???? Meet the Victim and Suspects from The Case in the Vicarage Gardens
Every village has one, don’t they?
The woman who knows exactly how you like your tea, but also how many times you’ve been late for church. The one who remembers your christening gown, but also exactly who spent just a little too long talking to someone else’s husband at last year’s village New Year’s party.
In Little Biddington, that woman was Gertrude Chambers.
And now… she’s dead. ☠️
Discovered beneath the arbour at the annual vicarage tea party, a poisoned teacup beside her, Gertrude’s death has turned cucumber sandwiches and sponge cake into clues and red herrings.
???? But who would kill Gertrude Chambers?
Honestly? Quite a few people had motive.
????️ Meet the Victim: Gertrude Chambers
- Head of the Ladies’ Guild
- Unofficial ruler of the vicarage gardens
- Feared, admired, and quietly loathed in equal measure
- Kept a mental ledger of everyone’s secrets — and perhaps a physical one too…
When Gertrude was found dead during the most civilised event on the village calendar, it became clear someone had finally had enough.
???? The Suspects
1. Reverend Peter Elgood
The handsome young vicar with modern ideas and a family skeleton rattling in his vestry cupboard. Gertrude knew more than she should have — did he silence her to protect his calling?
2. Miss Iris Chambers
Gertrude’s meek and mousy sister, long trapped in the elder Chambers’ controlling shadow. But every teapot simmers eventually…
3. Mr Douglas Brimm
Village solicitor. Nervous. Sweaty. Possibly cooking the books. And Gertrude may have been about to expose his ‘creative’ accounting.
4. Rupert Spindle
The organist disgraced, dismissed, and now returned. Charming? Yes. Shifty? Very. And his past with the Chambers sisters is more complicated than hymn numbers at Evensong.
5. Leonard Ashcroft
A stranger arrives in the village, claiming to be Iris’s long-lost son. Polite, reserved, and watching everyone a bit too closely. Was he here for family… or revenge?
6. Mrs Florence Hemmings
Parish council doyenne. Loves flower shows. Also loves a quiet flutter on the horses. Gertrude may have known that the flower fund was financing more than dahlias…
????️ Who Do YOU Suspect?
I’d love to know who you think did it! Was it the vicar with something to hide? The sister pushed too far? The long-lost son with a quiet fury?
You can join the poll in my Facebook Group — and don’t forget to leave your theory in the comments!
???? The Case in the Vicarage Gardens is available for pre-order now, and will be released on 30th June. Grab your hat, your notebook, and your most suspicious stare — Lady Matilda Investigates is back.
