The Ivy Beasley Mysteries
The Hangman’s Row Enquiry
In the first of a new detective series to be published in May 2010, our old friend Ivy Beasley from Round Ringford days has moved to an old folks` residence in Barrington, a small village in Suffolk. Stroppy and autocratic as ever, she is busy shaping the place up to her standards, when Augustus Halfhide, tall, thin and oddly attractive in a wispy kind of way, moves into Hangman`s Row in the village. He is a mystery, determined to give nothing away about his past, and when he offers to see Ivy home from church one day, it is the beginning of an unlikely and fruitful relationship.
Alongside Ivy, Gus enlists Ivy`s much younger cousin Deirdre, and Ivy`s admirer, Roy Goodman, in setting up a detective agency called Enquire Within. Almost immediately, their first case makes its shocking appearance in the village. Another resident of Hangman`s Row, an old woman known for her sharp tongue and persecution of her hapless daughter Miriam, is found far from well on the floor of her cottage.
Enquire Within is in business!
This first of a series starring Ivy Beasley, can be pre-ordered on Amazon, Amazon UK and Barnes & Noble.
34 Responses to “The Ivy Beasley Mysteries”
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My goodness, Ann. What’s happened to the colours of the cover page! It certainly doesn’t look like that on Amazon or on FantasticFiction. Is that the colour they will use?
Jaden
Absolutely right, Jaden! I will see what can be done about it. AP
That looks much better, I love the cover art for all your books. Fantastic. I myself am trying my hand at an English murder mystery and hope that someday if it can be published that mine can look just as amazing as that
Jaden
Thanks for telling me about the cover colours! Soon fixed by terrific website designer, Geoffrey Yeoh. Best of luck with your writing – keep at it!
Ann
I only came across the Round Ringford Stories a few months ago. I love them all and am at this moment finishing Mixed Doubles(sob, sob). Thank you Ann for your lovely weather descriptions; the rain,the cold and the mist ! While the temperature outside is 41 degrees Celsius here in Perth, Western Australia. I lived in Hartley in Kent for ten years so I can well remember it. Thrilled to discover The Ivy Beasley Mysteries. Does Ivy’s mother still ‘talk’ to her? In my second year of retirement from teaching I can’t wait to spend many hours reading. Thank you and keep these wonderful stories (and characters) coming.
Kind regards
Jopie Mantle
24 Carrick Road
Mount Richon
Western Australia 6112
I cannot tell you how much I’ve enjoyed the Lois Meade mysteries. Read everyone as soon as they arrived at the bookstores. Living in New Hampsire USA, I’ve dreamed of seeing the English countryside, and visiting the small villages.
Your characters in the Lois Meade series are so vividly drawn that they seem alive to me.
Thank you so much for many hours of enjoyment.
I was very interested to have your message, and to hear that you spent ten years in Kent – the garden of England, it used to be called. Up here in Northamptonshire, we are still having showers of snow (which my chickens loathe and the dog loves) and it is what we think of as bitterly cold! Ivy, now living in Suffolk, is hoping she has left the shade of her mother behind in Ringford, though we shall have to wait and see.
I expect you miss your teaching? My mother was an infant teacher, and went on teaching English to immigrant children after she was officially retired.
Very nice to hear from you. Best wishes – Ann P.
I have just obtained and read (one after the other) all you Lois Meade books from my local library except for the latest \Tragedy at Two\ (which I have ordered from the library). They are BRILLIANT. However, could you possibly tell me why are they not obtainable in PAPERBACK in the UK. I have search on the Fantastic Fiction website but only see that they are avaialble in hardback.
Best wishes and looking forward to more of Lois.
Linda
Dear Linda,
Thank you so much for your message. Sorry you are having trouble finding paperbacks of the Lois Meade Mysteries. I will do some ferretin` and get back to you. AP
Just read Tragedy at Two. Really enjoyedi it. I get all of your books from the library. There are a few I have still not been able to get from the library. I have never seen any of your books in the bookshop. I enjoyed the Round Ringford stories as well. Are you doing any more of tthose.
Thanks a lot for your message, Mavis. I`m really pleased you are enjoying the books! No more Round Ringford at present, but look out for the Ivy Beasley enquiries …
These books are published in America, and the distribution in the UK is by Severn House publishers, who specialise in supplying libraries. I would like to see more in bookshops, but you can always order all the titles on the website from your local bookshop who should be able to find details, or – of course – Amazon. AP
Just this winter discovered the Lois Meade mysteries; have read all but the last published. They are the best I’ve flound since Agatha Christie. Please keep writing more.
Thanks a lot, Sue! I love writing them, so I`ll keep going as long as they`re wanted!
Dear Jopie – I have been going through my comments,and cannot trace having replied to you. If this is so, please forgive me! It was lovely to read your interesting message. Hope you remember the garden of England with affection! Ivy should be available on Amazon now, and you will see that she has more or less left her mother behind in Ringford. She has a completely new life and, being Ivy, is busily adjusting to it. I have finished the second in the series now, but haven`t a publication date yet. I do hope you are enjoying your retirement after what I know from my Mum (infant teacher) is a very absorbing career!
Ann
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I’ve read all the Lois Meade mysteries and was thrilled to find that you’ve started another series, the Ivy Beasley mysteries. I’m a recently retired librarian whose favorite pasttime is to read English village cozies. I can’t wait until the next Ivy Beasley book comes to the USA. I’m not familiar with the Round Ringford books and I don’t think they available in the USA. Is there any hope that they will be reprinted? Karen
Thanks for your interesting message. I`m so glad you`re liking the books! The Round Ringford series are village stories without murders. One or two people die, but most from natural causes or by accident. The same characters run through all the stories. They were originally published by Orion, who are holding on to the rights for the moment, though I am checking this. Caxton Press (Knight) published an edition of five of the six, but I think these are difficult to find. Amazon.co.uk is your best bet!
