Murder. Mayhem. A madcap lady vicar.

Reverend Annabelle Dixon is the charming, slightly gauche, very tall, thirty-something vicar of St. Mary’s Church located in the picturesque village of Upton St. Mary in Cornwall, England. Recently appointed to her rural church position, Annabelle is beloved by her parishioners for dispensing good advice and godly wisdom with humor and charm while zipping her Mini Cooper around the country lanes and attempting to build a relationship with her church cat, Biscuit, who, quite frankly, couldn’t care less.

Trouble arises when Annabelle faithfully welcomes a new resident to her quaint parish. Her visit to the latest newcomer, Sir John Cartwright, is two-fold:  to greet him and to dispel rumors of shady doings at the manor.  This time, however, instead of tea and cakes, Annabelle is served a heaping plate of murder and a fine helping of handsome Inspector Mike Nicholls!

Filled with laugh-out-loud moments and cake and pastry recipes, this humorous, cozy mystery is an excellent introduction to the Reverend Annabelle Dixon series.

Interview with the Author

Q – So, what makes the Reverend Annabelle Dixon series special?

A – Annabelle. When I set out to write these books, I wanted to create a series that featured a heart-warming, smart, sometimes ditzy, ultimately good protagonist that we all undisputedly adore. I love mysteries so there was no question this character was going to be involved in solving them and I set it in the Cornish countryside, right at the end of England, where I have fond memories of vacations as a child.

But it is Annabelle around whom the series revolves – her humanity, her empathy, her big heart – that makes the series so special. With her sometimes partner, sometimes antagonist, Inspector Mike Nicholls, they create some fun and drama as the small town mysteries unfold with humor and intrigue.

If you enjoy the TV series, The Vicar of Dibley, Miranda, or Midsomer Murders, you will find something to enjoy in the Reverend Annabelle cozy mysteries.

Q – In what order should I read the books?

A – The Reverend Annabelle Dixon cozy mysteries can be read, and enjoyed, in any order. The prequel, Death at the Café is set in London and takes place a few years before the rest in the series. All the books are complete mysteries. All in all, there is something for everyone.

If you do want to read them in order, I'd suggest the following sequence:

– Death at the Café (prequel)

– Murder at the Mansion

– Body in the Woods (coming soon)

Q – Why should readers give these books a try?

A – Because the Reverend Annabelle series is a gentle, but colorful romp through the wealthy, isolated English countryside, a place that is picturesque and peaceful on the outside but one filled with amoral and snobbish eccentrics with all kinds of vices.

Annabelle is a fun, uncomplicated character who is soulful, devout, smart and funny with a penchant for cake. Both Jamie and I are English and we feature many English countryside rituals, institutions and customs in these stories.

Ultimately, readers who enjoy gentle pacing with a plot that twists and turns, features much fun, drama, quintessential Britishness, and, of course, small town murder all the way to the end will get a kick out of this series. It will make you laugh and you will, I hope, become invested in the characters and be rooting for them to come out on top.

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