Murder at the Willows

 

Murder at the Willows by Jane Adams- Crime

An elderly woman has died in her garden, seemingly of natural causes however a couple of those close to her think there are a few odd things but nothing specific enough to ring alarm bells. When there is a burglary a short time later, this escalates things. Rina Martin is a retired actress and has a large house where she has several permanent guests. She is soon employed by the dead woman's grandson to investigate what exactly has happened, the main investigation being done by DI Mac and a wonderful DS Yolanda who came across reality well.  Who would want to kill a 93 year old lady and take all of her painting supplies? 

This is a wonderful, easy, leisurely read. There’s nothing to put you off your dinner and it's easy to pick up and put down again- if you can! A very cleverly thought out plot that has lots of twists to keep the grey matter active and the pages turning. There are lots of characters and a very interesting unusual plot line, skilfully written. I enjoyed this- a very different, compelling read.

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MURDER AT THE WILLOWS by Jane Adams ​ If you love Miss Marple or Agatha Raisin, you’ll love Rina

____Meet Rina Martin, a retired actress with a taste for tea, gardening and crime solving.She played a TV sleuth for years, but now she has to do it for real. There’s something strange about the scene . . . Famous artist Jean appears to have passed peacefully in her sleep as she rested against a tree in the garden of her home, the Willows. Her legs are outstretched, hands tenderly clutching a small blue flower. But upon closer inspection, things don’t add up. Where is Jean’s trusty walking stick? Why did she choose to slumber on the ground when there is a comfortable lounge chair nearby? Where did that blue flower come from? . . . not from her garden, that’s for sure. The clues soon point to murder. Jean was beloved by the community, who would do such a thing? Her grandson is determined to uncover the truth and hires Rina to investigate. The trail leads Rina to a series of shocking secrets, stretching back over twenty years. And a murderer who has unfinished business . . . Can our favourite amateur sleuth catch this killer before it’s too late? If you love Agatha Christie, Jeanne M. Dams, Stella Cameron and Frances Evesham, prepare to be hooked by this page-turning whodunnit mystery. WHAT READERS ARE SAYING ABOUT THE RINA MARTIN MYSTERIES: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Cool little multi-layered mystery about a quaint seaside town. Intriguing.’ Mamatufy ‘Miss Marple fans will find a lot to like.’ Publishers Weekly ‘Rina’s kickoff emphasizes people and place, letting the reader in on secrets early and relying on psychological conflict to drive the appealing plot.’ Kirkus ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A new and better Miss Marple . . . she is intelligent, observant and a most welcome to the DI . . . you’ll fall in love with the characters. This reads like a good movie . . . I heartily give this a big thumbs-up.’ Vicki ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘This is my first book by this author and I will eagerly await more!’ Nancy ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Murder She Wrote is an apt comparison — Rina Martin is sharp and no- nonsense. She knows a bit about law, a bit about murder — and a lot about human nature.’ Carmen ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘If you like Agatha Christie and Patricia Wentworth, give these books a try.’ Pamela THE DETECTIVE Determined and compassionate, Rina Martin on a mission is an unstoppable force. When Rina retired from acting, she bought a B & B in Frantham on Sea. There, she has a quirky cast of full-time boarders and only wants a quiet life. Instead, events propel Rina into investigation mode, and she gets a taste for sleuthing. THE SETTING Tucked in a bay on the Jurassic coast, Frantham on Sea is a typical Victorian seaside town, with a picture-perfect promenade, B & Bs, and a grand hotel. At the promenade's end is the police station, where the officers’ days have always been uneventful — until Rina comes to town . . . ALSO BY JANE ADAMS RINA MARTIN MYSTERY SERIES Book 1: MURDER ON SEA Book 2: MURDER ON THE CLIFF Book 3: MURDER ON THE BOAT Book 4: MURDER ON THE BEACH Book 5: MURDER AT THE COUNTRY HOUSE Book 6: MURDER AT THE PUB Book 7: MURDER ON THE FARM Book 8: MURDER AT THE WILLOWS MERROW & CLARKE Book 1: SAFE DETECTIVE MIKE CROFT SERIES Book 1: THE GREENWAY Book 2: THE SECRETS Book 3: THEIR FINAL MOMENTS Book 4: THE LIAR DETECTIVE RAY FLOWERS SERIES Book 1: THE APOTHECARY’S DAUGHTER Book 2: THE UNWILLING SON Book 3: THE DROWNING MEN Book 4: THE SISTER’S TWIN DETECTIVE ROZLYN PRIEST Book 1: BURY ME DEEP STANDALONES THE OTHER WOMAN THE WOMAN IN THE PAINTING THEN SHE WAS DEAD

JANE ADAMS Jane Adams is the author of more than thirty published crime novels. The first, The Greenway, was nominated for both the Authors’ Club award and the CWA John Creasey for best debut novel.  Jane is constantly amazed at where life has taken her. Writing had never been on her ‘possible careers’ list, but she says once stories take root in your brain, they just have to be told – and she feels very fortunate that people want to read them. In addition to writing, Jane teaches creative writing, read and mentor for The Literary Consultancy, and is a Royal Literary Fund Fellow and FRSA. BOOKS BY JANE ADAMS DETECTIVE MIKE CROFT SERIES THE GREENWAY THE SECRETS THEIR FINAL MOMENTS THE LIAR DETECTIVE MIKE CROFT BOOKS 1–3 BOX SET THE COMPLETE DETECTIVE MIKE CROFT BOX SET MERROW & CLARKE SERIES SAFE KIDNAP DETECTIVE RAY FLOWERS SERIES THE APOTHECARY’S DAUGHTER THE UNWILLING SON THE DROWNING MEN THE SISTER’S TWIN THE DETECTIVE RAY FLOWERS BOX SET BOOKS 1–3 DETECTIVE ROZLYN PRIEST SERIES BURY ME DEEP RINA MARTIN MYSTERY SERIES MURDER ON SEA MURDER ON THE CLIFF MURDER ON THE BOAT MURDER ON THE BEACH MURDER AT THE COUNTRY HOUSE MURDER AT THE PUB MURDER ON THE FARM MURDER AT THE WILLOWS THE RINA MARTIN MURDER MYSTERY BOX SETS BOOKS 1-4 STANDALONE NOVELS THE OTHER WOMAN THE WOMAN IN THE PAINTING THEN SHE WAS DEAD FOLLOW JANE ON AUTHOR WEBSITE FACEBOOK TWITTER GOODREADS