Murder on Valentine's Day

A dead body. A village full of secrets. And a 25-year-old mystery that refuses to stay buried.When true crime researcher Eleanor Blackwood returns to the quaint English village of Hartwell-on-the-Moor for her estranged grandmother's funeral, she plans to sell the inherited bookshop and leave as quickly as possible. After all, she fled this picturesque village twenty years ago and never looked back. But when she discovers her grandmother's hidden obsession—boxes of research into a young woman who vanished on Valentine's night in 1999—Ellie realizes the old woman was hunting a killer.Before Ellie can process this revelation, a new nightmare unfolds. On Valentine's Day morning, a body is discovered in the church cemetery, posed against the memorial stone of the long-missing Lily Valentine. The victim is Ronald Fetch, a retired postman who seemed utterly harmless. The police dismiss it as a robbery gone wrong. Ellie knows better. Someone in this cozy village is hiding a deadly secret—and they will kill again to protect it.Drawn into an investigation she never wanted, Ellie finds unlikely allies. Malcolm, a retired forensic officer haunted by an unsolved case. Patience, the sharp-eyed tea room owner who knows every scandal going back fifty years. Dev, the village doctor who pronounced Ronald dead and noticed something was very wrong. And Juno, a pink-haired tattoo artist who saw someone near the cemetery that night but trusts no one enough to speak.Together, this mismatched group begins unraveling threads that connect the present murder to that long-ago Valentine's disappearance. But as they dig deeper into Hartwell's dark underbelly, they discover that the charming village hides generational secrets, powerful families with everything to lose, and a conspiracy of silence that has protected a killer for a quarter century.Someone is watching. Someone knows Ellie is getting close. And as the next Valentine's Day approaches, she must decide how much she is willing to risk to give her grandmother—and Lily Valentine—the justice they deserve.This captivating cozy mystery combines a locked-tight whodunit with memorable amateur sleuths, atmospheric English village charm, and dark secrets lurking beneath the surface. Pour yourself a cup of tea, settle into your favorite chair, and prepare to be thoroughly stumped.The first body has been found. The investigation has begun. And the Valentine's Day Murder Club is officially open for business.