Never the bride

A pre-read re-read: I'd first read this quirky novel a couple of years back and, having bought the sequel, thought I'd better reacquaint myself with its world.
Brenda, an elderly lady with a mysterious past, has settled in Whitby to run a B+B in her dotage. However, strange things are happening in the town and Brenda, with her apparently prim-and-proper best friend Effie by her side, reluctantly finds herself investigating.
It's a surprisingly sweet gothic mash up of Hammer horror and Miss Marple. Completely original with lots of nods and winks to literature and 50s horror Sci-Fi movies. Thoroughly recommended escapism.