Murder by Natural Causes

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Her speciality is the dry job, a method of murder that leaves no outward traces and mimics death by natural causes. When working for her pay masters she finds herself in London working for a new boss. Is she happy in her work? She seems to be ; but as time passes her position seems to be changing and she seems be more and more unhappy in her work. And is she seeking a way out. This is the question she and the reader are asking themselves. A fast paced thriller that asks more questions than giving answers. Cilla is a young woman who appears harmless when in actual fact she’s a contract killer for a local gangster. In her youth, Cilla was chosen and trained to work in Soviet Russia, carrying out killings. She manages to escape and ends up working for Vlad. Cilla puts a lot of effort in to make her killings look like natural causes. Feeling trapped by her life, she tries to escape from the dangerous world she’s operating in. Murder by Natural Causes is published by Muswell Press and comes out on May 25th 2023. It is available via Waterstones and all good bookshops. This week's blog is from bridge player and novelist Helen Erichsen, her debut novel " Murder by natural causes" launched this week in London. I'm really hoping that it's because there is going to be a sequel, but even if not, this is definitely an author that I'll be reading again! Brilliant read!

When I’m not involved in bridge, I write dark psychological thrillers and garden obsessively. My debut novel: Murder by Natural Causes comes out in May 2023. It's not high literature, more of a ripping yarn. And there is some bridge involved. The only detail I’m not so sure about is the ending. The very last sentence, I mean. It’s open to interpretation, and while I chose the worst outcome for her, I’m not sure I’m right. If there’s something I hate is not knowing for sure, haha. Take a Look at Our Summary of November Highlights, Whether You're Looking for the Latest Releases or Gift Inspiration Naturally with the story centring on murder there are some gory descriptions and a little casual torture but it’s not visceral and ‘in your face’ as dry jobs are supposed to look like natural causes. If your spouse suddenly takes an interest in archery or buying lots of cherries, you might want to start paying attention though. Murder by Natural Causes is not high literature. It’s more of a ripping yarn. If it does well I might embark on a prequel. I’d like to like to write about bridge in the 1950’s and 60’s when the game was still glamourous and people dressed for the occasion. I’ll make sure to include a few more murders, just for the non-bridge players you understand.Murder By Natural Causes is the first novel by British bridge champion and author, Helen Erichsen. The audio version is narrated by Natalie Pela. Plain, ordinary, unremarkable: Cilla Wilson finds these attributes useful in her career as a contract killer. She’s twenty-two, but she’s been killing since she was fourteen. She’s very good at it, an expert at making a death look like it is from natural causes. Publishers Sarah and Kate Beal acquired UK and Commonwealth rights from Laura Macdougall at United Agents. By necessity of the nature of the protagonist and plot, there’s a high body count and more than a little violence. Erichsen’s depiction of Cilla’s training in Russia is easily believable, and her extensive knowledge of botany and bridge lends authenticity to those aspects of the story. Natalie Pela’s narration is flawless. Original and utterly compelling, this is a brilliant debut novel. Dystopian Fiction Books Everyone Should Read: Explore The Darker Side of Possible Worlds and Alternative Futures

It is hard to believe this is debut novel as the story is so well crafted and the prose is of a high quality and written with an assurance one would expect of a more experienced author. Cilla is a 22-year-old contract killer, specialising in the dry job: a murder interpreted as death by natural causes. Neither strong, nor beautiful, she isn’t your typical female protagonist. In fact, she is so unremarkable as to render her almost invisible, an advantage in her line of work.

LoveReading Says

In it, we delve into the life of Cilla, a contract killer, and her strive for… absolution? Reparation? Normalcy? A bit of everything, I’d say. A very engaging audiobook, didn't lose concentration once, enjoyed the narrator's voice as Cilla and even sped it up to 2x speed to keep the flow! Not too gory for its genre, but with plenty of detail on training, plants and toxins, Communist ideology and hit-planning.