The Whitstable Pearl Mystery: Now a major TV series, Whitstable Pearl, starring Kerry Godliman (Pearl Nolan) (Whitstable Pearl Mysteries)

by Julie Wassmer

'While Oxford had Morse, Whitstable, famous for its oysters, has Pearl' Daily Mail

The Whitstable Pearl Mystery is the first book in Julie Wassmer's popular crime series - now a major Acorn TV drama, Whitstable Pearl, starring Kerry Godliman as private detective and restaurateur, Pearl Nolan.

Pearl Nolan always wanted to be a detective but life, and a teenage pregnancy, got in the way of a police career and instead she built up a successful seafood restaurant in her coastal home town of Whitstable - famous for its native oysters.

Now, at 39, and with son Charlie away at university, Pearl finds herself suffering from empty nest syndrome . . . until she discovers the drowned body of local oyster fisherman Vinnie Rowe, weighted down with an anchor chain, on the eve of Whitstable's annual oyster festival.

Is it a tragic accident, suicide - or murder?

Pearl seizes the opportunity to prove her detection skills and discover the truth but she soon finds herself in conflict with Canterbury city police detective, Chief Inspector Mike McGuire. Then another body is discovered - and Pearl finds herself trawling the past for clues, triggering memories of another emotional summer more than twenty years ago . . .

Praise for Julie Wassmer's Whitstable Pearl Mysteries...

'While Oxford had Morse, Whitstable, famous for its oysters, has Pearl . . . True to the tradition of classic crime, [Julie Wassmer] weaves a strong story into a setting that has more to offer than murder and mayhem' Daily Mail

'As light as a Mary Berry Victoria sponge, this Middle-England romp is packed with vivid characters' Myles McWeeney, Irish Independent

'All of the thrills without any of the gore' The Sun

'This is a quality title...a very entertaining read' The Puzzle Doctor

'My new favourite author in the genre' George Galloway

'A wonderful way to explore Whitstable . . . if you love cosy mysteries, then get acquainted with Pearl (and her mum and her cats!) and enjoy a trip to Whitstable through the eyes of this very convincing author' Trip Fiction

'Proves she's mistress of her craft' John McGhie, author of White Highlands

'Thoroughly enjoyable with a host of wonderful characters - I adore Dolly! - and evocative descriptions of Whitstable. Perfect for foodies too. Pearl is great and the ongoing will they/won't they love story with McGuire is compelling. Comforting, cosy and entertaining with excellent Agatha Christie-style reveals. I love these books!' Jane Wenham-Jones, author of Mum in the Middle

'If you enjoy cosy crime fiction and you still haven't picked this series, then you are missing out' Alba in Bookland

'Julie Wassmer really knows how to tell a story' Victoria Best, Shiny New Books

'Good, solid whodunits, without gruesome details or gratuitous violence, Murder on Sea may be just your cup of tea' -- Bec Stafford

'Come to Whitstable without actually coming to Whitstable. A good read!' Anthony Jemmett

Praise for the TV series

'Scandi noir meets the English seaside in Whitstable Pearl, a murder mystery series based on Julie Wassmer's novels...' Drama Quarterly

'...explores all the murder and debauchery in the seemingly perfect English seaside town of Whitstable...' Washington Post

'...you never know what might turn up, either on the menu or alongside an oyster boat.' Wall Street Journal

• ISBN10: 1472116496
• ISBN13: 9781472116499
• Publish Date: 5 March 2015
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group
• Imprint: Constable
• Edition: Digital original
• Format: eBook (EPUB)
• Pages: 320
• Language: English

Reviews

[celinenyx]

The Whitstable Pearl Mystery follows Pearl, a woman whose dream of being a detective was cut short when she found out she was pregnant. Now her son has left for college, she has started her own private investigation agency. She has barely declined her second client when she finds not one, but two dead bodies in the quiet coastal town of Whitstable.

There are elements I enjoyed in The Whitstable Pearl Mystery, but also plenty that didn't impress. The setting is one of my favourites - the quaint English town. Whitstable is a small sea-side village close to Canterbury, and oysters are the backbone of its economy. During summer and the annual oyster festival, the small town gets flooded with tourists. I love small-town settings, and I felt that Ms Wassmer did a great job expressing both the sense of community and the social tensions such a small community brings. I really enjoyed the dynamics between Pearl, her mother, her son, and her friends and neighbours. A lot of time was spent establishing the setting, and although I can't judge the accuracy of the statements, the sea and fishing sections felt well-researched.

The aspect of the book that failed in my eyes was the mystery itself. In a cozy mystery such as this, it's generally accepted that the sleuth can also stumble upon clues, rather than having to actively bring a solution about. The Whitstable Pearl Mystery had the unfortunate plot of there not being a mystery at all. There are two dead bodies - but are they the result of murder? This question doesn't get answered the last quarter of the story. There is no urgency of finding a killer, because it's not clear whether there actually is a killer to speak of. There was very little clue gathering, and Pearl's cooperation with police officer Mike McGuire is laborious, resulting in the reader being largely unaware of the investigation into the deaths.

The Whitstable Pearl Mystery is a successful novel depicting small town life and the struggles of a woman missing her son who has left for college, and the story is entertaining; the mystery, however, left much to be desired.