Miss Hortense and the Last Rites

Miss Hortense #2

by Mel Pennant

The second mystery starring the colorful members of the Bigglesweigh Pardner, which finds Miss Hortense and her friends grappling with the question, “What happens when a man who can’t die, dies?”

When the second scariest man in the neighborhood barges into your home with a gun and a demand, the average person might try to run or bargain—but not Miss Hortense. Hailing from Jamaica and settled in the quiet Birmingham suburb of Bigglesweigh, the brilliant retired nurse and renowned cook is always up to problem-solve, and so when a new problem literally shows up in her living room, she sucks her teeth and plunges in practical-shoes-first. This time, it’s the death of the actual scariest man in Bigglesweigh, “Nine Lives” Cuttah, a notorious gangster who’s left behind a long list of potential suspects—including Miss Hortense herself.

With the help of friends—including bubbly Blossom and rough-and-ready Fitz—and new allies—like Camille, the daughter of her deceased best frenemy—Miss Hortense must once again use her unique skills to uncover who-the-heck dunnit in a town with as many secrets as there are ingredients for beef patties. But this will prove no easy task, as the clock is ticking, and each of Cuttah’s nine expended lives created a different enemy. These enemies possess ties to drug running, corrupt policemen, a burgeoning war between two local estates—and the case of a missing girl which Miss Hortense once investigated, and which carries consequences that she and her beloved community may still have to bear.

Genres: Mystery

Kindle Edition

Expected publication February 9, 2027

About the author

Mel Pennant is an award-winning playwright whose work has appeared in the National Archives, as well as on stage. Born in London, she was raised by an extraordinary village, which included her Jamaican grandparents who moved to England in the 1950s as part of the Windrush generation. Mel is drawn to stories that explore what’s hidden below the surface and celebrate the richness and strength of tight-knit communities. She lives in London with her family and their dog, Bleu. A Murder for Miss Hortense is Mel’s first novel and she is currently writing another mystery novel starring Miss Hortense.

source: Amazon

Reviews

[S.J. Higbee · Rating 4 out of 5]

My firm piece of advice would be to put this one back on the shelf and reach for the first book, A Murder for Miss Hortense, if you haven’t yet had the pleasure. The narrative timeline in Last Rites is only a few weeks on from the first book and Pennant frequently alludes to events that took place then. I think you’d likely flounder as there is quite a large cast of minor characters so that even I, with the benefit of knowing who did what to whom, had to stop and think a couple of times.

Initially, I found this one took a bit of time to get going. That might have been partly down to my own state of mind – we were having major house renovations done and by the end of the day, I was feeling distinctly frazzled. However, once I got to the second murder, the pace and the stakes increased and I was completely alongside our plucky group of Pardners, trying to unravel this murder.

Miss Hortense isn’t a cosy, approachable character. She’s prickly and strong-minded with a cast-iron moral compass by which she lives her life. However, while she’s often judgemental about those around her – she has a heart as big as a house and is unfailingly courageous, refusing to look the other way or acquiesce to those who prey upon their own community. She believed that years ago, she’d managed to neutralize Cuttah. Is this actually the case?

The plotting is really clever – there are all sorts of twists that I didn’t see coming. Neither did those who were trying to unpick all the elements involved in this case. And there are a lot of them. There is the ongoing countdown set by Cuttah’s final letter, where the body count goes up and the days before Miss Hortense is supposed to die, ticks down.

Of course, I quickly spotted who the perpetrator was – and was utterly and completely wrong. I love it when that happens. Along the way, we get to know more about Miss Hortense and the people around her, who have all led hard lives, not made easier by the inherent racism they’ve constantly encountered. All in all, this is a satisfying and enjoyably twisty whodunit with a few shafts of humour. But please don’t make the mistake of thinking this is a cosy murder mystery. It isn’t. Highly recommended for fans of murder mysteries who’d appreciate something a bit different. While I obtained an arc of Miss Hortense and the Last Rites from the publishers via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
8/10

[Acantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

This has a cosy exterior and a very, very dark interior. This isn't a cosy and isn't for the faint of heart. All manner of dark topics are covered here from child abduction, child death, teenage death, poverty, crime, drug use and drug addiction, the deaths are brutal and horrific. There is racism, sexism, the exploration of the Windrush generation and the traumas they faced.

