A beautiful house nestles in an orchard, where a blackbird sings at dawn each morning from a branch laden with rosy fruit… but underneath the trees a body lies too still to be asleep.

Melissa Craig is struggling with her new novel, so when the invitation arrives to visit a nearby country house for some writing time, she decides a bit of peace and quiet is just what she needs. The house is everything she could have hoped for, even if the staff do seem rather unsettled…

She has barely unpacked when the owner of the house persuades Melissa to investigate some threatening notes he has received. But before she can do any digging, he is found murdered in his own orchard.

As she starts to probe further, Melissa realises that the dead man was universally disliked. Controlling, tight with money and nasty, he certainly made some enemies. But who could have hated him enough to resort to murder? His seemingly timid wife, the secretary with whom he previously had an affair or perhaps the gardener with an old secret?

With the police looking for an outsider, Melissa is sure the murderer is close at hand. But can she prove it? And can she unmask the killer before they strike again?

A completely unputdownable mystery for fans of Faith Martin, Joy Ellis and P.D. James that will have you totally hooked.

This book was previously published as Malice Poetic.

‘A first time reader of this novelist and I am now hooked… I don't often give 5 stars but this is a winner. Easy to jump right in and keep turning pages.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars

‘A great little cozy mystery… The pages fly by so quickly that the reader hardly notices time passing. Very nice! This is my first Betty Rowlands boon, but it won’t be my last. I immediately went to Amazon to look for others of her novels.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars

‘Fabulous… If you like books written by the great Agatha Christie or MC Beaton, then you will love these!… Wholeheartedly recommend these books if you’re after a good old-fashioned whodunit!... If you’ve never tried a cozy mystery book before, then what are you waiting for!’ Stardust Book Reviews, 4 stars

‘Just right for an evening or two curled up with a good murder!… my favourite book so far and once again I had no idea who the killer was until Melissa herself worked it out… an enormous pleasure to read.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars

‘Each one just gets better and better… I polished this off in one day… I didn't want to put it down… I love these classic mystery stories.’ Goodreads Reviewer

‘Really had me hooked. … When I finished the previous book, I thought I had found my favourite one… I liked this one even more. This was the one with the most surprising outcome and I do love that.’ B for Book Review, 5 stars

‘Enjoyable… The description of the delightful setting… makes me feel I know the village and inhabitants. A lovely, relaxing book to read.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars

‘I liked this book so well, I am going to read the previous ones… delightful.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars

‘Excellent book! Loved the characters and it was a great storyline. I would highly recommend this book.’ NetGalley Reviewer, 5 stars

‘One of my favorite mystery series I devour each book as it comes out and look forward to the next… twists and turns… Grab this book.’ NetGalley Reviewer, 5 stars

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