Meet Carole Seddon, an uptight retiree who lives by the sea with her well-mannered — and downright adorable — dog Gulliver. She loves order and routine above all things. Except when there’s a baffling mystery to be solved . . .

Rambling old Bracketts House is being converted into a museum. The perfect shrine to its former owner, mysterious poet, Esmond Chadleigh.

Carole leaps at the chance to get involved. She doesn’t much care for poetry, but her admin skills are still razor sharp.

But Carole’s about to get more than she bargained for.

Out in the overgrown gardens, the builders uncover something terrible. A human skull . . . with a suspicious-looking, bullet-shaped hole in the forehead.

The Bracketts trustees immediately close ranks, swearing Carole to secrecy. But she can’t help but spill the beans to Jude, her free-spirited partner in crime-solving.

Together, Carole and Jude vow to uncover the truth about the beloved author — and whether his sword was even mightier than his pen.

But they’d better watch their backs.

It’s not long before a second body turns up. This one’s not even cold . . .