Anne Penketh

first-in-series, new-series, Brittany, amateur-sleuth, local-gossip, local-law-enforcement, cozy mystery***

The cozy mystery is quite well done and the protagonists are excellent and fun. But the story as a whole seemed to tackle too many social and environmental ills at once. At least that's how it seemed to me. I think that the characters need to take more space and the ancillary dilemmas need thinning out. But. I'd love to see more in this series and watch it grow and improve.
I requested and received an EARC from Joffe Books via NetGalley. Thank you… (més)

secrets, costume-party, friction, small-town, family-dynamics, friendship, law-enforcement, murder, murder-investigation, coastal-erosion, procedural, England, teamwork*****

No lack of suspects or motives! A costumed 25th birthday party for the youngest son of a construction contractor is held in dad's unsalable country house turned party house. The son had more than one enemy, but dad was seriously disliked by everyone along the eroding coastline. The son is found face down in the swimming pool but the post mortem proves a different form of murder. Enter the investigation team, shortly followed by another death. Great read that easily stands alone.
I requested and received a free temporary ebook from Joffe Books via NetGalley. Thank you!… (més)

The story opens with DI Sam Clayton and DS Julie Everett tasked to solve a suspicious death in Tideburgh.

There was birthday party for 24 of Rupert Iverson’s closest friends at the family’s Georgian Manor known as Iverson Hall. Hosted and paid for by Rupert’s father, Dennis Iverson, sex drugs all sorts of debauchery reign supreme among the guests and all are partaking of one or the other. The party is a parallel narrative from the court of Versailles during the time of the Sun King, Louis XIV. The players are jumbled around with this gent playing the roll of that lady and vice versa. It is all a bit bizarre but extremely creative if you are able to follow along.

There is so much about to go wrong, not the least of which is Rupert’s murder. Then there is the villager’s supposition that is may well have been a homophobic attack? After all this man is playing the role of a woman but is in fact the lover of another man who is partnered with a different man altogether. Plus the villagers absolutely despise Dennis Iverson who they perceive as the responsible party for allowing houses close to the cliffs to fall into the sea without a chance of being saved or finding compensation for the owner’s losses. There is so much Clayton and Everett need to untangle.

This is a good British police procedural with strong characters, a crafty murder, and a nod to social, class and local politics issues which inevitably cause divisiveness and conflict. Thank you NetGalley and Joffe Books for a copy.… (més)

Detective Inspector Sam Clayton is called out to investigate the death of Kristine Manning, a cello player with the Norfolk Festival Orchestra. But this is only the start. The retired conductor Mike Proctor is found next, but survives. Will there be more deaths and what is the motive.
D.I. Clayton and his team investigate.
Although the third in the series it can easily be read as a standalone story, it was also my first in the series.
An enjoyable crime story, with characters I look forward to reading about again to see how they develop.
Received an ARC from the publisher… (més)