The next Ivy Beasley story is The Measby Murder Enquiry (working title so far), and is well on in the pipeline!
Best wishes – Ann
Hello Ann
Just ordered ‘The Hangmans Row Enquiry’ from Amazon US. They have quite a few of your older books if anyone is missing one. I see that its published in Paperback is going to be the same with all this series. I loved Ivy in the Round Ringford series and was very sad to see them go but I have enjoyed the Louise Meade series also. I have everyone of your books Ann and when I move back to the UK they are coming with me a second read makes some things clearer that you missed the first time.
Nice to hear from you, Avril. I am so glad you have enjoyed Ringford and Lois Meade. Lois is still going strong! At lease three more books in the pipeline. I do hope you enjoy Ivy Beasley`s new adventure. The move to Suffolk does not seem to have daunted her in the least. In fact, she has taken on a new lease of life!
Best wishes and happy reading – Ann
Ann I did look up Hangmans Row and could only find it in large print hardback. Mine has arrived in paper back. Do you know if its going to be released in Hard back editon.
Thanks, Avril. It is only in hardback in large print at the moment. My agent tells me a lot of publishers are producing paperbacks first, especially of new series. I suppose this is an economy measure, in case sales are not large!
I don`t know whether there will be a hardback later. It is in the lap of the Gods, in other words, Berkley Prime Crime!
Hope you enjoy it, anyway. Ann.
Thankyou Ann for your reply I was going to read another book first but I just cannot wait. I want to see what Ivy gets up to.
Ann, I just finished “Tragedy At Two” very enjoyable Our local library gets your books quite quickly. This book seemed a bit more “meaty” than the others, almost as if the characters are really starting to exert themselves. Just a quick note about the “My Duckies” and the ‘Gels”. I don’t know why, but after a couple of them they start to grate. Maybe something to do with living in England until I was 18. I’m sure it’s just me. I will now look for the Ivy Beasley books. Rob Fairfax, VA USA
Thanks for your message, Rob. Glad you enjoyed Tragedy at Two. I`ll think of you and ration the ducks and the gels in future! Have a happy time with Ivy. Best wishes – Ann P
Avril – Just the weather for an afternoon in the garden with Ivy! AP
Hi Ann,
I’ve been a fan of you books for a couple of years now, having come across one of the Round Ringford series in a secondhand bookshop. Ever since then, I’ve become addicted. I always enjoy ‘series’ books that have continuing characters, so Lois, Ivy et all are always welcome ‘guests’. I look forward to many more visits with them and anxiously await their next mysterious adventure. Many thanks for lots of enjoyable hours reading your books.
Winston B
Kitchener, ON, Canada
An innocent addiction, Winston B.! I`m so pleased you`re enjoying the books – more of Lois and Ivy to come, with favourite characters and some new ones. Happy reading!
I have enjoyed the Lois Meade books and have all but the last one. BUT I absolutely LOVED “The Hangman’s Row Enquiry.” I just finished reading it 10 minutes ago and can hardly wait for the next one in this series. Absolutely delightful.
Linda Lynch
Thanks for your really nice message! It is so good to have approval for a new series, and Ivy seems to be going down well. The next one, The Measby Murder Enquiry, is in the pipeline, as is a new Lois story. Happy reading! Ann
Dear Ann,
I’ve just finished “The Hangman’s Row Enquiry” and want to congratulate you on a wonderful book! I enjoyed every chapter, page and word!
The mystery was very well crafted, the characters unique and most of them endearing. Your descriptions of their surroundings, their thoughts and feelings and life in a small community had me feeling as though I were right there in their midst.
I look forward most anxiously to the next book in the series! Is there a release date yet?
Dear Laura -
Thanks so much for your great message! So glad you liked my oddly assorted characters – Ivy Beasley has been popular ever since she first turned up in the Round Ringford series, and would, I am sure, be delighted to know that people are still interested ….
The next Ivy Beasley enquiry is in the pipeline, and I expect will be out early next year. If I can get an exact date, I will post it on my website. Meanwhile, happy reading. Best wishes, Ann.
I’ve read and enjoyed all the Lois Meade series. Then was so pleased to see the new Ivy Beasley mystery novel. Very glad to read that you have another “Ivy” one coming soon. I loved your comments through Roy about the elderly needing to feel needed! I took care of my mother and father the last 10 years of their lives. My mother was very much like Ivy – strong willed and intelligent. Her failing health stole her independence from her, but not her mind. She would ask me what she could do for me & I would smile and say nothing mom. After reading your words, I wish i could go back & respect her desire to be more involved in life. Thanks for the reminder that we all want to be needed. Please continue to share those feelings through your Ivy.
So glad you approve of Ivy`s first detective venture! I was interested to hear about your mother`s last years. My own mother was just the same. She had been the head of an infants school, and used to ordering people (children) about. She said very clearly that she did not want to live with me after my father died and suggested an old folks home nearby. When she got there, she reorganised them, made good friends with a lovely man who swapped nostalgic stories with her, and having brought her treasures with her, she put a notice on her shelf written in a shaky hand, saying `DO NOT DUST`……..
More Ivy in the pipeline – look out for The Measby Murder Enquiry. Ann