Flowers for his Funeral

Mitchell and Markby #7

by Ann Granger

When Meredith Mitchell bumps into her old schoolfriend Rachel Hunter at the Chelsea Flower Show it doesn't take Meredith long to realise that she and the effortlessly self-confident blonde have even less in common now than they had as teenagers. Apart from one thing - Meredith's companion, Chief Inspector Markby. For to the embarrassment of all concerned, except of course the self-possessed Rachel, Meredith's old schoolfriend turns out to have been Markby's former wife, from whom he was divorced years before in less than friendly circumstances. The meeting with Rachel is not the only surprise the Flower Show has in store for Markby - before the afternoon is out he has a death on his hands. All too quickly he and Meredith find themselves drawn into the plush, apparently well-run world Rachel and her second husband created for themselves in their Cotswold home, Malefis Abbey, a world which Markby becomes increasingly convinced harbours a highly skilled murderer ...

Genres: Mystery, Crime, British Literature, Audiobook, Cozy Mystery, Detective

352 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

Ann Granger attended the Northern Grammar School for Girls, and had thoughts about becoming a veterinarian, but discovered women were not accepted into vet schools because they were not believed to be strong enough. Instead she earned a Modern Languages degree at the University of London, where she first developed a desire to become a writer. worked in British embassies in various parts of the world. She met her husband, who was also working for the British Embassy, in Prague and together they received postings to places as far apart as Munich and Lusaka. They had two children.

Her first novels were historical romances published under the nom de plume Ann Hulme.

In 1991, Granger made the decision to switch to crime novels, saying, "Basically, there is only one plot in love stories: You can describe it in different ways, but you always come back to the subject of man and woman. Crime fiction opens up a world of possibilities for the writer. It lets you tackle deep and difficult issues." Her first crime novel, Say it with Poison, centred on the protagonists Meredith Mitchell, a consular clerk, and police officer Alan Markby. The book proved popular and Granger wrote 14 more Mitchell & Markby novels between 1991 and 2004.

Granger also wrote other crime novel series & in 2021, in recognition of thirty years of crime novels, Granger released a collection of eighteen short stories, Mystery in the Making.

On 24 September 2025, her publisher Headline announced that Granger had died at the age of 86

This autobiography was added to with information from Wikipedia & Encyclopedia.com.

Reviews

[Denise Spicer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meredith Mitchell and Alan Markby unexpectedly run into Meredith’s old school friend Rachel and her husband, Alex, at the Chelsea Flower Show. When Alex is murdered, the two are unhappily drawn into the case though it outside Alan’s jurisdiction and complicated by the fact that Rachel is Alan’s ex-wife. Interesting characters, interesting setting in a small county town, and strong plotting make this book a pleasant read.

[Bradley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Starts out really nicely, interesting developments, puzzling events.... But the ending was disappointing, mostly a rabbit pulled out of a hat. Nobody did any detecting that amounted to anything. It is not clear why the perp did not just pack his bags and leave. Also not clear why the damaged photos were so important. Seems that the perp could just as well let Gillian do what she wanted.

[Clare O'Beara · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed some of the earlier books more than this one.

While we're told a murder occurs at the Chelsea Flower Show, and it does, we get almost nothing of the show setting, just hot and crowded and then they leave, so it feels like a swizz. The actual death takes place on a public street.

Meredith Mitchell and her inspector friend Markby are like an old married couple, except they've never been either married or a couple. In this book there is no spark of love at all. Perhaps that's because Meredith's school mate turns out to be Markby's ex wife. It's her new husband who is unfortunately killed.

I thought that for a police inspector Markby seems to know just about nothing, including that his ex and her Mediterranean husband were living in a large country house not far from him. Overall I did find the tale tedious and the characters all one-sided.

The author still uses exclamation marks! all the time! when most of us would use them once or twice a book. She also uses It with incredible frequency; close to the start a long paragraph consists of four sentences, three of which start with It. The passive voice is used almost all the way through - it had been raining, etc. Maybe some editor decided to prove that a book written against all best writing advice might still sell.

[Damaskcat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meredith Mitchell and Alan Markby bump into Rachel - an old school friend of Meredith's when they are visiting the Chelsea Flower Show. She soon realises that they have less in common now than they had when they were at school.

Alan Markby is dismayed to find that he is face to face with his ex-wife - from whom he was acrimoniously divorced several years before. But that isn't the only shock in store for Meredith and Alan as a sudden death sees them involved in a complex investigation which leads them back to Rachel's luxurious home in the Cotswolds - Malefis Abbey.

