Simon Brett, THE KILLING IN THE CAFE

Jude and Carole are on the case once again in this cozy mystery set in the town of Feathering in England.  When the threatened closing of Polly’s Cake Shop and its possible replacement by a Starbucks becomes known about the quiet seaside town, there is a local effort to have the shop stay open, owned and run by a volunteer group of residents.

Unknown to these civic-minded individuals, a murdered man was found in the back of the shop, although his body subsequently disappeared, only to wash in later from the ocean. Carole and Jude become aware of this and engage in a rather leisurely, if eventually successful, investigation into the crime.

A story that focuses as much on the foibles of English culture and social conventions as it does on solving the crime, this book may not be for everyone.  But Brett is a seasoned storyteller, and those who like their cozies steeped in local detail will find this very satisfying.