Discover Amy Rowlings: quick-witted movie buff, avid reader of crime fiction, and amateur sleuth.
January 1939. When clothing-factory heir Edward Handlsey is found murdered in a snow-covered Kentish town, mill worker Amy Rowlings finds herself at the top of the suspect list. The man had many enemies, many of them female, but Amy was the most recent victim of his wily ways.
Luckily, as a certified lover of Agatha Christie novels, she’s perfectly capable of clearing her own name.
Impressed by her skills, new-in-town Detective Sergeant Bodkin accepts Amy’s investigative aid and local knowledge. But when he arrests an innocent man, Amy decides to take matters into her own hands. Armed with tactics from her beloved Poirot, she begins digging into the victim's shady history.
As Amy clashes with Bodkin’s rigid, facts-only investigation – despite finding herself increasingly charmed by the good-looking detective – she must unmask the real killer before the winter snow covers their tracks for good.
Murder at the Mill is the first in the cozy, historical Amy Rowlings Golden Age Mysteries series, which can be read in any order. For fans of Verity Bright, Helena Dixon, and Felicity Penn.
Murder At The Mill by T A Belshaw was published on 13 October 2026 by Pellerin. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review as part of this #RandomThingsTours Book Tour
It's January 1939, in a snowy Kentish town, and when a wealthy factory heir is murdered, Amy finds herself firmly in the frame. She's not going to sit quietly and wait for the police to sort things out and she decides to do a little investigating of her own.
I liked Amy enormously. She's feisty, intelligent, sometimes infuriating, and certainly not afraid to speak her mind. Her exchanges with Detective Sergeant Bodkin are great fun, and I enjoyed the way she challenges his pretty conventional approach.
The author has created a really convincing sense of time and place, with some lovely observations about working-class life and the expectations that are placed upon women. There's a gentle humour running throughout, too.
For me, the mystery itself was occasionally a little too straightforward, and I would have welcomed more tension and a few surprises along the way.
However, this is an engaging, undemanding read with a fabulous central character. A promising start to a new series, and I'd happily spend more time in Amy's company.
Finalist for the Romantic Novelists Association Romantic Thriller Award 2026 with Twice Dead at the Tavern, which has also been shortlisted in the Chanticleer Murder and Mayhem Cosy Crime Awards 2027.
T. A. Belshaw is a British author best known for the Amy Rowlings Mystery series, a collection of character‑driven cosy crime novels set in 1930s Kent. Blending gentle humour, classic whodunit plotting, and rich period detail, his books follow the adventures of Amy Rowlings — a sharp‑witted, film‑loving amateur sleuth with a knack for uncovering secrets in the most unexpected places.
A lifelong fan of Golden Age detective fiction, Belshaw draws inspiration from the works of Agatha Christie and other classic mystery writers, while bringing his own warmth and modern storytelling style to the genre. His stories are filled with village and small town intrigue, colourful characters, and the charm of pre‑war Britain, offering readers a nostalgic escape into a world of clues, gossip, and slow‑burn suspense.
When he isn’t writing, Belshaw enjoys researching 1930s life, especially in his home town of Ilkeston in Derbyshire, where he lives with his chatty rescue cat, Mia, and connecting with readers who share his love of traditional cosy mysteries. His work continues to grow a loyal following among fans of light‑hearted whodunits, historical crime fiction, and strong female sleuths
Look out for several short Amy Rowlings mysteries in 2026/27; the first novella, Lethal Ledger coming soon.
T. A. Belshaw is currently working on Murder in Miniature. An Amy Rowlings short mystery.
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