I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book or my review itself.
What I think I loved most about this book is that Griffiths has managed to create a mystery that feels cozy but also has a lot of thriller elements. There are small country inns, and cups of tea, and lots of books, but there are also masked gunmen and threatening postcards. It's the kind of book that has been perfect for the current weather here, rainy and overcast and gloomy, just the kind of story you want to curl up with under a blanket and have a cup of tea yourself.
The main premise is the death of an elderly woman who, it turns out, has been thanked by numerous mystery and thriller novelists in their dedications or postscripts. When a masked gunman then appears in her apartment to steal a book, and authors start turning up dead themselves, a small group of unlikely friends deem themselves amateur sleuths and begin working closely with a local police woman.
The cast of characters is such a great group. The main three "amateur detectives" are a wonderfully eclectic found family: a former monk who now runs a cafe, a young woman from Ukraine who now works as a carer for the elderly, and an elderly man who dresses impecably and used to work for the BBC. The police woman is complex and funny, and makes a great addition to the group with the three others.
I love Griffiths playing with the idea of people who read and write murder mysteries suddenly being pulled into one of their own that has a very direct impact on their lives (and in some cases, deaths). This is a really clever fun book with great locations, great characters, and lots of surprises.
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