Murder in the woods

WHAT was the man thinking of when he did his shopping? Jessie thought. Two huge, brown paper parcels spilled food on to the kitchen table. Enough to feed a family for a fortnight at least. Slices of t

WOULD you look at the man!” Maggie said. She wasn’t much to look at herself, being as black as sin from the coal dust. She’d just finished a shift at the colliery screens, picking lumps of coal out of

WASN’T it you who used to work behind the bar at the Frog and Lettuce?” Susan Tallboys looked up. She’d been fastening the buttons of her overcoat, suppressing her dislike of its worn fabric and its m

I blame Richard Osman,” Mum said, crossly, as she filled her kettle at the sink. “Richard Osman?” I repeated, trying to make sense of that one. “That’s him,” Mum confirmed, flicking the kettle’s switc

PERHAPS this wasn’t a good idea,” Jon said. The restaurant inside the King’s Highway Hotel in Warleigh was beautifully decorated. Festive lights twinkled from a tall Christmas tree in one corner, whil

THAT’S ridiculous! I’m your assistant! Why won’t they let me go, too?” Pat glowered at Jon. They’d been bringing each other up to date with the day’s events over Mrs Perry’s evening meal of lamb chops