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Lois Meade Mystery #11
Foul Play at Four
New in the series that's "a must for British cozy fans" (Booklist). Lois Meade has worked through all the days of the week, turning up clues and scrubbing up messes and murderers in the village of Long Farnden. But sleuthing is rarely a spotless endeavor...
A series of robberies have begun to plague Long Farnden, and Lois's own daughter, Josie, is shaken when a thief makes off with a hundred pounds from the till in her grocery shop. But before her policeman fiancé can crack the case, someone cracks Lois's husband on the head when he interrupts a burglary in progress. Now Lois-and the besotted Inspector Cowgill-must determine who's cleaning out Long Farnden, and clean up after an increasingly violent crime spree...
A series of robberies have begun to plague Long Farnden, and Lois's own daughter, Josie, is shaken when a thief makes off with a hundred pounds from the till in her grocery shop. But before her policeman fiancé can crack the case, someone cracks Lois's husband on the head when he interrupts a burglary in progress. Now Lois-and the besotted Inspector Cowgill-must determine who's cleaning out Long Farnden, and clean up after an increasingly violent crime spree...
320 pages, Hardcover
First published December 6, 2011
9 people are currently reading
252 people want to read
About the author
Ann Purser
36 books141 followersAnn Purser lives in the East Midlands, in a small and attractive village which still has a village shop, a garage, pub and church. Here she finds her inspiration for her novels about country life. She has only to do her daily shopping down the High Street to listen to the real life of the village going on around her.
Before turning to fiction, she had a number of different careers, including journalism – she was for six years a columnist in SHE magazine – and art gallery proprietor. Running her own gallery in a 400-year-old barn behind the house, she gained fascinating insights into the characters and relationships of customers wandering around. She had no compunction about eavesdropping, and sharpened up her writer’s skills in weaving plots around strangers who spent sometimes more than an hour in her gallery.
Working in a village school added more grist to the mill, as does singing in the church choir and membership of the Women’s Guild. She reminds herself humbly that Virginia Woolf was President of her local WI…
Six years hard study won her an Open University degree, and when she faltered and threatened to fall by the wayside, writer husband Philip Purser reminded her that he was paying good money for the course. During this period, she wrote two non-fiction books, one for parents of handicapped children (she has a daughter with cerebral palsy) and the other a lighthearted book for schools, on the explosion of popular entertainment in the first forty years of the twentieth century.
Ten years of running the gallery proved to be enough, and while it was very successful she decided to sell. The business moved down the street to another barn and owner, and Pursers stayed on in their house next to the village school – another rich source of material for the stories. Time to start writing novels.
Round Ringford became Ann’s village in a series of six novels, each with a separate story, but featuring the same cast of characters with a few newcomers each time. The list of books gives details of each story, and each features an issue common to all villages in our rural countryside. “Just like our village!” is a frequent comment from Ann’s readers.
Next: the Lois Meade Mysteries, each title reflecting a day of the week. Ann has always loved detective fiction, and determined to make it her next series. So Murder on Monday was born, followed by Terror on Tuesday, and Weeping on Wednesday. The rest of the week follows!
Mornings are set aside for writing, and the rest of the day Ann spends walking the dog, retrieving bantams’ eggs from around the garden, gossiping and taking part in the life of the village. She is never bored!
Before turning to fiction, she had a number of different careers, including journalism – she was for six years a columnist in SHE magazine – and art gallery proprietor. Running her own gallery in a 400-year-old barn behind the house, she gained fascinating insights into the characters and relationships of customers wandering around. She had no compunction about eavesdropping, and sharpened up her writer’s skills in weaving plots around strangers who spent sometimes more than an hour in her gallery.
Working in a village school added more grist to the mill, as does singing in the church choir and membership of the Women’s Guild. She reminds herself humbly that Virginia Woolf was President of her local WI…
Six years hard study won her an Open University degree, and when she faltered and threatened to fall by the wayside, writer husband Philip Purser reminded her that he was paying good money for the course. During this period, she wrote two non-fiction books, one for parents of handicapped children (she has a daughter with cerebral palsy) and the other a lighthearted book for schools, on the explosion of popular entertainment in the first forty years of the twentieth century.
