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A Murder for Miss Hortense

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A Murder for Miss Hortense

By: Mel Pennant
Narrated by: Debra Michaels
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About this listen

 'Fresh, original and intriguing from start to finish!' Janice Hallett, bestselling author of The Examiner and The Appeal

'What a joy - a brilliant new amateur sleuth to rival Miss Marple!' Good Housekeeping

'More than a cosy crime mystery . . . it's the story of a community' Jennie Godfrey, author of The List of Suspicious Things

Death has come to her doorstep . . .

Retired 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.

Miss 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.

It is time for Miss Hortense to solve a mystery that will see her, and the community she loves, tested to their limits.

'A beautiful novel, suffused with fondness and wit . . . highly entertaining' Alexander McCall Smith, author of The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Series

'Unique, compulsive, and laugh-out-loud brilliant!' Nadine Matheson, author of The Jigsaw Man

'A vibrant tribute to the Windrush generation' Jessica Bull, author of Miss Austen Investigates

2025 Melanie Asare-Pennant (P)2025 Hodder & Stoughton Limited Amateur Sleuths Cosy Crime Fiction Historical Mystery Crime Murder Caribbean

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All stars
Most relevant
Wonderful to hear an authentic take on the beautiful languages of the Caribbean and not just as dialogue but as narration and the mystery was great too.

Fantastic listen

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A delightful listen. Debra Michaels really adds to the story with her accents and narrative voice. The story is fun, the characters memorable and the mystery entertaining. Highly recommended.

Fantastic reading of an enjoyable mystery

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Excellent book funny in places lovely to hear the different way people talk will definitely read a follow up

Ms hortense

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Miss Hortense is formidable detective and protector of her community. Rich with nuance and hilarity about a West Midlands' Caribbean community and their many intergenerational secrets. A wonderful reading and I shouted out "Woi!!" many times. I look forward to the next book!

excellent and hilarious, and nuff nuff murder!!

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Cosy crime amongst the Jamaican community. The narrator’s accent adds to the charm of the story, though her brief simulations of English accents are wide off the mark. Overall, very enjoyable. I hope we will hear more from Miss Hortense!

I hope this is the beginning of a series…

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