The Lifeline

Village Mysteries #6

by Margaret Mayhew

When a chilling discovery is made in one of the manor's greenhouses, the Frog End villagers rely on the Colonel to reluctantly solve another baffling mystery.

Following the untimely death of her mother, Ursula Swynford, Ruth Harvey has taken over the manor in Frog End, where she runs a successful plant-selling business and provides gardening therapy for an increasing number of her husband Dr Tom Harvey's troubled patients: embittered Lawrence Deacon, lonely Joyce Reed, widowed Tanya Carberry and wheelchair-bound Johnny Turner, the young victim of a horrific motorbike crash.

Gardening at the manor quickly becomes a much-needed lifeline for the group, and all seems to be going well - until the major stumbles across a body among the tomato plants in one of the greenhouses. Once again, the manor is the scene of a brutal murder - and, once again, the Colonel reluctantly finds himself drawn into solving the mystery.

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

182 pages, Hardcover

Published June 2, 2020

About the author

Margaret Mayhew was born in London and her earliest childhood memories were of the London Blitz. She began writing in her mid-thirties and had her first novel published in 1976. She is married to American aviation author, Philip Kaplan, and lives in Gloucestershire.

Reviews

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another comforting visit to Frog End, a village where the Colonel and his cat dwell and murder is apt to be a problem only he can solve. This time it happens at the Manor where the young couple Ruth and her village doctor husband, do their best to give meaningful work with nursery plants to those who may benefit. A rather mean spirited man is killed with a spade in the greenhouse and the wrong person is arrested by the wrong footed Inspector.
Pretty much all the essential facts about the cast of characters is repeated in every book, so one really does not have to pick up these books in order. It is easy reading for sleepless nights and ends with a smile usually.

Kindle Unlimited

[Judy Lesley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This sixth addition to Margaret Mayhew's Village mysteries had all the depth of character and location I've come to expect from this author. I've read several of the previous books in the series so was glad to pick their lives up again in this story. The Colonel is once again called upon by the villagers to solve the problem that the inept police detective can be relied upon to get wrong. That's a little broad for a description of this novel but it does cover the basic ideas you will find in this one.

If you are reading this sixth book as your first dip into the series, you might like to know that the first half of the novel is setting all the characters and the plot in place. I'm not usually patient enough to stick with a book that takes this long to get something going besides daily life in a village, but Ms. Mayhew's style of writing seems to settle me down enough that I allow her to set her own pace without closing the book and walking away. It was a little obvious who the victim would be but not where, why or who the killer is. I do have to say I did not like the resolution for the crime in this story and days after finishing the book I'm still unhappy about who committed the crime. At least that does prove how fully involved I was in the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House Publisher for an e-galley of this novel.

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ruth Harvey runs a successful gardening business in the English village of Frog End. When a man dies in a greenhouse, Inspector Squibb shows up. Few people regard the Inspector favorably so they turn to the Colonel to discover the murderer. Charms of English village life abound in this sixth "Village Mystery." I now want to go back and read earlier installments so I understand the village a little better. This review is based on an advance electronic copy supplied through NetGalley with the expectation of an honest review.

[Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

This is an excellent cozy little mystery featuring Ruth Harvey at her Frog End Manor. She is married to the very compassionate Dr. Tom Harvey. Ruth is involved with selling plants and gardening at the manor and she encourages others to join her in gardening. She and her husband firmly believe that gardening is a pastime that heals the mind and body.

When a dead person is found in one of the greenhouses, Frog End is turned on its head – once more. A newcomer to the village, Lawrence Deacon is murdered with a garden spade. Jacob, the gardener at Frog's End Manor, is the chief suspect in the murder.

But most people believe that Jacob wouldn't – couldn't – kill anyone. It's up to the Colonel to solve the crime.

This is a very nice little cozy mystery. I liked the characters. Even the multitude of suspects received enough literary attention that the reader had a very good grasp of their personalities. I think it would be wonderful to live in a little village as described in the book. It sounds so pretty and peaceful – except for the occasional murder. (Cough, cough.)

I want to thank NetGalley and Severn House for forwarding to me a copy of this very fine mystery for me to read, enjoy and review.

