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Lois Meade Mystery #4
Theft on Thursday
A friend has asked working-class mother and housecleaner Lois Meade to help crack a case. It looks like the handsome new choirmaster may have been poisoned. Soon, Lois finds herself untangling a web of secrets, bigotry, and intrigue-and can't let the culprits get away clean.
288 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2004
16 people are currently reading
274 people want to read
About the author
Ann Purser
36 books141 followersAnn Purser lives in the East Midlands, in a small and attractive village which still has a village shop, a garage, pub and church. Here she finds her inspiration for her novels about country life. She has only to do her daily shopping down the High Street to listen to the real life of the village going on around her.
Before turning to fiction, she had a number of different careers, including journalism – she was for six years a columnist in SHE magazine – and art gallery proprietor. Running her own gallery in a 400-year-old barn behind the house, she gained fascinating insights into the characters and relationships of customers wandering around. She had no compunction about eavesdropping, and sharpened up her writer’s skills in weaving plots around strangers who spent sometimes more than an hour in her gallery.
Working in a village school added more grist to the mill, as does singing in the church choir and membership of the Women’s Guild. She reminds herself humbly that Virginia Woolf was President of her local WI…
Six years hard study won her an Open University degree, and when she faltered and threatened to fall by the wayside, writer husband Philip Purser reminded her that he was paying good money for the course. During this period, she wrote two non-fiction books, one for parents of handicapped children (she has a daughter with cerebral palsy) and the other a lighthearted book for schools, on the explosion of popular entertainment in the first forty years of the twentieth century.
Ten years of running the gallery proved to be enough, and while it was very successful she decided to sell. The business moved down the street to another barn and owner, and Pursers stayed on in their house next to the village school – another rich source of material for the stories. Time to start writing novels.
Round Ringford became Ann’s village in a series of six novels, each with a separate story, but featuring the same cast of characters with a few newcomers each time. The list of books gives details of each story, and each features an issue common to all villages in our rural countryside. “Just like our village!” is a frequent comment from Ann’s readers.
Next: the Lois Meade Mysteries, each title reflecting a day of the week. Ann has always loved detective fiction, and determined to make it her next series. So Murder on Monday was born, followed by Terror on Tuesday, and Weeping on Wednesday. The rest of the week follows!
Mornings are set aside for writing, and the rest of the day Ann spends walking the dog, retrieving bantams’ eggs from around the garden, gossiping and taking part in the life of the village. She is never bored!
Before turning to fiction, she had a number of different careers, including journalism – she was for six years a columnist in SHE magazine – and art gallery proprietor. Running her own gallery in a 400-year-old barn behind the house, she gained fascinating insights into the characters and relationships of customers wandering around. She had no compunction about eavesdropping, and sharpened up her writer’s skills in weaving plots around strangers who spent sometimes more than an hour in her gallery.
Working in a village school added more grist to the mill, as does singing in the church choir and membership of the Women’s Guild. She reminds herself humbly that Virginia Woolf was President of her local WI…
Six years hard study won her an Open University degree, and when she faltered and threatened to fall by the wayside, writer husband Philip Purser reminded her that he was paying good money for the course. During this period, she wrote two non-fiction books, one for parents of handicapped children (she has a daughter with cerebral palsy) and the other a lighthearted book for schools, on the explosion of popular entertainment in the first forty years of the twentieth century.
Ten years of running the gallery proved to be enough, and while it was very successful she decided to sell. The business moved down the street to another barn and owner, and Pursers stayed on in their house next to the village school – another rich source of material for the stories. Time to start writing novels.
Round Ringford became Ann’s village in a series of six novels, each with a separate story, but featuring the same cast of characters with a few newcomers each time. The list of books gives details of each story, and each features an issue common to all villages in our rural countryside. “Just like our village!” is a frequent comment from Ann’s readers.
Next: the Lois Meade Mysteries, each title reflecting a day of the week. Ann has always loved detective fiction, and determined to make it her next series. So Murder on Monday was born, followed by Terror on Tuesday, and Weeping on Wednesday. The rest of the week follows!
Mornings are set aside for writing, and the rest of the day Ann spends walking the dog, retrieving bantams’ eggs from around the garden, gossiping and taking part in the life of the village. She is never bored!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
October 29, 2016
A nice little mystery for anyone looking for a quick read.
November 11, 2020
This was a more complex plot than the first book I read in this series and I liked that. I thought some of the characterizations were great and the parsing out of the back story throughout the book was well done. But I am still having a problem with the MC, Lois. I just cannot warm up to her. We'll see whether future volumes can get the rating up.
