INTRIGUE IN THE VILLAGE

The best Turnham Malpas novel to date from bestseller Rebecca Shaw

There is a mystery surrounding the invitation by Craddock Fitch to the Big House. It is billed as a celebration of his business but as everyone in the village is invited it is obviously something more exciting than that.

When they are all assembled they find that it is in fact a lavish wedding reception for two very surprising people. With these festivities over the inhabitants of Turnham Malpas are thrown into preparations of a different nature. It is the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the village school and Kate - the head teacher - is arranging a big celebration. There is the problem of accommodating everyone's enthusiasm as they plan a cricket match, buffet teas, maypole dancing, plays and singing on the green.

But there is one problem of which she is unaware. In asking the previous head teachers to attend she has asked her predecessor, little realizing that he is married to Suzy who is the mother of Peter's, the rector, and Caroline's twins. When it comes to meeting their mother for the first time, the twins don't know how they will feel and nor for that matter do Peter or Caroline. Immersed in the preparations as they are the villagers still rally round to help an impoverished mother and her four children who are new to the school. And Maggie Dobbs, the school caretaker, causes havoc when she dabbles in the occult predicting things that come true and frightening herself so much that she has to take sanctuary in the rectory in the middle of the night.