Cosy Crime

No Oil Painting by Genevieve Marenghi is a contemporary cosy crime novel that will grab your attention from the start.

The novel is set in the National Trust property of Ham House, where the author volunteers her time. As such, her knowledge is vast. Comprehensive descriptions enable the reader to ‘walk’ through the house and gardens.

The volunteers are mainly women and elderly. The lead character is in her seventies and feels passed over and unseen. This is a distinct advantage when it comes to committing the perfect crime. There is forward planning but the heist does not run smoothly.

The whole novel is light-hearted. There is a friendly banter between the characters which makes them easily relatable and likable. There is much tongue-in-cheek humour, and I loved the reference to old television programmes such as Porridge.