The Sunset Years of Agnes Sharp by Leonnie Swann is the first book in what will be the Miss Sharp Investigates series, translated from German to English by Amy Bojang. A murder mystery at a senior citizen home share, it is senior citizen “Clue” where they can’t remember where they hid the gun that shot Lilian. It grabbed my attention, and I’m glad it did, because it was a delightful story.
The Kindle version of this book went on sale just as the sequel will be published, in a great marketing move that sucked me in and convinced me to buy both books. As of today, the Kindle edition of this book is only $1.99 on Amazon (March 26, 2024).
Review of The Sunset Years of Agnes Sharp
As every good book should, there is an attention grabber right off the bat: Lillian (one of the residents of Sunset Hall) is dead in the backyard, with a gunshot wound to the head – and Marshall can’t remember where he hid the gun that shot her. The residents of Sunset Hall, owned by Agnes Sharp and turned into a senior home share to avoid having to go into assisted living, spend the morning searching for the gun (unsuccessfully).
They soon find out that a neighbor and former childhood friend of Agnes’ has also been shot. The residents of Sunset Hall decide to use that very convenient murder to cover up whatever it is that happened to Lillian. The police are off searching for a senior citizen serial killer, and the residents of Sunset Hall are off the hook. That is, until, after Lillian’s wake, the gun turns back up.
After everyone has left, Agnes and her friends realize the antique gun that shot Lillian is on the table by the front door, sitting dead center. Someone has left it there as a warning to them – but who? The mystery deepens when it is learned that the neighbor was shot with the same gun that killed Lillian.
Agnes and her friends do their best to investigate the murders without implicating themselves, which is difficult since they did, indeed, kill Lilian. The problem is, they’ve got shoddy memories. A new resident moves in with her sweet dog named Brexit, Hattie the tortoise has a run of the house, and Marshall’s grandson Nathan is dropped at the house by a parent during all of this, making it a funny murder mystery and a delightful read.
If you love the Thursday Murder Club series, you’ll like the Miss Sharp Investigates series. It’s a great read for vacation or to decompress. There’s enough suspense to keep you glued in but not stressed over, and enough humor to keep you laughing and happy through the book.
The Miss Sharp Investigates Series
Book One: The Sunset Years of Agnes Sharp
Book Two: Agnes Sharp and the Trip of a Lifetime
Publisher’s Summary
It has been an eventful morning for Agnes Sharp and the other inhabitants of Sunset Hall, a house share for the old and unruly in the sleepy English countryside. Although they have had some issues (misplaced reading glasses, conflicting culinary tastes, decreasing mobility, and gluttonous grandsons), nothing prepares them for an unexpected visit from a police officer with some shocking news. A body has been discovered next door. Everyone puts on a long face for show, but they are secretly relieved the body in question is not the one they’re currently hiding in the shed (sorry, Lillith).
It seems the answer to their little problem with Lillith may have fallen right into their laps. All they have to do is find out who murdered their neighbor, so they can pin Lillith’s death on them, thus killing two (old) birds with one stone (cold killer).
With their plan sorted, Agnes and her geriatric gang spring into action. After all, everybody likes a good mystery. Besides, the more suspicion they can cast about, surely the less will land on them. To investigate, they will step out of their comfort zone and tangle with sinister bakers, broken stairlifts, inept criminals, the local authorities, and their own dark secrets.
