#ADGIFTED all thoughts and opinions are my own, book is gifted in return for a review good or bad.

PUT THE KETTLE ON AND DISCOVER AN UTTERLY CHARMING COZY MURDER MYSTERY SET IN A SLEEPY ENGLISH SEASIDE TOWN.

It’s almost summer in Southbourne and the ladies of the Charity Shop Detective Agency are ready for another season of sun, sea and . . . murder.

Amongst the rows of charming brightly painted cabins, an elderly man’s beach hut is set on fire in the middle of the night — while he slept inside.

By day, Fiona, Sue and Daisy volunteer at the Dogs Need Nice Homes charity shop. But, by night, they investigate crimes. And they’re determined to get to the bottom of this murder.

Malcolm Crainey was a bit of an eccentric, but he was harmless really. Who would want to kill him?

The ladies soon uncover a long list of possible suspects. Neighbours who hated Malcolm for refusing to swap huts. Members of the snobby beach hut association who took umbrage with Malcom’s quirky beachcombed cabin decorations.

Then another hut is burned down in the dead of night. Thankfully there was no one asleep inside this time. But the pressure is on — can Fiona, Sue and Daisy find the culprit before the beach hut murderer strikes again?

Fans of The Thursday Murder Club, Janice Hallett, Simon Brett, Ian Moore and Sarah Yarwood-Lovett will adore this exciting new talent in cozy crime.

READERS LOVE THE BESTSELLING CHARITY SHOP DETECTIVE AGENCY MYSTERIES SERIES:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘This was blooming marvellous. I absolutely adored it . . . Fantastic read for a winter’s afternoon at home with a cup of tea.’ Andrea B.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Laugh out loud with lots of twists. As a charity shop frequenter myself I found the characters very real.’ Frances

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A fantastic read for fans of Richard Osman . . . I’d wholeheartedly recommend.’ Reviewer696501

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A charming read with more twists than the London Underground. The author has managed to create a delightful ensemble cast of characters with whom the reader can both identify with and root for.’ J.R. Kent

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘I was laughing and smiling whilst reading this book — it was like a hug in a book.’ Kimberley

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘It was lovely to have the main characters being of an older generation. Some real laugh out loud moments in this book. I couldn’t put it down. I look forward to more misadventures from the Charity Shop Detective Agency.’ Lucy

THE CHARITY SHOP DETECTIVES

Level-headed Fiona has found a quiet sanctuary volunteering at the local charity shop, Dogs Need Nice Homes. A charity shop that raises money for, well, dogs that need nice homes. And she’s found firm friendship with the strong-willed Partial Sue (she’s ever so partial to a cup of tea) and the kindly and surprisingly tech-savvy Daisy. Together, these ladies, with Simon Le Bon, Fiona’s scruffy-haired terrier cross, investigate murders as the Charity Shop Detective Agency.

THE SETTING
The lovely coastal town of Southbourne is, on paper, little more than a small suburb hemmed in by Bournemouth to the west and Christchurch to the north. But it’s home to the prettiest avenues lined with gorgeous Georgian homes which lead to a grass-topped cliff standing guard over a sweeping bay of blond sand, soft as Demerara sugar. Some say it’s also home to the best charity shops in the country. The ladies of the Charity Shop Detective Agency maintain that Dogs Need Nice Homes — though musty and more than a little cramped — is certainly number one. Well, they definitely help solve the most crimes at least!

ALSO BY PETER BOLAND
THE CHARITY SHOP DETECTIVE AGENCY MYSTERIES
Book 1: THE CHARITY SHOP DETECTIVE AGENCY
Book 2: THE BEACH HUT MURDERS

PETER BOLAND
After studying to be an architect, Pete realised he wasn’t very good at it. He liked designing buildings, he just couldn’t make them stand up — a big handicap in an industry that’s partial to keeping things upright. So he became an advertising copywriter, the highlight of which was creating an ad featuring Raymond Briggs’ The Snowman. He then tried his hand at writing his own stories and quickly realised there’s no magic formula. You just have to put one word in front of the other (and keep doing that for about six months). It also helps if you can resist the lure of surfing and drinking beer in a garden chair.
The first book in his Charity Shop Detective Agency series will publish in late 2022.

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MY REVIEW I’ve eagerly awaited this, the Dog Charity Shop sleuthing gang are back!! And I couldn’t be more pleased. While it’s not necessarily based in fact, I find I don’t care, it’s like a Jessica Fletcher novel, cosy murders to read about. I love the eccentric nature of the country coastal neighbours, and how rural they are. Absolutely an easy read, while being twisty and sending me down rabbit holes. I love these type of books clever enough to make you guess, but not as graphic and serious as a lot of books. It’s camp, it’s neurotic villagers, it’s picturesque, it sounds like I’d love working and befriending them in the Dog Charity Shop. You can easily read this as a standalone, or as a follow on from the Charity Shop Murders, this series can go far and I know I will lap every one of them up, as I love the innocence of them while still being about murder.