The Cryptic Clue

A Tea Ladies Mystery

Amanda Hampson

$22.99

Paperback

Forthcoming
Pre-Order now

QTY:

English

Penguin Random House Australia
01 April 2025

Modern & contemporary fiction (post c 1945); Crime & Mystery

Look who's back in hot water! The delightful and witty second novel in The Tea Ladies mystery series. Ideal for fans of Richard Osman and Bonnie Garmus.

In ZigZag Lane, in the heart of Sydney's rag-trade district, tea ladies Hazel, Betty and Irene find themselves in hot water. Having already solved a murder, kidnapping and arson case, and outwitting an arch criminal, they have proved themselves a useful resource and earned the respect of a local police officer. Now he needs their help to solve a plot that threatens security.

As if that's not enough, Irene gets a coded message directing her to the spoils of a bank robbery, which sends the tea ladies on a treasure hunt with an unexpected outcome.

There's also trouble brewing within the walls of Empire Fashionwear, where an interloper threatens not just Hazel's job but the very role of tea lady. It's up to Hazel to convince her friends to abandon their trolleys and take action to save their livelihoods - before it's too late.

Praise for The Tea Ladies by Amanda Hampson-

'A total joy!' Joanna Nell

'Sheer delight.' Country Style

'The Thursday Murder Club wish they had Hazel.' GOODREADS

'This hilariously dark crime novel about a group of tea ladies who accidentally become sleuths will have you enthralled!' Woman's Day

'The Tea Ladies is a delightfully intriguing romp, full of twists, turns, shocking discoveries... and scones.' Better Reading

'Crime, comedy and fashion, it's a layer cake of which any tea lady would be proud.' The Age

'A satisfying mystery, a trio of intrepid older women discovering their own strengths, and a window into a vanished past. I give it five TimTams.' Readings Books

By: Amanda Hampson
Imprint: Penguin Random House Australia
Country of Publication: Australia
Dimensions: Height: 1mm, Width: 1mm,
Weight: 1g
ISBN: 9781761349683
ISBN 10: 1761349686
Pages: 336
Publication Date: 01 April 2025
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Amanda Hampson grew up in rural New Zealand. She has lived in London and Sydney, and now lives in Melbourne. Writing professionally for more than 20 years, she is the author of The Olive Sisters, Two for the Road, The French Perfumer, The Yellow Villa, Sixty Summers, Lovebirds, and the bestselling cosy crime novels The Tea Ladies and The Cryptic Clue. Her forthcoming novel, another Tea Ladies mystery, is The Deadly Dispute.