[Facemaker01 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ahhhh....I think I have a crush on the Colonel. What a lovely, kind man! Still carrying a torch for his late wife Laura, Hugh has taken on village life rather well. He's been accepted into the bosom of Frog End, Dorset after involving himself in the various committees and groups. His next-door neighbour Naomi has helped Hugh with his garden and company to help dispel some of the loneliness he has experienced.
Major Cuthbertson and his long-suffering wife Marjorie, have me in stitches. Ruth and Tom Harvey are the resident sweet couple and Miss Butler is the elderly spinster who watches the comings and goings through a pair of WW2 Zeiss binoculars.
All the major characters are over the age of 65, retired, widowed, divorced, or in the Major's case, wished to be divorced!.
These stories are classified as cozy mysteries and are easy to read.
I have read all of the series and have thoroughly enjoyed them all. Each book gives a re-cap and could be read as a standalone. However, each recap gives a little more backstory.
These are really quite pleasant to read as there is no gory descriptions, nor sexual in tone.. Which makes a nice change. I can thoroughly recommend this series

[John Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

The latest (and may be the last) in the series of The Village Mysteries. Without wishing to be too cruel I think it has run its course.
May be as a stand alone it would have been alright but after the previous stories it started to get a bit repetitious. I know that the life in a village is supposed to be tedious and even repetitious but in this story of village life the same phrases come up again and again ................and again.
I imagine that writing a series like this must be difficult and thinking up new 'village' things to include in each tale even more so.
For me that the plots in the 'murder' half of each book got weaker as the series progressed and perhaps another reason to end the series now , if not exactly on a high point, certainly on a poignant one.

I never managed to bring an actor to mind for the Colonel but I didnt have a problem with neighbour Naomi . From the first book I had her as Stephanie Cole playing Diana Trent in the 90s sitcom, 'Waiting for God'.

[Ann · Rating 2 out of 5]

There is a nice cast of characters to this series but surely it is possible not to regurgitate all their back stories in every novel! I read these on a Kindle and approximately the first 15% is taken up with how the Colonel came to live at Frog End, all about his neighbours, again and again. The book finishes at 90% after that there are adverts etc so all the reader is getting is 75%.

[Phillip Nolte · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unsatisfing. Tedious.

Ms Mayhew doesn’t write very much in the way of a new book. All of her books are a total retell of her previous books. She does manage to get a descent mystery in each book but the story is less than half of the book in each case. I’ve read tons of authors that carry on a lengthy series without tediously retelling all of the previous books in each tale.

[Eirlys · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good read

I liked Hugh, the Colonel, as he enjoyed village life to the full. I liked how the villagers always expect him to solve murders and why Once again he finds a cause and works hard to restore confidence in his abilities. There were new characters introduced in order to create even more twists in his investigation.

[Marlene Haggard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another winner

I loved the characters. All of them. I got to know them personally as each book progressed. Since I recently lost my elderly cat, the ending to this story left me sad, but so appreciated the sweet way the author handled it.

[Fictionophile · Rating 4 out of 5]

Readers who crave a traditional British village whodunit will be sure to love this series. With an idyllic village setting, myriad colourful characters, and no graphic scenes, this book and this series fall into the 'cozy' mystery category.

I confess, I have not read any of the previous books in the series and found that this, the sixth book in the series, worked well as a stand-alone. There was a soothing vibe to the book, despite the violent murder. The pace of the plot moved along well, and the characters, though many, were easy to distinguish.

This novel spoke to the fact that even the most charming of villages, even the most successful and seemingly innocuous people have the potential to have a dark underside.  Appearances can be very deceiving.

"You never knew the whole truth about other people's marriages or what went on behind closed doors. It was a secret and usually very well kept."

The reader cannot help but admire the aging Colonel Hugh. He is kind, intelligent and caring. I liked his cottage, his daily routines, his independence, and his affection for the old cat, Thursday.

The murder victim was an odious man who I felt little remorse for. I'll admit that I did guess who the murderer was at about the 60% mark, but that did in no way mar my enjoyment of the remainder of the novel.

I highly recommend this cozy mystery to all fans of the genre. I am confident that those who enjoy Agatha Christie, Jacquline Winspear, Faith Martin and the like, will enjoy this series.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Doctor Tom suggests that some of his patients would benefit from gardening, if they'd like to volunteer at the Manor, where his wife Ruth runs a garden and garden shop. And indeed the gardening does seem to be helping some of them improve their attitude and even their health. Meanwhile, the Colonel continues to help Ruth and volunteer in the village. All seems serene, until Major Cuthbertson, looking for a woman to flirt with, finds a body in the garden instead. Ruth's gardener Jacob, abused as a child and hard to communicate with, runs away and the police assume he's their killer. But the Colonel is sure that he's not a murderer. The story wends to its inevitable conclusion, but the humane life of the village continues. The last few in this series were a little disappointing, but Mayhew is back in great form in this one.

