1984 When newly widowed Katherine Loch arrives in tiny medieval Blackwell-on-Sea to open a ladies' boutique and be the expert seamstress she has always aspired to be, several of the villagers feel quite drawn to her. There's Ned, the adorable antiquarian, and Beth, the shrink. There's Paul, who runs the pub, and Billie, the dog, whose master is the keeper of Blackwell Castle. And there's Steve, the sometime schoolteacher whose star pupil, Lettie, is a teenager with much on her plate. On her knees with grief, Katherine quietly embarks upon a journey of healing, but the delivery of a long-coveted Fender Stratocaster guitar and a dirty old stronghold box, broadens her quandary in unexpected ways. Veiled with an air of mystery, and wrapped in the comfort of love, music, and small-village friendships, Rhythms and Blues, Vol.1 is a story of life's ups and downs, and marks the beginning of a wonderfully intriguing trilogy.