Murder by Mudpack (ebook)

Argumento de Murder by Mudpack (ebook)

A Honey Driver Mystery

J. G. Goodhind is a popular writer of women?s fiction, romance and comedy. For many years she owned and ran a haunted guest house on the outskirts of Bath and was one of the founder members of the Bath Hotel and Restaurant Association. Her experiences inspired the international bestselling Honey Driver series. She has won a BBC Radio award for scriptwriting. She also writes women?s fiction as Lizzie Lane and has writes a regular column for the Western Daily Press.

'The kick-off to Goodhind's new mystery series - fast moving with a likeable
heroine and an impeccably rendered Bath background...'
Kirkus Reviews
(USA) on Something in the Blood

'Quirky characters and intriguing goings-on in my favourite city, Bath. J G
Goodhind's wonderful books are crying out to be made into a TV series. An
absolute treat!'
Jill Mansell on Walking with Ghosts.

Honey Driver eyed Steve Doherty suspiciously. Ive got bad vibes about this.

Trust me. Im a police officer. Just lay back and think of England. Youll probably enjoy it.

Im not sure about somebody else doing things to my body even if they are pleasurable.

You might find you could get used to it.

I dont like getting dirty well, not that dirty anyway.

Steve Doherty was on the floor, crunching his abdominals like nobodys business. He paused in mid-crunch, grinned, and winked at her. Thats not been my experience.

She pretended she hadnt heard and continued to study the brochure hed given her for the health and beauty spa he wanted her to stay at that specialised in mud baths. She was to nose around while getting the full treatment from the very upmarket establishment. She wasnt into a strict health and beauty routine, mostly because she didnt have time. He kept stressing that this was in the line of duty.

So youre one hundred per cent sure this wasnt an accident.

Steve grunted an answer between crunches. Its as possible to drown in mud as it is in water. Her face was plastered in mud then a piece of polythene was placed on top of that with holes to breathe through.

To keep the heat in, Honey explained.

Is that right? Steve looked stoical. He was at that age when the things women did to keep young and beautiful and other things failed to surprise him.

Honey assured him that it was right.

He nodded. Right. So, as I was saying, somebody adjusted the polythene face mask so that her nose and mouth were covered and then she was pushed and held under in the bath of mud.

Some way to die, remarked Honey.

Doherty frowned. What is it with women and mud?

Anything that gives us a chance of maintaining our youth. Women continually strive for perfection. Men wouldnt understand. Theyre content with what theyve got.

Gee. Thanks!

No offence.

None taken.

So whats happening on the suspect front?

Not a lot, though someone did see a scruffy character hanging around, but I dont really buy that. Why would a down-and-out go sneaking around a beauty clinic?

There were other alternatives of course. Honey voiced one of them. She could have fallen asleep and slipped under.

Wouldnt you notice if you were chewing on mud? Nobody, but nobody could mistake it for chocolate pudding.

Honey grunted back at him. The brochure she was thumbing through was glossy. The Beauty Spot (Health and Beauty Clinic) promised natural therapies to enhance just about every body part. The building it was housed in was beautiful too. But then, she remonstrated, what woman in need of a makeover was going to book into a shambles?

Looks as though the murder victim outstayed her welcome, Honey murmured.

'Sometimes it is the location alone makes you curious about a detective novel....Jean G Goodhind in her debut novel has added much more than that - a droll plot and a lot of British humour...'0