Ten years of running the gallery proved to be enough, and while it was very successful she decided to sell. The business moved down the street to another barn and owner, and Pursers stayed on in their house next to the village school – another rich source of material for the stories. Time to start writing novels.
Round Ringford became Ann’s village in a series of six novels, each with a separate story, but featuring the same cast of characters with a few newcomers each time. The list of books gives details of each story, and each features an issue common to all villages in our rural countryside. “Just like our village!” is a frequent comment from Ann’s readers.
Next: the Lois Meade Mysteries, each title reflecting a day of the week. Ann has always loved detective fiction, and determined to make it her next series. So Murder on Monday was born, followed by Terror on Tuesday, and Weeping on Wednesday. The rest of the week follows!
Mornings are set aside for writing, and the rest of the day Ann spends walking the dog, retrieving bantams’ eggs from around the garden, gossiping and taking part in the life of the village. She is never bored!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
March 11, 2015
Good story. Bad editing. I found a couple of inconsistencies and a few grammatical and spelling errors, ex., desert instead of dessert. Things of this sort really bother me.
January 27, 2013
This series is so good, but I think it's very interesting that most of the bad guys usually kidnap their victims and stop short of killing them. Happily, it seems as though Ms. Purser has never seen our Law and Order or Criminal Minds. I'm thankful. I love that these books focus on solving the crime and not on all things grizzly and gore. Not that I don't love a good murder mystery, but I like how Ms. Purser brings in some heart to her characters--friends and foes. Foul Play at Four engages the reader with even more encounters of Dot and Mrs. T-J, and in doing so makes the action even more fun.
September 20, 2011
There is no mystery here--this is more a cat and mouse type book. As is often the case with mystery series that reach a certain age, the attraction to the Lois Meade books at this point is a visit with old friends in a familiar, charming location, not any whodunnit aspect. That doesn't make this a bad book by any means, just not much of a "mystery".
January 19, 2024
It's easy to get caught up in an Agatha Christie, Miss Marple, type of a cozy English town mystery. However, this one by Ann Purser seems to lack a certain edginess that true suspense fiction should have. There's only one murder and the culprit is extremely remorseful. Everyone seems more caught up on tea servings [cake? biscuits?] and the plight of Long Farnden. Read it if you love English towne settings and cute storyline motifs. Gran seems especially strident in this novel. Also, one of the characters is just released from prison and wages terror against an innocent bystander. This chapter development does nothing to enhance the plot.
September 2, 2018
I thoroughly enjoyed this Lois Meade adventure. The characters have all become well-known friends and I like the way the author combines the changes that occur in societies and families with the plot.I would not classify this as a mystery, but more as a crime adventure and bringing justice to those who do not respect the law. There is more focus in this story on a few characters and not so much on Lois's business. I am already looking forward to the next one. If you don't read this series in order you are missing out on the excellent character development in this series.
February 6, 2018
Admittedly I jumped in on this series in book #4, not the beginning, so that may have some bearing on my three star review. This book was good, nothing very spectacular about it. It wasn't really a mystery, there wasn't much to figure out. It was a quick read though, not unenjoyable. I don't know that I will read any more of this series though.
June 10, 2024
One of the best cozies I've read! Ann Purser's writing is tight, fast paced, and characters and escapades are fun and enjoyable. I'm going back to read the first one in the series - it's that good. Irish countryside detailed in great detail, Irish good guys and bad guys are a hoot. This is a highly recommended summer read!
August 29, 2017
This series just keeps getting better!
January 19, 2018
I enjoyed this book in the series. I found the book to be just the meandering kind of read I was in the mood for and not a straightforward cozy at all.
June 18, 2018
Good book in a good series. What do you do when you run out of days of the week? Start going through numbers.
Lois is an endearing if brusque blue-collar protagonist.
