"Set in 1951 around a theatrical circle in Cardigan Bay, this charming cosy crime mystery sees Holly and Ivy’s pre-Christmas plans switch to solving multiple murders."
Following in the snow-print footsteps of Red as any Blood, Sue McCormick’s Sharp as any Thorn is cosy crime at its most charmingly characterful. Set in West Wales in 1951, and narrated by a duo of endearing characters, this second Holly and Ivy murder mystery is also suspenseful, atmospheric, and threaded with engaging observations of time and place.
For context, while Holly (Dame Elspeth Hollanby) is a “a much-loved star of stage and screen” who “turned heads wherever she went”, her devoted dresser Ivy is thoroughly working class. And through Holly, Ivy enjoys experiencing how the other half live. With a foot in both halves, “Isn’t life grand?” she muses.
Having lost her first love at sea, Ivy is looking forward to going home for Christmas to be reunited with her new man, but first the ladies travel to West Wales where Holly is due to be part of a Christmas concert to help out her friend, a legendary actor and writer, before heading to Jamaica.
After a beautifully conjured sense of the grand mansion accommodation, including a mouth-watering feast (“Welsh lamb with all the trimmings and a deep apple pie with thick cream”), the very first concert rehearsal brings news of the death of a young singer. When this turns out to be the result of poisoning and more murders follow, Holly and Ivy defy the investigating inspector to try to crack the case.
Cleverly-paced, and characterfully written, Sharp as any Thorn is sure to offer fans of classic period murder mysteries and contemporary cosy crime a deliciously satisfying read-in-one-sitting experience.
1951 - Dame Elspeth 'Holly' Hollanby and her no-nonsense dresser, Ivy, drive to west Wales to join a star-studded Christmas concert as a favour for a friend. At their very first rehearsal, they learn that a young singer has died - one of a group of talented students known as the Four Canaries. It is soon discovered that she was poisoned, and hers will not be the last murder...
| Primary Genre | Crime and Mystery |
| Recommendations: |
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Closing date: 15/10/2026
1951 - Dame Elspeth 'Holly' Hollanby and her no-nonsense dresser, Ivy, drive to west Wales to join a star-studded Christmas concert as a favour for a friend. At their very first rehearsal, they learn that a young singer has died - one of a group of talented students known as the Four Canaries.
Sharp as any Thorn features in the following genres: eBooks of the Month, Crime and Mystery, Fiction
Ebook, Paperback. £9.89, down from the £10.99 cover price. In Stock.
Sharp as any Thorn was written by Sue McCormick and published by Honno Press
Sharp as any Thorn has 1 pages
£9.89, reduced from £10.99. In Stock.
