Murder at the Altar

Ellie Quicke #1

by Veronica Heley

Meet Ellie Quicke. Devoted cat lady, tea addict, recent widow — and now amateur sleuth!

Everyone in leafy Ealing knows her as the dotty old dear who volunteers at the local charity shop. But there’s more to Ellie than meets the eye . . .

Two days after her husband’s funeral, Ellie can’t bring herself to leave the house. But trouble soon comes knocking — in the shape of hysterical flower arranger Mrs Dawes.

She’s stumbled on a dead body in church.

Now it’s up to Ellie to help the police before the killer strikes again.

Meet your next favourite sleuth in this wonderfully witty whodunnit.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Cozy, Crime, Fiction, British Literature, Contemporary

291 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

Veronica Heley 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.

AKA Veronica Thorne

Reviews

[Ivonne Rovira · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let me begin with some honesty, the kind that widow Ellie Quicke couldn’t allow herself at the beginning of Murder at the Altar: Widows Ellie Quicke and Bea Abbott are polar opposites in most respects, and Ellie suffers from the comparison. Even though both widows emerge from the pen of the redoubtable Veronica Heley, Ellie Quicke just doesn’t’ entrance in the sophisticated, capable Bea Abbott does.

Bea Abbott lost a husband who empowered her and turned her into the self-assured, competent, generous businesswoman she is today, running her business with fairness, high moral and business standards, and no tolerance for unprofessionalism; in short, she’s no pushover (unless you count her relationship with her only son Max. Oy!) In contrast, Ellie Quicke begins the novel as a doormat. Ellie’s husband Frank, an old-fashioned man with old-fashioned ideas about women and their place in society, made Ellie think she wasn’t up to running her own life — much less successfully investigating a murder! Ellie volunteers in a charity shop, having given up paid employment at Frank’s urging; she allowed herself to be bullied by Frank’s hypercritical harridan Aunt Drusilla; she lets her selfish daughter Diana take advantage of her. Just to give you a flavor, Ellie Quicke ironed cotton bed sheets, did without a microwave, and never learned to drive, all because that’s how Frank preferred matters!

But Frank had just died, and Ellie soon realizes that she doesn’t have to continue in her old habits: She gets a new bed, new bed linens, a microwave — and, most importantly, a new attitude. She refuses Aunt Drusilla’s requests and carping criticisms. And she decides to find out what really happened to Ferdy Hanna, a wild young amateur mechanic who got himself bashed in the head and then dumped at the church altar. What was Ferdy really up to? And how does Ferdy’s high-school friend, Ellie’s neighbor Kate, figure into the mystery? (Ellie shares a semidetached with newlyweds Kate and Armand.)

No spoiler here: From the very first few pages, readers will know that the killer(s) realize that, unknown even to herself, Ellie has witnessed something important the night of Ferdy’s murder. The suspense hinges both in following Ellie as she tracks down clues and in the frisson each time the Fat Man plots to take the Widow Quicke out.

I’m always preaching that it’s important not to let the perfect be the enemy of the good. Murder at the Altar never rises to the five-star standard set by Heley’s Abbott Agency novels, but the mystery wasn’t bad, and the ending proved thrilling enough that I will be reading the sequel, Murder by Suicide, as soon as I can get to the library.

A caveat for atheists and agnostics: As with Bea Abbott, Ellie Quicke is an avid church-goer and frequently prays to God for guidance and succor. As Anglicans, neither proves judgmental in the way of American evangelicals nor proselytizing; however, if occasional religiosity bothers you, these books are not for you.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book of a series (I started reading out of order) of cozy mysteries focusing on a newly bereaved, church going, very sweet, middle aged woman. She is busy adjusting to her new life, while being pulled into mysterious happenings at the nearby church. Written by Veronica Healey, this is a great series for keeping company with on any day.

[Gail · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ellie Quicke's husband, Frank, dies suddenly from a short illness, leaving Ellie alone to fend for herself -- something she never had to do. She fancies herself as mild and incapable but she's nothing of the sort. As she moves outside the smothering embrace of her loving husband, she discovers she had backbone and wit and a tidy income to boot.

A body is discovered in the church across from Ellie's house. Unbeknownst to her, she was seen looking out the window as the murder took place. She was unseeing because she was sedated and grieving but the killers don't know that.

As Ellie moves about her newfound widowhood, she has to deal with selfish, overbearing relatives and being stalked by killers. She puts it together and confronts the killers and saves her neighbor and neighborhood.

This is a lovey cosy with a wonderful woman as the protaganist. Ellie is wonderfully endearing and kind!

