Books

UK EDITION 🇬🇧

A Murder for Miss Hortense


The first of a gripping new crime series, starring unforgettable sleuth Miss Hortense.

'It's Murder She Wrote as you've never seen it before'

– SIR LENNY HENRY

Death has come to her doorstep . . .


Retired nurse, avid gardener, renowned cake maker and fearless sleuth Miss Hortense has lived in Bigglesweigh, a quiet Birmingham suburb, since she emigrated from Jamaica in 1960. She takes great pride in her home, starching her lace curtains bright white, and she can tell if she's being short-changed on turmeric before she's taken her first bite of a beef patty. Thirty-five years of nursing have also left her afraid of nobody, be they a local drug dealer or a priest, and an expert in deciphering other people's secrets with just a glance.

Miss Hortense uses her skills to investigate the investments of the Pardner network - a special community of Black investors, determined to help their people succeed. But when an unidentified man is found dead in one of the Pardner's homes, a bible quote noted down beside his body, Miss Hortense's long buried past comes rushing back to greet her, bringing memories of the worst moment of her life, one which her community has never let her forget.

It is time for Miss Hortense to solve a mystery that will see her, and the community she loves, tested to their limits.

  • "Miss Hortense is sharper than Poirot, tougher than Vera and a better cook than Columbo! It's Murder She Wrote as you've never seen it before"

    - Sir Lenny Henry

  • "The formidable Miss Hortense will be your new favourite literary sleuth! Fresh, original and intriguing from start to finish!"

    - Janice Hallett, bestselling author of The Examiner and The Appeal

  • "What a read! This is more than a cosy crime mystery [. . .] it's the story of a community, one I hope I get to visit again soon "

    - Jennie Godfrey, author of The List of Suspicious Things

  • "This is a beautiful novel, suffused with fondness and wit. It provides a highly entertaining and intriguing insight into a very special world. A real triumph! "

    - Alexander McCall Smith, author of The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Series

  • "I really enjoyed this! Funny, clever, and so entertaining. I’m looking forward to the sequel.”

    - Jessica George, New York Times bestselling author of Maame

  • "Packed with cleverness and warmth [..] expertly plotted [.... ] you do not want to miss the unique wit and resourcefulness of Miss Hortense. This book delivers that magical combination of unforgettable characters, community, and heart, and I could not put it down"

    - Kristen Perrin, author of HOW TO SOLVE YOUR OWN MURDER

  • "If this delightful murder mystery is anything to go by, then the formidable Miss Hortense will be your new favourite literary sleuth! Fresh, original and intriguing from start to finish! "

    - Janice Hallett, bestselling author of THE EXAMINER and THE APPEAL

  • "A Murder for Miss Hortense, is not only an expertly plotted, page-turning mystery, it's also a vibrant tribute to the Windrush generation and a particular kind of woman who will not let injustice rest "

    - Jessica Bull, author of MISS AUSTEN INVESTIGATES

  • "A clever, funny, and suspenseful debut with unforgettable characters that anyone from a Caribbean family will recognise - unique, compulsive, and laugh-out-loud brilliant! Miss Hortense is a brilliant addition to crime fiction "

    - Nadine Matheson, author of THE JIGSAW MAN

  • "I wouldn't mess with Miss Hortense, but I would trust her with my life. Who else is as good at making a black cake as solving a murder? What a wonderful, original crime novel"

    - Louise Hare, author of MISS ALDRIDGE REGRETS

  • "A novel with as many twists and turns as a rollercoaster, but the reader will always be safe with Miss Hortense at the centre, holding the moral compass "

    - Rosalind Stopps, author of A BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO MURDER

  • "Miss Hortense is a striking, singular character who will stay with me as someone to both fear and revere; I'm delighted that this is just the beginning!"

    - Kate Kemp, author of THE GRAPEVINE

  • "Pennant populates Bigglesweigh with coluorful, well-drawn characters and strikes an appealing tone halfway between sweet and melancholy. A promising start "

    - Publishers Weekly

What’s the next Looking Into case for Miss Hortense? 

US EDITION 🇺🇸

A Murder for Miss Hortense

In Bigglesweigh, old people are starting to die.

Retired nurse, avid gardener, and renowned cake maker Miss Hortense has lived in Bigglesweigh, a quiet suburb of Birmingham, England, since she emigrated from Jamaica in 1960. She takes great pride in her home, starching her lace curtains bright white, and she can tell if she’s being short-changed on turmeric before she’s taken her first bite of a beef patty. Thirty-five years of nursing have also left her afraid of nobody, whether a local drug dealer or an interfering priest, and she’s an expert in deciphering other people’s secrets with just a glance.

Miss Hortense used to use her skills to benefit the Pardner network—a local group of Black investors that she helped found. That is, until she was unceremoniously ousted from its ranks, severing her ties to the majority of her friends and community. That was thirty years ago. Now, as a new millennium dawns, an unidentified man has been found dead in one of the Pardner member’s homes, a bible quote noted down beside his body. Suddenly, Miss Hortense finds her long-buried past rushing back, bringing memories of the worst moment of her life—and secrets behind an unsolved crime that have haunted her for decades.

It is finally time for Miss Hortense to solve a mystery that will see her, and the community she loves, tested to their limits. The first novel from a bold, brilliant new voice, A Murder for Miss Hortense introduces a fearless sleuth who readers will never forget.