DISCOVER AN UNPUTDOWNABLE COZY MYSTERY FROM ONE OF THE WORLD’S FAVOURITE CRIME WRITERS.

“A new Simon Brett novel is

an event

for

mystery

fans!”

P.D. James

“

Murder most enjoyable

.”

Colin Dexter

“Few crime writers are

so enchantingly gifted

.”

The Sunday Times

“Like a little malice in your mysteries? Some cynicism in your cozies? Simon Brett is

happy to oblige

.”

New York Times

**A CWA DIAMOND DAGGER AWARD WINNER!**

_______________________

Meet Mrs Melita Pargeter

, a vivacious widow whose mystery-solving talents come in handy when a murderer stalks a hotel for well-to-do retirees.She checks into the Devereux Hotel on England’s sunny south coast. Where secrets hide behind every door and the sea-views are

to die

for . . .Her arrival, in a fancy car and a flurry of silk, causes much excitement among the elderly residents.

By next morning, they have something new to talk about — the discovery of a crumpled body at the foot of the stairs.

The victim is old Mrs Selsby, timid occupant of the hotel’s most coveted sea-front room. Everyone says her death was a tragic accident, but Melita’s not so sure.Wealthy Mrs S. just

happens

to have left her fortune to her fellow Devereux residents. And then there’s the matter of her jewellery. A priceless collection that seems to be disappearing piece by piece . . .Melita may be pushing seventy, but she still has a trick or two left up her sleeve.

Can she catch the killer before anyone else dies?

Meet your next favourite sleuth in this wonderfully witty whodunit.

Fans of

Agatha Christie, Nita Prose, M.C. Beaton,

The Thursday Murder Club

, Faith Martin, Julia Chapman, T.E. Kinsey, Jeanne M. Dams, Janice Hallett and Jane Adams

will be hooked from the very first page!

Readers love the one and only Mrs P.:

????? “Continually surprising, witty.”

Publishers Weekly

????? “A crisp little mystery-comedy of the drily delightful English sort . . . Playfully taut, with false clues galore.”

Kirkus

????? “A modern Miss Marple!” Elizabeth????? “I loved it instantly! The mysterious heroine is the icing on the cake.” Goodreads review????? “A grand tale . . . with a generous dollop of humour!” Kathy????? “A great cozy read with a cast of quirky characters. I’m anxious to read more.” Beverly????? “Fun and full of surprises!” Ellen

THE DETECTIVE

Sixty-something Melita Pargeter is a woman in her

prime

— classy, earthy and sharp as a tack. Don’t believe the rumours about her late husband. The perfect gent, he left Mrs P. wanting for nothing. On his advice, she never leaves home without binoculars, gloves and a skeleton key. And these trusty essentials have always served her well. But murder seems to follow her to every new address . . .

ALSO BY SIMON BRETT

MRS PARGETER MYSTERY SERIES

Book 1: A NICE CLASS OF CORPSEBook 2: MRS, PRESUMED DEADBook 3: MRS PARGETER’S PACKAGEBook 4: MRS PARGETER’S POUND OF FLESHBook 5: MRS PARGETER’S PLOTBook 6: MRS PARGETER’S POINT OF HONOURBook 7: MRS PARGETER’S PRINCIPLE

A tranquil village.

A poisoned cupcake.

A murdered vicar.

A simple case - or it should be. But all clues point to the Toot Hansell Women’s Institute, and Detective Inspector Adams is about to discover there’s much more to the W.I. than just bake sales and jam making.

Alice Martin, RAF Wing Commander (Ret.), and current chair of the Women's Institute, knows the ladies of the W.I. are not guilty. But she has a bigger problem. Toot Hansell has a large and dragonish secret, and she needs to keep the police well away from it. Plus she’d really rather not be arrested for murder. Again.

Meanwhile, Beaufort Scales, High Lord of the Cloverly dragons and survivor of the days of knights and dragon hunts, knows even better than Alice that the modern dragon only survives as long as no one knows they exist. But he also knows friends don’t let friends face murder inquiries alone. Beaufort fully intends to Get Involved.

This investigation is about to take on dragonish proportions.

Best put the kettle on…

A funny cozy mystery (with dragons), for anyone that likes their mysteries British, gentle, and well-stocked with cake, tea, and friendship. And dragons, obviously.

Baking Bad is the laughter-steeped first book in The Beaufort Scales series of cozy mysteries (with dragons). If you like casually profane heroines, whimsical shenanigans, and stories that give you wings, then you’ll love Kim M. Watt’s enchanting tale.

Buy Baking Bad to whip up a recipe for murder today!

Note: This cozy mystery contains:

no graphic violenceno sexno strong language; however it does contain some blasphemous languagebut there are copious quantities of cake and tea. You may need supplies.

Four women. Four great loves. One great partnership.It’s been years since Ivy Morgan, Harper Harlow, Maddie Graves, and Rowan Gray married the loves of their lives and decided to settle down. Since that time, they’ve joined together to form a fearsome magical quartet. The plan was to stand with one another. Now that plan is being put to the test.While out morel hunting with her brother, daughter, and nephews, Ivy stumbles across a body, a ritual dagger causing her to fear they’re dealing with something more dangerous than a normal human. Right away, she calls for reinforcements from her magical friends…and they come running.Ivy’s magic has grown, and she’s much stronger than she used to be. That doesn’t mean she’s ready for what’s coming, especially when it becomes apparent that her daughter might be following in her mother’s footsteps, and being drawn into a dangerous world she doesn’t understand.A local real estate developer is dead, his wife is missing, and there’s a random ghost hanging around stirring up trouble. Ivy has her hands full, and things are about to get worse.Magic is might, and this particular foursome is ready. What if they’re not strong enough to fight off a new threat, however? What will it mean for them as a group?They’re about to find out, and the answer might be more than they can bear.Note: This series follows the events of the Ivy Morgan, Harper Harlow, Rowan Gray, and Maddie Graves series. It's set seven years after the events of those series. You do no need to read those series, but if you want more of the characters, that's where you can find them.