A murder mystery dreamed up over pints at Brew Union Brewing Company – that’s how local author G.B. Ralph’s cosy mystery series began.

Meet Gavin, aka G.B. Ralph, a Palmy author bringing the fictional town of Milverton to life on the banks of the Manawatū River.

After writing three romance novellas, Gavin decided to try his hand at longer-form stories. “I wanted to write fun characters, but I needed to give them something to do.” The solution – solve a murder.

“Over pints and chips at Brew Union with my partner, we brainstormed the first novel. I had written it with the intention that it could be a series if it wanted to be, but it’s all very self-contained because the murder has to be solved by the end of the book.”

If you haven’t discovered the world of cosy mysteries yet, expect a mystery you can try to solve alongside the characters, with a satisfying ending and plenty of charm along the way.

In the Milverton Mysteries, the amateur sleuth is Addison, who has recently relocated from Wellington. By his side is Keith the cat, his furry sidekick.

“As long as I’m enjoying writing it and readers are enjoying reading it, I will keep the series going.” If you’re lucky, you might even spot Gavin there working on his next mystery at our City Library!

You can find the Milverton Mysteries at Bruce McKenzie Booksellers, or borrow them from the Palmerston North City Library in both physical and e-audiobook formats!