[ElaineY · Rating 3 out of 5]

REVIEW OF AUDIOBOOK; 9 SEPT 2019
Narrator: Anne Cater

Despite Ellie making me want to give her a kick up her ass for much of the book, I'm glad I didn't give this first installment a miss. If you're like me, though, do make sure you're in a magnanimous mood and willing to give Ellie time to transform from the Stepford Wife to a normal, my-boundary conscious woman who learns, eventually, not to be terrified of a computer and puts her aunt-from-hell, Drusilla, in her place. I'm hoping Ellie's daughter, Diana, will either come to her senses...or be the next murder victim.

There is a satisfactory and promising ending which makes me eager to continue the series. I can't give this more than 3 stars, however, because the murder mystery got shoved to the background of my consciousness due to my concern/annoyance with Ellie's character. I hope the rest of the series will focus more the murder and cause me much, much less aggravation over Ellie's struggle to assert herself.

[Chantelle Marshall · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars (Kindle). I'm incensed that a woman in her early 50s, in a story set in 2000, is treated as if she were 90 years old in this tale. I had a hard time getting into this book - there's an inordinate amount of inner dialog by this doddering 50 yo widow - and the plot didn't really pick up until about 2/3 of the way through. The author has a respectable following, but I think she has inserted herself into this story (she being 66 at the time of writing) + ultimately I won't be reading anything else in this series. Great potential. Not for me.

[Jinny Alexander · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had high expectations for this but was somewhat disappointed. The writing isn't great - I lost count of how many times someone 'quacked' into the phone - plus it has a host of stereotypical and flat characters that teeter very much on the edge of racist. The main character, only 50, is portrayed as a feeble old woman who can't think for herself and was 'kept' by her husband, so we've also a nice sprinkling of ageism thrown in. Even in the book description ages described as a 'dotty old dear'. Again, she's 50. As am I. The reveal is annoying, and feels, cheap, throwaway, and again, racist. A shame, as I wanted this to be better. I will try one from the author's other series but I doubt I'll go back to Ellie Quicke.



My 2 stars are for the racist stereotyping (oh, just remembered, there's a man who's only ever referred to as 'the fat man' too). Without that, I'd have probably stretched to a 3. Overall, this was unexpectedly disappointing from Joffe, who usually publish much better.

[Peggy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dull

I had to drag myself through this painfully dull book. Unputdownable? Hardly. I hate abandoning a book as I always think it will get better. This one did not. It had promise. It was just so slow and the writing was uninspired. Don't waste your time on this one.

[Jacqueline · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cozy to be noticed

Murder at the Altar moves out of the familiar with a heroin, Ellie Quicke, newly widowed and challenged to find a new way of coping with life. Mystery abounds, but I found myself cheering her on as she grew out of the familiar into a more self affirming strong woman. Can't wait for the follow-up.

[Trudy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dnf

[Hannah S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

So very impressive!

While reading this I was struck with the ability of this artist (author) to stand out from the crowd. I'm a frequent reader of mysteries and can count on one, maybe two hands, when I've given a five star rating. I enjoyed this book so much that I will be buying the next one immediately. Thank you Ms. Heley.

[Kaajal · Rating 3 out of 5]

A recent widow, poor Ellie is having a hard time adjusting to hew new life. She is reluctant to leave the house and is in a state of haze, especially with the medication the doctor prescribed. To add to this her daughter is acting up and her late husband’s aunt is being the usual terror she is.

In the middle of all this, one of her neighbours and fellow parishioner Ms. Dawes appears on her doorstep one morning in hysterics. She has just found a dead body in the church. The events that follow lead Ellie to come out of her shell and soon she realises that if she doesn’t help the police, they are never going to solve the case.

What she hasn’t realised is that her life is also in danger. Will she manage to get the police to listen before anything happens to her?

Now this is the kind of book everyone must read. Here’s why.

It’s a reminder to women out there, not to let their husbands / families tell them in different ways that they shouldn’t use their minds. It’s a reminder to men, to not take your women for granted. They have a lot more to offer than meets the eye. It’s a reminder to wives to not get lost in their husband’s ways, habits and demands and to take a little effort on themselves as well. It’s a reminder to older women to not write themselves off. But most importantly its a reminder to everyone to not lose their sense of adventure and humour

An unusual and endearing book with an engrossing plot. A good fun read.

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a new cosy mystery series by a new to me author. I couldn't put this book down, reading from start to finish; I was hooked from the first few pages.

Ellie Quicke lives in Ealing, a recent widow, 2 days after the funeral she realises she has to sort out her life. However, her daughter has her own ideas on what Ellie should do.