February 13, 2025
I haven't read any from this series for quite a while & now I remember why I liked it. The stories are set in the present & the characters have current issues to deal with that are timely but it's still a cozy mystery. But an edgy cozy, if that's a thing. The main character quietly helps the police while running her cleaning service in her small village. She deals with all the village life issues you would expect, but city influences are causing problems & making life difficult. When the new vicar invites his godson to be the new choirmaster, the godson causes all manner of problems with the ladies. And somebody wants revenge.
June 4, 2025
This was okay, but Lois is really irksome in this one. She is getting to be a cantankerous character. Always snapping at people, then getting upset when they don't come around. The mystery wasn't all that mysterious. A group of thugs are targeting blacks and gays like the KKK, even wearing robes and hoods like them. The new vicar has taken in his godson, Sandy, whom all the girls are flocking too. But he has his sights on Bill's girlfriend Rebecca. Even though he has taken Sharon out, a local girl with a wandering eye. The actual big event doesn't even happen until close to the end of the story.
August 24, 2017
Good. A little drawn out.
January 24, 2020
Very good mystery. Characters well developed. And loved the subtle leads into the next book.
September 5, 2009
Lois Meade own a house cleaning service in the village of Farnham, England. The story starts slowly with a new minister who has hired his godson to help bring vitality to the choir. This novel focuses on the young people of the village, most specifically Lois Meade's son Jamie. I liked the build up of the story. It was slow and natural. We meet good people dealing with things out of their knowledge. Human weaknesses are dealt with compassion and kindness. The actual crime was a small part of the novel.
March 9, 2015
This was an OK book. It had a slow start and it seemed like there were a lot of characters to remember. It got better. It's about a small Scottish town that a new vicor comes to with his godson. There's a few mysterious deaths and the KKK seems to be involved. Lois works secretly with the Policeman Cowgill to solve them.
Read
July 29, 2011really didn't care for this one. not sure whether i'll continue the series or not. didn't like the characters and felt some of the wrapping up was not adequate or realistic.
December 13, 2017
This book didn't do it for me. First of all I couldn't figure out what the title had to do with the book. What was stolen? And then there were all the side issues that added nothing to the central mystery, when the author finally got around to that. Like the old guy with the stomach "flu." (and by the way no real doctor would tell someone they are throwing up because of they have the flu unless they actually have real flu symptoms like fever, cough, sore throat etc.- vomiting is rare). And all the stuff about the young woman with the wandering eye etc. And the ending just seemed to peter out. The book could have been 100 pages shorter and would have been much better. And I guess you had to have read the earlier books to care that the police detective has the hots for our heroine, though why that had to be pointed out every single time they met I don't know. I mainly got the book out because she is named Lois like my daughter (and my middle name).
January 21, 2018
In the village of Long Farnden, Lois has her hands full with her housecleaning business. A new vicar has come to the village and soon after his godson arrives to become the new choirmaster. There is a lot of strange things happening in the village and disaster happens. Her old friend, Inspector Cowgill asks for her help so she begins to help by untangling a web of secrets. The book has a great ending.
May 14, 2018
Stayed up late to finish the book. Couldn't put it down. Isn't it fun to have a book like that? I won't say a lot so as to not give anything away. The characters are marvelous. I am not sure what the title has to do with the book though.
June 8, 2022
Quick, enjoyable read. A surprising turn or two along the way. By book 4, I’m invested in many of the characters and like keeping up with them. The plot was different and engrossing. I’m looking forward to “Friday”.
June 15, 2017
Pretty good mystery. I didn't like how this book jumped forward 10 YEARS from the last one?! That was not a smooth transition. I didn't feel like this book was as compelling as the first.
June 17, 2017
Not a fan---too hokey and predictable.
July 2, 2017
Fourth book in series and interesting easy read about Lois Meade and her cleaning firm with Lois managing to get involved in solving crime along the way. Easy to read on a warm Sunday. Recommended.
December 17, 2017
This may be the worst one yet in my opinion. The characters are just so rude, annoying and stupid. I don't know why my mom likes these so much but I keep reading them to humor her.
February 24, 2018
Love this author. Continuing the series.
July 19, 2018
A fun and well written cozy!
February 11, 2019
This was a great mystery!
September 2, 2019
I find it refreshing that she starts some of her books months from the last to years. Keeps it refreshing. Looking forward to the next book
May 25, 2021
It's not much of a mystery in the sense that deducing things from clues is part of the plot, but the characters and plot are interesting.
May 28, 2021
Situations change a nd the kids are all grown up. Still, Lois manages to get drawn in to another case involving acting KKK and a modern coven. A new cleaner and an arson keepm the action running.
