Review: Found Guilty at Five by Ann Purser

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Berkley Hardcover (Dec 4 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425252825
• ISBN-13: 978-0425252826

Book Description

She’s had her hands full sorting out both clues and clutter in the village of Long Farnden.  But a mother’s work is never done, and Lois Meade is discovering detective work is both dirty and dangerous…

A wedding is always a happy occasion, even if Lois Meade must remind herself she isn’t losing a daughter, but gaining a policeman.  Her new son-in-law is in the Tresham force—and happens to be Inspector Cowgill’s nephew—so now Lois has another link to the law.

But when her youngest son invites a mysterious woman, Akiko, as a guest, Lois wonders why she refuses to talk about her past.  And when a thief waltzes off with the young woman’s cello, Lois enlists the inspector’s help to find the valuable instrument.

When Akiko herself goes missing, Lois discovers that this could be another in a string of murderous musical thefts. Now she must pull out all the stops to find the girl and protect her son…before the music stops permanently…


About the Author

 Ann Purser was born in Market Harborough in Leicestershire and has lived most of her life in villages. She has turned her hand to many things, including journalism (as a columnist for SHE magazine), keeper of hens and donkeys, art gallery manager, clerical assistant in a village school, Open University graduate, novelist, mother of three, wife of Philip Purser, critic and writer. She is an avid reader of detective stories.

My Review

 Every mystery reader needs an English mystery series to follow.  Ann Purser's series featuring Lois Meade is mine.  Why do English bad guys always seem so more sinister? I think it must have to do with reading Enid Blyton's books as a child.

Lois's son Jamie has become involved with a young Japanese cellist Akiko.  Akiko's father is a wealthy Japanese industrialist who has a sinister man as his assistant. This assistant is holding something over him and Akiko is right to feel uneasy in his company.

Inspector Cowgill is now a member of the family what with his nephew marrying Lois's daughter Josie.

There is plenty of action to keep the reader interesting. I am getting a little tired over the overuse of the word: ferritin'. Other than that, this series is always a delight to read.