Nicky Stratton

The Weight of Death Nicky Stratton

Laura Boxford lives with her pug, Parker in the picturesque surroundings of the Wellworth Lawns retirement complex, formerly her family home. It is an arrangement that suits her well. No more blocked drains and rattling windows. The central heating always works and she can call for room service at any time. But then, one morning after breakfast her tranquility is disturbed. She discovers the body of her old friend Hetty Winterbottom in the room next door and by the look on her face, Hetty did not die of natural causes. As Laura recalls the strange behaviour of her friend the previous evening, she is convinced of foul play and resolves to find the perpetrator. At first her attention focuses on the sabre-wielding Brigadier who has recently moved to a small back bedroom at Wellworth Lawns. The spectre of mortality tends to sharpen the mind of the elderly to the important comforts of life, so he appears to have the perfect motive...a room with a view. Then Laura discovers that Hetty's last remaining heirloom - a rare paperweight - is missing and she begins to realise that in the cut-throat world of the care home, things are not always what they seem.