[Connie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Charming series, not deep, but a nice respite from Covid-19. Margaret Mayhew's characters display interesting complexity and the gentlemanly Colonel continues to soothe and smooth the way to a resolution of the central mystery. This novel was particularly satisfying because the most reprehensible character gets bumped off. Not soon enough, imho, but he gets his just desserts.

You know, there should be different rating systems for different kinds of writing. As a cozy, it's a 4, for sure. As a standard novel, it's only a 3. It's nicely written, but, if you have read the series, you will find that the author does a LOT of backstory. You don't need to read the other five books to catch up. I have read those books, so, I find the excessive backstory a bit redundant. Still, I will probably read #7 when I need an escape.

[Jenny Hooker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the entire series!

I wanted a warm village environment with interesting characters. Not overtly focused on sex and gore. I hesitated on starting this series because the main character is a man. How glad I am that I have it a whirl. Well written and not populated with unbelievably perfect people. My only complaint is that there aren't more. I'll miss my friends at Frog Pond until the next installment. Until then, well done!

[Betty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another mystery at the Frog Pond Manor and who better to solve it than our own dear Colonel Huge. This one takes awhile to solve but the ending is not too surprising.

However, I did share a few tears in the last chapter of this book # 6 but I'm not going to share the reason for that. My sorrow didn't really have anything to do with the murder, but you will have to read and find out for yourself what set me off.

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This complete series was enjoyable to read, the only thing I don't care for is the constant going over details that we've already read through. An example; I don't need to reread the explanation of there Thursday came from and how he decided the Frog's End Pond Cottage was his home. There are many other story lines that were continually rewritten.

Overall, I enjoyed the books and felt like it would be a sweet place to reside and the assorted characters made for a nice little community.

[Magdalena Gorrell Guimaraens · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful, extremely well-written series of village mysteries. I will be sorry when I have finished reading the last one available in the kindle series. I must admit, I cried at the end when the Colonel's words of comfort to Thursday. A painful end but oh so representative of the author's ability to portray her subjects with care and understanding. I would like to live in Frog's Pond, in a cottage like the Colonel's.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve read all the books in this author’s mystery series. They’re cozy village mysteries with recurring characters. While the plotting and the mystery itself are never particularly complex, it’s still enjoyable to spend time with them.

[Jaybour · Rating 2 out of 5]

DEJA-VU

If you haven't read the first five books in this series, don't bother. Most of this book is a series of recapitulations of the first five. It was a maddening experience. The book's only saving grace is that a mystery was finally solved, and without any loose ends.

[sue mccormick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read all the series including this one and I must say I've enjoyed them all although this book has left me a little upset .....poor old Thursday

[Becky · Rating 2 out of 5]

Why only two Stars

I read all the books in the series. Sorry but 70% of each book have all the same story from the first book.Even phone calls from his daughter -inlaw.

[Eugene · Rating 4 out of 5]

And so we arrive at the last (so far) of the village mysteries set in Frog End, Dorset. I have come to cherish these quiet little books so much that they made it to an august status indeed: series I love so much that I save the next one until year’s end when I “gift” myself with a Christmas season reading treat.
Ruth Harvey has agreed to take on some of her husband Dr. Tom’s patients as garden workers at her now thriving gardening business set on the grounds of The Manor, the ancestral home in Frog End. Now four, they are experiencing varying degrees of therapeutic success with this regimen, but eventually things come to a head when one of them is found murdered in a greenhouse. Inspector Squibb shows up to investigate, but as all the villagers agree he’s not much of a detective, they turn to Hugh (“the Colonel”) to once again figure the case out and set things to right. And of course, in his quiet way he does just that.
We bid Frog’s End an adieu as the Colonel sits in attendance in his garden at Pond Cottage with his beloved old tom cat Thursday, who’s in his final days. If Margaret Mayhew writes no others, this will be the last image of this wonderfully idealized English village. But there’s no doubt that I’ll visit again, re-reading these splendid little stories.