When a local tearaway is found dead in the Church, which backs onto Ellie's garden; she is shocked but doesn't think she's seen anything. However, when things start to happen to Ellie, near misses, she starts to think that maybe she did see more than she realised at the time.

She has to sort her husband's will out, and when she finds out its contents, she knows she's got to sort her spoilt daughter, as well as her husband's aged Aunt who treats Ellie as a slave out, once and for all.

I know I'm going to love this series and am looking forward to the second book to be released.

[Rae · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is another new author for my easy summer reading. And another older woman who people consider a dithering idiot. And she's younger than me! Argh! And these are not old books - folks have cell phones and computers.

I am reading a second one but I may stop reading them if this woman continues to be such a wimp. I find myself skipping the parts where she is dithering ... so I'll let you know what I decide after this 2nd bok.

[Michelle Hartman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm getting frustrated by the protagonist allowing everyone to push her around. There is gradual changing taking place in the second book, so there is growth in the character. I've ordered the third book, so maybe I have more faith than I think I do. The book is set in London suburbs yet it has the feeling of village life. It also doesn't have the constant rehash of the regular cozy. All in all, I'm still recommending this series.

[Vintagebooklvr · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first in a new series so a lot of time is spent on the events that get the main character, Ellie Quicke, into being an amateur sleuth. She just lost her husband and he took care of most things like the finances, driving, using the computer etc. So not just is she grieving but is overwhelmed by life itself when two days after the funeral a woman comes running over crying that she has found a body at the altar at the church. So it begins.

The police are sure that it is her next door neighbor but Ellie doesn't believe it. Then there are all these weird occurrences and almost accidents. Maybe the police don't really know what they are talking about. But will they take an older lady who just lost her husband seriously?

I liked Ellie as you get a real feeling of who she is as she goes through the grieving process. And it doesn't seem unrealistic that she gets involved in solving the mystery. She doesn't immediately go investigating, but is more forced into it as things keep happening to her.

It did bother me that her family members really took advantage of her. They are really kind of nasty people. I don't like see that. But in the end, Ellie stays true to herself--she doesn't suddenly become nasty to everyone though she does begin to stand up more for herself--and still makes things clear that this is the way things will be. She doesn't cut them out of her life, at least not entirely, because that wouldn't be who she is, but she makes arrangements that suit her.

There were some side characters that were interesting. It will be fun to see if they end up being main stay in the rest of this series. Now it did take me a little while to get into the book, but it was worth it in the end.

[Beverly Bellevue · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just discovered this series by accident in our local library. I enjoyed the telling of the tale. Ellie Quicke is a woman of a certain age who assumed a very traditional role of the time as mother and wife. She had responsibilities in her home and garden and her husband assumed roles of working outside the home and managing their financial affairs. Her evolution after her spouse dies is what kept me engaged. Tackling a desktop computer seems laughable but the magical thinking that is involved when trying something that you have no context for is believable.
I applauded when Ellie finally found her voice against the bullies in her world. The murder mystery involved a number of interesting characters which produced an interesting conclusion. I look forward to the next installment and I’m happy there are many in this series.

[Kurisu V · Rating 2 out of 5]

Никакого Чайного клуба расследований тут нет. Походу, это придумка наших редакторов. В оригинале цикл просто называется 'Элли Квик', по имени главной героини.

Может, 'клуб' появится в одной из следующих книг (их аж 22 штуки)

История очень маленькая, у героев просто нет места, чтобы раскрыться.

В таких романах детективная линия – всего лишь фон, но знайте, что она скучная.



Отношения Элли с дочерью Дианой интересные, конечно. Имхо, Элли не любит дочь и та отвечает ей тем же.

[Vera · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the First Title in the Ellie Quicke Mystery series.
Ellie is middle age, and, her life, and lack of confidence, has been sheltered and diminished by her suddenly deceased husband's attitudes toward their marriage responsibilities. But, Her sudden widowhood and a sudden murder forces Ellie to confront her weaknesses, and, to become aware of her strengths. Will Ellie's strength come to her rescue? Someone's after her...threatening....
Likeable character development of many of the supporting characters.
I enjoyed reading this story enough to want to continue reading the series, a total of 19 Ellie Quicke mysteries. (set in small town England)

[Mrs J · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely unputdownable

As Ellie Quicke tries to come to terms with losing her husband, she is drawn into a murder investigation by the discovery of a body. Having spent days and nights staring out of her window up at the church, everyone is convinced that she has seen more than she says.
As Ellie gradually reasserts herself she finds herself at the centre of unwanted advances, an unexpected friend, bullied by her conniving relatives and the target of ‘hitmen’. There is pathos, humour and tension that keeps you reading. I was definitely on Ellie’s side, feeling indignation and cheering her on. Thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.