It is a powerful book and for the most part it carries its themes really well, but yeah, if you sat down expecting a cosy, it would be a rude awakening. Which is a shame because that is exactly how this book has been marketed.

I didn't read book one and while I wouldn't say it was completely necessarily, there were certainly moments when I felt out of the loop. And other moments where the first book had plot points spoilt for me to the extent that I don't want to read book one, because this book told me so much. I think its the choice to set it a mere three weeks after the first one that does that.

The characters are all rendered in delicious shades of grey. Nobody here is all good or all bad, and nobody is quite what they seem. And that includes our leading lady, Miss Hortense who is a good woman by all accounts... yet also carries a needle around with enough drugs in it to knock out a donkey. And hints that she'd used it many times. Her history is strange and doesn't make sense, we are told she is the one people go to for help, that she has a reputation for solving things, but we never learn why or just what she is doing with those needles that she needs the help of a drug dealer to keep topped up.

I also found it so strange that so much of the book revolved around things that happened in the late 60s. Like almost every plot point was traced back to those few years, to the extent that it started to feel that nothing had happened to them in the decades between then and when this was set. Which is apparently late 90s/early 2000's from a handful of references, but the setting is so vague that it could be almost any time period which doesn't really help to ground it.

It's hard to know who I would recommend this to because it seems to blur and avoid the lines so completely. If you liked the first one, yes, that's a safe bet, but I don't think this is the best one to enter.

~Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest review~

[Tzia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have soooooo many questions with this book...I can see why some reviewers have said you should read the first book before diving into this one. I don't think it's absolutely necessary but I can see how it wold help - the events of this book take place only 3 weeks after book 1 and there are obviously a lot of characters who appear in both.

This was a lot darker than I imagined it would be - that isn't meant as criticism at all, this book deals with a lot of major issues which do need a light shining on them (drugs, gang warfare, poverty, racism to name just a few); it just wasn't what I expected going in.

I struggled a little with the fact that all of the dialogue between Hortense and her Pardner network was written in Patois - I loved that it was authentic but it did lead to me having to re-read lines of speech sometimes. I also found it peculiar that the book doesn't feel like it's set in a particular time or location as there doesn't seem to be anything anchoring the story to either.

However I did enjoy this. Miss Hortense is intelligent and feisty - the kind of Auntie you adore but wouldn't dare cross. The sense of community was really strong and ran through every page. There were a lot of threads in the book, all very cleverly interwoven and linking back to past events. I liked the fact that a lot of the lead characters are very flawed - Fitz and Miss Hortense in particular; they are good people trying to do good things for their community but both have clearly got quite the past to speak of.

After I finished reading I asked myself if I would come back to this series...and I honestly don't know! I don't think I'd gain a lot from reading the first book now as there are so many spoilers for it in this one. If there was a book set in the 1960s when the lead characters were at their peak then I would jump in, but another modern one...I think I'd really need to be in the mood.

- Thanks to NetGalley for granting me this ARC in exchange for an honest review -

[GemsLiteraryGems · Rating 4 out of 5]

Miss Hortense returns for the second book in the series, although this could easily be read as a standalone. This time Cuttah Nine Lives has been found shot in the head in a locked room in his home and The Donkey, Cuttah's faithful lackey, enlists the help of Hortense to find his killer. The only issue being that Hortense and Cuttah hated each other due to him being the local drug lord in the 1960s. Not only that, someone seems to be intent on killing everyone on his "people who want to kill me" list before Nine Night (his Jamaican wake), and Hortense is on that list. Can Hortense find her enemy's killer before she meets a similar end?

Just as in book 1 we see Hortense, a retired nurse from the Windrush generation, alongside her bumbling but well intentioned friend Blossom, former boxer Fitz and Camille from the community centre all "looking into" the death, against Hortense's police officer nephew Gregory's wishes. The book is set in the early 2000s, where much is similar to today but less social media and phone use for example, and is in a fictional location near Birmingham, UK. I love how Hortense is so methodical and planned whereas Blossom is so chaotic and usually quite clueless (much like Joyce in TTMC), acting as a foil to her. Blossom's ineptitude means that the reader also gets little clues as to what is happening without Hortense knowing and being as clever as she is, working it out immediately. I enjoyed Hortense's recipes too, and it'll make you want to head out and find West Indian food to enjoy whilst you read! This is a fun murder mystery, fairly laid back despite the staggering number of murders, and yet it's really not easy to guess whodunnit and why. I really hope that Miss Hortense will return for a third outing soon.