[John Hardy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Picked this up in the spirit of trying new authors. I've decided to count it as a DNF, despite having read most of it, due to a lot of skipping. The book was just so incredibly boring! The first part of the book is taken up with setting the scene, why the Colonel is in Frog's End, and how every man and his dog is conning him into taking on some village activity.
The characters are often boring or officious, and usually self-absorbed, except the Colonel, who is painted as a bit of a paragon. We are introduced to a character that everyone hates, and it's obvious who will be a murder victim when the author gets around to it - about halfway through the book.
Then we are treated to boring, aggressive, repetitive police interviews of all and sundry as facts are established. People don't have much faith in Inspector Sqibb, the SIO, so who gets asked to run a private investigation? Yes, it's Super-Colonel, strange visitor from another locality with powers and abilities to put everyone to sleep with his tedious, kindly, repetitive interviews.
Rating 1.8. Of course I won't be looking for any more from this author.

[Kerrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have inadvertently read #6 in this series instead of #5 which I will get to later.

The main characters of the series have been well established in earlier books, but, unfortunately, instead of assuming we've all read the earlier titles, the author has resorted to the "potted plots" technique and given readers a short summary of what has gone before. The result is, to be quite honest, a bit tedious. I estimate that as much as 40% of this book is taken up with re-telling what we already knew. Disappointing, although there are a couple of issues for discussion that come out of the main plot.

This is the last book in the series, in fact, the last book the author has written, and I have enjoyed the series. The Colonel (we never do find out his surname, do we?) is a well drawn character, who inadvertently becomes involved in the solving of local murders. His relationships with other members of the village of Frog End provide interest and depth to the book without becoming too personal.

In the main the books are each a quick and satisfying read.

[Claudia Cheyne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dr. Tom cares for all the villagers in Frog End. He has a few patients who need therapy outside of his office. The Manor (which was inherited by his wife Ruth) has huge gardens that always need attention so he presents the idea to her of recommending working in those gardens to several people. It turns out to be a lifeline for some as they find renewed purpose in their lives. But Lawrence Deacon, who suffered a stroke, is bitter and mean to everyone to the point that his fellow gardeners try very hard to avoid him. Until one day his body is found in the greenhouse where he had been working. His head was battered with a spade. There are many suspect, including Lawrence's wife. The Colonel needs to find out more about each of the suspects' backgrounds to determine who was angered enough by Lawrence's obnoxious behavior to beat him to death.

[Jillian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I put off reading this last in the series but caved within a week. If you skip the background explanations of precious exploits in each succeeding book, these are novellas - very quick reads. This 6th I. The series satisfies my carp that previous solutions are private rather than public. The Colonel finally delivers a culprit to the local police.

This, of course, opens up some possibilities - future cooperation, or a private detective licence? While the private revelation of secret murders, evident in earlier episodes is clever, it does seem to have a limit within a village.

I’d be a bit sorry if the series had run its course. I’d like to see a bit of growth and change in the now familiar characters.

[Suzanne Pixley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding English Cozy Mystery

For those who love to read about small English villages, older generations and cozy mysteries, this is your book. It's a great read for a lazy cold wintry day when you can read it from start to finish. In addition to solving the murder mystery, the reader can also gain an understanding of gardening and the expanding aspect of occupational therapy useful for elderly, chronic illness and severe disabilities. A garden has an appeal and provides opportunities for all.

[Peggy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Cozy British Countryside Mystery

Every book in this series has been a delight. I've enjoyed getting to know the characters in Frog End and the Colonal is a fantastic protagonist. Great way to escape.from the ravages of today's world.If this genre is your cup.of.tea I highly recommend all 6...so far. I'm hoping for more to come in this series. Thank you, Margaret for your skillful writing and Sharing your talents.From an American admirer across the pond. I commend your talents and hope many other readers e joy your work as enthusiastically! Bravo!!

[Shannon Janson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent mystery

The Colonel is an excellent main character. These books are a nice change from the usual cozy mystery, no narrowly escaped danger for the hero. Just good deductive and people skills. Really love the people if Frogs End. Excellent character development. Struggled at first with the abrupt changes between character scenes, but really like the different perspectives.

[Silver Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

The last of six books about the residents of Frog End has been read. What to do, now? How will the Colonel resolve his feelings about his daughter in law? Will the Major ever realise he is not the gift to women he thinks he is? How will Johnny fare? And what about Thursday? Terminally I’ll, but I mourn for him already.
So many questions, but will there ever be answers? I miss my visits to Frog End and feel that I have moved away, but should not have done. Come on, Margaret. Just one more…?