{"product_id":"murder-for-miss-hortense","title":"Pennant Mel: A Murder for Miss Hortense [2025] paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'It's \u003ci\u003eMurder She Wrote\u003c\/i\u003e as you've never seen it before' Sir Lenny Henry\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'The formidable Miss Hortense will be your new favourite literary sleuth! Fresh, original and intriguing from start to finish!' Janice Hallett, bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eThe Examiner and The Appeal\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'What a read! This is more than a cosy crime mystery [. . .]\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e it's the story of a community, one I hope I get to visit again soon' \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003eJennie Godfrey, author of \u003ci\u003eThe List of Suspicious Things\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eDeath has come to her doorstep . . .\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRetired 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.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMiss 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.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eIt is time for Miss Hortense to solve a mystery that will see her, and the community she loves, tested to their limits.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'A vibrant tribute to the Windrush generation and a particular kind of woman who will not let injustice rest' Jessica Bull, author of \u003ci\u003eMiss Austen Investigates\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Unforgettable characters that anyone from a Caribbean family will recognise - unique, compulsive, and laugh-out-loud brilliant!' Nadine Matheson, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Jigsaw Man\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'I wouldn't mess with Miss Hortense, but I would trust her with my life. A wonderful, original crime novel' Louise Hare, author of \u003ci\u003eMiss Aldridge Regrets\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Pennant, Mel","offers":[{"title":"New","offer_id":50945346175315,"sku":"9781399814386","price":16.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0616\/4001\/6057\/files\/mel-pennant-pennant-mel-a-murder-for-miss-hortense-2025-paperback-9781399814386-1161531077.jpg?v=1746751891","url":"https:\/\/theirishbookshop.live\/products\/murder-for-miss-hortense","provider":"Chapters Bookstore","version":"1.0","type":"link"}