Death on a Summer Morning by Betty Rowlands / #Review @bookouture @BettyRowlandsFP

A Sukey Reynolds Mystery Book 6

Meet Sukey Reynolds: talented gardener, fabulous photographer… secret amateur detective?

Sukey is delighted that summer has arrived, her garden is in glorious form, and the long, warm days give her a chance to enjoy the countryside, and even play a bit of tennis. The only digging she plans to do is in her flowerbeds.

But then Sukey is called to photograph the scene of what appears to be a tragic accident. Arthur Soames, a retired school teacher, fell to his death from the ornate iron staircase above his perfectly manicured lawn. But when the police notify his family, they are adamant that this is no accident…

Is this summer’s day turning out to be curiously chilly?

When Arthur’s daughter won’t leave the police in peace, Sukey reluctantly agrees to help put her mind to rest. As she starts to poke about in the dead man’s past, she realises he was keeping secrets, and several people might well have wanted him dead. But who would resort to murder? Could it have been Arthur’s enchanting fiancée, a sullen ex-student or maybe a nettled neighbour?

An old address written on a small piece of paper is the clue that Sukey needs, but can she convince her police colleagues that this death on a summer morning was no accident and solve this baffling mystery at last?

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Review

This is book 6 in the series and I have loved them all.

Sukey has been called to gather evidence in order to help the police team to find out what happened with Mr Soames.

She has dealt with a lot of gruesome cases, but this time it just a tragic accident.

Case closed. Easy, peasy. Nope, sorry. The victims daughter is convinced there is more to it than meets the eye and insists the police investigates more. They do not agree and hope the woman leaves them alone.

Fans of the series know how this will be straight up Sukey’s alley and she will not rest before she has dug deep enough to unravel the truth.

Uncovering the truth also means putting herself in precarious situations, but she is determined to bring justice.

I love the way the author has painted the relationship between Sukey and her son, Fergus. The are more like friends than mother and son and I think that’s great. It is great how a child can feel he can talk about everything with their parents and confide in them.  I have the same with my son and I always feel sorry for families where children and parents don’t see eye to eye.

This is a great series and I love the way the author can entertain het audience. 5 stars

Thank you

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About the author

Betty Rowlands 1923-2020

Betty Rowlands burst onto the crime scene in her mid sixties by winning the Sunday Express / Veuve Clicquot Crime Short Story of the Year Competition which shows it’s never too late to start writing. Her success continued with her highly acclaimed Melissa Craig mysteries featuring a crime writer who solves mysteries in Gloucestershire. Her second series, The Sukey Reynolds Stories comprise of thirteen books, featuring Sukey Reynolds, a Scenes of Crime Officer who later becomes a detective. She lived in the heart of the Cotswolds, where her Melissa Craig mysteries are set, and then in Bristol which is closer to Sukey Reynolds patch, where she lived until her death on 29 July 2020, just a few months before her 97th birthday. She passed peacefully in the residential home that she called ‘home’. She will be greatly missed by her two surviving children, her four grandchildren, six great grandchildren, other family members, her friends and you, her many readers. The resurgence in interest in her Melissa Craig and Sukey Reynolds books in her last years gave her immense pleasure. She loved to receive emails from her fans knowing that her writing was being so enjoyed. Betty may no longer be with us but Melissa and Sukey are still there solving those mysteries. Keep on reading!

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Book Link

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Death-Summer-Morning-absolutely-gripping-ebook/dp/B07SW5Q8FJ/