APRIL 1 is Jerusha Burnett’s favourite day of the year. She plays an elaborate April Fools’ Day trick on her houseguests, Ossie and James, and ends up disturbing the dust on a death.

Jerusha is the creation of Galashiels author, Pat Mosel, who sets her debut novel entirely in the Borders. She creates an imaginary village called Kirkfield, in the vicinity of Abbotsford House, and draws the reader of this novel into what has been described as ‘an enjoyable who dunnit’.

The paperback of the novel - called ‘Jerusha’s Tricks’ - is now available in bookshops in the Borders. ‘Jerusha’s Tricks’ is also available in paperback and eBook form through Amazon.

“The characters in this novel are entirely a product of my imagination,” explained Pat. “I’ve written about things I know, but not about people I know.

“Whilst I deal with some deep emotions, the novel is meant to be fun. Jerusha is a larger-than-life character who would celebrate the blossoming of a single daffodil if she could. For those who want to read more into it, there are layers of meaning.” The plot of ‘Jerusha’s Tricks’ lets the reader roam through the Borders and, among other things, features café life in Galashiels, the drama of a dog being put to sleep at a local vet’s surgery and a rendezvous in a well-known hotel in Melrose.

“There is a strong theme of love in this novel. Jerusha is a name I plucked out of a book of names for babies and it means ‘the perfect wife’. My character, Jerusha, has made three attempts at marriage, and when she finally thinks she has succeeded, her husband, Hamish Burnett dies of cancer. She finds herself trying to become the perfect widow.” The book is published by Authorhouse, which is part of the Penguin/Random House group. It has been described by a representative of Canongate Books of Edinburgh as ‘beautifully written, tough yet compassionate, vibrant and character-driven.’ Pat is writing a second novel, called ‘Ruth’, which will be published later this year. “My second novel is set both in the Borders and in Africa where I was born. Also a who dunnit, it has a more turbulent, story to tell.” Pat’s books are also available to order on the following website: www.patmosel.co.uk