Blooming Murder (Paperback or Softback)

A village flower competition. A falling hanging basket. A very inconvenient corpse.

When the mayor of Mortiforde is killed by a falling hanging basket during the annual Borders in Blossom competition, it appears to be a tragic case of over-enthusiastic watering.

But the new Marquess of Mortiforde isn’t so sure.

For fifteen consecutive years, the rival English towns of Mortiforde and Portley Ridge have battled to win the coveted floral crown. Portley Ridge is determined to secure their fifteenth straight victory — whatever it takes.

Then, overnight, a mysterious band of guerrilla gardeners carpet-bomb Mortiforde with spectacular horticultural displays, threatening Portley Ridge’s chances and triggering a chain reaction of floral retaliation--and another dead body. Suddenly, Lord Mortiforde has far more suspects than he bargained for.

He may be new to the job, but Lord Mortiforde knows that in these charming English towns, everyone has something to hide… and some secrets are worth killing for.

If you love British cozy mysteries filled with quirky characters, gentle humour, and twisty whodunits, you’ll adore Blooming Murder.

- A quintessential English village setting

- An amateur sleuth with wit and curiosity

- Eccentric suspects and sharp dialogue

- A clever, satisfying mystery

- First in a delightful cozy mystery series

Perfect for fans of Richard Osman, M.C. Beaton, and the twisty village mysteries of Midsomer Murders.

Can Lord Mortiforde uncover the truth before the killer plants the next deadly surprise?

Start reading the first Marquess of Mortiforde mystery today.

"Blooming Murder reads like a mix of Father Brown and Rosemary & Thyme with the humor of Monty Python. The sheer amount of floral puns and innuendo propagated throughout had me laughing helplessly and marveling at the author’s cleverness and audacity!" ~ PuzzlePaws

"Simon Whaley’s Blooming Murder is a terrific cosy mystery perfect for Agatha Raisin fans. Full of eccentric characters, bucolic mayhem and mischief and village shenanigans, Blooming Murder is a fun, witty and entertaining mystery peppered with humour, intrigue and nail-biting suspense." ~ Bookish Jottings

Simon Whaley is a bestselling author, writer and photographer who lives close to the Welsh Borders in the beautiful county of Shropshire.