* Longlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger Award 2022 *

'Guaranteed to hook you . . . At times both touching and darkly funny' Anna Bailey, Sunday Times bestselling author of Tall Bones

'A beguiling, beautifully crafted treat of a novel. It holds so much wisdom yet wears it so lightly. There are shades of Kate Atkinson in the way Rosalind balances dark themes with dry humour, a great plot, exquisitely realised characters, and more than a hint of feminist sensibility . . . truly everything I want in a novel' Jessica Moor, bestselling author of Keeper

'[An] excellent character-driven tale . . . by turns amusing, sorrowful, and thrilling. Stopps is definitely a writer to watch' Publishers Weekly, STARRED review

'A quirky, witty thriller that reminds us not to underestimate the older generation' Best

'Darkly comic and gripping' Woman's Own

* * *

Grace, Meg and Daphne, all in their seventies, are minding their own business while enjoying a cup of tea in a cafe, when seventeen-year-old Nina stumbles in. She's clearly distraught and running from someone, so the three women think nothing of hiding her when a suspicious-looking man starts asking if they've seen her.

Once alone, Nina tells the women a little of what she's running from. The need to protect her is immediate, and Grace, Meg and Daphne vow to do just this. But how? They soon realise there really is only one answer: murder.

And so begins the tale of the three most unlikely murderers-in-the-making, and may hell protect anyone who underestimates them.

* * *

Readers LOVE Rosalind Stopps:

'I was hooked from the start and finished it in little more than two days, because it was truly unputdownable. Beautifully written and really quite scary in places . . . A brilliant book. More from this excellent writer please!' Amazon 5*

'This is how fiction should be done! A fabulous, thrilling tale and I loved it!' NetGalley 5*

the brand-new dark, gripping mystery thriller full of twists and turns, a must read for 2022!

About the Author

Rosalind Stopps lives in Margate and south-east London with various humans and dogs. Her short stories have been published in five anthologies and read at live literature events in London, Leeds, Hong Kong and New York.

Her debut novel, The Stranger She Knew was shortlisted for the Paul Torday Memorial Prize 2020. A Beginner's Guide to Murder is her second novel.

Reviews

Praise for A Beginner's Guide to Murder

'Guaranteed to hook you . . . At times both touching and darkly funny, A Beginner's Guide To Murder explores the vital ways in which women can support one another through their darkest hours' Anna Bailey, Sunday Times bestselling author of Tall Bones

'A beguiling, beautifully crafted treat of a novel. It holds so much wisdom yet wears it so lightly. There are shades of Kate Atkinson in the way Rosalind balances dark themes with dry humour, a great plot, exquisitely realised characters, and more than a hint of feminist sensibility... truly everything I want in a novel' Jessica Moor, bestselling author of Keeper

'A quirky, witty thriller that reminds us not to underestimate the older generation' Best

'Darkly comic and gripping' Woman's Own

'[An] excellent character-driven tale . . . by turns amusing, sorrowful, and thrilling. Stopps is definitely a writer to watch' Publishers Weekly, STARRED review

Praise for Rosalind Stopps

'A tense page-turning thriller...powerful' The Times

'A masterful feat of storytelling' Tim Pears, author of The West Country trilogy

Book Information
ISBN 9780008302658
Author Rosalind Stopps
Format Paperback
Page Count 368
Imprint HQ
Publisher HarperCollins Publishers
Weight(grams) 260g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 129mm * 23mm