MURDER IN THE GROTTO

Two members of the Tanton Ghost and Phantom Society have met their end. One has been murdered. How about the other, long thought to have died a natural death?

Cara Shelley runs the Happy Huffkin cafe on the grounds of Tanton Towers. It’s a popular spot for people who’ve come to see the British stately home and grounds. Tanton owners Max Farren Pryde and his wife, Alison, invite Cara to the Towers to discuss a celebration planned by Max’s Aunt Izzy, the Dowager Lady Lendale. The event will include a dinner in the gardens followed by an overnight stay for society members in the haunted grotto. What could possibly go wrong? The current leader of the society is Berowne Dyer, but 10 years ago, the leader was Izzy’s husband’s nephew, Thomas Chalcott, who supposedly died of a heart attack after a ghost hunt in the grotto. Although Cara’s told that everyone loves Berowne, she soon discovers that’s not entirely true. There’s a lot of jealousy among the club members over his leadership and ideas, and there are also some romantic entanglements. The dinner and overnight stay go pretty well, but in the morning, Berowne is found stabbed to death. That brings out DCI Andrew Mitchem, Cara’s sometime swain. He’s been away on police business in Europe, so they haven’t seen each other in a while. Meanwhile, Aunt Izzy, convinced that Thomas was murdered too, asks Cara to help her investigate. Mitchem’s tight-lipped about the case but happy to receive Cara’s information while keeping an eye on her safety as she gets closer to the truth.

Quirky characters and a small but lively group of suspects make for an entertaining mystery.