I listened to the audiobook version expertly read by Debra Michaels and I'd highly recommend it for the variety of accents and Jamaican phraseology being brought to life.

[Lynda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second in the Miss Hortense Series but my first read and read well as a standalone. Miss Hortense is a retired NHS nurse, originally from Jamaica but now living in Bigglesweigh, Birmingham. In her retirement she is an amateur detective aided and abetted by a group of friends. There is a lot of Jamaican patois and in all honesty, more than once, I had to stop to work out the meaning and occasionally I just never got it! That said it’s worth sticking with it if you find the same.

Briefly, Hortense is at home with her friends when local gangster Cuttah’s bodyguard comes to her door demanding she comes to Cuttah’s flat immediately. She agrees and all her friends insist on following along with them. Arriving she finds Cuttah has been shot leaving a list of suspects which includes Hortense and she only has nine days to find the killer before all from the list are killed. However, before long another body is found and in quick succession bodies are falling like ninepins!

This is very character driven although there is a good and quite complex plot. I loved Hortense and her no nonsense attitude to everything, her sharp mind and her care for her family and friends albeit with a short temper at times. But the star for me is Blossom, her over dramatic nature, her word confusion and inventiveness are pure magic. An entertaining and enjoyable read.

[Mrs · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was really pleased to get another Miss Hortense story from Mel Pennant via Netgalley. I think Miss Hortense is great and I love Blossom and her made up words and using them in the wrong context. This story begins with a drug lord being killed. His bodyguard/ goffer comes to bring Miss Hortense to the crime scene, Cuttah’s flat. Miss Hortense had a house full of friends at the time and they all go with her - always there for her cooking. They all have their various ideas on what happened. Miss Hortense is passed a note with a list of names including hers. These are people who will be found dead in a period of nine days. Miss Hortense is on the list and knows she must sort out this. Why is she on the list? With the help of her friends who she gives certain tasks she slowly unravels the truth. As she goes along she discovers things from her past. One thing which is lovely is the connection between herself and her nephew who is a Police Officer. I can imagine him being so frustrated with his auntie meddling in police business but proud when she is the one who solves it along the way. This is a delightful book and was pleased to see that Miss Hortense is still going in book form

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Miss Hortense and the last rites is the second book in the series by Mel Pennant. Following from the first book, we are back in the town of Bigglesweigh in Birmingham.
Cuttah is the notorious drug lord has been found dead in this flat. His bodyguard visits retired Jamaican nurse Miss Hortense whilst she has a load of guests from the local pardner network. The bodyguard gives her a list of names that Cuttah has written. A list of suspects that may have killed him and surprisingly her name is also on there too. As before. Miss Hortense uses her detective skills to find the killer but as she does so the people on the list start ending up dead. She needs to find the killer before she loses her own life in the process.
I really enjoyed this second out of Miss Hortense, But I did feel that the plot was more complicated then the first and a lot of threads to remember. I liked the characters they interesting and well developed and I enjoyed the added recipes all though the book. if you are looking for a different style ‘Miss Marple ish storyline. This is a book for you. 4 stars from me,

[Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Miss Hortense and the Last Rites is a sharp, engaging mystery with a wonderfully distinctive heroine at its centre. Miss Hortense is everything I want in a lead. She's intuitive, incisive, and absolutely unwilling to tolerate nonsense. Her voice gives the story a unique perspective that feels refreshing and clever, and I loved following her through every twist. I think she's a really unique spin on the harmless old Miss Marple trope and is probably one of my favourite sleuths.

The mystery itself is tightly constructed and propulsive. It’s one of those books where you sit down to read “just one more chapter” and suddenly realise you’ve flown through half the story. The pacing is excellent, the reveals land cleanly, and the narrative keeps you alert, always watching for the next detail Hortense will catch before anyone else.

Smart, unique, and thoroughly enjoyable — I’d happily follow Miss Hortense and the rest of the Pardner into many more mysteries. To be seen next on a Caribbean cruise?

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. All reviews are my own.

