★The Murders in Great Diddling. Katarina Bivald. Poisoned Pen. Aug. 2024. 432p. ISBN 9781728295763. pap. $16.99. SUSPENSE

Author Berit Gardner has writer’s block. On impulse, she buys a cottage in the village of Great Diddling in Cornwall, suspecting there are stories and characters there. When she attends a tea party at Tawny Hall, she senses a restlessness in the crowd of people, all of whom hate Reginald Trent, nephew of Tawny Hall’s owner. Reginald already told four local tenants he’s selling their shops. When Reginald is blown up in his study during the tea party, Berit suspects everyone and calls Detective Chief Inspector Ian Ahmed to the scene. The villagers of Great Diddling know how to hide the truth, and they’re desperate to save their town. In order to capitalize on the notoriety, they start a book and murder festival. Sometimes, notoriety brings the wrong people to town, and Ahmed isn’t shocked when he receives another phone call from Berit, reporting another murder. VERDICT With its focus on books and book lovers, eccentric villagers and frauds, this first mystery from the author of The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend is a delightful traditional, filled with fascinating characters. Those who escape to Louise Penny’s Three Pines might want to check out Great Diddling.