Death at the Seaside: A Kate Shackleton Mystery (Kate Shackleton Mystery, #8)

by Frances Brody

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...

• ISBN10: 1250098858
• ISBN13: 9781250098856
• Publish Date: 12 September 2017 (first published 6 October 2016)
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 2 July 2021
• Imprint: Minotaur Books
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 400
• Language: English

Reviews

[annieb123]

Death at the Seaside, the 8th entry for author Frances Brody's Kate Shackleton is another wonderful English cozy set in the interwar period. I have followed this series from the beginning and really look forward to each book.

This book has Kate on holiday visiting her school friend Alma. The trip is poignant for Kate because she and her late husband had a shared history in Whitby, the seaside town in which Alma lives. On a whim, Kate decides to go into the jeweler's to look at a bracelet as a gift for her goddaughter, Alma's daughter. She finds one murdered jeweler instead.

The book is entertaining, well written, and full of old and new treachery. There are too many motives for murder and deceit and nobody seems to be telling the truth.

At 400 pages for the Kindle edition, there's enough room for masterful plot and character development but the pacing never slows or stalls in the slightest. I really enjoyed reading this book and recommend it (and the series) very highly.

The secondary characters, including her sometimes associate, former policeman Jim Sykes, and her estranged former love interest, Marcus, are very well written and believable.

This book, indeed the series, is a very worthy addition to English interwar cozies, and goes on the shelf in my library next to Maisie Dobbs, Daisy Dalrymple, Amory Ames & co. Classic, smart and relaxing reading with strong intelligent female characters.

Five stars
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher.