Bloody Ham

Lights! Camera! Action! . Murder! A rollicking puzzle and a turmoil of personal relationships, some happy, some doomed, some downright evil. The third adventure for Belinda and Hazel continuing the pace and humour that readers have come to acknowledge and appreciate. Excitement and tension begin on the first day of filming a Restoration drama on location at the historic Jacobean mansion, Ham House in Surrey when one of the leading players collapses and dies. With the death ruled non-accidental the director, producer and members of the cast are all suspects. An award winning Hollywood star is brought in to replace the dead actor and Belinda is employed as her stand-in. When another member of the crew is found stabbed to death, Belinda is forced to prove her innocence. In all this tumult, Belinda finds herself torn between her long-time English lover, Mark and the energetic and exuberant Australian, Brad she met again on a trip to Australia.

ISBN	1905202539	Volumes	1
ISBN13	9781905202539 (What's this?)	Weight (grammes)	202
Publisher	BeWrite Books	Published in	Lancs
Imprint	BeWrite Books	Height (mm)	203
Format	Paperback	Width (mm)	127
Publication date	25 Sep 2007	Spine width (mm)	10
Pages	180	Academic level	General

Solving the mystery

BLOODY HAM is the third book in a mystery series that follows the adventures of ex-pat Australian Belinda Lawrence. Pressured to make a commitment by her gorgeous boyfriend Mark, Belinda flies to visit her family in Australia to give the relationship serious thought. Here she meets up with an old friend. Brad seems to be everything Mark is not and Belinda returns to England in a state of emotional confusion. She is immediately plunged into another adventure.

Hazel, Belindas business partner and best friend, runs an antique business. A film company is filming a historical movie at the nearby Ham House and have hired some of Hazels antique silver for the banquet scene. The vampy Hazel has collected yet another younger man, Tim, to console herself after being rejected by her ex-husband for a younger woman. Tim is a film editor for the movie. Belinda and Hazel are invited to the set while the banqueting scenes are filmed both are shocked to witness the death of the leading lady. A new actress takes over the part within days and filming proceeds. Belinda is asked to be the stand-in for the new actress, which she accepts because it will give her a chance to snoop and solve the murder. A second murder quickly follows and this time Belinda is a suspect as her fingerprints are all over the murder weapon.

I adore Belinda. She is a strong and independent character in total control of herself. She is in charge of her romantic life, and does not bat an eyelid when Brad turns up in England and she has dinner with him and her English beau, Mark. Since her first appearance in CAPABLE OF MURDER Belinda has grown as a character. Growth is good. Hazel has also changed; at the end of this book she is questioning the way she lives her life. She is questioning just who she is hurting by her love em and leave 'em attitude? Author Brian Kavanagh doesnt dwell on the relationship issues of the two women. The issues are there, but the emphasis is on solving the mystery. In this wonderful story twists, turns, suspects, ghosts, romance, and red herrings abound before a satisfactory conclusion.

Kavanagh has many years' experience in the Australian Film Industry in the areas of production, direction, editing and writing. He received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Australian Film Editors Guild. One of the rules drummed into you at writing school is to write about what you know. Kavanagh knows the film industry, and BLOODY HAM is an authoritative, and humorous, peep behind the scenes.

I have heard a whisper that Brian Kavanagh is working on a yet to be titled fourth Belinda Lawrence story, to be set in Australia. Let us hope we dont have to wait too long for it.
Sally Roddom
Oct 2007
reviewers-choice.com

Sally


Compulsive Page Turner
After The Embroidered Corpse and Capable of Murder Brian Kavanagh just cooked Bloody Ham and it is delicious for the voracious reader. For the fans of Belinda and Hazel this delightful book is something to cherish. Kavanagh is a master of ingenuity and cerebral humour. The characters in Bloody Ham, are dexterously delineated and the book is a scream from beginning to end. A great murder mystery and drama with a touch of humour. Just go out and get the book... Cyril Thomas (Dundee, Scotland)
Cyril Thomas

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