Lois is an endearing if brusque blue-collar protagonist.
August 20, 2018
The eleventh Lois Meade mystery features the intrepid proprietor of the New Brooms cleaning agency
once again "ferreting" out crime at home and on the Yorkshire moors.
once again "ferreting" out crime at home and on the Yorkshire moors.
November 5, 2018
My first book by this author! Enjoyed the characters!
August 25, 2019
English setting for a little sleuthing. Light, readable. Conclusion left some holes but since this is a series of books, leading on was expected.
January 5, 2022
It felt like I was reading this book for a very long time, and not in a particularly nice way. I didn't really like it.
January 10, 2022
Another good book in this cozy series. Very entertaining; I'm looking forward to the next one in the series!
March 28, 2022
Enjoyed this book , a nice cosy mystery
Read
May 6, 2022Easy to read, gentle mystery
July 11, 2022
Interesting history on the ice room
January 16, 2012
I agree with what previous reviewer, Donna, had to say. There really was no mystery here, as we know from the beginning we are after erstwhile thieves, Gerald and Clive Mowlem. She was correct in her assessment that after this many installments in a series, it does become like a visit with old friends.
I love the British village cozy, and this one does not disappoint in that regard. The last several books, however, have left me with a growing inclination towards the more minor players in the stories rather than Lois Meade, the main character herself. Lois is continually described as quite attractive (though middle-aged), adroitly capable of handling her business and family, but she is becoming increasingly grumpy and snappish towards the family, her mother and husband, in particular.
The other thing that is becoming quite tedious is Detective Inspector Cowgill's soppy infatuation with "his" Lois. This is a long-married woman, afterall, and I find it difficult that Cowgill (a man described as quite distinguished in his field as well as considerably older), would take to suddenly singing old love songs on a professional call to Lois from his office, no less. Apparently, everyone from his secretary and underlings to all of Lois' family are aware of his feelings. It just doesn't ring true and is actually quite embarrassing for a character I liked quite a bit in earlier books. Hoping the author somehow wraps up that storyline and quickly. Also hoping for a bit of a return to earlier Lois Meade mysteries, with a bit more suspense. All in all, an enjoyable entry to a long-standing series, but by far not its best.
I love the British village cozy, and this one does not disappoint in that regard. The last several books, however, have left me with a growing inclination towards the more minor players in the stories rather than Lois Meade, the main character herself. Lois is continually described as quite attractive (though middle-aged), adroitly capable of handling her business and family, but she is becoming increasingly grumpy and snappish towards the family, her mother and husband, in particular.
The other thing that is becoming quite tedious is Detective Inspector Cowgill's soppy infatuation with "his" Lois. This is a long-married woman, afterall, and I find it difficult that Cowgill (a man described as quite distinguished in his field as well as considerably older), would take to suddenly singing old love songs on a professional call to Lois from his office, no less. Apparently, everyone from his secretary and underlings to all of Lois' family are aware of his feelings. It just doesn't ring true and is actually quite embarrassing for a character I liked quite a bit in earlier books. Hoping the author somehow wraps up that storyline and quickly. Also hoping for a bit of a return to earlier Lois Meade mysteries, with a bit more suspense. All in all, an enjoyable entry to a long-standing series, but by far not its best.
December 31, 2011
I've always enjoyed Ann Purser's working class heroine, Lois Meade. In the early books, Lois started out as a cleaning lady living in a working class home. As the books evolved, her loving husband has won the lottery which enables them to buy a lovely old home and set up a cleaning business names "New Brooms."
Now Lois has several local women working for her. They also set up their daughter, Josie, as the storekeeper in their small town. Josie is engaged to a local policeman whose uncle, Inspector Cowgill, happens to be in love with Lois - although at a distance. Lois has a talent for "ferretin'" out the truth, and Cowgill recognizes her talents although he constantly worries about her safety.
In this book, a series of small burglaries hit home in a very personal way. First Josie loses 100lbs, a sum she can ill afford to lose, when her back is turned. Then Derrick, Lois' husband, is attacked when he tries to stop another burglary. That's when Lois decides she needs to take things into her own hands.
