BLOG TOUR: I Died At Fallow Hall by Bonnie Burke-Patel

August 29th, 2024 by Bedford Square Publishers
Mystery, Thriller, Political Fiction

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for this cosy and mysterious debut. Thank you to Anne at Random Things Tours for the invitation to take part and to Bedford Squard Publishers for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

‘Beautifully written, told with empathy and a razor-sharp wit. I couldn’t put it down’. Seth Insua, author of Human, Animal

Anna Deerin moves to a remote Cotswold cottage to become a gardener, trying to strip away everything she’s spent all her life as a woman striving for, craving the anonymity and privacy her new off-grid life provides.

But when she clears the last vegetable bed and digs up not twigs but bones, the outside world is readmitted.

With it comes Detective Inspector Hitesh Mistry, who has his own reasons for a new start in the village of Upper Magna.

Drawn in spite of herself to this unknown woman from another time, Anna is determined to uncover her identity and gain recognition for her, if not justice.

As threats to Anna and her new life grow closer, she and DI Mistry will find that this murder is inextricably bound up with issues of gender, family, community, race and British identity itself – all as relevant in decades past as they are to Anna today.

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MY REVIEW:

I love a good country house mystery so I was excited to read this book. Set in the fictional village of Upper Magna in the Cotswolds, I Died At Fallow Hall follows Anna Deerin, who has recently moved to a remote cottage in the village to become the gardener at Fallow Hall. But one day she digs up more than she anticipated in the vegetable beds: the bones of a young woman that have been hidden there for years. Detective Inspector Hitesh Mistry is sent to investigate, but it seems no one has missed this woman and there are few clues. Anna can’t shake her thoughts of the unknown woman and is determined to give her back her identity and find out what happened, so she begins to make her own enquiries, getting closer to DI Mistry in the process. But it seems there is someone who doesn’t want this mystery to be solved, and Anna and Hitest soon find that their own lives are in danger…

Mysterious, tender, pensive and compelling, this is a wonderful debut. Layered, intricately woven, cleverly plotted and full of surprising twists, Bonnie Burke-Patel crafted an intriguing mystery that kept me guessing up until the final page. The story moves seamlessly between the dual timelines and I really enjoyed the added mystery and tension that arose from the past narrative as we get to know the lady of Fallow Hall and search for clues to her identity and fate as she tells her story. The dual timelines are also used to explore themes such as identity, prejudice, sexism, family, community, and starting again. 

But what shined brightest for me in this book were its characters. Richly drawn and acutely observed, I really cared about them and was invested in their lives. I loved the dynamic between Anna and Hitesh and how they related to each other on so many different levels. I admit that I’d expected a more Christie-esque large cast of characters, but I was pleasantly surprised by the smaller cast. I think this not only helped me feel like I was getting to know the characters better, but it also added to the small, quiet village atmosphere that I loved. 

Gorgeous, alluring and full of heart, this cosy debut is perfect for reading on a cold autumn or winter night. Highly recommended.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Born and raised in South Gloucestershire, Bonnie Burke-Patel studied History at Oxford. After working for half a decade in politics, she changed careers and became a preschool teacher. She lives with her husband, son, and needy cat in southeast London. Her debut novel I Died at Fallow Hall will be published by Bedford Square in 2024.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Bookshop.org* | Waterstones* | Amazon*
*These are affiliate links

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxx

Please check out the reviews from the other bloggers taking part in the blog tour.