About the Book
Former city dweller Flora Miller, new to the quaint English village and in charge of the recently restored Tearoom on the Rise, is the unlucky recipient of the late man’s parrot. Her new feathered companion has no filter and a vibrant personality that cannot be ignored! Witness to Harold’s murder, the bird won’t let the matter lie, and it’s not long before Flora becomes suspicious.
A quest to bake the perfect scone is put on hold whilst Flora helps the charming Detective Bramble to investigate Harold’s death. She has set her hopes on writing the next bestseller, not on becoming an amateur sleuth, but life sometimes has surprises in store!
Will they find the killer before they strike again, and can Flora find the acceptance and friendship she seeks amongst her new neighbours?
Packed with twists and turns, colourful characters and a sprinkle of romance, this is the first book in the series of Baker’s Rise Mysteries. It will certainly leave you hungry for more!
(Includes a traditional scone recipe!)
Review
Flora is trying to keep her real reason for being in Baker's Rise quiet and most of the village believe she's come to re-open the Tearoom on the Rise. She's excited for the opening, but all the vibes from her new neighbors are not warm. She gets comfort from the parrot she inherited though his personality is strong and he convinces her there's more to the Lord of the Manor's death.
The story is well-staged, with the "cozy" nature of the village (though not always positive) providing context. Flora, though concerned with the villager's hostility toward the Lord of the Manor, is a strong character. She is determined to clean up the mess in the Manor proper, though she is not staying there. What she discovers leads to the Lord of the Manor's death considered suspicious at best. Between the good Detective Bramble and the parrot, Flora is well protected.
I liked Flora and the sense of community, the flow of the story, and the hints and cues to the killer. If you like cozy mystery with some humor and puns, you will enjoy this one. This is my first read by Hutchins, but won't be my last.
Baker's Rise Mysteries
About the Author
R. A. Hutchins is a keen writer of cozy mysteries, contemporary romance, and historical fiction (under the pen name Anne Hutchins).
Rachel's love of mysteries and women sleuths started at an early age with a fascination for the works of Agatha Christie. Her first high school English project was a biography of this author's life!
In Rachel's contemporary romance, you can normally find themes of hope and new beginnings, loss and mental health, though her characters are always guaranteed a happy ending and her stories have more than a splash of heady romance!
Rachel's favourite hobbies are reading, walking along the beach with her family, visiting new places, watching detective shows and researching different periods in history. She also enjoys collecting sea glass from the various local beaches on her doorstep.
Now living in northeast England, Rachel has fond memories of the nine years she spent in Scotland.
