Death at the Seaside

July 31, 2017
In Brody’s tightly woven eighth mystery set in 1920s England (after A Death in the Dales), PI Kate Shackleton takes a holiday in the resort town of Whitby. There she visits the jeweler’s shop where she once accompanied Gerald, her husband who died in WWI, to pick out a wedding ring. In a back room, she has the misfortune to find the shop’s proprietor lying dead on the floor. When she reports the death to the police, a sergeant asks her if she knows anyone in Whitby. She does: her school friend Alma Turner, whom she’s supposed to meet later. The sergeant asks her not to mention the jeweler’s death to Alma. Could Alma somehow be involved? When Kate finally gets together with her friend, she learns that Alma’s 16-year-old daughter, Felicity, has recently disappeared. Kate focuses on looking for the missing Felicity, but she also lends a hand in what develops into a murder case. Brody provides plenty of period flavor and just enough clues to point armchair sleuths to the solution. Agent: Judith Murdoch, Judith Murdoch Literary (U.K.).

July 15, 2017
A private investigator finds yet another vacation ruined by murder.Kate Shackleton can't catch a break. The peaceful stay she'd planned in Yorkshire resulted in her solving a murder (Death of an Avid Reader, 2016, etc.). Now she hopes to spend two weeks in the seaside town of Whitby visiting school friend Alma and Alma's daughter, Felicity, who is her goddaughter. Alma's doing a turn as a fortuneteller on one of the piers; Felicity has secret plans that will shake her mother's world. On the way, Kate is drawn to the shop of J. Philips, High Class Jeweller, the place where she and Gerald, the husband she lost to the Great War, bought their rings. Attracted by a bracelet she thinks would suit Felicity, she enters to discover Philips murdered. Unable to find a phone, she goes to the police station and returns to the scene with Sgt. Garvin, who's suspicious of her. Alma's sharing an old house with Mr. Cricklethorpe, a friend of the husband she has not seen for years, who is most likely a smuggler as well as an artist. More problems arise when they learn that Felicity has gone off in a small boat that belonged to Philips with her boyfriend, Brendan, to find her father, who she's learned is now living in Scotland. The detective sent down from London to solve the crime is Marcus Charles, whose proposal Kate had refused. Kate doesn't want to investigate the murder, but she does want to look after the interests of Alma and Felicity, both plausible suspects because Alma thought Philips was interested in her romantically and Felicity, who still harbored hopes of her parents' reuniting, may have not liked the idea. Kate finds herself drawn into a complex case redolent of classic interwar mysteries in which motives abound and old secrets are eventually revealed. In addition to re-creating the feeling of the golden age, Brody this time provides a stronger mystery than usual.

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September 1, 2017

In her eighth adventure, after Death in the Dales, Kate Shackleton plans an August vacation to the English seaside town of Whitby to visit longtime friend Alma and goddaughter Felicity. Shortly after arriving, Kate learns that Felicity has disappeared leaving only a note and a pawn ticket. Visiting a jewelry shop, Kate discovers the dead body of jeweler Jack Phillips, who was also Alma's partner. Another complication is investigating Det. Marcus Charles, whose proposal of marriage Kate previously turned down. To solve the murder and find Felicity, Kate must unravel a host of family secrets. Brody expertly weaves historical details and social issues to capture the essence of the 1920s. Kate's intelligence and curiosity make her an appealingly complex heroine. VERDICT With a writing style and plotting reminiscent of golden age crime fiction, this is a good read-alike for fans of Jacqueline Winspear's "Maisie Dobbs'' mysteries, Charles Todd's "Bess Crawford" series, and Catriona McPherson's "Dandy Gilver" books.--ACT

Copyright 2017 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2017
Enquiry agent Kate Shackleton is taking a well-deserved vacation, visiting her old school friend Alma Turner and Alma's daughter, Felicity, in the seaside village of Whitby. Unfortunately, on arrival Kate discovers the body of jeweler Jack Phillips in the back of his shop. Kate is detained overnight by an overzealous policeman, and soon Alma and Felicity are possible suspects in the murder, prompting Kate to investigate. Complicating matters, 16-year-old Felicity and her boyfriend, Brendan, have disappeared, traveling the stormy sea by boat to find Felicity's father. With the help of her staff, who are conveniently vacationing close at hand, Kate identifies the murderer. This leisurely paced cozy vividly entwines the life and times of 1920s Yorkshire with the hazards of being part of a seafaring community. Sympathetic characters, especially the intelligent, independent Kate; a rich story told from multiple points of view; and a possible romantic interest for Kate in Chief Inspector Marcus Charles add to the interest. Those who enjoy historical mysteries like Kerry Greenwood's Phryne Fisher series will want to take a look.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)