Death of an Avid Reader

''Frances Brody has made it to the top rank of crime writers'' Daily Mail

''Brody''s writing is like her central character Kate Shackleton: witty, acerbic and very, very perceptive'' Ann Cleeves

A lady with a secret

Kate Shackleton''s sterling reputation for courageous sleuthing attracts the attention of the venerable Lady Coulton. Hidden in her past is a daughter, born out of wedlock and given up to a different family. Now, Lady Coulton is determined to find her and puts Kate on the case.

A mysterious killing in the library''s basement

But as Kate delves deeper into Lady Coulton''s past, she soon finds herself thrust into a scandal much closer to home. When the body of the respected Horatio Potter is found in the Leeds Library basement, the quiet literary community is suddenly turned upside down with suspicions, accusations and - much to Kate''s surprise - the appearance of a particularly intelligent Capuchin monkey!

The most puzzling case in Kate''s sleuthing history yet

Convinced an innocent man has been blamed, Kate sets out to discover the truth. Who would want Dr Potter dead? Does Lady Coulton''s missing daughter hold a vital clue? As the stories start to emerge in the seemingly quiet Leeds Library, Kate is learning fast that in this case, she can''t judge a book by its cover . . .

What readers are saying about the Kate Shackleton mysteries:

''Kate Shackleton is a splendid heroine'' Ann Granger

''Delightful'' People''s Friend

''Frances Brody matches a heroine of free and independent spirit with a vivid evocation of time and place . . . a novel to cherish'' Barry Turner, Daily Mail

''Brody''s excellent mystery splendidly captures the conflicts and attitudes of the time with well-developed characters'' RT Book Reviews

''Kate Shackleton joins Jacqueline Winspear''s Maisie Dobbs in a subgroup of young, female amateur detectives who survived and were matured by their wartime experiences'' Literary Review