A review of A Murder for Miss Hortense
by
Mel
Pennant
Miss Hortense has lived in the Birmingham suburb of Bigglesweigh since she emigrated from Jamaica in 1960. She's lived in the same house for decades and is a retired nurse. MIss Hortense is also part of a close-knit community of Jamaican immigrants. They have generational connections that allow them to be a village when someone is in need, but can also have long-standing tensions that can erupt in violent ways. Both of those facets of the community are reflected in the Pardner network.
The Pardner network was originally a small group of friends led by Miss Hortense. When banks turned them away in the 1960s, they decided to form their own. After a tragic event and an investigation gone awry, Miss Hortense was ousted from her leadership position and the group. Now she's drawn back into the network's dealings when her long-time foe, Constance, is found dead and her friend is convinced it was murder. Miss Hortense reluctantly begins to investigate and soon finds that the sins of the past cast long shadows on the present.
Comparisons have been made between Miss Hortense and Miss Marple and I'd say that's fair to a point. This is a beautifully described and immersive community whose members have known each other for years (decades). Miss Hortense does put the puzzle together by asking questions and gathering the pieces together. There's even a "get everyone in the same room to reveal all" scene and some delicious-sounding recipes added at the end of the book. That said, there is also trauma and strong violence in the past crimes against women. And given the immigrant community represented here, all the conflicts brought on by racism and bigotry play their part. I say this not to discourage you from reading this excellent mystery - do read this one! - but so that you do so with some context.