New Release Novels: The Body at Rookery Barn by Kate Hardy

The Body at Rookery Barn: A totally gripping cozy mystery (A Georgina Drake Mystery Book 1)

Outside, Rookery Barn glows in the mid-morning sunshine while fat bees flit lazily between the forget-me-nots. Inside, a body lies dead…

Widowed Georgina Drake has no regrets about moving to beautiful, sleepy Little Wenborough in rural Norfolk. Until she opens the door to her rental property and finds the dead body of her latest guest, irritable university professor Roland Garnett. And on top of that she’s suddenly hearing a woman’s voice through her hearing aids.

Completely shaken by the discovery, Georgina can hardly believe it when the police conclude that Professor Garnett was poisoned, with a dinner delivered by Georgina herself. Is she about to be accused of murder? Georgina needs to pull herself together, try to ignore the distracting voice, and clear her name!

Asking around, it seems Roland Garnett offended half the village during his three-week stay and made unwelcome advances to the rest. But who was provoked enough to poison him? Georgina’s best lead is the deadly oleander found in Roland’s system. Her gardener, Young Tom, had access to the plant, but before she can talk to him Tom becomes the killer’s next victim.

As the crimes mount up, so do the clues, but does Georgina have what it takes to follow them to their conclusion? Even when her amateur sleuthing puts her next in the killer’s sights…?

An addictive and completely gripping cosy crime novel. Perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, Faith Martin and Midsomer Murders.

Buy on:

Amazon Kindle

Amazon Aust

Amazon UK

* What is the significance of your book's title?

It tells the reader that it’s a murder-mystery, and where the body was found!

* Did you find it meaningful?

Yes – it’s the first of a series, so I wanted the reader to know what to expect. It’s a cozy crime novel.

* What is the theme of this book?

The theme is family, friends and love – what brings people together and how to move on when life changes.

* How were these themes brought to life?

As it’s a cozy crime novel, I think it’s as much about death as it is about life! Also, you might not be expecting one of the main characters. It’s as much about whydunit as whodunit

* Tell us about your book...

It’s about a murder happening in a sleepy Norfolk village – and Georgina Drake, the owner of the holiday cottage where the victim died, needs to clear the names of herself and her friends. Meanwhile the inspector investigating the murder is halfway to falling in love with her; and Georgina needs to get to the bottom of another mystery concerning her house…

About the Author

Kate Hardy lives in Norwich with her husband, two grown-up children, two spaniels and too many books to count.

She’s won three Romantic Novelists’ Association awards for her romantic fiction – and is thoroughly enjoying her new life of crime! When she’s not writing or researching, she’ll be out at a gig or the theatre, at ballet class, doing cross-stitch, taking photographs of the sunrise while persuading the spaniels to stay still for one second, fossicking around on a beach or in archives, or exploring ancient buildings.