Grave stones - Andrea Frazer

Grave Stones is the ninth instalment of Andrea Frazer's Falconer Files, a detective series chock-full of picture-postcard villages, dastardly deeds, and a delightful slice of humour.

The residents of Shepford St Bernard are to have a party in the church hall, in response to a request to boost congregation numbers - only their new vicar is a woman, and a young one to boot, which is not to everyone's liking .

The morning after the party, the extent of the brooding resentment felt in the small community is revealed when an elderly woman is found dead outside her house, the contents of her safe having disappeared along with her attacker.

When Detective Inspector Harry Falconer, Detective Sergeant Carmichael, and Detective Constable Roberts arrive on the scene, they learn that the late Lettice Keighley-Armstrong's safe had recently held a large quantity of very valuable pieces of jewellery .

As the investigation progresses, with efforts made to find out just who might have been tempted enough to commit such a crime, the violence escalates - making it urgent that the offender is quickly apprehended .