Mel Pennant and Amman Brar in Conversation

Inspired by a review which suggested their main characters should meet, join authors Mel Pennant and Amman Brar for an evening of conversation about their new books and their charming titular characters. Miss Hortense and the Last Rites is Mel Pennant's eagerly awaited sequel to A Murder for Miss Hortense, which was shortlisted for the CWA Whodunnit Dagger 2026and the McDermid Debut Award 2026. Mel Pennant will be joined by Amman Brar about his debut novel, Mr Sidhu's Post Office. Copies of both books will be available to purchase on the night, courtesy of Crofton Books.

A Murder for Miss Hortense 

Nine nights to solve a murder...or she’ll be next.

When Bigglesweigh's notorious gangster, Cuttah, uses up the last of his nine lives, and is found dead, there is only one person who can solve the mystery of who killed him: indomitable retired nurse Miss Hortense. A resident of the quiet Birmingham suburb since she emigrated from Jamaica in the 1960s, the renowned cook never shies away from a challenge. Cuttah left behind a list of suspects. Miss Hortense is ready to investigate, but there's just one problem: her name is on the list and, worse, she only has nine nights before his cronies seek retribution... With the help of friends - including bubbly Blossom and tough, handsome Fitz - Miss Hortense must use her unique skills to crack the case in a town with as many secrets as there are ingredients for beef patties. But this will prove no easy task. The clock is ticking, and Cuttah’s numerous enemies possess ties to drug running and corrupt police, not to mention a case from Miss Hortense's past which is about to come back to haunt her.

Mr Sidhu's Post Office

For years, Mr Sidhu’s post office has been a place of small rituals and quiet mercies: news exchanged, kindnesses remembered, a haven for all. Mr Sidhu is confidant, caretaker and witness to a community revealing itself in its loyalties and secrets. But Mr Sidhu is caught between the life he has inherited and the one he has scarcely allowed himself to imagine. When his ordered world begins to shift, he is drawn towards a new future and an unexpected love, forcing him to navigate family tensions, shifting identities and the question of who stands beside us when everything changes. And soon, the life Mr Sidhu tended so carefully may no longer be enough … Tender, wise and beautifully observed, Mr Sidhu’s Post Office is an unforgettable novel about love, duty and the communities that shape us – and save us.

About the authors:

Mel Pennant is a playwright, screenwriter and novelist. She graduated in 2014 with an MA in Screenwriting from the London College of Communication. In 2013, she won the Brockley Jack Write Now 4 award with her play, No Rhyme, and was involved with the Tamasha Theatre Company--writing for the Barbican Box. Mel has written audio plays with Tamasha and the National Archives and, in 2018, she was awarded a place on the Hachette X Tamasha scheme for aspiring playwright novelists. She lives in London with her family and their dog, Bleu.

Amman Brar is a writer and theatre maker. He has an MA in Creative Writing from UEA. He was one of the inaugural winners of the BBC Writersroom 10 Award for his play Punjabi Boy with Tamasha Theatre Co where he was also Artist in Residence. Amman’s father was a sub-postmaster during the 1980s and 1990s, and as soon as he was able, Amman was ‘encouraged’ to work in the shop after school and at weekends. He saw how respected his father was and how the locals loved having a post office as a hub for the community. Mr Sidhu’s Post Office is Amman’s debut novel and pays tribute to his father and the community he served for decades, while also honouring the struggle of the victims of the Horizon scandal.