[Lara A · Rating 5 out of 5]

The wait between placing my request for this book and having my request approved was agonising. I wanted to read this book so much. Not solely for the plot*, I just love spending time in Bigglesweigh with Miss Hortense and co. So much so that I had to stop myself from devouring this because I didn't want to read it too quickly. Despite that, I honestly feel bereft that I've finished it. How will I be able to wait over a year for more Pardner adventures? These books deserve to be huge. Immersive, character-led mysteries that are gritty without being gratuitous are such a rarity, and this is the perfect tonic for those tired of the same old two-dimensional dark suburban mysteries. If you are looking for a book which will grab you and characters you won't forget, I prescribe Miss Hortense.

P.S I loved the shout-out to Barbara Neely; Blanche on the Lam is a classic.



*The plot is slightly more focused than A Murder for Miss Hortense, but it does refer back to events in that book, so I definitely recommend reading them in order.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do love Miss Hortense. A retired nurse, she lives in Birmingham, and has a small cohort of trusted friends. She’s known to everyone in her area and is often called on to mediate or assist. When Donkey turns up at her doorstep, we are off on another adventure. Blossom misuses and abuses the English language and Fitz always has Ms Hortense’s back. Through the complex and fascinating story with drug dealers, invisible men, kids in gangs and fear on the whole estate, Miss Hortense creates beautiful Jamaican meals - although I’m not sure about the cow’s foot…

Sometimes the language needs to be worked out but it’s straightforward and I think it’s important that the characters speak true to their heritage.

The outcome is well written and I didn’t guess all the ins and outs. A really satisfying read and I’ll be continuing with this series as long as Ms Pennant writes them.

I was given a copy of this book by NetGalley

[Ann Dewar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mel Pennant has done it again with the return of Miss Hortense and the pardners crew.

One of the great joys of this series is the individuality of the characters she has created. We have the Pastor and his insatiable appetite for food, Camille and her poor choice in men, Blossom and her malapropisms, Fitz and his shady choices and of course, Hortense herself, astute, no nonsense and sharp as a tack.

Even characters who are unlikely to make a reappearance in future instruments are fully fleshed out and the plot manages to be politically pertinent and at the same time, hilarious.

I absolutely love this series and if you’re still not sold on it, you should know that there are also some Jamaican recipes included, even if we are never told what Miss Hortense‘s secret ingredient is!

With thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably a 3.5 star for me, as I did find it an engaging read. As in the first book, there are a lot of characters to try to get a hold on - some I remembered from last time, but others were new this time. There is a lot of plotting, and as with the first book, the grand reveal left me wondering whether I should have been able to keep track of everything that had been going on. (I did feel a happy feeling at one or two things Miss Hortense noted that I had also spotted!) I liked the set-up for this book, with the increasing body count and the countdown to, well, I won't specify what but it added a sense of peril as I read. There were a few recipes too, once of which I bookmarked!
Overall, this was another fun read about Miss Hortense and her investigating friends.
With thanks to Net Galley for my copy.

[zoe Hitchen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Miss Hortense is a retired nurse and an amateur sleuth with a very sharp mind .
One of Bigglesweigh’s gangsters is found dead in his bed , murdered.
His minder knows exactly whose door to knock on ,and that door belongs to Miss Hortense.
Cuttah left a note with a list of suspects who could have caused his death.
and her name appears on it .
Why would Miss Hortense want to kill Cuttah?
The race is on there’s only nine days to find the perpetrator.
After that retribution is the name of the game !
This book is full of great characters and the story hooked me in from the first page.
A great read !
Thanks to NetGalley and John Murray Press .

[Miki Jacobs · Rating 5 out of 5]

When a local crime lord is found shot in the head, his minder goes to Miss Hortense for help before disappearing. She finds a letter that details people who will be killed if his killer isn't found before the nine nights are over according to Caribbean lore.
What she doesn't tell her people is that her name is on the list. On a estate that no one will speak to her she has to take it slowly and build trust using her instincts and skill.
A fun read with a serious theme. I loved reading another Miss Hortense mystery.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

I totally enjoyed this book. Miss Hortense is an elderly lady who investigates crimes in a quiet area of Birmingham. But please do not think Miss Marple…

This book covers the murder of a notorious gangster who leaves a list of suspects…… including Miss Hortense. Each suspect on the list is slowly being killed. She must use her skills and the skills of her friends to identify the actual killer. I found myself thinking oh it’s him or her only to be completely wrong in the end.

I read this in two days and give it more than five stars if I could.

[Christine Lucia Asha · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not going to enter into this huge mess, sorry. See my review of A Murder for Miss Hortense.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Follows on from the first book. Featuring the pardner network of characters. Follows the death of a drug dealer and incorporated issues from the here and now.
Really enjoyed and will be looking out for more book's in the series

[Nailya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Those of you who have been following this page for a while know just how much I loved Murder for Miss Hortense by Mel Pennant last year. Following Miss Hortense, a retired Windrush generation nurse in a fictional Afro-Caribbean neighbourhood of Birmingham in the early 2000s, the stories revolve around the community financial support network, the Pardner network, the roots of which go back to the 1960s. The second novel deals with a new case, but the overarching plot picks up exactly where the first novel left off, making it sometimes difficult to follow who the side characters are if you haven't recently re-read the first book. In The Last Rites, Miss Hortense is tasked with solving the murder of a local drug lord who set up his own revenge scheme in anticipation of his murder. Hortense has nine nights to solve the crime, otherwise she herself will end up on the chopping block ...

The second novel reads more urgent than the first. Although the first book also dealt with issues affecting Birmingham's Black communities, the second one feels more immediate, somewhat more bitter and more uncomprising, especially since it deals with the impact of drugs on the community. The plot is a bit messy, but I am not reading these things for the plot. Miss Hortense is a great detective to follow, the other members of the Pardner Networks are charming, endearing and hilarious (I mean Blossom, okay, I mean Blossom), and the books have a strong sense of time, place and community. I liked the second one as much as I had liked the first, and I can't wait for more (next time Miss Hortense and Blossom are going on a cruise! Oh wonder!).

Thank you #NetGalley for the review copy. #misshortenseandthelastrites #melpennant #bookreview #detectivefiction

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like this series. Miss Hortense might not be your typical amateur Detective - a retired nurse living as a Jamaican ex-pat in a sleepy Birmingham suburb - but, by heck, she delivers. MIss Marple with an attitude and far greater street smarts. She is more than a match for those around her, which ever side of the law they operate on. But whilst she thought she had the measure of (allegedly) retired gangster, Cuttah, it seems that he was never entirely honest with her, and the secrets he had been nursing may cost not only his life, but Miss Hortense's too.

This is, on the surface, your classic whodunnit. A murder victim - Cuttah - a list of suspects, and also a list of potential next victims, which may or may not be interchangeable. Cuttah, it seems, predicted his own death, and Miss Hortense was the one person he felt could solve his murder, whilst also managing the fact that her own name is on the hit list. Where this differs from your traditional Christie, which arguably serves as a foundation for the styling, is that the book carries a delightful mix of humour, as well as a very Jamaican flair, both in language and, in the case of the books eponymous protagonist, a steely determination and no nonsense, matter of fact way with both words and investigations.

I think that the characters are what really make this series for me. Hortense is a brilliant character. I love her intelligence, her short temper and her natural leadership. In spite of themselves, wherever she leads the others will follow, some more reluctantly than others, admittedly, and some with limited success. She has a intellectual match in Fitz, and a fun and, for readers, humorous challenge in managing close friend, fantasist, and regularly melodramatic Blossom, but together, along with the wider members of the Pardner, leads an investigation that may see a few more casualties along the way, but is rich in mystery, wit and a surprising amount of tension.

I like how Mel Pennant has stayed true to her characters and to their heritage, bringing to life the wonderful language of her Jamaican collective, portraying not only their brilliant and vibrant personalities, but also aspects of the culture that those of us from very different backgrounds may not understand. There is a true sense of community, but also an honest look at some of the darker sides of life on downtrodden estates in the city suburbs. I like that I am challenged in understanding some of the patois, but also that after a short time the ebb and flow of the patter feels so natural that translating Blossom's many fantasies is a delight, all the more witty for the authenticity of the whole narration. And from the very beginning of the story I was invested, both in terms of wondering who killed Cuttah, but also in the strange blundering nature of his right hand man, Delroy. I was intrigued, delighted and amused in equal measure and that never changed right to the very last page.

If you love a slightly cosier mystery, with brilliant characterisations and a wonderful vein of humour that still taps into some very relevant observations of communities and urban life, or if you just like a dang good read, this is most heartily recommended. I hope there is more to come. Miss Hortense is a modern day classic and I'm loving spending time with her.