Book #6

Start with The Murder Mystery. In peaceful Dulwich Village, a group of elderly residents meet every week for Bridge Club. Green cloths are laid over square tables, the deck is carefully dealt, and every beady eye is on the lookout for cheating. Amateur sleuth Beth Haldane has never understood the rules, but she's drawn into the drama when her mother's bridge partner Alfie Poole is found dead. He was last seen heading out for a breath of fresh air after a particularly tricky hand. Beth knows poor Alfie was a sweet old man, but when she learns he was poisoned it's clear someone wanted him gone... Suspecting skulduggery, Beth questions each member of the club. Did the retired doctor slip Alfie a sedative? Is the ex-English teacher quite as clumsy as she seems? Or was it Alfie's daughter, wanting her inheritance early? Organising a re-enactment of the day Alfie was killed, and making sure exactly the same cards are dealt, Beth keeps a close eye on who comes up trumps... but then her own mother Wendy starts choking on her cup of tea. Thankfully Wendy is rushed to hospital just in time: but the poisoner is still on the loose. If Beth plays her cards right, can she catch the killer - or is the deck stacked against her?