annieb123
Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.
Death at St Jude’s is the second Isle of Wight cozy mystery by Mary Grand. Released 10th Feb 2024 by Boldwood Books, it's 347 (e-format) pages and is available in hardcover, paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free. The first book in the series, Death at Castle Cove , is also currently available on KU.
This is a well written and engaging story with an appealing and intelligent protagonist, set in a vividly beautiful location. The author has a gift with descriptive prose, and does a good job of "showing" and not "telling" in the story. The mystery itself is well constructed and self contained in this volume. All necessary backstory is included for the characters, so it works well as a standalone.
With two books published in the ongoing series, it would be a good choice for a weekend binge / buddy read. The author wasn't previously on my radar, but fans of Faith Martin and Frances Evesham will find a lot to like here.
Four stars. Competent writing and a well constructed mystery.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.