Ann Purser
Welcome
Here in the heart of England, in one of the old hunting shires, our small, idyllic village is listed for conservation protection and is a much desired location. We still have a church, shop garage, and school, which is very rare these days, and we know how lucky we are!
Peaceful, tranquil life, you might think? For some, maybe. But villages can be hotbeds of intrigue, violent feuds and dangerous gossips, all of it fermenting away under the surface. A perfect setting, then, for my feisty detective, Lois, to indulge her love of snooping, as well as running an efficient cleaning service.
'New Brooms, We Sweep Cleaner!' is Lois's motto, though not everyone knows that in reluctant association with her loyal admirer, Inspector Hunter Cowgill, she aims to sweep away crime along with the dust from her locality.
Lois forbids gossip amongst her team, but should any of them spot suspicious goings-on in houses they are cleaning, then naturally it is their duty to report it to the boss. It is, after all, quite usual for a beady-eyed cleaner to take a glance at correspondence and confidential papers left lying around by a trusting householder. And telephone conversations are always worth a surreptitious listening ear ....
With all the days of the week complete, from Murder on Monday to Sorrow on Sunday, I am now embarking on a new series. Lois Meade and family will still be there, as will many of the same village characters, but with new plots and new incomers to stir up the mix. The first of the new series is Warning at One, to be published in November 2008, by Berkley Prime Crime.