{"product_id":"a-murder-for-miss-hortense-mel-pennant-9780593701621","title":"A Murder for Miss Hortense: A Mystery","description":"\u003cb\u003eIn Bigglesweigh, old people are starting to die.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eRetired 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. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eMiss 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 has haunted her for decades. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIt 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, \u003ci\u003eA Murder for Miss Hortense\u003c\/i\u003e introduces a fearless sleuth who readers will never forget.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Mel Pennant\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 0593701623\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780593701621\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Pantheon Books\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 06\/10\/2025\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 288\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.24lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.25h x 6.13w x 0.81d","brand":"Mel Pennant","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":46311251378431,"sku":"9780593701621","price":27.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_efba5f0a-0c4a-4ac6-95c1-22dc681848fa.jpg?v=1730888963","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/a-murder-for-miss-hortense-mel-pennant-9780593701621","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}