Hate Bale by Stephanie Dagg

Hate Bale

Grumbling guests and escaping piglets are precisely what Martha doesn’t need. She’s already struggling to run a holiday cottage and a rather large smallholding single-handedly. 

Since her husband Mark died, three years ago, her rural property in France, beautiful as it is, has become an increasingly heavy millstone around her neck.

So whilst she’s horrified to stumble across a corpse at the local farm supplies shop, it does at least distract her from her own woes. Best friend Lottie, the cheese to Martha’s chalk, swoops in to offer moral support, and encourages Martha to join her in some unofficial sleuthing. Meanwhile, police officer Philippe Prudhomme, a former fellow chess-player of Mark’s, undertakes a rather more professional investigation.

However, despite everyone’s efforts the killer remains at large. And when more bodies (one and a bit, to be precise) come Martha’s way, it definitely feels like he’s closing in on her…

There’s suspense, humour and excitement in this entertaining cosy mystery set in the French countryside.   

Purchase Link  - getbook.at/HateBale

I want to spend my retirement years with Stephanie Dagg.  She is like the best friend I have always asked for. No matter what life throws at her characters, she allows us all to see the brighter side and laugh at attempts to deal with whatever may come.

Martha and her husband had a dream of raising their kids in rural France, along with some animals,  and appreciating the beauty around them. Sadly, Mark died much sooner than anyone expected, leaving Martha alone to care for the animals, deal with crops and ancient machinery, and crotchity summer tenants.  As difficult as that all can be, when she discovers a murdered man at the feed store and has to deal not only with a language barrier but also city cops unused to country ways of life,  life becomes stressful enough for her to start thinking about making a major change.

With some unexpected romance,  some eye rolling, a lot of subtle humor and more laugh out loud moments,  Hate Bale is another must read book to enjoy this summer.  Who is murdering farmers and why must Martha be involved?  Her best friend Lottie plays a role in that aspect.

With wonderful characters and  escape worthy settings, this is a book you will enjoy getting lost in for a reading break.  You just may have so much fun you don't want it to end.

I'm an English expat living in France, having moved here with my family in 2006 after fourteen years as an expat in Ireland. Taking on seventy-five acres with three lakes, two hovels and one cathedral-sized barn, not to mention an ever increasing menagerie of animals, has made for exciting times. The current array of creatures ranges from alpacas to zebra finches, with pretty much everything in-between!
Before we came to France all we had was a dog and two chickens, so it's been a steep learning curve.

I'm married to Chris and we have three bilingual TCKs (third culture kids) who are resilient and resourceful and generally wonderful.    

I'm a traditionally-published author of many children's books, and am now self-publishing too. As well as being an author, I’m also a part-time editor and, with Chris, manager of three carp fishing lakes. My hobbies are cycling, geocaching, knitting and sewing.

Social Media Links – @llamamum

www.facebook.com/StephanieDaggBooks/

www.bloginfrance.com