Mrs. Sidhu

Another more recent addition to my mystery shelves is the novels of Suk Panu.

His Mrs Sidhu mysteries, starting with Dead and Scone and added to this year with the sequel, Just Desserts, are a fun take on the interfering neighbour who helps solve crimes, except this time she's a widow who makes her living as a private caterer.

My favourite part has to be where she was fired for cooking food in her bathroom while trying to solve a murder and escape from her sister-in-law in her own house.

Mrs Sidhu has incredible character and I can just imagine being strong-armed into eating a delicious meal at her kitchen table.

Another great series is the Castle Knoll series by Kristin Perrin, which started with How to Solve Your Own Murder and How to Seal Your Own Fate, and this year has continued with How to Cheat Your Own Death.

Like many other novels of the cosy mystery variety, this series is set in the Dorset countryside and has an intrepid, curious young woman at its heart.