Review by Booklist Review
Lois Meade, owner of New Brooms cleaning service in the English village of Long Farnden, needs more staff, thanks to the unexpected success of her business. So, when quiet, well-spoken Enid Abraham applies, Lois is delighted. Unfortunately, despite her excellent cleaning skills, Enid has a dark family history. She shares her home--gloomy Carthanger Mill--with her reclusive mother and hard-bitten father, but it's her ne'er-do-well brother, Edward, who is the real thorn in the family's side. The Abrahams are universally disliked by the villagers, and New Brooms begins to suffer when Lois hires Enid. Edward has run up a mountain of bad debts, and Lois' old friend, Detective Inspector Cowgill, wants Lois to help nab him. But when she agrees, bad things start happening, including the kidnapping of Enid and her father. This contemporary British cozy offers an inventive plot, affable characters, and an entertaining look at village life. --Emily Melton Copyright 2004 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.