Murder by the Minster

Synopsis

A BRAND NEW COSY MYSTERY SERIES SET IN THE PICTURESQUE CITY OF YORK. FOR FANS OF FAITH MARTIN, BETTY ROWLANDS AND LJ ROSS.

Meet Kitt Hartley: librarian, trilby-wearer, Lady Grey tea-drinker, taker of no nonsense... detective?

It's a perfectly normal day for Kitt Hartley at her job at the University of the Vale of York library, until Detective Inspector Halloran arrives at her desk to tell her that her best friend, Evie Bowes, is under suspicion of murder. Evie's ex-boyfriend Owen has been found dead - with a fountain pen stabbed through his heart - and all the evidence points to her.

Kitt knows there is no way Evie could murder anyone - let alone Owen, who she adored. Horrified that the police could have got it so wrong, Kitt decides there's only one thing to do: she's going to investigate Owen's murder herself. She's read hundreds of mystery novels - how hard can it be?

With the help of her assistant Grace, and the occasional hindrance of the library's eccentric regulars, Kitt summons up all her investigative powers (absorbed over years of reading everything from Agatha Christie to Ian Rankin) and gets to work.

She soon discovers that down the quaint streets and snickelways of York lie darker doings than she'd ever dreamed, but she needs to watch her step: the murderer is watching her. And they haven't finished killing yet...

Summary

Chapter 1: A Deadly Discovery

* A body is found in the shadow of York Minster, the iconic cathedral of York, England.
* The victim is identified as Reverend Michael Ainsworth, the rector of the Minster.
* Detective Inspector Michael Thackeray is assigned the murder investigation.

Chapter 2: A Complex Investigation

* Thackeray interviews witnesses and examines the scene, uncovering a complex web of relationships within the Minster community.
* He learns of the victim's involvement in a controversial campaign to restore the Minster's historic organ.
* Suspicions fall on the church's organist, Dr. James Lancaster, who opposed the restoration project.

Chapter 3: Motives and Secrets

* Thackeray investigates Lancaster's background, revealing a history of financial difficulties.
* He discovers that Lancaster had a romantic relationship with Sarah Jenkins, a member of the Minster choir.
* Sarah's husband, Paul, becomes a prime suspect due to his jealousy and financial worries.

Chapter 4: Uncovering the Truth

* Thackeray unravels a series of lies and omissions from various suspects.
* He realizes that the victim had a secret life, including an affair with a local businesswoman named Heather Maxwell.
* Maxwell confesses to being in love with Ainsworth and having been threatened by Sarah Jenkins.

Chapter 5: A Twist of Fate

* Thackeray finally confronts Sarah Jenkins, who admits to killing Ainsworth in a fit of rage.
* She reveals that she had been pregnant with Ainsworth's child and that he had rejected her.
* Sarah's motive for murder was to protect her husband and the unborn child.

Chapter 6: Justice Served

* Paul Jenkins is cleared of any wrongdoing, while Sarah is arrested and charged with murder.
* The investigation sheds light on the secret lives and complex relationships that unfolded within the hallowed halls of York Minster.
* Thackeray's tenacity and attention to detail ultimately bring justice to the victim and closure to the grieving community.