"A vicious master, a cruel injustice, and a long-held secret…
After travelling to the notoriously haunted Crowswood Castle to recover from illness, Cambridge student Vita Carew finds herself at the centre of a ghostly unsolved mystery.
As renovations on the ancient castle near completion, old secrets emerge, and Vita must decipher the meaning of a hidden message in an old painting of the deceased previous mistress of the house. When workmen unearth human remains in the castle grounds, Vita finds herself piecing together the clues to a chilling decades-old mystery.
Armed with her sharp intellect and keen eye for detail, can Vita unravel the truth behind the killing at Crowswood Castle and bring justice to the long-forgotten victim?
Fran Smith’s gripping fifth installment of the Vita Carew Mysteries series will have readers enthralled until the very last page."
"A professor's dismissal, a boxer's death, and a widow's secrets. Can Vita Carew solve the mystery?
In 1903 England, Vita Carew's dreams of studying at Cambridge are shattered by a dismissive professor. But Vita’s intellect proves invaluable after her brother and a visiting American boxer take part in an ultimately lethal boxing match. Vita’s brother is gravely injured and the boxer dies, leaving behind his glamorous wife.
Though the boxer's unexpected death is attributed to the boxing match, Vita has her own suspicions, especially after noticing the similarities between his and her brother’s injuries. But, to prove her theory and uncover the truth, she must first convince the very professor who doubted her abilities.
Can Vita discover what really killed the boxer? And will her sharp mind and determination be enough to solve the case and prevent more tragedy?
In this gripping historical mystery, author Fran Smith weaves a tale of intrigue and suspense that will keep readers guessing until the very end."
"A dazzling diva, a glittering society dinner, and a killer with a terrible grudge…
In Edwardian England, bookish and bespectacled Vita Carew longs to be left to her scientific studies. But she can't avoid the event of the season, a gala at Pemberton Hall. This glamorous concert and sumptuous dinner will mark the Pemberton household’s triumphant return to society after a run of misfortune.
But disaster strikes as soon as the seafood is served. Elegant guests fall ill on all sides and, whilst administering first aid as best she can, amateur sleuth Vita suspects foul play. When the Pemberton’s governess is found dead the next day, Vita’s suspicions double—could Miss Hartley’s death have been covered up to avoid interrupting the carefully planned soirée?
Vita must probe dark secrets behind Pemberton Hall’s elegant veneer to discover who is to blame. But can she do so before the killer strikes again?
Poison at Pemberton Hall is the intriguing first novel in Fran Smith’s Vita Carew Mysteries, perfect for readers who love stylish mysteries and feisty female sleuths."
"A dazzling diva. A glittering society dinner. A servant with a terrible grudge.
1903. Bookish, bespectacled Vita Carew longs to be left to her scientific studies. But, to her chagrin, she cannot avoid the event of the season, a gala at Pemberton Hall. This glamorous concert and sumptuous dinner will mark the Pemberton household’s return to society after a run of misfortune.
But disaster strikes as soon as the seafood is served. Vita can only offer first aid as elegant guests fall suddenly ill on all sides. Worse still, she suspects a death has been covered up to avoid interrupting the carefully planned soirée.
Vita must probe dark secrets behind the country house’s elegant veneer to work out who is to blame. But can she do so in time to prevent the poisoner from striking again?
If you enjoy a stylish mystery with your Downton Abbey, dip into Poison at Pemberton Hall today."
"Prayer and ingenuity have kept the remote English convent of St Winifreda in the Fen going for centuries, but now the roof leaks, the bell tower is crumbling and rats have moved in. The Bishop’s accountant wants to send the retired sisters to a home, disperse the working nuns, pull down the buildings and sell the land off as a car park. But he has reckoned without the unstoppable force that is Reverend Mother Elizabeth. With her team of ex-offenders, migrant workers and passing strangers, she plans not just to save, but also to renew, restore and revivify the sisterhood. The gentle, witty letters of Sister Boniface, who, as newly-appointed convent shopkeeper, has a big role to play in this challenge, chart a year of the sisters’ struggle as they get to grips with the harsh realities of the 21st century armed mainly with kindness and home baked biscuits."
"We all hope for dying well and living fully until we do. The truth is that we don’t have a choice about whether or not we’re going to die but sometimes we have a choice about whether our dying is going to be easier or harder. Hospice is about treating people rather than treating disease. It looks beyond the physical suffering and includes the whole family."
Join our community for the latest bookish news, reading recommendations, exclusive opening extracts, author events and competitions. It\'s all free. And enter a monthly draw to win a £50 Gift Card. See past winners here
