The Expectant Detectives ('Cosy crime at its finest!' - Janice Hallett, author of The Appeal) - Kat Ailes

Motherland meets Midsomer Murders in this fresh and funny mystery about a group of soon-to-be mums who turn detective when theres a murder at their antenatal class. Cosy crime at its finest! JANICE HALLETTA sharply witty debut SIMON BRETTThe epitome of fun and witty cosy crime iPAPERFor Alice and her partner Joe, moving to the sleepy Cotswold village of Penton is a chance to embrace country life and prepare for the birth of their unexpected first child. He can take up woodwork; maybe shell learn to make jam. But the rural idyll theyd hoped for doesnt quite pan out when a dead body is discovered at their local antenatal class and they find themselves suspects in a murder investigation.With a cloud of suspicion hanging over the heads of the whole group, Alice sets out to solve the mystery and clear her name, with the help of her troublesome dog, Helen. However, there are more secrets and tensions in the heart of Penton than first meet the eye. Between the discovery of a shady commune up in the woods, the unearthing of a mysterious death years earlier and the near-tragic poisoning of Helen, Alice is soon in way over her head. CAN YOU SOLVE THE MOTHER OF ALL MURDERS?FEATURED IN THE EVENING STANDARDS BOOKS TO WATCH IN 2023 AND THE NEW YORK TIMES NEW MYSTERIES FOR A NEW YEARPraise for The Expectant DetectivesA gloriously smart and witty telling of the darker side of NCT groups - this is really funny with edge HELEN LEDERERA complete triumph. Perfectly plotted, brilliantly observed and just so much fun LAUREN BRAVOA twisty, turny murder mystery guaranteed to satisfy any amateur detectives cravings, with belly laughs big enough to give you stretch marks FIONA LEITCH, author of The Cornish Wedding Murder Kat Ailes nails small town cosy crime in her debut novel. From the first page, I was hooked. I laughed an awful lot; the writing is so clever and funny CHRIS MCDONALD, author of the Stonebridge MysteriesA humorous, remarkably touching debut. Pacy, funny, with just the right undertones of dark EVA VERDE, author of Lives Like Mine