During WWII, a
German fighter plane was shot down and landed in the Greenoak garden.
The owner decided to bury the plane, since it couldn't be removed,
but before the burial was complete, a wounded RAF pilot was pushed
into the pit and died. The body lay undiscovered until it was
unearthed during a garden renovation causing a stir among the
townsfolk and leading to more problems as the inept inspector
conducts the murder investigation.
Pru Parke and her
husband, Christopher Pearse, are Living at Greenoak for a year at the
invitation of Pru's employers who are away on an archaeological
expedition. Pru is trying to connect with her brother, Simon, the
head gardener at Greenoak. The siblings were raised apart and Simon
finds it hard to forgive Pru for knowing both their parents.
Christopher has
given up his job as CID Inspector in London and is working as a
special constable in the village near Greenoak. He knows that his
superior is not qualified for police work, but resists taking over
the murder investigation because he doesn't want to overshadow the
young man.
As if things
couldn't get more complicated, Orlando, Christopher's nephew arrives
for an extended stay. He's a computer whiz and is being punished for
hacking into someone's personal files and publishing them on the
internet. Orlando is supposed to be helping in the garden, but the
rebellious teenager succeeds in making more work for Pru until the
body appears and catches his interest.
This is a delightful
and very English mystery filled with unusual characters and wonderful
descriptions of the garden and surrounding village. Pru and
Christopher are sympathetic characters. They are newly weds enjoying
the luxury of Greenoaks until Orlando and the body turn up.
Orlando is a typical teenager, curious and always
hungry.
The mystery itself
is not hard to figure out in less than half the book.
However, it doesn't matter. It's fun to watch the
townspeople's interactions and see the struggle between Pru and Simon
as they try to overcome the past.
If you enjoy a cozy
English mystery, this is a good one.
I received this book
from Net Galley for this review.
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