The Deadly Dispute

When Hazel takes a new job as tea lady at the docks she does not anticipate the crime wave that is about to erupt. On her first day at work a body is found in the water near the docks. Then she learns that a large collection of gold coins have disappeared from a cargo ship. Two more dead bodies associated with the wharves and her boss attacked in the street and Hazel realises this is not a normal work environment.

Betty also has her problems. Disillusioned with her life she becomes involved with a young colleague who introduces her to life as experienced by the younger generation in 1967.

Irene also has worries of her own. As cleaner of a brothel she is concerned when her boss invests in another brothel and Irene notices that the businesses are being targeted by the local mafia.

Meanwhile the Tea Ladies Guild is attempting to raise money to assist the orphanage at the local convent.

In The Deadly Disputes, Amanda Hampson has written written another entertaining crime novel about a group of older ladies who are not afraid of solving crimes in their neighbourhood. Set in 1967 the book also revives memories of living in the 1960s. And when there is a problem, a cup of tea and a biscuit will always help. This is the third book in Tea Ladies Mystery series.

The Cryptic Clue

Hazel, Betty, Irene and friends still meet for a lunch break to discuss their life as tea ladies and life in general. It is 1966 and change is in the air. There is concern among the ladies that they may soon lose their jobs as some firms are replacing tea ladies with machines to dispense hot drinks. The ladies decide to call their friends to organise some direct action to try and save their jobs. In the factory where Hazel works there is also a move for a change of leadership in the firm, making most of the staff uneasy.

Irene learns that her husband died in prison and left her a cryptic message in a book which Hazel manages to decipher. This leads to an expedition to the Blue Mountains to follow the clues.

Meanwhile Hazel has met Oscar who has come from Denmark to Australia to work on the opera house building project and they become friends. Oscar helps the tea ladies when they uncover a mystery at the local church which leads them to discover a plot threatening national security.

The Cryptic Clue is a sequel to The Tea Ladies by Amanda Hampson. It is another cosy crime novel with several mysteries to solve as well as dealing with themes of friendship, dyslexia plus changes occurring in Australia in the mid 1960s.  

The Tea Ladies

The Tea Ladies by Amanda Hampson is set in Sydney in 1965. Hazel Bates is the tea lady for the firm Empire Fashionwear, manufacturers of quality fashion for women. Hazel and a group of friends regularly meet for a cup of tea or something stronger in the local pub. When Hazel briefly notices through an office window a woman who appears to be in distress in the deserted building opposite the factory, she and her friends decide to investigate. 

However life becomes more complicated when in the middle of the night there is a fire in the deserted building. Hazel and Betty, like most of the neighbourhood go to watch. The door to the Empire building is unlocked so Hazel and Betty check inside and discover the body of staff member, Mr McCracken.

The tea ladies now have a number of crimes to investigate. Who was the lady in the deserted factory and who kidnapped her? Who lit the factory fire and why? Who killed Mr McCracken and why? Hazel also has a more private concern to investigate. Her husband, Bob, has been behaving strangely and, when Hazel discovers that a private investigator has been tailing her, she wants to know why.

Empire Fashionwear has other concerns to sort out caused by the publicity that followed the visit of English model, Jean Shrimpton, to a race meeting in Melbourne. Within the factory there is a strict hierarchy of staff with those upstairs wanting to maintain the status quo in fashion design while younger staff members wanting the firm to manufacture more 'with it' garments.

Having worked, in the mid 1960s, in a building that had a tea lady as well as being well aware of the changes in women's fashion that occurred at that time, I enjoyed reading about the day to day activities and concerns faced by the characters in this story. Of course there was also a series of crimes to investigate, especially as the police did not appear to be anxious to find out the cause of the crimes.

Amanda Hampson has written a fun cozy crime novel incorporating a group of interesting and enterprising characters who are determined to investigate these crimes that have occurred in their neighbourhood.

Sixty summers

Sixty Summers by Amanda Hampson is about three Australian women, Fran, Rose and Maggie, who have been friends for forty years since they had the adventure of travelling around Europe together in a kombi van. Fran and Rose met at school while they met Maggie in London. In the intervening years the women have remained firm friends though they have each encountered many challenges in their lives, especially in regard to relationships.

Fran stayed in London while the other two returned to Sydney, married and settled down to new lives. Each year they had a get together, including an online hook-up, to celebrate another year of friendship. But this time it is obvious that all is not well, particularly with Maggie who appears close to having a breakdown. The decision is eventually made that they all need a break from their present lives, particularly family commitments, and should meet again in London to try and recapture some of their lost youth and once again experience the joy of of life.

Consequently, Rose creates an itinerary for the new adventure and the new challenge begins. Initially all does not go well with the women carrying too many worries and responsibilities of life at home and several times it looks as if the trip will be a failure. There are also many secrets that they have not shared before the trip. However the women eventually begin to relax especially when things begin to go wrong and they have to react to new situations.

When Rose and Maggie return home they are determined to make changes in their lives and relationships ensuring that they have more time to be themselves and lead more independent lives. Back in London Fran also makes a decision that will dramtically change her lifestyle.

This book is a most enjoyable study of how life and the needs of others can dramatically impact on the freedom of individuals to be themselves and how difficult it can be to take back some control of ones life.

The French perfumer

It is the mid 1950s and Iris Turner has worked in the British Civil Service for seventeen years. She desperately needs a change. Therefore when she sees an advertisement for an English speaking secretary prepared to work in the south of France she takes a breath and applies. Her new employer is Hammond Brooke who, as he is losing his eyesight, requires assistance in sorting a lifetime of papers and his collection of materials relating to his career as a perfumer. Brooke is also losing his sense of smell so, when she gains his trust, Iris also acts a guide describing the sights and aromas they encounter on their walks.

Unfortunately Iris also has to contend with the owner of the private hotel where she is staying - Vivian Brooke who introduces herself as Brooke's sister. Iris also encounters a number of eccentric guests staying at the hotel. It is soon obvious that all is not what it seems.

Over time Iris learns a little about the perfume industry, the Brooke family's involvement in World War II and who she can and cannot trust as a new life gradually evolves for her.

This is Amanda Hampson's third novel.

The Yellow Villa

This book by Amanda Hampson is about relationships. Ben and Mia Tiller purchase a house near the village of Cordes-sur-Ciel in southern France. They hope that the move from Australia to live in this village will help them resurrect their marriage. The discovery that Mia is unable to have a child has led to a period of depression. Although this is a character driven novel the history of the Tillers' house and its location are important to the the development of the story.

Mia speaks fluent French but Ben has the disadvantage of only knowing a few words. However Ben works in IT and can therefore work from home while Mia, an art teacher, struggles to understand what she really wants to do.  Meanwhile Dominic and Susannah Harrington, an older English couple, attempt to befriend the newcomers. But are the Harringtons who they say they are and why does the rest of the ex-pat community refuse to have anything to do with them? Gradually the truth is revealed. An enjoyable reading experience.

At the back of the book is a list of discussion points for book circles.

Secrets, scandals and karma - Better Reading
Cordes-sur-Ciel