book details

Book: Under Mary's Oak (Laura Jessop) by Tanya Carlysle

categories: Book, Fiction, Crime, Mystery, Female Sleuth, School, Whodunnit, Detective Novel

Tanya Carlysle

about this book: I spent nearly forty years of my working life in schools, having trained as a physics teacher and ending up as the Headmistress of a girls' school in the north of England. Since I was a young child I have loved reading, and devoured books at an alarming rate. When I finished my own I moved onto my father's bookshelves and began to read Raymond Chandler, Mickey Spillane, Dorothy L Sayers and Agatha Christie. Small wonder therefore that when I retired and had a bit more time these two major interests in my life should combine to influence my writing.

Laura Jessop is the main character of my series of crime novels. As the Headmistress of a large girls' independent school on the edge of Newcastle, she is shocked when the body of her Head Caretaker is discovered in the school grounds (Under Mary's Oak). Detective Inspector Dave Jenkins and his sergeant, Gary Todd, arrive to take charge of the investigation and Laura is not impressed. She is reminded of Columbo, the TV detective who appears to be totally out of his depth, and decides that she will have to get involved.

Before this Laura's experience of dealing with crises was limited to dealing with the various misdemeanours of her pupils, and the crises of their lives that impacted on their education. Nothing had prepared her for the secrets she would uncover. The investigation takes a few twists and turns before the culprit is finally unmasked, and DI Jenkins and Laura Jessop learn respect for each other.

A second book in the series, You Know What They Say About Lightning, is already published, soon to be joined by the third, The Red Mitsubishi.