Mrs. Malory and a Necessary End

Sheila Malory’s friend Monica asks Sheila to take over her volunteer job at a local charity shop three days a week while Monica attends to her daughter, a new mother in need of help. Sheila is happy to do so, until she runs across both Desmond Barlow and Norma Stanley. He is an officious and patronizing oaf, and she is intent on taking over the social world of Taviscombe despite being an off-comer who has only lived there for a little while. Nobody is too upset when Desmond is murdered in the shop one night, not even his very passive wife Wendy, but Sheila is nonetheless curious about the death, because there are quite a few people in the town with whom he had clashed. And Norma is suddenly acting very strangely, abandoning her show more commitments and generally not responding in her usual high-handed manner to any slight transgression…. This is the 19th story in this series, and it provides an interesting viewpoint with respect to how small towns are run on charitable work and by committee. I especially like how Sheila interacts with the more aggressive characters in her town - basically, she proffers a pleasant facade and mild agreement, then goes her own way. Which is, of course, about the only way to deal with those people who think it proper to take over your life for you! These books do not really need to be read in sequence, although some readers new to the series might take a while to sort out the various well-established relationships; generally, the fun of the series lies in its cozy attributes, each being a quick and satisfying read; recommended. show less