Alice Castle is the author of the Beth Haldane mystery series, starting with The Murder Mystery. The lastest, The Murder Garden  was published by Bookouture on 10 November 2022.

A winding path leads past the beautiful begonias to an overhanging oak tree. But underneath, a deadly secret is hiding…

Beth Haldane cradles a warm cup of tea and admires the view of crisp, red autumn leaves scattering the lawn of her little garden. But the peace and quiet is interrupted when her loyal pet pooch sniffs out something suspicious. At the bottom of a freshly-dug hole is a bone: and it looks worryingly human.

Even for a mystery-loving amateur sleuth like Beth, the discovery of a body beneath her own lawn is a little too close for comfort. But when the police insist that she must know something about the remains, digging up the truth herself is Beth’s only option.

With gossip flying all around Dulwich Village, Beth has her work cut out to find the culprit. Could a local cat-sitter, with keys to every home on the street, have been involved? Is her ex-actress neighbour a little too good at acting innocent? And was a whispered secret at a dinner party meant to point Beth in the right direction?

Scouring her garden for missed clues, when Beth discovers a shining silver engraved coin she’s certain it will lead to the victim’s identity. But the arrival of a threatening anonymous message sends chills down her spine… can Beth find a killer hiding in plain sight, before she’s the one pushing up daisies?

This sounds just the kind of book I’d like to get curled up with on a winter’s evening. I’ve not had time to get a copy and read it yet but I wanted to share in case it appeals to any of you too.

If you visit the blogs below you can find reviews of The Murder Garden.