In A Deadly Walk in Devon by Nicholas George, retired detective Rick “Chase” Chasen swaps his badge for the tranquility of Devon, only to find himself entangled in a web of murder and deceit. With tensions brewing among a group of American tourists and a wealthy entrepreneur at the center of it all, will Chase navigate through hidden motives and dark secrets to uncover the truth before it’s too late?
Read an essay from the author below and learn more about this new release!
Taking Time Out of Murder for . . . Tea!
by Nicholas George
Tea plays almost as big a role in my Walk Through England mysteries as walking. When you’re in England, the two almost go together (although Rick Chasen, my main character, might argue that a pint of ale at the nearest pub is the more appropriate beverage of choice).
On a walking tour in England a few years back, I visited Cliveden, the massive country estate near Windsor Castle that was once home to the Astor family but now is a luxury hotel owned by the National Trust. Inside the estate’s elegant dining room, guests were enjoying the time-honored British ritual of afternoon tea, choosing from an array of finger sandwiches, delicate petit fours, and a variety of teas, all served with dense, warm scones on fine bone china. My group, however, was shunted to the far less elegant tourist cafeteria, with its plastic tableware and paper napkins. Still, we managed to have fully satisfying afternoon tea ourselves, carrying trays laden with freshly baked scones, small tubs of Rodda’s clotted cream, and tiny jars of jam to our large table. And, just like the diners in the main estate, we were faced with the same dilemma: Which do we apply on the scone first, the cream or the jam?
The debate can get surprisingly heated. People in Devon (the locale of my first Walk in England mystery) prefer cream first. They argue that the cream more nicely coats the scone and prepares it for the jam. Others, such as the people of Cornwall, insist the jam must come first. (This method is also recommended by the British etiquette authority, Debrett’s.) I tend to side with the folks in Cornwall. It depends on the quality of the ingredients, I suppose, but in my experience, spreading jam on top of the cream can very quickly get messy. Sometimes the jam slides off the cream just when I’m about to take a bite.
There also can be a debate regarding which tea to drink. This is often dictated by the accompanying food; some teas go better with a savory course while others are better paired with sweets. I’m not fussy. Any type of tea—black, green, white, whatever—is fine with me, even all-purpose builder’s teas.
There’s even one more decision: Does the milk go in the teacup first or last? No debate there. Always pour tea into an empty cup—milk should be added afterward. (Same with adding sugar, which some Brits consider a sacrilege.)
You’ll find lots of tea (and other British mainstays) in A Deadly Walk in Devon and the books in the series that follow.
Fans of M. C. Beaton, Martha Grimes, and Alexander McCall Smith will enjoy the first in a charming new mystery series set in the English countryside, as a retired San Diego police detective embarks upon group walking tours in England’s most scenic counties. After a long career as a detective, Rick “Chase” Chasen has traded in his badge for a change of scenery in the coastal comforts of Devon, England, until a local murder takes him on a deadly detour.
Still grieving the death of his longtime partner, Chase reunites with his dear friend and fellow Anglophile Billie Mondreau for a seacoast holiday of historic sightseeing. Assigned a pair of guides from the tour company Wanderers, Chase and Billie join seven other like-minded Americans looking forward to an English getaway, all except for Ronald Gretz. The wealthy entrepreneur behind the international Golden Sunset nursing home chain doesn’t like anything about walking, touring, or England. Coarse and opinionated, Gretz’s complaints get on the nerves of his fellow Wanderers—and his long-suffering trophy wife.
But Gretz’s gripes are tied to his own nerves being frayed. He has been receiving threatening texts and emails signed “An Avenger.” Convinced someone means him harm, Gretz asks Chase to watch his back. Soon, Gretz falls afoul of several “accidents,” leading to more friction with the other walkers, until one final “accident” results in Gretz dead at the bottom of a cliff.
Chase, whose investigative instincts remain sharp, knows Gretz’s death was no accident. While helping the police investigate, he discovers that members of the tour group not only disliked the victim but had legitimate motives for wanting him dead. Now, he just has to uncover who among them is willing to kill.
Nicholas George worked as a newspaper reporter before embarking on an extensive career in public relations and communication management. His love of long-distance walking in the U.S. and England prompted him to create his Walk Through England series of mystery novels, set on group walks in the English countryside. Nick co-wrote the feature film Perfect Match, prominently featured at the Chicago and Montreal film festivals. He lives in Pasadena, California, with his husband Bert. Please visit him online at nicholasgeorgeauthor.com. Follow him on Facebook at Facebook.com/people/Nicholas-George/.
I would like to purchase A Deadly Walk in Devon but I can’t locate how to do so on your website
Hi Theresa! We don’t sell the book directly on our site, but you can order it from Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/Deadly-Devon-Through-England-Mystery/dp/1496745264/ – or from any other book retailer of your choice. Hope this helps!