TYPORAMA
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A MURDER FOR MISS HORTENSE is an excellent entry for Jamaican storytelling in the mystery space.
As a Jamaican-American, I can attest to the genuine excitement I had for this unique twist on a cozy mystery and those who aren’t familiar will have a fun time learning what this culture is all about!
PRAISE FOR A MURDER FOR MISS HORTENSE:
“Packed with cleverness and warmth, with an expertly plotted mystery spanning decades, you do not want to miss the unique wit and resourcefulness of Miss Hortense. This book delivers that magical combination of unforgettable characters, community, and heart, and I could not put it down.” —Kristen Perrin, author of How To Solve Your Own Murder
“I really enjoyed this! Funny, clever, and so entertaining. I’m looking forward to the sequel.” —Jessica George, New York Times bestselling author of Maame
“I wouldn’t mess with Miss Hortense, but I would trust her with my life. Who else is as good at making a black cake as solving a murder? What a wonderful, original crime novel.” —Louise Hare, author of Miss Aldridge Regrets
“A clever, funny, and suspenseful debut with unforgettable characters that anyone from a Caribbean family will recognize—unique, compulsive, and laugh-out-loud brilliant! Miss Hortense is a brilliant addition to crime fiction.” —Nadine Matheson, author of The Jigsaw Man
“Mel Pennant’s debut, A Murder for Miss Hortense, is not only an expertly plotted, page-turning mystery, it’s also a vibrant tribute to a particular kind of woman who will not let injustice rest.” —Jessica Bull, author of the Miss Austen Investigates series
“If this delightful murder mystery is anything to go by, then the formidable Miss Hortense will be your new favorite literary sleuth! Fresh, original and intriguing from start to finish!” —Janice Hallett, bestselling author of The Examiner and The Appeal
“Miss Hortense is sharper than Poirot, tougher than Vera, and a better cook than Columbo! It’s Murder She Wrote as you’ve never seen it before.” —Sir Lenny Henry
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ABOUT A MURDER FOR MISS HORTENSE:
Miss Hortense is a retired British-Jamaican nurse in the fictional town of Bigglesweigh, England, where she has resided for 35 years after emigrating from Jamaica in 1960.
She is your quintessential grandma who loves to bake and garden but also solves mysteries.
Miss Hortense first got involved in sleuthing as the leader of the Pardner Network, a group of Black elders focused on investing back into the community through funding local businesses and later turned to solving crimes as the local police were not willing to take on the cases in their predominantly Black neighborhood.
Cut to the late 90s where Miss Hortense is no longer the leader of the Pardner network as her frenemy and current network leader Miss Constance suddenly passes away. Soon other members of the network start dying under mysterious circumstances and it’s up to Miss Hortense, her best friend Blossom and her police officer nephew Gregory to help solve the case before they end up next.
Our gorgeous cover (attached) features Miss Hortense walking on twelve dominos or “bones” referencing the 12 cases the network has taken on with Bone 12 being their only unsolved case.
Bone 12 is what ultimately pulls Miss Hortense back into crime solving. You’ll find this group in high-speed car chases, sneaking into the local church at midnight and getting clues from gossip overheard at the hair salon.
These are fearless, take no nonsense characters who also like to enjoy a cup of tea and a gizzada. This is a debut and the first book in a series.
This book fits nicely into the trend of older adults solving crimes, as seen in the Star Tribune article (linked above), with books like Richard Osmond’s Thursday Murder Club and Pantheon’s own Alexander McCall Smith.
It also has a cultural bent of titles like Mia Mansala’s Arsenic and Adobo and Jesse Q. Sutanto’s Dial A for Aunties.
The rise of British-Caribbean narratives across genres is prevalent here like in Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson (Read with Jenna Pick + Hulu Show) The Fraud by Zadie Smith (NYT Bestseller) and If I Survive You by Jonathan Escoffery (Shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize).
A Murder for Miss Hortense is a great entry for Jamaican storytelling in the mystery space.
The Patois dialogue and atmospheric descriptions of food and traditions are essential to the story.
As a Jamaican-American, I can attest to the excitement I felt when I saw names of my friends, cousins, aunts and uncles in this story as well as the food and language I grew up with in a such a thrilling read.
And those who aren’t familiar will have a fun time learning what this culture is all about.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Mel Pennant is a playwright, screenwriter and novelist. She graduated in 2014 with an MA in Screenwriting from the London College of Communication.
In 2013, she won the Brockley Jack Write Now 4 award with her play, No Rhyme, and was involved with the Tamasha Theatre Company--writing for the Barbican Box.
Mel has written audio plays with Tamasha and the National Archives and, in 2018, she was awarded a place on the Hachette X Tamasha scheme for aspiring playwright novelists.
A Murder for Miss Hortense is her debut novel and the second book in the series is under contract.
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Adding to your TBR?
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping - enjoy the book if you read it.
I’ll watch Netgalley for this one
ReplyDeleteI hope you can get it.
DeleteThanks for your comment, Mystica.