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West Country Mysteries

This series follows two friends, a retired teacher and a recent widow, who find themselves drawn into amateur sleuthing. Seeking distraction, they instead uncover local mysteries and hidden tensions in the picturesque British countryside. From damaged historical sites to shocking discoveries, their sharp observations and enduring friendship guide them through complex investigations. These compelling mysteries offer a blend of cozy intrigue and engaging characters.

The Wounded Thorn
The Wounded Snake

Recommended Reading Order

  1. 1

    Recently retired teacher Hilary decides that the best way to stop herself worrying about her husband, who's away doing voluntary work in war-torn Gaza, is to distract herself with a holiday. She invites her good friend Veronica, a recent widow, to accompany her on a trip to Glastonbury, to see the ancient sights. The pair are saddened to discover that the sacred Glastonbury Thorn tree has been severely damaged, and they wonder whether other local sites are under threat too. But even they are unprepared for the shocking discovery Hilary makes at the Chalice Well: an abandoned bag, containing a bomb ... Who is to blame? A foreign tourist? An eccentric pagan author? Or an angry local who resents that a Christian place has been 'overun' by other beliefs? Hilary and Veronica just want to be on holiday, but they can't help but be sucked in to the investigation.

    The Wounded Thorn
  2. 2

    The Wounded Snake

    • 208 pages
    • 8 hours of reading
    3.5(18)Add rating

    Amateur sleuths Hilary Masters and Veronica Taylor face a real-life murder mystery at a crime writing weekend. Is a dark conspiracy unfolding on a West Country estate?Friends Hilary Masters and Veronica Taylor are eager to embark upon their weekend-long masterclass in crime writing at the evocative, fourteenth-century Morland Abbey, hoping to gain inspiration for their own novels. The queen of crime fiction herself, Dinah Halsgrove, is the guest of honour, giving the opening talk. But when Dinah suddenly falls ill later that evening, the pair can't help being suspicious. Has her mysterious illness been staged by the organisers, or does someone in their writing group have murderous intent?A series of sinister incidents draw Hilary and Veronica into a real-life murder mystery as gripping as any bestselling crime novel, but the biggest twist is yet to come . . . Can they separate fact from fiction to solve a deadly puzzle?

    The Wounded Snake