Black investors, determined to help their people succeed. But when an unidentified man is found dead in one of the Pardner''s homes, a Bible quote noted down beside his body, Miss Hortense''s long-buried past comes rushing back to greet her, bringing memories of the worst moment of her life, one which her community has never let her forget.

It is time for Miss Hortense to solve a mystery that will see her, and the community she loves, tested to their limits.

''Unique, compulsive, and laugh-out-loud brilliant!'' Nadine Matheson, author of The Jigsaw Man

''More than a cosy crime mystery . . . it''s the story of a community'' Jennie Godfrey, author of The List of Suspicious Things''A vibrant tribute to the Windrush generation'' Jessica Bull, author of Miss Austen Investigates

''Utterly thrilling, this quest for survival gripped me from start to finish. With a flourishing cast of richly drawn characters, it would be a crime to miss it'' Olly Smith, author of Death by NoirNine nights to solve a murder ... or she''ll be next.When Bigglesweigh''s notorious gangster, Cuttah, uses up the last of his nine lives, and is found dead, there is only one person who can solve the mystery of who killed him: indomitable retired nurse Miss Hortense. A resident of the quiet Birmingham suburb since she emigrated from Jamaica in the 1960s, the renowned cook never shies away from a challenge.Cuttah left behind a list of suspects. Miss Hortense is ready to investigate, but there''s just one problem: her name is on the list and, worse, she only has nine nights before his cronies seek retribution...With the help of friends - including bubbly Blossom and tough, handsome Fitz - Miss Hortense must use her unique skills to crack the case in a town with as many secrets as there are ingredients for beef patties. But this will prove no easy task. The clock is ticking, and Cuttah''s numerous enemies possess ties to drug running and corrupt police, not to mention a case from Miss Hortense''s past which is about to come back to haunt her.Miss Hortense and the Last Rites is the second brilliantly entertaining and page-turning British-Caribbean mystery from critically acclaimed writer Mel Pennant.PRAISE FOR A MURDER FOR MISS HORTENSE:''Fresh, original and intriguing from start to finish!'' Janice Hallett, bestselling author of The Examiner''What a joy - a brilliant new amateur sleuth to rival Miss Marple!'' Good Housekeeping''More than a cosy crime mystery . . . it''s the story of a community'' Jennie Godfrey, author of The List of Suspicious Things

**WINNER OF THE CWA WHODUNNIT DAGGER AWARD****SHORTLISTED FOR THE MCDERMID DEBUT AWARD**

''What a joy - a brilliant new amateur sleuth to rival Miss Marple!'' Good Housekeeping''Warm, witty and sharply observed'' I Paper''Fresh, original and intriguing from start to finish!'' Janice HallettDEATH HAS COME TO HER DOORSTEP...

Retired nurse, avid gardener, renowned cake maker and fearless sleuth Miss Hortense has lived in Bigglesweigh, a quiet Birmingham suburb, since she emigrated from Jamaica in 1960. She takes great pride in her home, starching her lace curtains bright white, and she can tell if she''s been short-changed on turmeric before she''s even taken her first bite of a beef patty. Thirty-five years of nursing have also left her afraid of nobody - be they a local drug dealer or a priest - and an expert in deciphering other people''s secrets with just a glance.

Miss Hortense uses her skills to investigate the investments of the Pardner network - a special community of Black investors, determined to help their people succeed. But when an unidentified man is found dead in one of the Pardner''s homes, a Bible quote noted down beside his body, Miss Hortense''s long-buried past comes rushing back to greet her, bringing memories of the worst moment of her life, one which her community has never let her forget.

It is time for Miss Hortense to solve a mystery that will see her, and the community she loves, tested to their limits.

''Unique, compulsive, and laugh-out-loud brilliant!'' Nadine Matheson, author of The Jigsaw Man

''More than a cosy crime mystery . . . it''s the story of a community'' Jennie Godfrey, author of The List of Suspicious Things''A vibrant tribute to the Windrush generation'' Jessica Bull, author of Miss Austen Investigates

''Utterly thrilling, this quest for survival gripped me from start to finish. With a flourishing cast of richly drawn characters, it would be a crime to miss it'' Olly Smith, author of Death by NoirNine nights to solve a murder ... or she''ll be next.When Bigglesweigh''s notorious gangster, Cuttah, uses up the last of his nine lives, and is found dead, there is only one person who can solve the mystery of who killed him: indomitable retired nurse Miss Hortense. A resident of the quiet Birmingham suburb since she emigrated from Jamaica in the 1960s, the renowned cook never shies away from a challenge.Cuttah left behind a list of suspects. Miss Hortense is ready to investigate, but there''s just one problem: her name is on the list and, worse, she only has nine nights before his cronies seek retribution...With the help of friends - including bubbly Blossom and tough, handsome Fitz - Miss Hortense must use her unique skills to crack the case in a town with as many secrets as there are ingredients for beef patties. But this will prove no easy task. The clock is ticking, and Cuttah''s numerous enemies possess ties to drug running and corrupt police, not to mention a case from Miss Hortense''s past which is about to come back to haunt her.Miss Hortense and the Last Rites is the second brilliantly entertaining and page-turning British-Caribbean mystery from critically acclaimed writer Mel Pennant.PRAISE FOR A MURDER FOR MISS HORTENSE:''Fresh, original and intriguing from start to finish!'' Janice Hallett, bestselling author of The Examiner''What a joy - a brilliant new amateur sleuth to rival Miss Marple!'' Good Housekeeping''More than a cosy crime mystery . . . it''s the story of a community'' Jennie Godfrey, author of The List of Suspicious Things