G. M. Malliet

When the lady of the local manor house is found dead among rumors of a suicide pact with her young lover, handsome vicar Max Tudor lends his MI5 expertise to the ensuing investigation, which is tied to the victim's far-from-bereaved husband. The lady of the local manor house is found dead among rumors of a suicide pact with her young lover. Lady Duxter's husband rallies quickly-- too quickly, it is murmured in the village. Lord Duxter has offered his manor house to a motley crew of writers for his writers' retreat, and he insists the show must go on. When a young girl goes missing and a crime writer becomes a target, DCI Cotton asks Max to lend his MI5 expertise to the investigation.

Everyone has gathered at Dalmorton Castle in Scotland for a crime writers' conference, including Kimberlee Kalder, the publishing industry's "It" girl. Totally hot and couture-clad, this bestselling chick-lit mystery writer has captured the envious - and resentful - attentions of all. Rumor has it that prima donna Kimberlee is shopping around for a new agent (and the best deal for her latest book), and there are some who would stop at nothing to steal her as a client. Then Kimberlee turns up dead at the bottom of the castle's bottle dungeon. With the help of his lovely sidekick, Portia, Detective Chief Inspector St. Just is hot on the trail of the true killer in a castle full of cagey mystery connoisseurs who live and breathe malicious murder and artful alibis ...

Something sinister is afoot at Totleigh Hall, the showcase of the sleepy English village of Nether Monkslip. Lord and Lady Baaden-Boomethistle have been in residence for some weeks now, and the villagers are hoping for a return to the days when the lord of the manor sprinkled benefits across the village like fairy dust. But a sudden grisly death intervenes, and Max Tudor's talent for sorting through clues is once again called into play.

Max--Anglican priest, former MI5 agent, and village heartthrob--investigates two deaths at Chedrow Castle. But his growing attraction to Awena Owen complicates his case, as does the recent arrival at Chedrow Castle of a raucous group of long-lost, greedy relatives, any one of whom has a motive for murder.

Max Tudor, former MI5 agent, has adapted well to his post as vicar of St. Edwold’s in the idyllic village of Nether Monkslip. Wanda Batton-Smythe, highly vocal and unpopular president of the Women’s Institute, turns up dead at the Harvest Fayre. Peanut allergy looks accidental, but Max has many suspects for murder. from Goodreads

"Agatha Award-winning author G.M. Malliet has charmed mystery lovers, cozy fans, and Agatha Christie devotees with her critically acclaimed mysteries featuring handsome spy-turned-cleric Max Tudor. In The Haunted Season, Max's former life as an MI5 agent caught up with him, threatening his newfound happiness with Awena and baby son Owen. Realizing there is no escape from his past, Max, with his bishop's tacit permission, has offered his services to MI5 on an as-needed basis. And in Devil's Breath, it's time for Max to follow through. The body of glamorous film star Margot Browne has washed ashore from a luxury yacht and Max's former colleague Patrice Logan wants his help to find the murderer. It's a perfect "closed circle" murder since victim Margot must have been killed by one of the actors, stylists, screenwriters, or second-tier royalty aboard. Patrice suspects the yacht's owner, a playboy film director she's been keeping tabs on for smuggling, but Max isn't so sure. Max and DCI Cotton interview the suspects as they loll about one of the luxury hotels dotting the waterfront. The investigation into Margot's lurid past uncovers a host of motives--it seems she was not the only person on board with a secret they'd kill to keep"--

Vicar Max Tudor, revelling in his new-found personal happiness with Awena Owen, feels that life at the moment holds no greater challenge than writing his Easter sermon. With Awena away, he looks forward to a dinner that welcomes newcomers to the village, including West End dramatist Thaddeus Bottle and his mousey wife Melinda. But when one of the dinner guests is found dead in the wee small hours, Max knows a poisonous atmosphere has once again enveloped his perfect village of Nether Monkslip. Connections to long-ago crimes, some sparked by the paintings of a famous local artist, help Max unravel the clues - but will he be too late to restore lasting peace to Nether Monkslip?

"In this new mystery, someone has been trying to poison the 15th Earl of Lislelivet. Since Lord Lislelivet has a gift for making enemies, no one--particularly his wife--finds this too surprising. What is surprising is that the poison was discovered in a fruitcake made and sold by the Handmaids of St. Lucy of Monkbury Abbey. The powerful Lord complains loudly to the local bishop, who asks Father Max Tudor, vicar of Nether Monkslip and former MI5 agent, to investigate. Just as Max comes to believe the poisoning was accidental, a body is discovered in the cloister well. Can Max Tudor solve the case and restore order in time to attend his own nuptials? A Demon Summer is another superb mystery from rising talent G.M. Malliet. "--

Weycombe is the chocolate-box village of everyones dreams. For American Jillian White, a gated life of pleasure and comfort with her titled English husband was a fantasy come true. But the murder of a local estate agent mars the villages so-pretty surface. Are people actually dying to live in Weycombe? Jill investigates, piecing together clues along the snaking paths and winding lanes of her adopted village. She knows truth has many versions, depending on who is doing the telling.