Melissa Craig Mystery by Betty Rowlands 12 Books Collection Set - Fiction - Paperback

Titles in This Set
Murder at Hawthorn Cottage
Murder in the Morning
Murder on the Clifftops
Murder at the Manor Hotel
Murder on a Winter Afternoon
Murder in the Orchard
Murder at Larkfield Barn
Murder in Langley Woods
Murder at Benbury Brook
Murder at the Old House
Murder in the Dining Room
Murder in a Country Garden

Details
Condition: Brand New
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Bookouture
Age Range: Adult

Overview
This complete twelve-book Melissa Craig Mystery collection gathers Betty Rowlands' beloved Cotswolds cozy mystery series in one paperback set. Melissa Craig is a crime novelist who trades city life for a quiet cottage in rural Gloucestershire, only to find village life far from peaceful. Across a dozen page-turning cases, she pairs a writer's eye for detail with sharp deduction to unravel murders hiding behind idyllic hedgerows, country manors, and orchard walls. Fans of gentle, character-driven whodunits in the tradition of Agatha Christie will find a warm, witty heroine and a richly drawn English countryside worth revisiting.

About the Books
Betty Rowlands introduced Melissa Craig in the early 1990s as a London copywriter turned crime novelist who trades city stress for a crumbling cottage in the Cotswolds. What begins as a fresh start quickly turns eventful, as Melissa discovers that her adopted village harbors just as many secrets, grudges, and dangerous liaisons as any city street. Over the course of twelve novels, she settles into local life, takes on a teaching post, navigates community politics, and keeps finding herself first on the scene when tragedy strikes. Rowlands builds each mystery around a distinct Cotswolds backdrop, from artists' retreats on windswept clifftops to manor house theatricals, snowy winter lanes, working farms, and quiet country gardens. Melissa's instinct for asking the right question, combined with her novelist's habit of noticing what others overlook, makes her a natural amateur sleuth, and her network of friends, neighbors, and eventually a police detective grows alongside her reputation as the woman who always finds the truth. The series has drawn frequent comparisons to Agatha Christie's Miss Marple for its blend of cozy village charm and genuinely clever plotting, and its recurring cast gives long-time readers a sense of coming home with every new case. This set brings all twelve novels together in their original reading order, making it an ideal way to experience Melissa's evolution from cautious newcomer to trusted village detective from the very first mystery through to the last.

Key Benefits

• Complete 12-book Melissa Craig Mystery series in one collection, read in order without hunting for individual titles
• Classic cozy mystery style in the tradition of Agatha Christie and Miss Marple, with clever plotting and gentle suspense
• Brand new paperback set, perfect for building a dedicated shelf or passing along to a fellow mystery fan
• Charming, varied Cotswolds settings—from cottages and manor houses to orchards and country gardens—keep every case fresh
• A satisfying gift for cozy mystery lovers, birthdays, holidays, or as a thoughtful book club pick
• Ideal for readers who enjoy character-driven detective fiction with low violence and high intrigue

Book-by-Book Guide
Murder at Hawthorn Cottage — Melissa Craig settles into her new life in an old crumbling Cotswolds cottage just as a disturbing discovery shatters the peace.
Murder in the Morning — Newly settled into a village teaching position, Melissa finds village routine upended by a shocking crime close to home.
Murder on the Clifftops — A pleasant stroll at an artists' retreat in the mountains turns to tragedy, drawing Melissa into a web of secrets among the guests.
Murder at the Manor Hotel — Rehearsals for a village play at a grand countryside manor are interrupted by a death that exposes long-hidden tensions among the cast.
Murder on a Winter Afternoon — During her first snowy Cotswolds winter, Melissa's brisk country walks lead her straight into a fresh and puzzling case.
Murder in the Orchard — A tranquil orchard property becomes the scene of a shocking crime, forcing Melissa to look past its peaceful, birdsong-filled surface.
Murder at Larkfield Barn — As spring arrives on the farm, bright mornings give way to a troubling death that Melissa cannot ignore.
Murder in Langley Woods — A body found near a picture-perfect Cotswolds village sends Melissa searching for a killer hiding behind a friendly facade.
Murder at Benbury Brook — Beside a babbling brook and autumn woodland, Melissa uncovers a crime rooted in old grudges and quiet village rivalries.
Murder at the Old House — As spring returns to the Cotswolds, Melissa is drawn into a case involving a historic house and its guarded secrets.
Murder in the Dining Room — With summer settling over the village, Melissa's contentment is disrupted by a death that hits close to her own circle of friends.
Murder in a Country Garden — In the village of Upper Benbury, a seemingly perfect country garden conceals a motive dark enough for murder.

About the Author
Betty Rowlands began writing in her mid-sixties after winning the Sunday Express and Veuve Clicquot Crime Short Story of the Year competition, proving it is never too late to start a new career. She went on to create two beloved cozy mystery series: the Melissa Craig Mysteries, set in her own beloved Cotswolds, and the thirteen-book Sukey Reynolds series, following a Scenes of Crime Officer turned detective. Rowlands lived in the Cotswolds and later Bristol, and continued hearing from devoted fans into her nineties, passing away in July 2020.

Why You'll Love This Set
Twelve complete Cotswolds mysteries in one brand new paperback collection, perfect for a cozy weekend read, a thoughtful birthday gift, a holiday season stocking stuffer, or filling out a book club's shelf of classic English cozy whodunits. It's an easy way to gift an entire beloved series at once.

Please Note: This is the UK edition with the ISBN as listed; the cover may vary slightly from the image shown.