‘This odd, appealing pair prove a formidable match for the surprising killer. Readers will look forward to their next outing.’  -Publishers Weekly 

‘Bea and Ant are a delightful crime-solving duo and I’ll very happily join them again for another clean-up in a Costsave aisle.’  -Crime Review 

‘Unlikely friendships and quirky wit make this the most warm-hearted of crime debuts.’ -Lucy Diamond 

‘Utterly fab, fresh and real.’ -Fleur Hitchcock 

‘A breath of fresh air, Ant and Bea are fabulous creations.’ -Sophia Bennett 

‘Heart-warming, intriguing and character-led, this is just the right kind of crime book to curl up with in front of the fire...’ -Philip Ardagh 

‘I absolutely loved The Cost of Living. Crime just where you least expect it, and one of my favourite ensemble casts’ -K.J. Whittaker 

‘Rachel Ward’s The Cost of Living flies into my top five reads list of 2018. It has everything you could want from a read. Great plot with versatile and interesting characters. Fantastic writing with attention to detail. An accurate and sensitive portrayal of mental illness and real heart at its core.I am delighted to say that there is a second instalment for me to get my mitts onto and a third in the pipeline. ’ -Love Books Group 

‘Rachel Ward is an extremely skillful writer and here she provides warm characterisations, convincing dialogue, deliciously awkward romantic liaisons, a wicked wit to make you giggle and a plot to keep you guessing all the way to the check-out. It's a treat!’ -Bradford on Avon Mini Book Festival 

‘One of the best murder mystery books I’ve read in a very long time’  -Meggan, Between the Pages blog 

‘The thread of darkness and the engaging characters coupled with the plausible setting makes it more than just a cosy crime story.’ -Mary, Live and Deadly blog 

‘An excellent standalone but Ward has put the building blocks in place to make for a stellar series.’ -Cramlington Book Club 

‘I really enjoyed reading this book. Ant & Bea are very likeable characters, very down to earth and there was a lot which made me smile throughout the book.’  -Portobello Book Blog 

‘A heartwarming, entertaining mystery which keeps you gripped until the very end.’  -SomewhereInABook, Bookstagram 

‘A sometimes-cosy, sometimes-edge of your seat mystery set in and around a local supermarket. It’s funny, charming and equally scary and disturbing in parts - the perfect book to curl up with as the nights start to draw in and there’s a chill in the air.’  -Carly, Writing from the Tub blog

We're celebrating 3 years since we published the first Ant & Bea Mystery! 

If you enjoy The Cost of Living, we'd love to see you at #CosyCrimeClub on Twitter - just use the hashtag at 11am BST on September 22nd to join in.