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

by Frances Brody

[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.