A snow-covered cottage is nestled in the hills, all ready for Christmas...but inside a body lies dead upon the floor.

Melissa Craig is enjoying her first winter in the Cotswolds, taking brisk walks through the snowy fields and basking in the winter sunshine. The only thing Melissa is plotting is her Christmas shopping. 

But after the unexpected death of local writer Leonora Jewell, Melissa is asked to complete Leonora’s final book. However, on her first visit to the cottage, she finds a gruesome object overlooked by the police: a metal bar covered with dried blood.

Terrified, Melissa rushes to the nearest telephone box to call the police. But by the time they reach Leonora’s cottage, the murder weapon has mysteriously vanished. 

With no murder weapon, the detective in charge of the case scoffs at Melissa’s suspicions. Furious and frustrated, Melissa focuses on finishing Leonora’s novel. But as she reads Leonora’s notes for the book, she starts to wonder...did Leonora accidentally plot out her own murder? 

As Melissa does some investigating of her own, she uncovers some pretty suspicious local characters. But with the police unwilling to help, can Melissa solve this vicious crime alone? By hook, by crook, or by the book, Melissa must find the killers before they strike again....

If you adore Faith Martin, Joy Ellis, and P. D. James, you’re in for a treat with this pause-resisting mystery novel!

This book was previously published as Deadly Legacy.

What readers are saying about Betty Rowlands:

"An absolutely addictive, wonderful story. Loved it from start to finish. Great pace and a delightful setting, colourful characters and thrilling mystery. This was a brilliant story and I cannot wait for more!" (Renita D’Silva, author of The Forgotten Daughter)

"A lovely, peaceful and funny cozy mystery novel...plenty of very good laugh-out-loud moments...reminded me of Agatha Raisin... I’ll be definitely in the search of other books from this author in future. A perfect cozy mystery!" (Licence to Read)

"Absolutely charming!... A good old-fashioned who-dunnit with just the right amount of mystery, intrigue and humour. Would definitely recommend!" (Stardust Book Reviews)