This is a well written mystery story which sees both Mitchell and Markby playing their parts in the investigation though not in any official capacity. I thought the characters were interesting - Rachel herself, the local villagers who seem almost caught in a bubble which does not admit any outsiders.

This is the seventh book in this series of low key crime novels and I think they are best read in order of publication so that the reader can follow the development of the relationship between Meredith and Alan.

[Gary Van Cott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Most of this book is ok. I think the author has worked Mitchell into the case in a better way than most of the books so far. The ending however is more than a little contrived. I get annoyed by the author's avoidance of any mention of sex between the main characters. It doesn't have to be explicit. What she writes just isn't normal for a full description of a relationship.

[Stef Rozitis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this and am basing my very biased review on that. I could actually detecct flaws in it (especially some logical questions about the solution) but that's secondary to my real enjoyment reading this and being able to switch off.

This is "old school", Agatha Christie style without (thankfully) attempting to match Christie's quirky detectives. It's set in a village with lots of bodies, clues, some red herrings, elaborately rigged up murder and a stately home with improbably features. There is none of that psychologising of delving into the characters in too much depth- I felt sad because of the relationship between Mrs James, Nevil, and Gilian but the darkness and sadness of that was not allowed to take over the book, nor did the author spend chapter and chapters on it.

I saw clues early on. I could sort of guess where they were headed to some degree but did not get the whole solution. There was enough to keep me feeling clever but subtle enough to keep me guessing and interested. I was biased by wanting Rachel to be the bad guy because she is so unlikeable, but that too was kept low-key. There was conflict between some of the police but it was downplayed, there was some barely acknowledged romance between Alan and Meredith and I liked it the better for being so light and wholesome. The politics behind some of the characters was kept vague which is probably just as well!

I'm open to reading more of these, it's not rocket science but it's fun!

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This wonderful mystery is a must read for fans of Midsomer Murders. There is a murder at the Chelsea Flower Show, and Meredith and Markby get drawn in on pure chance. Once Meredith’s old school acquaintance, Rachel, gets her talons in Meredith in the former’s time of distress, Meredith discovers a complexity she never expected from this high maintenance chum and the revelation of some recently shared relationships. City cops versus rural cops, of course, make many stereotypical presumptions regarding the investigation, and all of the supporting characters in the novel are wonderfully rich in foibles and quirks. I especially loved gruff and possessive Molly James, her son Neville of the milquetoast variety, the mysterious and enchanting French gardener Martin and the fish-out-of-water eccentric Miriam. Granger has a gift for giving readers a full character description with only a few words. The story unfolds gradually, so don’t expect to breeze through this cozy, but with the twists and turns of this plot, readers won’t want to. It’s one of the few mysteries that is quite a challenge to solve.

[Anu · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ma ei tea, kas ajad on tõesti nii kiiresti muutunud, et 1994. aastal kirjutatud raamat tundub nii vanamoeline ja naiivne. Sherlock Holmesi lugusid lugesin ma lapsepõlves ja nad ei olnud sugugi nii lapsikud ega midagi, hoopis leidlikud ja põnevalt lahendatud, a võib olla ma olin liiga noor, aga seda raamatukest ma närisin tükkhaaval terve pika nädala ja see oli lugemise mõttes täiesti maha visatud aeg. Ann Granger käis raamatu kirjutamise ajal juba kuuekümnendaid ja seetõttu ilmselt polnud tal kaasaegsest politseitööst ka eriti aimu. Sellest see naiivsus ja kogu kirjatüki ebausutavus. Peategelased olid nii igavad ja puised ja ebaloogilised, et lihtsalt nuta.
Olgu, las ta olla! Ärge lugege kui teil midagi targemat teha on!

[Rhona Connor · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good read.

When Meredith and Alan meet Rachel Constantine née Hunter, previously Markby at Chelsea Flower Show, they don't realise that it will all lead to murder.
The tragic consequences mean that Meredith is going to stay with Alan's ex-wife while she mourns her husband. Alan is not allowed to investigate, so there is a superintendent from Scotland Yard down as well to investigate.
Rachel's behaviour at times seems at odds with what has occurred,but is Rachel really mourning her husband's death? Or is she in denial? Other murders happen which send the investigations in a different direction. 🤔 Highly recommended.