This book left me oddly unsatisfied. There wasn't much in the way of suspense, something that has been exhibited in Purser's past books. There was no real mystery. Could it be that this series has run its course? I hope not. Perhaps Purser was just under pressure to get another Lois Meade book out in a certain period of time. The book was a fun read, but didn't match the past books in the series.
Now Lois has several local women working for her. They also set up their daughter, Josie, as the storekeeper in their small town. Josie is engaged to a local policeman whose uncle, Inspector Cowgill, happens to be in love with Lois - although at a distance. Lois has a talent for "ferretin'" out the truth, and Cowgill recognizes her talents although he constantly worries about her safety.
In this book, a series of small burglaries hit home in a very personal way. First Josie loses 100lbs, a sum she can ill afford to lose, when her back is turned. Then Derrick, Lois' husband, is attacked when he tries to stop another burglary. That's when Lois decides she needs to take things into her own hands.
This book left me oddly unsatisfied. There wasn't much in the way of suspense, something that has been exhibited in Purser's past books. There was no real mystery. Could it be that this series has run its course? I hope not. Perhaps Purser was just under pressure to get another Lois Meade book out in a certain period of time. The book was a fun read, but didn't match the past books in the series.
August 12, 2020
Another good read from Ann Purser. The Lois Mead books are about a family who is very ordinary, Lois and her husband won the lottery and bought a nice old house in the village of Long Farnden close to their old home, Lois' mum lives with them and helps in the house and her daughter Josie runs the village shop. Lois runs a cleaning business called New Brooms and has a side-line in what her husband calls "ferretin'" helping Inspector Cowgill (who has a soft spot for Lois which she always squashes) to solve crimes in the surrounding villages.
In this story, there have been a series of thefts in Long Farnden and that is enough to arouse curiosity in Lois but then it gets personal when her daughter's shop is targeted by the thieves. Lois sets out to find the perpetrators, this leads her into the inevitable scrapes that usually accompany Lois' ferretin' and she has another adventure risking life and limb to bring the criminals to justice.
I particularly love the setting for the books as I live in the area where they are set, I recognise the local sayings and in this book the Meads take a trip and have to go on the A1 they take the exit at The Ram Jam pub which is our exit onto the motorway, we live about eight miles away, this all makes me feel so at home with the stories.
In this story, there have been a series of thefts in Long Farnden and that is enough to arouse curiosity in Lois but then it gets personal when her daughter's shop is targeted by the thieves. Lois sets out to find the perpetrators, this leads her into the inevitable scrapes that usually accompany Lois' ferretin' and she has another adventure risking life and limb to bring the criminals to justice.
I particularly love the setting for the books as I live in the area where they are set, I recognise the local sayings and in this book the Meads take a trip and have to go on the A1 they take the exit at The Ram Jam pub which is our exit onto the motorway, we live about eight miles away, this all makes me feel so at home with the stories.
January 27, 2012
Ann Purser's FOUL PLAY AT FOUR is one of those British cozies you set aside to read on a rainy (or snowy) day. Just brew yourself a cup of tea, snuggle up and get ready for a visit to the village of Long Farnden. A composite of Jessica Fletcher and Miss Marple, protagonist Lois Meade is the owner of a cleaning company and amateur sleuth who investigates "from a distance" and is never really put in any truly dangerous situations (unless you classify fending off the advances of an amorous Police Inspector named Cowgill as dangerous.
The town itself is populated by a cast of characters whose age, gender, temperament background, relationships and moral values are the true foundation of the story, with theft, assault and un-premeditated murder being present but underplayed. Even Ms. Purser's villains, while coming across as a bit threatening are, in reality, just "bad boys" who are not all that villainous.
Think of this book as the flip side of authors like Michael Connelly, James Patterson or even Agatha Christie. You're not going to get a headache from taxing your powers of deduction but this amusing bit of fluff will make the dreary afternoon just fly by.
