The Labours of Mrs Stella Ryman

“Delightfully different, gently humorous exploration of sleuthing with a touch of senior citizen fogginess and intrepid zeal for the quest. Stella’s life is as motivated by her passion as Sherlock Holmes’s ever was and her mental health as dependent on keeping some game afoot. Author Anastasiou paints a respectfully sympathetic picture of the challenges of old folks in a seniors’ home without pulling her punches or passing up a good chuckle by creating a character with enough spunk to carry the reader safely through. I’m not a lover of mysteries as a rule. But I do like to see genuinely novel looks at the human experience through the lens of established genres.” – Lynda Williams, Reality-Skimming Press (5-star review on Goodreads)

“This book is a treat. Compassion, intelligence, and wit prevail in a home that’s essentially ‘heaven’s waiting room’.” – Kathy Tyers, author of the Firebird Trilogy and Star Wars: Balance Point

“Far from simply being Christie-esque, Anastasiou’s protagonist is not only funny but finds the funny in a warehouse of the death expectant.”  – Daniel C Goodwin

“An excellent read, full of colorful characters. Stella Ryman, as a character, is quintessentially heroic — in the classic sense.” – Literary Titan

“I LOVE STELLA. I met Stella Ryman a few years ago by way of a series of novellas published in PULP Literature—a fabulous quarterly journal of genre busting fiction. It’s a great joy to see these stories gathered between the covers of this Fairmount Manor Mysteries collection. It’s now so easy to share the love! Stella is not an outrageous genius (Sherlock Holmes) nor a well-connected socialite (Phryne Fisher) nor a caricature British spinster (Miss Marple). She's your sometimes addled and always endearing great aunt—the one you want over for tea because she’s kind and curious and has great stories to tell. Mel Anastasiou has crafted a character to love, nestled in the mystery novel equivalent of comfort food. Enjoy!” – Sandra Vander Schaaf, author of The Passionate Embrace: Faith, Flesh, and Tango.

“Stella Ryman is my new hero!  I love the way the very observant author has woven dementia and lucidity and humour together.”  – Susan Lefeaux

“I fell in love with Stella reading her stories in Pulp Literature magazine. This feisty lady who changes her mind from being ready to die to being a nursing home sleuth is so human. She wants to help people, and has a passion for right and wrong. Her frail old body and mind occasionally fail her, but she uses her past experience as a teacher librarian to keep herself on track, standing up to bullies of all kinds. She is delightfully flawed and delightfully sweet, and I look forward to more of her stories.” – Krista Wallace (Goodreads review)

“Clever, oh so clever. And poignant.  Did I mention well written? Literary sleuthing that only a woman could write.”  –  Susan Pieters (Goodreads)