False Charity

August 20, 2007
At the start of this ingenious series debut from British veteran Heley (Murder at the Altar
), Bea Abbot, recently widowed in New Zealand, has returned to London hoping for an empty house in which to grieve and put her life back together. Instead, she finds that her son, Max, recently elected to the House of Commons, has deserted the family investigation business, Abbot Agency, now destined for closure. To make matters worse, Max has hired Maggie, a young woman with pink hair, who has befriended a teenage boy, Oliver, and both are living in Bea's house. When caterer Coral Pyne, Bea's old friend, arrives saying she's been stiffed by a client and wants Bea's help recovering the money, Bea wants to tell them all to leave her alone. Nonetheless, feeling obliged to help Coral, she begins to investigate her claims and unknowingly finds herself one step behind a murderer. The cast of outrageous characters compliments a complex mystery.

October 1, 2007
When Bea Abbott returns to London after burying her husband in New Zealand, she finds her Kensington house has been rearranged by her daughter-in-law who had been house-sitting. Her life is turned upside down: Bea can't cope with the loss of her beloved partner, and the two people who work for her husband's chaotic agency, which handles domestic crises, are young and needy. In the capable hands of Heley, author of the "Ellie Quicke" series ("Murder by Committee"), Bea overcomes all obstacles and finds that life, while challenging, can be good. The first Abbott Agency mystery is a winner that will appeal to fans of British cozies.

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