[KathyTap · Rating 3 out of 5]

Something I love about Heley’s stories is that her protagonists tell off their “foes” - in this case Ellie’s daughter and aunt-in-law - with grace and eloquence. They don’t yell or use sarcasm, they just tell the blunt truth in an elegant and satisfying way. I couldn’t put this down until both women were finally taken down a few pegs, but the murder conclusion was clunky at best. I don’t like it when the answer is completely underivable by the reader. We never encounter the killer until the last pages and we never meet the “kingpin” at all.

I love the Bea Abbot series, so I’ll try the next book in this series, but I hope the next murder is more compelling.

[Lois Baron · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read seven of a different series by Heley, the Abbott Agency, which I enjoy very much, so I thought I'd give the Ellie Quicke series a go. I'm glad I did. The heroines are similar--older women, recently widowed, who have one unfortunately selfish adult child and who must come to grips with a new stage in life. There's a mild Christian slant to both series.

Murder at the Altar is full of comings and goings, nicely paced. I didn't want to stop reading. I look forward to the next one to see how Ellie's life moves along.

[Shirley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A woman raced through Ellie's backyard screaming about the body she found at the altar of the church behind Ellie's house. Ellie was so grief-stricken and fuzzy from meds after her husbands death that she didn't recall seeing anything unusual prior to the deadly event. But . . . a killer thinks Ellie saw more than she realizes and seeks to stop her before she goes to the police. Ellie, trying to cope with her loss, is totally unaware of the danger she's in. Changes are on the horizon as she begins to acknowledge that she has "lost" some of the person she used to be. Boundaries must be established with her greedy daughter and her late husband's overbearing aunt.
Love the characters, and especially Ellie's relationship with the little neighbor boy, who seems quite taken with the older woman. Great plot, good pacing, likeable characters.

[Lucy Takeda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’d actually rate this 3.5-.75. The local villains were SO inept!
Ellie’s husband, who pretty much treated her as helpless, had just passed away. She’s taking medications and crying constantly. Then, a lady from the church arrives yelling about a dead body near the altar.
I really like Ellie. She had gumption, although she is rather naive. The police keep thinking she’s a batty old lady, even when there are several attempts on her life. Bravo to little old ladies with True Grit!

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a quirky confection of older widow who was overly protected by her recently deceased husband as she must learn to confront a series of challenges and threats. She increasingly gains the power and skills to overcome and challenge those who target her whilst also learning to find some joy in learning some small skills. The characters are somewhat comical even though murder is involved. The power she gains allows her to move forward with strength and a touch of joy.

Kindle Unlimited

[Janet Farnham · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story with it's interesting characters. It is right in the heart of my "sweet spot" for murder mysteries: not too silly and saccharine nor too gory and hard boiled on the other end of the spectrum. I also liked the development of the main character, Ellie, as she finds her strength and courage. And I found the humor a wonderful plus. I will continue on with the series hoping that they all stay at this level of quality and entertainment.

[Annette Jellyman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great cosy mystery

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It made a great change to read a cosy mystery where the lead female character is portrayed as strong rather than a foolish amateur. I enjoy how Ellie takes control of her life, and at the same time is so caring and compassionate to her friends and neighbours. I can't wait to see how her character develops in the next one.

[Cea · Rating 5 out of 5]

an excellent read

This was the very thing I needed today. A new to me author in a style I love. Good character development, excellent plot and I didn’t guess the end, which rates a five star. I highly recommend this book and I’m going to see if I can find others by this author. I am left with a smile.

[Les · Rating 2 out of 5]

80% of this book is about an older woman dealing with the ramifications of becoming a widow. It opens with a murder, but very little attention is paid to this until near the end of the book. I might go ahead and read the second one in the series just to see if the all the effort put into establishing the characters in this book results in a true mystery story.

[Sarah J Conisbee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Looking forward to the next in series!

Murder at the Altar by Veronica Heley was indeed unputdownable! An excellent plot with lots of diverse, mostly, likeable characters. With a demanding aged aunt, greedy daughter and abusive neighbour all thrown into the mix making for an exciting tale. More please Veronica...well done!

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fast paced well told tale

Ellie is recently widowed. Adjusting to life without her husband has been overwhelming. However, it becomes infinitely more difficult when she becomes involved in a murder. Every aspect of her life is thrown into chaos. The characters are excellent. The story is fast paced with tons of twists and turns.