The town itself is populated by a cast of characters whose age, gender, temperament background, relationships and moral values are the true foundation of the story, with theft, assault and un-premeditated murder being present but underplayed. Even Ms. Purser's villains, while coming across as a bit threatening are, in reality, just "bad boys" who are not all that villainous.
Think of this book as the flip side of authors like Michael Connelly, James Patterson or even Agatha Christie. You're not going to get a headache from taxing your powers of deduction but this amusing bit of fluff will make the dreary afternoon just fly by.
January 29, 2012
Another excellent entry into the wonderful cozy series by Ann Purser. I love these mysteries featuring our sleuth Lois Meade and her family and of course the smitten detective Inspector Cowgill. If you have followed this series from the beginning then you have followed Lois and her family through the very entertaining years. Josie is preparing to marry Cowgill's nephew in this latest outing.
Ann Purser has captured the essence of a English village perfectly. I just love to escape to Long Farnden with Lois and her family. And of course all the characters who work for New Brooms. Dot Nimmo one of the most colorful is featured in this outing. There are big changes afoot in the village in this novel....big changes at the Hall and with herself (if you've been following the series this doesn't sound odd to you).
There are robberies, bad guys and characters galore. Another fabulous cozy from Ann Purser, perfect to escape to a wonderful English village on a blustery afternoon.
Ann Purser has captured the essence of a English village perfectly. I just love to escape to Long Farnden with Lois and her family. And of course all the characters who work for New Brooms. Dot Nimmo one of the most colorful is featured in this outing. There are big changes afoot in the village in this novel....big changes at the Hall and with herself (if you've been following the series this doesn't sound odd to you).
There are robberies, bad guys and characters galore. Another fabulous cozy from Ann Purser, perfect to escape to a wonderful English village on a blustery afternoon.
January 18, 2012
Lois Meade has worked through all the days of the week, turning up clues and scrubbing up messes and murderers in the village of Long Farnden. But sleuthing is rarely a spotless endeavor...
A series of robberies have begun to plague Long Farnden, and Lois's own daughter, Josie, is shaken when a thief makes off with a hundred pounds from the till in her grocery shop. But before her policeman fiancé can crack the case, someone cracks Lois's husband on the head when he interrupts a burglary in progress. Now Lois-and the besotted Inspector Cowgill-must determine who's cleaning out Long Farnden, and clean up after an increasingly violent crime spree...
I have read all 11 of the series books, and still like the characters for the most part. Best to start at the beginning of the series to get the most out of the series.
A series of robberies have begun to plague Long Farnden, and Lois's own daughter, Josie, is shaken when a thief makes off with a hundred pounds from the till in her grocery shop. But before her policeman fiancé can crack the case, someone cracks Lois's husband on the head when he interrupts a burglary in progress. Now Lois-and the besotted Inspector Cowgill-must determine who's cleaning out Long Farnden, and clean up after an increasingly violent crime spree...
I have read all 11 of the series books, and still like the characters for the most part. Best to start at the beginning of the series to get the most out of the series.
August 30, 2013
I didn't think there was enough characterization for many of the characters. Matthew the policeman says I love you to his wife; Cowgill the chief has a hankering for Lois; Gran is a matriarch who likes to answer the door and host meals; etc. etc. Except Lois the lead, each supporting character seems to have one 'thing' about them, which didn't give me a good view of them. Several of the characters' ages, for example, tripped me up, because I'd envisioned them one way, without much information, and then something later happened which didn't fit with that being their age. Oh well.
I liked Derek the electrician and Harry the farmer most, and one of them gets it in the end! Too bad my sympathies went that way then. A good enough story and a very quick read. I liked the knowledge of the estate house doings and the comparison of the village people with the old family, too.
I liked Derek the electrician and Harry the farmer most, and one of them gets it in the end! Too bad my sympathies went that way then. A good enough story and a very quick read. I liked the knowledge of the estate house doings and the comparison of the village people with the old family, too.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 12, 2012
Another fine book in her Lois Meade series.
