Pippa McCathie Books In Order

Publication Order of Havard & Lambert Mysteries Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Pippa MacCathie is an author of cozy mystery books best known for her Lambert and Havard series. South Wales has played a significant role in Pippa’s life; two of her three kids were born in Swansea, and she frequently visits her close friends in Newport. She was raised in Mauritius and has traveled extensively during her life, visiting Guernsey, London, Iran, South Africa, South Wales, and Guernsey again.

She began writing in her school exercise books to amuse her classmates, resulting in questionable test results and laughs. She has had several poems and short tales published and, after sending her children to school, began writing books. She has taught creative writing for almost two decades. In her leisure time, she has volunteered for a national charity, helped organize Guernsey’s local Eisteddfod, and cared for a handsome husband and a timid cat.

These pursuits have allowed her to avoid time-consuming tasks like cleaning and gardening. Murder in the Valleys, published by The Book Folks, is the first in a series involving Pippa’s best friends, Fabia Havard and Matt Lambert.

Murder in the Valleys

Murder in the Valleys is the first book in Lambert and Havard series, first published in 2018. We meet retired superintendent Fabia Havard adjusting to civilian life when the body of a local girl is discovered.

Fabia discovers Amber Morgan’s body as she wanders near the swollen river that runs through her little Welsh village. Her police training informs her immediately that the cause of death is murder. As she is no longer a member of the police, all she can do at the moment is to inform the cops.

However, she has mixed emotions when she learns that her old colleague Matt Lambert, now appointed chief inspector, will lead the inquiry into the murder.

Despite knowing the victim and being unhappy with her new profession as an illustrator, Fabia cannot resist investigating the crime. However, her inquiries further disturb the town’s tranquility. Not to mention her nosy neighbor, Rhona Griffiths, who was observed bickering with the deceased the day before her murder.

Matt Lambert is irritated by Fabia’s actions, but time and time again, Fabia’s instincts show to be correct. He can’t help but rely on her to investigate the murder case, but that will require facing the reason she quit the department years ago.
Can they set aside their differences and work together to bring the criminal to justice despite the resurfacing of Fabia’s traumatic past? Or will Fabia’s side job put her in greater danger?

Murder in the Valleys is set in the fictitious Welsh valley village of Pontygwyn, in the shadows of the Black Mountains. It will appeal to those who enjoy conventional whodunits, those who enjoy the environment, atmosphere, and inhabitants of South Wales, and anybody who wants a page-turning story.

The narrative alternates between Fabia, who cannot avoid becoming entangled, and her old friend Matt Lambert. There are several possible culprits and many secrets to unearth.

Pippa McCathie does an excellent job of gradually uncovering the reasons behind Fabia’s departure from the force, even though some of the issues between Matt and Fabia might have been resolved sooner if they had just communicated. There are several reasons they don’t, but they’re all flimsy and don’t withstand much scrutiny. The murder plot is better developed, allowing the readers to dig deeper into the story to discover more about the killer. McCathie maintains enough mystery enabling the reader to investigate alongside Fabia.

The writing is inspiring, and the story builds toward a satisfying climax and can be compared to its literary counterpart, the Midsomer Murders.

A Murder in a Welsh Town

After one of the actors dies, the town’s pantomime plans are thrown into chaos.

The victim is Ivor Gladwin, neighborhood gossip and wannabe manipulator. The number of folks who may have desired his removal appears to rise by the minute, as he was despised by many and disregarded by more.

Due to her knowledge of the persons involved, ex-police officer Fabia Havard is assigned by her lover, the current DCI, to investigate the problem on the side despite overstepping the mark in previous cases.

Unfortunately, she stumbles onto an ongoing undercover investigation, and it appears that the killer may emerge from hiding. Havard and Lambert will need to use their intelligence to solve the murder case, as their amateur dramatic activities have been suspended.

Murder in a Welsh Town is a domestic murder story with intriguing characters and murky secrets intricately woven.

Murder at the Old Abbey
Who may have assassinated Caradoc Mansell, the father of the Welsh family residing at White Monk Abbey?

True, he did not get along with some of his neighbors, but his family is more suspect. Caradoc reigned as he pleased, dismissing any protests from his adult son Roderick, who manages the property, and certainly ignoring any concerns from Roderick’s horse-obsessed wife or her highly dodgy brother. He appears to have set up camp in one of the guest rooms.

Meghan, Caradoc’s adult daughter, and his dead wife’s sister, who serves as the housekeeper, are also caught up in the mix. Garon, an illegitimate son, owns and operates the local tavern and suffers from a gambling addiction that is destined to destroy him. We also discover that Caradoc decided to amend his will after seeing his granddaughter from Mauritius, whose mother was the result of a forbidden love affair between two young people.

DCI Lambert has no shortage of suspects and ultimately turns to his former employer, Fabia, who lives nearby, knows the Mansells and is visiting Caradoc’s granddaughter from Mauritius.

This novel is mainly recounted from Fabia and Matt’s point of view, and the relationship between cozy mystery/private investigator and police procedural is intriguing. Fabia is no longer a private investigator; she is now an artist. She does not conduct many active investigations, but Matt frequently seeks her advice, so she is generally aware of what he knows. Through the dubious brother-in-law, there is also a hint of organized crime and violence.