Her love for all things British - and a British mum-in-law living in Wiltshire - prompted Lina Hansen into writing a cosy mystery set in the idyllic village of Avebury.

Denver-based publisher Literary Wanderlust loved the idea, and the novel will come out on Wednesday July 1. In My Attic - A Magical Misfits Mystery tells the story of Myrtle Coldron.

Her aunt is dead - murdered - and Myrtle has inherited the Witch's Retreat Bed and Breakfast. As Myrtle bumbles along in search of a murderer, she uncovers secrets more shocking than death: a hidden magical relic, a coven of amateur witches, and modern witch hunters on the prowl.

Asked what made her choose Avebury as the setting for her book, the author replied, "It's a magical, a perfect place to set a cosy mystery. You have a small village, fascinating relics, a manor house that's even been on television - add the archetypal British B&B, and off you go."

Given that Lina's native language is German, what made her decide to write an English mystery? "Well, to be honest, I write and speak the language every day in my job," she explained. "Also, I'm a fan of Agatha Christie - I just had to write in her native tongue."

The result, described as trainee Miss Marple channelling the 21st century, will be available from Amazon.co.uk