"The Summer of 1991
Nothing unusual ever happens in the sleepy village of Willowgrove.
Which is why everyone is shocked to their core when a local woman – Mrs Trevor – is murdered.
Her daughter, Rosie confesses to the crime.
But Rosie has learning difficulties, and Flora Morgan – a former headteacher trained to help those who can’t represent themselves – is called in to assist.
Flora has known Rosie for years. And Rosie wouldn’t hurt a fly.
So what made her confess? Why would she lie?And if she didn’t kill Mrs Trevor, who did…?
Flora must get to the heart of the mystery before innocence is proven guilty …
FALSE ACCUSATIONS is the first in a new cozy mystery series by acclaimed author Cora Harrison - a private investigation featuring a woman sleuth set in a traditional British rural village. "
My Thoughts:
False Accusations was an enjoyable beginning to a cozy mystery series that I'm looking forward to reading more of. I've had this author and her books on my radar for awhile now so I basically jumped at the chance to read this one. What made this book unique was the set up where Flora is a former schoolteacher but has now taken on the role of assisting and helping those individuals who cannot represent themselves with the law. This actually gave her a valid role in investigating this mystery as she was looking out for her charge Rosie's best interests. The entire time that Flora was investigating and trying to prove Rosie's innocence, I had these questions in the back of my mind to if Rosie really had done it. There were these certain moments where she acted so guilty that I didn't know how Flora would ever be able to prove that she didn't kill her own mother. It really turned into a suspenseful read for me. My favorite parts of the book though featured Flora's dog (whose name now escapes me). He was an energetic German Shepard that she was trying to teach obedience too unsuccessfully. We actually have a female German Shepard who isn't quite two yet but has very similar characteristics. I just found those parts relatable and endearing to read about. The mystery portion was done well and I found myself surprised by the ending. What more can you really ask for?
Overall, this was a good beginning to this new cozy mystery series. I definitely plan on reading more! It was suspenseful and had me guessing for the majority of the book. I did find it a bit on the slower side at times but for the most part that didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book. I would think that fans of cozy mysteries and mysteries in general will enjoy this book. I kind of want to compare if to M.C. Beaton's Agatha Raisin series (which reminds me of yet another series that I need to get back to and read more of). Recommended!
Bottom Line: A solid start to a new cozy mystery series that I will be following!
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher. Thoughts are my own.
I've known of this author too and haven't yet read any of her books. I like the sound of this one and getting in at the start of a series is big bonus. Thanks for featuring it! I'll look for it at my library.
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