'It's Murder She Wrote as you've never seen it before' Sir Lenny Henry

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

'What a read! The story of a community, one I hope I get to visit again soon' Jennie Godfrey, author of The List of Suspicious Things

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

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 being short-changed on turmeric before she's 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 those she loves, tested to their limits.

A community can protect its members. Can it also hide a killer?

**The first in a gripping new crime series**