Death in Elysium: A Jodie Welsh Mystery

This sparkling first in a new traditional series from Cutler (Double Fault) stars Jodie Welsh, a rich business whiz, who moves to rural Kent to marry a widowed minister. Jodie adapts to life in Lesser Hogben (“Not even Greater Hogben”), keeping a London pied-à-terre that allows the newlyweds a little privacy. When Jodie hires a local lad called Burble to help take care of her garden, some of the church busybodies disapprove, but Jodie has a do-gooding impulse to make a difference in the life of the disaffected youth. She lends Burble an expensive camera, and asks him to take pictures for a new website—and then Burble and the camera go missing. What initially appears to be just a bit of nicking soon grows more ominous when mysterious remains are found and a suspicious fire is lit. A tight plot complements the diverse and entertaining cast of characters. Fans of Katherine Hall Page’s Faith Fairchild series will find a lot to like. (Oct.)