Book 1 in The Marquess of Mortiforde Mystery series
Book Description
A village flower competition. A falling hanging basket. A very inconvenient corpse.
When the mayor of Mortiforde is killed by a falling hanging basket during the annual Borders in Blossom competition, it appears to be a tragic case of over-enthusiastic watering.
But the new Marquess of Mortiforde isn’t so sure.
For fifteen consecutive years, the rival English towns of Mortiforde and Portley Ridge have battled to win the coveted floral crown. Portley Ridge is determined to secure their fifteenth straight victory — whatever it takes.
Then, overnight, a mysterious band of guerrilla gardeners carpet-bomb Mortiforde with spectacular horticultural displays, threatening Portley Ridge’s chances and triggering a chain reaction of floral retaliation–and another dead body. Suddenly, Lord Mortiforde has far more suspects than he bargained for.
He may be new to the job, but Lord Mortiforde knows that in these charming English towns, everyone has something to hide… and some secrets are worth killing for.
If you love British cozy mysteries filled with quirky characters, gentle humour, and twisty whodunits, you’ll adore Blooming Murder.
✔ A quintessential English village setting
✔ An amateur sleuth with wit and curiosity
✔ Eccentric suspects and sharp dialogue
✔ A clever, satisfying mystery
✔ First in a delightful cozy mystery series
Perfect for fans of Richard Osman, M.C. Beaton, and the twisty village mysteries of Midsomer Murders.
Can Lord Mortiforde uncover the truth before the killer plants the next deadly surprise?
Start reading the first Marquess of Mortiforde mystery today.
“Blooming Murder reads like a mix of Father Brown and Rosemary & Thyme with the humor of Monty Python. The sheer amount of floral puns and innuendo propagated throughout had me laughing helplessly and marveling at the author’s cleverness and audacity!” ~ PuzzlePaws
“Simon Whaley’s Blooming Murder is a terrific cosy mystery perfect for Agatha Raisin fans. Full of eccentric characters, bucolic mayhem and mischief and village shenanigans, Blooming Murder is a fun, witty and entertaining mystery peppered with humour, intrigue and nail-biting suspense.” ~ Bookish Jottings
Book Details
eBook ISBN: 9781838078690
Paperback ISBN: 9781838078683
Publication Date: 25th May 2021
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“For fans of M.C. Beaton: Aldermaston, the Marquess of Mortiforde, is eager to oversee the local flower competition. But when a hanging basket takes out the mayor and guerilla gardeners pop up overnight, Aldermaston will have to solve the case — before he’s the one pushing up daisies!”
BookBub
Reviews from the 4th to 12th July 2021 Blog Tour
Here’s what happened on the Blooming Murder blog tour …
“My god, did I enjoy this novel. I like a cheeky cozy crime at times and I read the synopsis and thought, I have to get myself some of that. But it far exceeded my expectations.
Blooming Murder is, essentially, what would happen if Gardener’s World had an illicit love child by Midsomer Murders via the work of Tom Sharpe. And it’s all the better for it.”
PAJ Newman
“This is one of the best books I have read for a long time and is one which would make a marvellous television series. With devilish and hilarious goings on amongst the blooms, it is jam-packed full of wonderful and very likeable eccentric characters with a deliciously wicked streak of humour running through it. I loved every page and laughed my socks off at some bits. I can’t wait to read book two. 5*”
The Word is Out Now
“With its distinctive characters and quirky humour, this cosy mystery is absorbing and addictive.
The amateur detective is likeable with a kind and intelligent personality that shines through. Exuberant characters remain credible, and the plot is full of suspects and twists that keep the reader guessing. It’s a quintessential English cosy mystery despite being set on the Welsh borders and will appeal to anyone who enjoys a laugh whilst trying to work out whodunnit?”
Jane Hunt Books
“The writing is addicting. I had trouble putting this one down and it was easy to be hooked. I really enjoyed the writing.
The characters are excellent and I loved the bits of humor that the dialog and actions added. It kept this cosy and fun, which is why I enjoy this genre.”
Jessica Belmont
“I loved this book and laughed such a lot at the going-ons in the village. A brilliant tale of jealousy, revenge and green fingered criminality.
I can not wait until the next book.”
The Divine Write
Whoever said that life was quiet in the countryside has clearly never been to Mortiforde! Simon Whaley’s Blooming Murder is a terrific cosy mystery perfect for Agatha Raisin fans. Full of eccentric characters, bucolic mayhem and mischief and village shenanigans, Blooming Murder is a fun, witty and entertaining mystery peppered with humour, intrigue and nail-biting suspense.
An entertaining cosy mystery readers will devour in one sitting, I cannot wait to read further installments of the Marquess of Mortiforde series.
Bookish Jottings
“Whaley’s writing style is straight-forward and hooks you instantly, and his plot builds steadily from there.
Blooming Murder is a charming, engaging novel.”
Bibliotica
Read my interview on the Books, Life and Everything blog.
Read my interview on the R E Loten blog.
Blooming Murder reads like a mix of Father Brown and Rosemary & Thyme with the humor of Monty Python. The sheer amount of floral puns and innuendo propagated throughout had me laughing helplessly and marveling at the author’s cleverness and audacity!
PuzzlePaws
If you’re looking for a funny, cosy mystery with a cracking pace, you’ve come to the right place. Quintessentially British humour is in abundance here, as are the blooms … and the dead bodies.
Now, the characters’ names might be tongue-twisters, but they perfectly sum up the vibe of this story – think of it as a mash-up of Carry On films, The Darling Buds of May and an Agatha Christie mystery and you’ll be primed for the Borders in Blossom competition where innuendo and double entendres are in full bloom.
Just4mybooks
To me, this came across Midsummer Murders meets a Carry On film!
curledupwithagoodbook
The story has a lot of twists and turns to keep you guessing who the culprit is and the characters are so quirky they made me laugh a lot.
Furthermore, it’s written so greatly it kept me turning pages.
A funny and entertaining cozy mystery!
The Magic of Wor(l)ds
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it is a piece of ridiculous, riotous fun. If you are a fan of Midsomer Murders, with its pretty settings, eccentric characters and bizarre and convoluted murders, you will absolutely love this novel.
a little bookproblem
“There are echoes of Agatha Raisin but the author’s style of writing and characters are very original and I loved them.”
scrapping and playing