The Past Never Dies

A baffling burglary. A suspicious death. Can an up-and-coming amateur sleuth sort coincidence from crime?
Northern England, 1954. Miss Pauline Riddell is determined to stay busy. Grieving for her fianc√(c) killed in Korea, the churchgoing young woman welcomes the distraction of viewing a priceless religious treasure on loan to her local cathedral. But when her inspector friend approaches her for unofficial assistance, she’s horrified to learn the artifact on exhibit is a replica...and the original has gone missing.
Bent on ferreting out the truth, Miss Riddell is hampered by orders to conceal any hint of the theft to the public. And as she doggedly tries to discover if there’s a link to the body found outside a nearby pub, she runs afoul of demanding nationalists, incensed Catholics, and angry activists.
Can she untangle the mess of motives before the relic is lost forever?
The Past Never Dies is the evocative third book in the Miss Riddell Cozy Mysteries series. If you like daring damsels, quirky casts of characters, and rich historical details, then you’ll love P.C. James’s enchanting tale.
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Praise for the Miss Riddell Cozy Mysteries Series:
★★★★★Pauline Riddell is sharp. She is curious, maybe a bit nosey, but she gets the job done.
★★★★★...an easy read, perfect for a winter night in front of the roaring fire-place with a cup of hot cocoa cuddled up with a few friendly blankets.
★★★★★These books are simply a pleasant way to while away a few hours, literary staycations essentially.
★★★★★Good plot, great pacing, interesting characters.
★★★★★A cozy mystery in the classic definition, much like curling up with an Agatha Christie.
★★★★★The author will keep you guessing who did it and why.

I’ve always loved mysteries, especially those involving Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple. Perhaps because Miss Marple reminds me of my aunts when I was growing up. But Agatha never told us much about Miss Marple’s earlier life. While writing my own elderly super-sleuth series, I’m tracing her career from the start. As you’ll see, if you follow the Miss Riddell Cozy Mysteries series.
However, this is my Bio, not Miss Riddell’s, so here goes with all you need to know about me: After retiring, I became a writer and when I’m not feverishly typing on my laptop, you’ll find me running, cycling, walking, and taking wildlife photos wherever and whenever I can. My cozy mystery series begins in northern England because that was my home growing up and that’s also the home of so many great cozy mysteries. Stay with me though because Miss Riddell loves to travel as much as I do and the stories will take us to the many different places around the world I’ve lived in or visited.