Jessie: Looking at patches of snow in the shady parts of the backyard.
On Halloween, in addition to handing out a wide variety of sugary treats, it was my very great pleasure to celebrate the release of my latest mystery, Murder in an English Village. It was exactly the sort of book I have always enjoyed reading. I think the title says it all. It features a pair of amateur sleuths, an American adventuress named Beryl and an English proper spinster named Edwina. There is even a little dog named Crumpet to keep them both company.
In it I was able to create just the sort of village I enjoy reading about in the works of Agatha Christie, M. C. Beaton or even our own delightful Dorothy Cannell. I had the pleasure of dreaming up a fabulous motorcar, a beautiful but shabby garden and even a tea room. The entire process was enormous fun. It was a lot like taking a time traveling vacation.
Fortunately for me, the book is the first in a series. I recently turned in the second one and have now started in on planning the third. For those of you who enjoy lighthearted romps through the English countryside and placid villages with sinister doings lurking just beneath the surface, I invite you to leave a comment telling me about your favorite sort of mystery novel, or your favorite historical time period. I will give away a hardcover copy of the book to a randomly chosen commenter.
Kait Carson
Charlene D’Avanzo 
Love this era and this style of cozy mystery. Will be on the lookout for this in Sherman’s books!
Halfway through and absolutely love it!
I love village mysteries, especially set in England. This has extra meaning for me, since my mother is from a small village in Norfolk! I love the 1920s – 1940s in historical fiction.
On my TBR list.
Congratulations, Jessie! I love this book.
Oh I do love an English village mystery!
Cozy mysteries are my favorite, and I enjoy reading about any time period. Bonus points for English settings though! mbradeen@yahoo.com
I love stories set in English villages in general and mysteries in particular. Recently I’ve been reading a lot of long, complex, grim mystery novels. I am so ready for a change! One of my favorite series is the Brother Cadfael mysteries. I love the setting, the history, and there’s a gentleness and underlying positivity to them that I find very appealing.
My kind of book. I just put it on my TBR list.
I have family ties to the English countryside so that setting always appeals to me. I enjoy your characters that bring a sparkle to the eye and sometimes make me laugh out loud. Congratulations. Loved this book.