A Bookish Disappearance: a gripping English cozy mystery full of twists (The Chiltern Hills Mysteries Book 7)
By Anthea Fraser
Cozy up with a cup of tea and discover an utterly irresistible mystery, set amid England’s picture-perfect Chiltern Hills.
Meet Rona Parish, a feisty biographer with a talent for digging up murder and mystery wherever she goes — and Gus, the adorable Golden Retriever trotting loyally at her heels!
There’s nothing so worrisome as a wayward sister. Rona knows that from bitter experience, and many a sleepless night . . .
When she gets a call from the sister of artist Elspeth Wilding — begging her to investigate Elspeth’s sudden disappearance — Rona can’t help but be drawn in.
Headstrong Elspeth’s always been a law unto herself. Now she’s vanished from her remote cottage, leaving her latest masterpiece half-finished on the easel — and her sister desperate for answers.
But not everyone is sorry Elspeth’s gone. Elspeth drove her best — and only — friend to throw herself under a train. No one seems to have a good word to say about the missing woman.
When a dead body is found in Elspeth’s abandoned studio, a disturbing new picture begins to emerge.
Can Rona get to the bottom of it all — before the killer returns to add the final brushstroke?
Fans of Faith Martin, M.C. Beaton, Richard Osman, the Reverend Richard Coles and Betty Rowlands are sure to be enchanted by these charming mysteries, set in the beautiful Chiltern Hills.
Please note, this book was previously published as Unfinished Portrait.
Readers ADORE the Chiltern Hills Mysteries:
‘A classic British cozy.’ Booklist
‘A decent puzzler with surprises popping up at respectable intervals.’ Kirkus Reviews
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Rona is completely lovable!’ Mia, Goodreads
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘One of those books that I couldn’t put down but didn’t want to finish.’ Ruth, Goodreads
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Fraser has a knack of pulling the reader into the world she has created . . . absolutely compelling.’ Amazon reader
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Intricate and so well-constructed . . . a perfect candidate for a long binge or a buddy read.’ Annie, Goodreads
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A twisty story that kept me guessing and surprised me often.’ Annarella, Amazon
MEET THE SLEUTH
Spirited Rona Parish may be happily married — to handsome but noisy illustrator Max — but she won’t give up her independence. To her parents’ dismay, Rona still goes by her maiden name and insists on her own unconventional way of living. Max vacates the couple’s townhouse on weekdays, allowing Rona to write, and sleuth, in peace — without any distractions. Unless you count Gus, her bouncy and devoted golden retriever — and the occasional visit from Rona’s chaotic twin sister, Lindsey.
THE SETTING
Sophisticated Rona loves travel and the occasional jaunt to London. But Marsborough, the town where she was born, is the home she’ll always return to. Somewhere betwixt London and Oxford, nestled in the rolling green Chiltern Hills, Rona knows every street in this market town off by heart. Or so she thinks . . . because there’s far more to sleepy little Marsborough than meets the eye.
Cozy up with a cup of tea and discover an utterly irresistible mystery, set amid England’s picture-perfect Chiltern Hills.
Meet Rona Parish, a feisty biographer with a talent for digging up murder and mystery wherever she goes — and Gus, the adorable Golden Retriever trotting loyally at her heels!
There’s nothing so worrisome as a wayward sister. Rona knows that from bitter experience, and many a sleepless night . . .
When she gets a call from the sister of artist Elspeth Wilding — begging her to investigate Elspeth’s sudden disappearance — Rona can’t help but be drawn in.
Headstrong Elspeth’s always been a law unto herself. Now she’s vanished from her remote cottage, leaving her latest masterpiece half-finished on the easel — and her sister desperate for answers.
But not everyone is sorry Elspeth’s gone. Elspeth drove her best — and only — friend to throw herself under a train. No one seems to have a good word to say about the missing woman.
When a dead body is found in Elspeth’s abandoned studio, a disturbing new picture begins to emerge.
Can Rona get to the bottom of it all — before the killer returns to add the final brushstroke?
Fans of Faith Martin, M.C. Beaton, Richard Osman, the Reverend Richard Coles and Betty Rowlands are sure to be enchanted by these charming mysteries, set in the beautiful Chiltern Hills.
Please note, this book was previously published as Unfinished Portrait.
Readers ADORE the Chiltern Hills Mysteries:
‘A classic British cozy.’ Booklist
‘A decent puzzler with surprises popping up at respectable intervals.’ Kirkus Reviews
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Rona is completely lovable!’ Mia, Goodreads
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘One of those books that I couldn’t put down but didn’t want to finish.’ Ruth, Goodreads
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Fraser has a knack of pulling the reader into the world she has created . . . absolutely compelling.’ Amazon reader
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Intricate and so well-constructed . . . a perfect candidate for a long binge or a buddy read.’ Annie, Goodreads
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A twisty story that kept me guessing and surprised me often.’ Annarella, Amazon
MEET THE SLEUTH
Spirited Rona Parish may be happily married — to handsome but noisy illustrator Max — but she won’t give up her independence. To her parents’ dismay, Rona still goes by her maiden name and insists on her own unconventional way of living. Max vacates the couple’s townhouse on weekdays, allowing Rona to write, and sleuth, in peace — without any distractions. Unless you count Gus, her bouncy and devoted golden retriever — and the occasional visit from Rona’s chaotic twin sister, Lindsey.
THE SETTING
Sophisticated Rona loves travel and the occasional jaunt to London. But Marsborough, the town where she was born, is the home she’ll always return to. Somewhere betwixt London and Oxford, nestled in the rolling green Chiltern Hills, Rona knows every street in this market town off by heart. Or so she thinks . . . because there’s far more to sleepy little Marsborough than meets the eye.