Book Description:
Nothing ever happens in August, and tenacious sleuth Kate Shackleton deserves a break. Heading off for a long-overdue holiday to Whitby, she visits her school friend Alma who works as a fortune teller there.
Kate had been looking forward to a relaxing seaside sojourn, but upon arrival discovers that Alma’s daughter Felicity has disappeared, leaving her mother a note and the pawn ticket for their only asset: a watch-guard. What makes this more intriguing is the jeweller who advanced Felicity the thirty shillings is Jack Phillips, Alma’s current gentleman friend.
Kate can’t help but become involved, and goes to the jeweller’s shop to get some answers. When she makes a horrifying discovery in the back room, it soon becomes clear that her services are needed. Met by a wall of silence by town officials, keen to maintain Whitby’s idyllic façade, it’s up to Kate – ably assisted by Jim Sykes and Mrs Sugden – to discover the truth behind Felicity’s disappearance.
And they say nothing happens in August . . .
Publication Date ~ 6th October 2016
Published by ~ Piatkus – Little, Brown Book Group
My thoughts: Having never read any Frances Brody books before I was quite taken with the blurb for this story and jumped at the chance to read Death at the Seaside, I actually didn’t realise this was book 8 in the series until I was about quarter of the way in but I would definitely say this can be read as a stand alone.
In Death at the Seaside we’re taken off to Whitby where Kate Shackleton has come for a holiday. Obviously things don’t go to plan and Kate finds herself not quite relaxing as intended.
I loved the Whitby setting, the descriptions and how things were post war in the 1920’s. Frances Brody really knows how to draw the reader into her story she tells and I was swept along with Kate and her investigation, through the streets of Whitby, along the pier and off we went to Botham’s tea rooms. You really get a sense of how life would be back in the 1920’s and it really fascinates me.
I like Kate Shackleton, she’s a great character, determined and a strong lady. Alma her old childhood friend annoyed me though but that made the story even more interesting, at times I wanted to give her a good shake. The story is full of different styled characters, a real mixture which really keeps you on your toes as to the who dunnit, I just couldn’t decide and kept changing my mind.
Full of red hearings, Death at the Seaside is a really good mystery, I suppose some would call it a cosy mystery and having not read many of that style I actually really enjoyed it. I liked trying to fit all the pieces of the puzzle together and figuring out how everything was connected and I was left with an open mouth a few times.
A very good traditional style murder mystery that I thoroughly enjoyed and would definitely recommend.
Many thanks got to the publishers and author for the opportunity to read and review this book in exchange for an honest review and also for the chance to be part of the blog tour.
My Rating 4/5
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