[Lee at ReadWriteWish · Rating 5 out of 5]

The start of this was excellent - with our dynamic duo Meredith and Alan running into one of Meredith's old school mates who turns out to be... Alan's ex-wife! Awkward. When a murder is committed, things get even more awkward, especially for Alan professionally as it all occurs under his nose.

I did guess one of the twists of the mystery plot but was clueless when it came to some of the other outcomes. One part in particular I never saw coming at all.

This series continues to power along (even if I have to ignore the exclamation marks and imagine it's set well before the 90s).

4 1/2 out of 5

[Eugene · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another excellent entry in this series from writer Granger. Notwithstanding a goodly dollop of character and relationship activity, the plot is the star here. Well paced, with new developments aplenty, and twists and turns that keep one in the dark; in fact the denouement when it arrives is quite a thunderclap of surprise. Mystery fans will be well pleased with this one.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting story with some twists.
Meredith Mitchell runs into a former classmate by happenstance at a flower show. She introduces her partner Inspector Markby to her. Markby just happens to be her friend's ex-husband. Before the afternoon is over, the classmate's husband is dead.
Meredith and Markby get pulled into this mystery much to their chagrin.

[Cirrus Minor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dieser Fall lebt davon, dass es um Markbys Exfrau geht. Mal wieder läuft Mitchell alleine den Bösewichten hinterher und Markby steht nur tatenlos daneben, aber so langsam finde ich mich damit ab, dass das nun mal das übliche Strickmuster dieser Romane ist.

[Paul Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really joyed this Book just as much as most of the others, in fact the only one I have had a problem with was the 1st but I persevered and I am glad I did, I loved The Plot and Characters, I love the setting ad the relationship between our 2 sleuths, I am really looking forward to reading No 8.

[Ute C Hodgson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am enjoying the Mitchell and Markby series. I know there are some critical reviews but this is a cozy mystery and as such surely not to be taken too seriously? A good yarn, well written and it provides escape from our humdrum lives. What more could you ask for? I will keep on reading.

[Lila · Rating 3 out of 5]

A murder at the Chelsea Flower show. A near escape from a falling stone pineapple. A corgi who needs more exercise. A mansion with a conservatory. Obviously this is a British cozy. However, the police officer needs to deal with the widow--who is his ex-wife.

[Martina Kovaříková · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would not say the book is anything special, but it is an enjoyable read for reading while going to and from work. There is a good twist in the story, which surprised me, although I guessed who the killer was.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn't really gel with this book. The only redeeming factor was that the ending turned out to be a total surprise

[Judith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed the setting & (new) characters. This was a very well thought out mystery. Kept me guessing until the end and loved every minute of it. On to book #8!

[Andrea M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Überraschendes Ende.
Was ich nicht verstehe: es gibt so viele Namen. Warum Molly, Mavis, Merry?

[Elijah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full of twists and turns

Very good read with some excellent characters. The ending was surprising. It’s the seventh in the series and I’ll be reading the rest.

[Pauline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ive read quite a few of Ann Grangers books, but this one was a disappointment.

[Juliane · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75🌟

[Kat Walter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wish it had been better. Still like the series.

[Katerina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ein eher altes Krimi, das es nicht so schlecht war, aber auch nichts Besonderes. Ich habe es während meine Ferien gelesen, aber ich wird alles sehr schnell vergessen.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars. Interesting story, but felt their presence didn't make sense.

[The Cruciverbalistic Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very enjoyable read in this series; quite the plot twist despite the early reveal and guessable culprits.

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing is so-so, but definitely not too bad and I just love the early covers.
Book #7. As this is a "will they every get together?' series, I am glad there is finally some
(slow) progress.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A chance encounter at the Chelsea Flower Show leads Meredith Mitchell and her friend, police detective Alan Markby, to a stay in the remote countryside. Rachel, the school friend that Meredith greeted turned out to be Markby's ex-wife, and her current husband passed out and died shortly after the introduction. Rachel demands Meredith support her through the funeral, and Alan stays at a nearby hotel. The police suspect that Rachel's husband was murdered by another local, who went up to Chelsea for the show, and they're even suspicious of Alan.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I haven't read a traditional British mystery for awhile and this was a delightful breath of fresh air after several months of routine thrillers. While I liked the story, I particularly enjoyed the reader and look forward to hearing more of her work.

The story is routine traditional mystery but Granger is quite successful in illustrating the reality of police department cutbacks, the relationships of estranged spouses, and the desire by management to protect their working territory.

This is pure escapism and I look forward to reading other Granger stories.