The Blackwoods Farm Enquiry by Ann Purser: Guest Author/Giveaway

“Roy! Listen to this! You know that woman who said she would help me with my memoirs? Ann Purser was her name, I am sure. Well, believe it or not, she has written several books about us.”

“Us?” said Roy. “Are you sure?”

“Yes, look here in the computer. I got here by accident, and here it is. A blog, whatever that means. And here, look! She says she`s also written a lot of books about Lois Meade! Wasn`t she that woman who lived over in Long Farnden and had something to do with me when I lived in Round Ringford? Lois Meade. And had a daughter who ran the village shop. Well, if you ask me, I would say that`s a real cheek. What shall we do about it?”

Roy sighed. He was very happily enjoying married life with Ivy Beasley, and could do without a court case for plagiarism or similar.   

“Ivy, dear. I expect it is a mistake, so I shouldn`t worry about it. We have quite enough to do investigating our next assignment.”

“Well, there`s a lot here about Ann Purser, because she`s apparently written a book about that murder up at Blackwoods Farm. It took quite a bit of solving that one. It`d be interesting to know what she thinks of it. I suppose this stuff here is what they call a plug? Obviously one who likes the limelight, is Ann Purser. I shall write to her, Roy, and give her a piece of my mind. I might also get in touch with Lois Meade, and see if she feels the same as me.”

“Let me look. Oh, yes, there`s a photo of her, peeling a lemon or an onion, or some such. She looks quite nice and smiley, Ivy. Why don`t we write to her and make a contact? She could send us a blog or a pig in a fog.”

“Roy dear, you`re a poet and don`t know it! Oh, and here`s something about her first series. Not crime at all, but village stories. Village called Round Ringford. Hey! That’s where I used to live! Born and bred there. I let Deirdre persuade me to come and settle here in Suffolk.”

“Just think, Ivy, if it hadn`t been for lovely Deirdre, we might never have met, nor set up an enquiry agency called Enquire Within. And now we are a foursome, with Augustus Halfhide.

Goodness, how the time has flown since I met you, beloved! Many a murder or crime we have solved, with the occasional help from Inspector Frobisher.

“Well, I can hear our gaoler banging the gong for tea.”

“But Ivy, listen to this. She says the one person who has appeared in all three series is …. Miss Ivy Beasley. We must send her a message telling her you are now Mrs Ivy Goodman. I think she might possibly be interested to hear that we crept off and got married in a registry office. No fuss, no expense, but a night of torrid rumpy pumpy in a hotel.”

“Supposing she has other ideas?”

“We`ll refuse to appear in any more Ivy Beasley mysteries, that`s what.”

“I suppose we had better look up her website. Here, write it down: annpurser@btinternet.com

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Blurb: Retiree Ivy Beasley, a college student? Interested in penning her memoirs, Ivy decides to take a creative writing course. But it’s hard to find time to put pen to paper when this current chapter is so full of lies, jealousy and murder….

Rumors are flying around the village of Barrington about Mrs. Winchen Blatch, a reclusive widow living alone in her old farmhouse. In the past few weeks, the widow claims she has been tormented by ghostly visitations, so she hires Ivy and her fellow investigators at Enquire Within to get to the bottom of the mystery. Ivy’s new classes are very close to the widow’s farmhouse, perfect for combining studying and snooping….

With each new clue—a dark chamber, a smoking cigar and an amorous lodger—it becomes harder to separate fact from fiction. And when the ghost is revealed to be flesh and blood, the lonely widow may be in more trouble than Ivy and her team can handle….

Giveaway: Leave a comment (don't forget your email address!) by noon eastern on Wednesday, April 9th for a chance to win a copy of The Blackwoods Farm Enquiry. US entries only please.