Murder at the Altar (Ellie Quicke Mystery Series #1) [Hardcover]

Veronica Heley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 2000 | ISBN-10: 0002740737 | ISBN-13: 978-0002740739

The first in a series of Ellie Quicke Mysteries, based in a church setting, and featuring a recently widowed woman who finds herself to be something of a sleuth. This first mystery finds Ellie struggling to find her place in life after the recent death of her husband. Approaching 50, she has an uncertain air, but there is something very capable about her that lurks beneath her understated prettiness. In this mystery, she gets to know her neighbour, a young woman who has had an affair with the victim of a brutal muder that has taken place in the parish church. This glamorous, but fretful woman soon becomes the prime suspect. As Ellie begins to weigh up the strange goings-on in the neighbourhood -- a young boy who has seen more than he cares to tell, a car that lurks nearby, stories gossiped at the local shops -- she gets nearer to the truth of the drugs dealing at the root of it all. And soon her own life is under threat.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Returning to adult crime after many years, Heley introduces lovable widow Ellie Quicke in the first of what one can only hope will be a long series. Two days after the funeral of her husband, Frank, Ellie feels immobilized by grief. Then the respectable Mrs. Dawes rushes to Ellie's door to announce she's just discovered the body of a young man at the church altar. Ellie soon becomes involved in the mystery surrounding the victim's murder, the subsequent disappearance of his mother and the disturbing quarrels of the young couple next door. Simultaneously, she examines her own life and, with a new confidence and strength, is able to stand up to Frank's bullying aunt Drusilla and her own spoiled daughter, Diana. Life without Frank will not be as predictable and safe, but it will certainly be more exciting. Heley's keen observations and insights into her characters create a rich atmosphere of the social life in an English town where, as reflected in the inviting pastoral jacket illustration, folk work in the local charity shop, go to the greengrocers and stop for sausages and mash at the Sunflowers caf . Combining sparkling wit and humor (particularly regarding Ellie's first attempts to master the computer), quirky acts of fate and a dramatic ending, Heley provides all one needs for a satisfying read, except perhaps a cozy chair, a cup of tea and some chocolate biscuits. (Dec. 1)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

From 'Publishers Weekly', 23/10/00: Returning to adult crime after many years, Heley introduces loveable widow Ellie Quicke in the first of what one can only hope will be a long series... Heley's keen observations and insights into her characters create a rich atmosphere of the social life in an English town... Combining sparkling wit and humor, quirky acts of fate and a dramatic ending, Heley provides all one needs for a satisfying read, except perhaps a cozy chair, a cup of tea and some chocolate biscuits.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 290 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers (June 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0002740737
• ISBN-13: 978-0002740739
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,636,431 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Veronica Heley (www.veronicaheley.com) has published more than fifty books, including crime fiction, historical, and children's titles. She is currently involved in the Ellie Quicke series of crime stories and a variety of other projects. A full-time writer, she has been married to a London probation officer since 1964, and has one musician daughter.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What did Ellie see?, February 3, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Murder at the Altar (Ellie Quicke Mystery Series #1) (Hardcover)

Ellie Quicke, a middle-age woman accustomed to being dominated by her husband, Frank, suddenly finds herself a widow. She soon realizes she must deal with a greedy, bossy daughter and an obstreperous aunt who both feel they not only can tell Ellie what to do but that they also deserve a great amount of money from Frank's estate. To complicate matters, a murder occurs in the church, which lies directly across from Ellie's front window. Once the killer realizes that Ellie may be a witness to the crime, the chase is on. The author, Veronica Heley, has created a cozy English village mystery with Ellie Quicke, a very likeable character, as she begins to exhibit her emerging independence and courage. The reader is also treated to the author's very subtle humor throughout the story, which adds much enjoyment to the unfolding mystery. Let's hope we hear more of Ellie Quicke. Readers of Murder at the Altar will also enjoy books by M. C. Beaton, Dorothy Cannell, Jeanne Dams, and Caroline Graham.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Trite and predictable, June 11, 2011

By 

Srdjan Pesic (Minneapolis, Mn United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Murder at the Altar (Ellie Quicke Mystery Series #1) (Paperback)

In the past I enjoyed the books of few cozy British writers, like M C Beaton, Rhys Bowen or Emily Brightwell. So, I can honestly say that even if my preferance lays in the gritty, edgy crime writing, I am not an unfair judge of the English village subgenre.
Unfortunately, this trite and predictable book follows every cliche possible, without even an obligatory attempt for originality and creativity.
For once, in my compulsive mystery book buying, I stopped with the first in the series. Good bye Ellie Quicke.