June 16, 2021
Ah yes the redoubtable Lois Meade.\
August 11, 2021
These characters are so rich! I like the age progression of Lois and Derek's kids. Off to Friday!
November 26, 2021
3 - Good
March 13, 2023
I just love this series! In my opinion, Ann Purser is the best English cozy writer since Agatha Christie!
January 22, 2016
I borrowed this from my mother-in-law, as I have the rest of the series.
The story was well-written and engrossing. There's a lot that could be said about it, but I won't. The KKK. Homosexuality.
I like the stabilizing influence of the Gran on the family, and how her grandson Jamie wanted her to make a cake to warm the atmosphere for him to bring over his girlfriend to meet his parents. His girlfriend, Annabelle, envied Jamie's home life and family life but it seemed to me that the Meades were not communicating with each other and were bickering. Not at all comfortable. It's a reminder that even when there's conflict, a good family life can be comforting and stabilizing.
I also liked how the Meade's soothing home encouraged reconciliation between Brian and Marion. "We have a couple of things to talk about, and it's so peaceful here in your sitting room. We'd be most grateful."
I liked Lois's dedication to Derek and her marriage, despite Inspector Cowgill's flirtations.
Although Sharon's family found her romance reading harmless, it did open her up to a dangerous situation because she didn't know the difference between fiction and reality. She expected things which were not true.
The story was well-written and engrossing. There's a lot that could be said about it, but I won't. The KKK. Homosexuality.
I like the stabilizing influence of the Gran on the family, and how her grandson Jamie wanted her to make a cake to warm the atmosphere for him to bring over his girlfriend to meet his parents. His girlfriend, Annabelle, envied Jamie's home life and family life but it seemed to me that the Meades were not communicating with each other and were bickering. Not at all comfortable. It's a reminder that even when there's conflict, a good family life can be comforting and stabilizing.
I also liked how the Meade's soothing home encouraged reconciliation between Brian and Marion. "We have a couple of things to talk about, and it's so peaceful here in your sitting room. We'd be most grateful."
I liked Lois's dedication to Derek and her marriage, despite Inspector Cowgill's flirtations.
Although Sharon's family found her romance reading harmless, it did open her up to a dangerous situation because she didn't know the difference between fiction and reality. She expected things which were not true.
June 12, 2017
This is a pretty mediocre mystery book. It was billed as a classic English village type whodunit. It does take place in a small village, but I don't think it has much in terms of classic or even whodunit to it. There's a mystery, but you're not trying to figure out what happened. You're just along for the ride. Also, there's almost no wrap up to the book at all. I mean, you know what happened, but it would have been nice for the author to provide more of a conclusion.
Also, in spite of the title, there's not a theft. Maybe I'm forgetting a minor plot point? Or maybe the author just needed an alliterative title for her days of the week series and put as much thought into the title as she did the plot...
The characters are all really oddly unrealistic. I kept getting the impression that the book must be from the 70s, but no it was published in 2004 (and based on the inclusion of 'mobiles' was meant to be contemporary). I don't care how small your town is, no one is that isolated. It was super strange.
I'll be taking a pass on this author in the future.
Also, in spite of the title, there's not a theft. Maybe I'm forgetting a minor plot point? Or maybe the author just needed an alliterative title for her days of the week series and put as much thought into the title as she did the plot...
The characters are all really oddly unrealistic. I kept getting the impression that the book must be from the 70s, but no it was published in 2004 (and based on the inclusion of 'mobiles' was meant to be contemporary). I don't care how small your town is, no one is that isolated. It was super strange.
I'll be taking a pass on this author in the future.
August 28, 2014
This fourth book in the series did something that I've not seen in other mystery series -- it skips ahead about 5 years in the lives of the characters, which actually serves to make the book more interesting since there's lots of new things to find out about the characters.
Each novel also introduces one or more new characters that often become a permanent part of Lois' cleaning company as well as part of the series' ongoing personalities. This trick adds to the cast of characters gradually over time and allows the plot to roam over a wider area without having to introduce lots of "new faces" in each book that often give away the mystery just by their presence. Fewer annoying red herrings.
However, while this particular mystery moved along well enough, the ending seemed a bit abrupt and disjointed. And I never did see any reference to a "theft on Thursday".
Each novel also introduces one or more new characters that often become a permanent part of Lois' cleaning company as well as part of the series' ongoing personalities. This trick adds to the cast of characters gradually over time and allows the plot to roam over a wider area without having to introduce lots of "new faces" in each book that often give away the mystery just by their presence. Fewer annoying red herrings.
However, while this particular mystery moved along well enough, the ending seemed a bit abrupt and disjointed. And I never did see any reference to a "theft on Thursday".
Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews