The Heritage Cider Murder: A DI Rowan Penhallow mystery

by Wendy Cartmell

When the past refuses to stay buried, murder is the bitter harvest .

The annual Clovelly Cider Festival should be a celebration of Devon's finest traditions. Instead, it becomes a crime scene when Harold Tremaine, patriarch of one of the region's oldest cider-making families, is found dead in his festival tent. Drowned in apple pulp from his own press.
For DI Rowan Penhallow, recently returned to Devon after a career-ending mistake in London, this should be a straightforward case. But nothing in the tight-knit cider-making community is as simple as it seems.
As Rowan investigates alongside steady local DS Marcus Trewe and the enigmatic Dr. Eliza Carne, the evidence points in impossible directions. With her sharp instincts and her grandfather's Jack Russell terrier Buddy at her side, Rowan must untangle 170 years of stolen legacy, family betrayal, and murderous revenge.
But the closer she gets to the truth, the more she realizes that in a community where everyone knows everyone's secrets, justice and revenge can look remarkably alike.

Perfect for fans of Ann Cleeves, LJ Ross, Richard Osman and Midsummer Murders, The Heritage Cider Murder is a richly atmospheric mystery that explores how historical wrongs echo across generations. And how far people will go to claim what they believe is rightfully theirs.

"A compelling debut with a fiery protagonist, a charming canine sidekick, and a mystery as complex as the Devon landscape itself."
"Penhallow is a detective to watch—flawed, determined, and utterly believable. The perfect antidote to cozy murder mysteries that pull their punches."
"Atmospheric, intelligent, and deeply satisfying. The kind of mystery that stays with you long after the final page."

277 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 11, 2025

About the author

I was a Primary School Teacher before leaving England to settle in Spain nearly five years ago. I previously worked in Sales, Marketing and Public Relations for large and small companies. I now write crime novels featuring Sgt Major Crane a detective in the Special Investigations Branch of the British Army, based on Aldershot Garrison. My inspiration for Sergeant Major Crane was my love of crime writing and my husband’s 22 years service in the British Army.

I attend a lively Writing Group who unashamedly meet at beautiful beach side cafes on the Costa del Sol.

Reviews

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book with a really convoluted plot and a myriad of suspects, DI Rowan Penhallow and DS Trewe are quite good characters with no hangups except the DI's anger problem which is mentioned but does not manifest itself. One or two points, there does not seem to be any reporting to or intervention from senior officers and in all the interrogations the suspects capitulate immediately with never a "no comment". In fact the whole book reminded me of the Burns poem
"Oh what tangled webs we weave when we practice to deceive".