Fire When Ready - Kate Kingsbury

The seventh book in the fabulous Manor House Mystery Series by Kate Kingsbury, the bestselling author of the Pennyfoot Hotel Mysteries!

Enthralling mystery, lots of laughter and a little bit of romance - that's village life in wartime England....

Left with only a muddle-headed butler, a bossy cook/housekeeper and a couple of energetic maids, Lady Elizabeth Hartleigh Compton has enough problems on her hands. Not only is she struggling to upkeep the sprawling Manor House and vast acres she inherited, she must also take care of her numerous tenants, while coping with the inconveniences and sacrifices of wartime England. Fortunately Sitting Marsh is far removed from the bombing going on in London and other cities. That doesn't mean that peace prevails in the tiny village. There's the handsome American major who takes over the Manor House for officers' quarters, and the group of belligerent housewives determined to take on the German invaders, not to mention a murder or two...

FIRE WHEN READY
When a newly-constructed munitions factory in Sitting Marsh blows up, killing the owner, the local authorities declare it an accident. The victim had been receiving threatening letters, however, and that's enough to put Lady Elizabeth on the scent of a killer. Many people in the village wanted that factory gone, and it takes a clever mind and nerves of steel to unravel this puzzle. Lady Elizabeth is up to the task, however, even though a major distraction has her mind spinning with opportunities.

Lovers of Agatha Christie's books will find much to enjoy in this tale of intrigue and laughter in an English village, and Emily Brightwell fans will fall in love with the offbeat characters of Sitting Marsh.