women sleuths

Then There Were … Two Murders? by P.C. James

‘Then There Were … Two Murders?’ is the second book in the Miss Riddell Cozy Mystery series. It follows directly after ‘In the Beginning, There was a Murder’ where, at the end, Miss Riddell receives a letter asking for her help.

The letter is from an elderly widow living out in the English countryside. It’s winter 1953/54 and England is still suffering from the after-effects of WW2 and the costs of the ongoing Korean War. Miss Riddell goes to meet the woman, arrives at her house only to find her dead, suicide apparently.

She tells the police why she was invited by the woman — the woman thought her friend had been murdered months before. However, the police and coroner rule this death to be suicide and dismiss the idea the earlier old woman’s death was anything but natural causes.

Miss Riddell sets out to prove them wrong with her friend Poppy and the old lady’s dog, Jem. Unfortunately, like the police, Miss Riddell can find no conclusive evidence and her supporters give up. Her only hope in the end is to put herself in harm’s way and hope the murderer takes the bait.

In the Beginning, There Was a Murder: An Amateur Female Sleuth Historical Cozy Mystery by P.C. James

By Book Lovers Magazine

In the Beginning, There Was a Murder: An Amateur Female Sleuth Historical Cozy Mystery by P.C. James

When her best friend is murdered, Pauline Riddell finds she must take the law into her own hands if she is to see justice done.

It’s northern England, 1953, rationing is still in place and the Cold War is heating up. Her fiancé is out in Korea, where thankfully that war is winding down, and she’s just setting out in adult life working at a local armament factory. She’s hard-up, everyone is, but Pauline can see better times ahead, a home, a family, a responsible job, and she’s preparing for that future. Then her friend, Marjorie, is stabbed to death.

At first, Pauline is only concerned with helping the police. She’s intelligent and resourceful but also inexperienced, just out of school and still believing the world runs in trustworthy ways.

Then she finds the police think they’ve caught her friend’s killer and they’re winding down the investigation. Pauline now realizes this is a world where you can’t always leave things to others, you have to get involved yourself. But, as she investigates and puts pressure on the police for more action, she finds the killer wants her out of the way and the police have come to suspect she killed her friend. Can she catch the killer before she either faces the same fate as Marjorie or is hanged for killing her?

Miss Riddell and the Heiress by P.C. James

By Book Lovers Magazine

Miss Riddell and the Heiress by P.C. James

A lost fortune. A desperate hunt for answers. Can a persistent investigator unearth the truth and save a life?

Sydney, Australia, 1977. Miss Riddell just survived a mind-numbing audit. So when she’s approached by an Australian woman seeking to prove she’s entitled to inherit an affluent English estate, the amateur sleuth is tickled by the chance to crack an easy case. But when she heads to England and discovers the aristocratic claim has no substance, she didn’t expect her dissatisfied client to follow… or the danger she would attract.

Helping the Aussie further her cause, Miss Riddell believes there’s nothing left to uncover until she saves the woman from a hit and run. And with her keen eye spotting threats lurking in the shadows, the talented accountant is determined to expose a secret worthy of murder…

Can Miss Riddell unravel a sinister scheme before someone’s greed sends the poor soul to her grave?

Miss Riddell and the Heiress is the intriguing fourth book in the Miss Riddell Cozy Mystery series. If you like whip-smart heroines, compelling clues, and sensational twists, then you’ll love P.C. James’ captivating tale.

In The Beginning, There Was a Murder by P.C. James

By Book Lovers Magazine

In The Beginning, There Was a Murder by P.C. James

A secret liaison. A violent murder. Can one woman solve the crime without joining the body count?
Northern England, 1953. Pauline Riddell has grand ambitions for her future at the armament factory. So, when her closest workmate reveals a salacious affair with a married man, Pauline refuses to risk her career by listening to the scandal. But she’s shaken to her core when the police arrive with news of her best friend’s homicide.
Desperate for justice, Pauline’s insistent poking into the investigation only makes her the prime suspect. And now to clear her name, she must unravel a web of deadly clues entangling her in a sinister plot.
Can Pauline catch the killer before they strike again?

A Murder for Christmas by P.C. James

By Book Lovers Magazine

A Murder for Christmas by P.C. James

A Murder for Christmas is the third in the popular Miss Riddell Cozy Mysteries series.

Miss Riddell has returned to her parents’ home to nurse her sick mother. It’s Christmas 1962, northern England, and the worst winter for decades. If that isn’t bad enough, there’s a crime spree in the village, a forged will that will bring ruin to the neighborhood, and her first love, a roguish cousin, has just been murdered.

Can Miss Riddell solve the mysterious crime wave before she becomes one of its victims?