Seeds Of Murder

No one knew what finally prompted a shy young schoolboy to walk out of Warren Hall School never to return. The discovery of some of Stephen Willett's bloodstained clothing in an overgrown ditch throws suspicion on Wally Price, a local odd-job man, and his suicide is seen as an admission of guilt. Over fifty years later another tragedy strikes Warren Hall when the body of a stranger is discovered in the school grounds. The local postmaster is charged with murder and solicitor Rosa Epton is summoned from London to advise him on his defence. Then a second murder at the school - and the discovery of some damning evidence against her client - makes Rosa determined to investigate leads that the police have overlooked. So she embarks on the most challenging assignment of her career: one that involves long-held secrets and dangerous confrontations. For a killer stands between Rosa and the truth.

When Mr. Wallace was found neatly suspended from a hook in the bathroom ceiling, with a slender chain around his neck and the wastebasket on which he had stood carefully kicked away, there seemed little doubt of it. Especially as there was a note in the dead man's handwriting saying, "I am worried, tired, and sick of heart. Why go on with this senseless struggle? Disgrace faces me." But -- why was the sheet on which the note was written shorter than all the other sheets on the desk? Where had the three seeds that come from that were found near the body, and why should Wallace, partner in a brokerage house, have chosen the beginning of a merry Long Island house party to have committed suicide? Captain North, late of the American Intelligence Service, saw these things, and they puzzled him. Before that dreadful night was over, death struck again, and the terrified house guests knew that in their midst was a killer -- cold blooded, ruthless, efficent -- and always the three white seeds followed in his wake ... a symbol of death!

In a bar called The Bucket of Blood, a man shoots the bartender four times in the head. In the small town of Millhaven, a teenage girl secretly and gleefully murders her neighbors. A serial killer travels from home to home, quoting John Milton in his victims' blood. Murder Ballads, the ninth studio album from Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, is a gruesome, blood-splattered reimagining of English ballads, American folk and blues music, and classic literature. Most of the stories told on Murder Ballads have been interpreted many times, but never before had they been so graphic or profane. Though earning the band their first Parental Advisory warning label, Murder Ballads, released in 1996, brought Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds their biggest critical and commercial success, thanks in part to the award-winning single, “Where the Wild Roses Grow,” an unlikely duet with Australian pop singer, Kylie Minogue. Closely examining each of the ten songs on the album, Santi Elijah Holley investigates the stories behind the songs, and the numerous ways these ballads have been interpreted through the years. Murder Ballads is a tour through the evolution of folk music, and a journey into the dark secrets of American history.

Perfect for fans of Richard Coles, Fiona Leitch and Sarah Yarwood-Lovett, introducing a brand-new cosy crime series set in the gardening world featuring an unlikely amateur sleuth and her loveable dog. Steph Williams has arrived at the wealthy, gated community of Beaulieu Heights ready to start her new position as head gardener. Surrounded by mansions and acres of land, it's worlds apart from the life she knows, but she's determined to give it her best shot. If she happens to accidentally overhear private conversations while trimming the bushes, or is refused access to a locked shed, she knows not to question it - after all, gardeners should be seen and not heard. Until notes start turning up, threatening to reveal the deepest secrets of the residents. Suddenly Steph finds herself the prime suspect, and now she must leave the shelter of the gardens behind to clear her name and save her job. The seeds of suspicion have been planted, but the case is turning out to be no bed of roses. And when the investigation puts her life at risk, Steph is up against the clock to weed out the real culprit before it's too late... Readers are GRIPPED by Seeds of Murder: 'I loved the way this book combined the genre of cozy mystery with horticultural knowledge . . . An excellent book to snuggle up with' Reader review, 5 stars 'In need of comfort-reading, [this book] hits the spot. Cleverly plotted, well-written and hugely enjoyable' Reader review, 5 stars 'Lots of twists and turns make this a fun mystery to read. Love the setting, characters and story plot' Reader review, 5 stars 'I could not put it down. Absolutely incredible reading' Reader review, 5 stars

Roses are red, Violets are blue, All the evidence is pointing to you... Steph Williams has landed her dream gardening job working for the wealthy, gated community of Beaulieu Heights. With her beloved dog Mouse for company, she's quite content to be left alone to tackle the weeds and tend the flowers. There might be one resident who keeps a locked shed to which Steph is forbidden access, and secret feuds she happens to overhear, but it's none of her business. That is, until she's called in front of the neighbourhood committee, accused of blackmailing the residents with notes disclosing their darkest secrets. Now, she's swapping gardening gloves for a detective's notebook, with just ten days to clear her name and save her job. The seeds of suspicion have been planted. But when Steph's investigation leads her to discover some freshly disturbed earth in the shape of a grave, it becomes a race against time to unearth the true culprit's identity before it's too late... Seeds of Murder is the start of a brand-new gardening murder mystery filled with twists and turns that'll keep you guessing right until the very end. Fans of S.J. Bennet, J.M. Hall and Richard Coles will be gripped by this new cosy crime series.