Welcome to the sleepy village of Pudding Corner, a quintessentially English haven of golden cornfields, winding cobbled lanes … and murder.

Daphne Brewster has left London behind and is settling into her family’s new life in rural Norfolk, planting broad beans in raised beds and vintage hunting for their farmhouse.

But when the local headmaster is found dead in his potting shed, amongst his allotment cabbages, the village is ablaze: Who would kill beloved Mr Papplewick, pillar of the community? Daphne soon comes to realise perhaps the countryside isn’t so idyllic after all…

When the headmaster’s widow points her finger at Minerva, Daphne’s new friend, Daphne vows to clear her name. Sneaking into the crime scene and chasing down rumours gets her into hot water with the local inspector – until she comes across a faded photograph that unearths a secret buried for forty years…

They say nothing bad ever happens in close-knit Pudding Corner, but Daphne is close to the truth – dangerously close…

There’s death amongst the dahlias… A truly unputdownable whodunnit by Paula Sutton – otherwise known as Instagram’s happiest influencer: Hill House Vintage, the queen of cottagecore – an unforgettable new voice in cosy crime. Perfect for fans of Richard Osman, Janice Hallett and Richard Coles.

My Review

I don’t read a lot of cosy crime – I am usually attracted to more gritty and gruesome murder mysteries. That’s probably why I love a good Scandi Noir. Or Silent Witness. But The Potting Shed Murder was very entertaining and I really enjoyed reading it with my online book club over ten days.

Daphne Brewster, her husband and three children have upped sticks and left London for the peaceful Norfolk countryside. At least that was the plan. They have moved into a gorgeous house called Cranberry Farmhouse, in the beautiful village of Pudding Corner (I keep thinking of The House at Pooh Corner) and plan to grow their own, while Daphne restores old furniture. The kids have made friends, including Silvanus, who lives with his mum Minerva in what the locals believe to be a den of iniquity, where Wiccans and witches cast spells and no doubt dance around in the altogether.

But they have hardly been there more than a few weeks, when local headmaster Charles Papplewick is found dead in his potting shed. Was he murdered or did he simply have a massive heart attack? And why would anyone kill him? Everyone loved him, didn’t they?

Fingers are pointed at three women. His wife arch-bitch Augusta, snobby Marianne who wanted him to help get her son into a prestigious private school, and Minerva, with whom he has a secret relationship. But then there’s also Patsy from the local shop, whose sister Nancy has always believed she’s been holding a candle for him for over forty years.

There’s plenty of motive, means and opportunity, but surely none of these women would actually want to bump him off. Or would they? I enjoyed finding out.

Many thanks to The Pigeonhole, the author, and my fellow Pigeons for making this such an enjoyable read.

About the Author

Paula Sutton is the face behind Hill House Vintage, with over half-a-million Instagram followers. Named by British Vogue as the ‘happiest influencer on Instagram’, Paula is a vintage-hunting interiors stylist, author, columnist and television personality showcasing her wonderful cottage-core and cosy Norfolk life through a lens. Paula upped and left her glamorous London life – where she worked in fashion publishing – over ten years ago to move to Hill House in Norfolk with her family. Since then, Paula has curated a beautiful country home, mixing new with vintage, to find her perfect aesthetic, and is the creator of the popular blog, Hill House Vintage.