Mrs Sidhu's 'Dead And Scone' by Suk Pannu

 

Mrs Sidhu runs a catering business but work has dried up following a misunderstanding at a wedding. As a result, Mrs Sidhu takes a job at a local wellness retreat and finds herself caught up in a murder with links to a cult.

Before reading Mrs Sidhu's 'Dead And Scone' by Suk Pannu I wasn't aware of the character, so both the author and character are very new to me. The novel fits well into the cozy crime genre, featuring many of the tropes we usually see; amateur detectives, village setting, and a hobby/business that allows them to get involved with events. 

Mrs Sidhu is a strange character, she seems to go out of her way to avoid being liked. Not only is she still grieving the loss of her husband, she's also struggling to make ends meet after a disaster at a local wedding she was catering. She's observant, intelligent and analytical, however, she has no filter and it is saying things as she sees them that lands her in trouble.

When Mrs Sidhu is offered the opportunity to do the catering at a high-end wellness retreat her nosiness and tendency to be economical with the truth means that she becomes embroiled in a murder. One of the therapists is killed and there are connections to a cult that existed in the village years before. Two members of the cult committed suicide and the cult leader set fire to their home, then disappeared. Following reports that he had died in South America, everyone is surprised that the cult appears to have risen again.

There is a lot of humor in the story with the author poking fun at romantic encounters and self-help books. The majority of the humor, however, comes from the way in which Mrs Sidhu insinuates herself into the police investigation. As far as Mrs Sidhu is concerned, the police are helping her. There are hints at previous encounters between Mrs Sidhu and the police officer leading the investigation and I wonder if this is part of the radio plays. Listening to these may give the reader a greater understanding of the relationship between the two and more insight into Mrs Sidhu herself.

At times there are some dark tones and a real sense of menace. The conclusion is cleverly crafted with a villain that is impossible to spot, quite a few red herrings along the way keep the reader guessing. For me, however, I just couldn't seem to get into a rhythm reading this and really feel I should have loved it more than I did.

Mrs Sidhu's 'Dead And Scone' by Suk Pannu will be published on 12th October 2023 in hardback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for a review copy.