Edgy cozy mystery

False Witness (Abbot Agency Mystery #17) by Veronica Heley   

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Bea Abbot runs a domestic agency, and it seems a sideline in solving mysteries like murder. Her husband Piers whom we catch glimpses of through phone calls is a renowned portrait artist. He’s off in the Balkans having troubles of his own.

( I’m not sure what to make of Piers. Perhaps previous novels give a clue.)

Bea receives a phone call from friend and previous client the now Sir Julian Marston-Lang.

Julian, much to his surprise, has inherited a manor complete with disgruntled relatives, missing funds, and angry previous employees. Julian now finds himself with a mouldering pile of a house that needs extensive repairs and no funds as they’ve been stuck in an offshore account by his “some kind of uncle” Frederick, who’d thought he was the rightful heir. Julian’s had to close down the Amusement Park and the Home Farm due to health and safety concerns. The villagers are angry over lost jobs. All background to the fact that Julian’s been shot at, and accused of murder. Someone’s trying to kill him! Who’s behind this?

Bea goes to assist, and along the way engages the unassumingly, awesome, almost archangel Rosemary Sweeting, to help sort out the mystery of the missing monies and other aspects of the property renovation.

This is my first Bea Abbot mystery. I enjoyed its slightly off beat entanglements immensely. So much so that I’m thinking of reading the previous sixteen of the series I’ve missed.

A Severn House ARC via NetGalley.                                              

Many thanks to the author and publisher.