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Death at the Weir
(2026)(The sixth book in the Madeleine Brooks Mystery series)
A novel by Tannis Laidlaw
A quiet village. A dangerous past. A death that won’t stay accidental.
The July Garden Club meeting is usually a gentle social occasion, but Maddie Brooks is unsettled by the arrival of a new woman in the village — a loud yet charming beauty who is instantly surrounded by admirers. Maddie keeps her distance. She knows something the others do not.
Days later, the woman is found drowned in the River Thames, her body caught in the branches of a willow tree below Goring weir.
The police believe it was a tragic accident. Maddie isn’t convinced.
The victim, Claudette, was once a client of Maddie’s when she worked as a senior probation officer. Convicted of extorting money from elderly men, Claudette had served her sentence and appeared to have reformed — even marrying a wealthy older man. Some believed that would be the end of her offending. Maddie never did.
When the police revise their initial conclusion and Claudette’s death is deemed suspicious, the village begins to look at its newcomers more closely. Suspicion soon falls on another recent arrival, and an arrest is made.
Maddie is certain the wrong man has been taken into custody. Knowing far more about Claudette’s past than the rest of the village, she is deeply troubled by how quickly the case is being closed. Determined to understand what really happened at the weir, she begins to ask careful questions — questions that uncover old resentments, hidden relationships, and motives far more complex than they first appear.
Death at the Weir is a calm, character-driven mystery set in an English village, ideal for readers who enjoy thoughtful puzzles, subtle intrigue, and a gentle pace without graphic violence.
Genre: Mystery
The July Garden Club meeting is usually a gentle social occasion, but Maddie Brooks is unsettled by the arrival of a new woman in the village — a loud yet charming beauty who is instantly surrounded by admirers. Maddie keeps her distance. She knows something the others do not.
Days later, the woman is found drowned in the River Thames, her body caught in the branches of a willow tree below Goring weir.
The police believe it was a tragic accident. Maddie isn’t convinced.
The victim, Claudette, was once a client of Maddie’s when she worked as a senior probation officer. Convicted of extorting money from elderly men, Claudette had served her sentence and appeared to have reformed — even marrying a wealthy older man. Some believed that would be the end of her offending. Maddie never did.
When the police revise their initial conclusion and Claudette’s death is deemed suspicious, the village begins to look at its newcomers more closely. Suspicion soon falls on another recent arrival, and an arrest is made.
Maddie is certain the wrong man has been taken into custody. Knowing far more about Claudette’s past than the rest of the village, she is deeply troubled by how quickly the case is being closed. Determined to understand what really happened at the weir, she begins to ask careful questions — questions that uncover old resentments, hidden relationships, and motives far more complex than they first appear.
Death at the Weir is a calm, character-driven mystery set in an English village, ideal for readers who enjoy thoughtful puzzles, subtle intrigue, and a gentle pace without graphic violence.
Genre: Mystery