The Widows’ Guide to Last Orders: A totally irresistible cozy mystery

by Amanda Ashby

Life in Little Shaw is as nice as pie for librarian Ginny Cole. She’s got a tentative truce with her grumpy neighbour Detective Inspector Wallace, and Sunday quiz nights at The Lost Goat with her friends (team The Merry Widows). Until the young quizmaster is found dead in the cellar. The police call it an accident; Ginny suspects murder. But with Wallace strangely impossible to locate and convince, she and the other widows must step – carefully, mind – into the breach.

The victim, it turns out, wasn’t just torturing locals with impossible trivia. He was hunting for his great-aunt who vanished from Little Shaw in 1963, along with what village gossips insist was a fortune in Cold War secrets. Now Ginny and her friends must decode a sixty-year-old mystery involving priest holes, spy scandals, and the competing egos of the local history society.

But when the killer strikes again, the widows need to solve this fast before someone calls last orders on them…

A brilliantly twisty cozy mystery perfect for fans of Fiona Leitch, Robert Thorogood and anyone who thinks retirement should come with a side of solving murders.

Readers love The Widows’ Detective Club

‘I just loved this book, I read it in one sitting. I couldn’t put it down. The story was so good, I just had to read on to find out more. This book has some amazing characters they just seem so much fun.’ Reader review, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

‘Had everything I love about a cozy mystery—an excellent cast of (sometimes eccentric) characters, a quirky cat, a charming village…and a grumpy detective inspector who glares at everyone (I loved him!)… There were lots of twists and turns and the mystery kept me guessing right to the end… Highly recommended!’ Reader review, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

‘Such an entertaining and fun cozy murder mystery… The group of widows are so charming, adorable and quirky… you want to be their friends and join their group… I can’t wait to read the next book, and I can’t wait to see what trouble the widows get into next.’ Reader review, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

‘If you liked The Thursday Murder Club, this book is for you. I loved this cozy mystery! Ginny and her amateur detective friends are a hoot.’ Reader review, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

‘I couldn’t put it down… The characters are believable and the story unfolded at an excellent pace – I loved it and will recommend it to all my friends.’ Reader review, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

‘An utterly delightful read… It’s a very cozy mystery and has MC Beaton vibes which I love… For anyone looking for a book that combines heartwarming characters and just the right amount of mystery.’ Reader review, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

‘This was delightful!… I was especially drawn in by the quirky characters, whacky hijinks, and an especially twisty, really-h

232 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication April 15, 2026

About the author

Amanda Ashby was born in Australia but now lives in New Zealand where she writes romance, young adult and middle grade books. She also works in a library, owns far too many vintage tablecloths and likes to delight her family by constantly rearranging the furniture.

She has a degree in English and Journalism from the University of Queensland and is married with two children. Her debut book was nominated for a Romantic Times Reviewers Choice award, and her first young adult book was listed by the New York Public Libraryʼs Stuff for the Teen Age. Because she’s mysterious she also writes middle grade books under the name, Catherine Holt and hopes that all this writing won’t interfere with her Netflix schedule.

She also runs writing workshops and loves to speak to people about Buffy (er, she means writing). See her Website for more information.