The premise of British cosy crime has always been a kind of covenant: however dark the deed, the setting will be beautiful, the detective will be sharp and overlooked, and the satisfying solution will be delivered before the last page. These four keep that promise. Across a theatrical 1950s Brighton, a clifftop, an abbey hotel and a village where paradise turns out to conceal the usual human appetites, the crime may be real, but the pleasure is guaranteed.
Elly Griffiths, The Zig Zag Girl – DI Edgar Stephens and magician Max Mephisto investigate a murder that mirrors a wartime illusion neither has forgotten.
Claire Chase, Mystery at the Abbey Hotel – Obituary writer Eve Mallow's relaxing weekend turns dangerous when her glamorous hostess is found dead in the woods.
Ann Cleeves, Murder in Paradise – Retired birdwatcher George Palmer-Jones suspects the worst when a young woman's death disrupts island celebrations on Kinness.
Betty Rowlands, Murder on the Clifftops – Melissa Craig's French artists' retreat is shattered when a body below the cliffs reveals a killer among the guests.