Lois Meade has worked through all the days of the week, turning up clues and scrubbing up messes and murderers in the village of Long Farnden. But sleuthing is rarely a spotless endeavor...
A series of robberies have begun to plague Long Farnden, and Lois's own daughter, Josie, is shaken when a thief makes off with a hundred pounds from the till in her grocery shop. But before her policeman fiancé can crack the case, someone cracks Lois's husband on the head when he interrupts a burglary in progress. Now Lois-and the besotted Inspector Cowgill-must determine who's cleaning out Long Farnden, and clean up after an increasingly violent crime spree...
Lois Meade has worked through all the days of the week, turning up clues and scrubbing up messes and murderers in the village of Long Farnden. But sleuthing is rarely a spotless endeavor...
A series of robberies have begun to plague Long Farnden, and Lois's own daughter, Josie, is shaken when a thief makes off with a hundred pounds from the till in her grocery shop. But before her policeman fiancé can crack the case, someone cracks Lois's husband on the head when he interrupts a burglary in progress. Now Lois-and the besotted Inspector Cowgill-must determine who's cleaning out Long Farnden, and clean up after an increasingly violent crime spree...
May 30, 2013
I love the Lois Meade mysteries by Ann Purser, and the series just keeps getting better and better with each book!
In Foul Play at Four, Long Farnden is plagued by a crime spree. First, Lois' daughter Josie has the cash in her grocery store till stolen, then Mrs. Tollervey-Jones interrupts a burglary! It's up to Lois to get to the bottom of things, and with the help of her New Brooms crew, she always does!
One of the things that I love the most about the Lois Meade mysteries is Purser's graphic descriptions of Long Farnden and the surrounding areas, and the use of quaint dialects. The books and the characters are so warm and inviting, you feel like you are part of the story!
In Foul Play at Four, Long Farnden is plagued by a crime spree. First, Lois' daughter Josie has the cash in her grocery store till stolen, then Mrs. Tollervey-Jones interrupts a burglary! It's up to Lois to get to the bottom of things, and with the help of her New Brooms crew, she always does!
One of the things that I love the most about the Lois Meade mysteries is Purser's graphic descriptions of Long Farnden and the surrounding areas, and the use of quaint dialects. The books and the characters are so warm and inviting, you feel like you are part of the story!
January 23, 2016
It's always good to visit the Meade family. This is the eleventh book in the series.
Mrs. Tollervy-Jones's abduction was funny, as was Clive's hitch-hiking, and Derek's bluntness in dealing with Josie's untimely interruption. In fact, this book seemed more humorous than most of the others in the series. I enjoyed it.
SPOILER - I thought that Hunter Cowgill's retirement was sad, though.
It did give away too soon in the story who the criminals were.
I borrowed this from my mother-in-law, as I have the rest in this series.
Mrs. Tollervy-Jones's abduction was funny, as was Clive's hitch-hiking, and Derek's bluntness in dealing with Josie's untimely interruption. In fact, this book seemed more humorous than most of the others in the series. I enjoyed it.
SPOILER - I thought that Hunter Cowgill's retirement was sad, though.
It did give away too soon in the story who the criminals were.
I borrowed this from my mother-in-law, as I have the rest in this series.
December 21, 2011
Brothers Clive and Gerald make a mistake when their petty crime spree takes them to Josie Meade's village store. Not only is Josie's fiance a policeman, but her mother Lois, who runs the local cleaning service, is well-known as an amateur detective. On the run, Gerald makes even more mistakes. Although Lois is determined to find the culprits, she's also preoccupied by the local grand lady, who is elderly and whose health is questionable.
July 17, 2012
Ann Purser has given us an intriguing mystery that also takes us from the little town of Tresham to the moors of Yorkshire. The twists and turns ofwhat leads Lois Meade and her New Brooms as well as her family and Hunter Cowgill makes for an enjoyable read. Lois is very determined to find the culprits who robbed her daughter's store and who knocked her husband out. I can't wait for another in this series. . .
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews