Death at the Seaside
Death at the Seaside A Kate Shackleton Mystery by Frances Brody St. Martin's Press Minotaur Books Mystery & Thrillers Pub Date 12 Sep 2017
Review
The Kate Shackleton historical mysteries are a delightful escape from the everyday. Set in a changing post WWI Britain, the novels draw readers in with their complex characters and well designed plots.
Death at the Seaside drew me in from the beginning. Can you imagine beginning your holiday, stepping into a shop and finding the owner murdered? That is exactly what happens to Kate when she goes to visit her friend Alma in Whitby. The situation is further complicated by the disappearance of Kate’s goddaughter and her friend Alma’s romantic aspirations. She doesn't want to intrude on the investigation, but as the local constable suspects her and Alma is being less than forthcoming she has little choice.
Brody has a way of making you feel for her characters. Alma, though innocent of murder is definitely frustrating. Unlike in many cozies, Kate has to work hard to overcome various individuals’ reluctance to speak. In fact Mrs Sugden and Sykes each are valuable because their different approaches reap different information. They make a good team - and a believable group of investigators. Death at the Seaside, as well as Brody’s other mysteries, is good in part because it believably captures the feel of 1920s Britain, its people and its changing culture.
4 / 5
I received a copy of Death at the Seaside from the publisher and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
--Crittermom
Description
"Frances Brody writes marvelous British mysteries, and if you haven't met the wonderful Kate Shackleton, Death at the Seaside is the perfect place to start this terrific series! Whether you are already a Brody fan or new to the Kate Shackleton series, Death at the Seaside is a mystery you just plain can't miss!" —Charles Todd, bestselling author of the Ian Rutledge Mysteries and the Bess Crawford Mysteries Frances Brody returns with an intricate, absorbing plot while capturing the atmosphere and language of 1920s England in the eighth book of her cozy mystery series. 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 jeweler 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 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...
