📖 Blog Tour ~ The Shell House Detectives by Emylia Hall

Delighted to open the blog tour today

Thomas and Mercer
1 July 2023

Shell House Detectives #1

My thanks to the publishers, author and FMcM Associates for my copy of the book
and the invitation to take part in the blog tour

Welcome to the coastal paradise of Porthpella, where murder lurks among the dunes…

Late one night, a distraught young man knocks on the door of Ally Bright’s remote home on the Cornish coast. But before she can make sense of his confused words, he’s gone—not to be seen again until he’s found the next morning at the foot of the nearby cliffs.

In an instant, the peace of Ally’s beachcombing life is shattered. Feeling responsible for the young man’s fate, she wants to help find answers¬—as does ex-cop Jayden Weston, whom Ally meets at the scene. He shares her certainty that there’s more to the story than attempted suicide. When it emerges that the man is newly released ex-convict Lewis Pascoe, and that Helena, the wealthy new owner of his grandmother’s home, has subsequently disappeared, the tight-knit community of Porthpella is thrown into turmoil.

Driven by their need to know more, the duo decide to investigate the mystery together. Is there a connection between the Pascoe family’s tragic history and Helena’s disappearance? And if there is a killer stalking Porthpella, do Ally and Jayden have what it takes to catch them?

 📖 My Review..

The Shell House Detectives is this author's first foray into the world of cosy crime and I have rather enjoyed getting to know the quirky characters who call this imaginary corner of Cornwall home. 

Ally Bright lives a solitary life in her coastal cottage, aptly named The Shell House. She enjoys her time beach-combing and creating pieces of artwork but since her husband's untimely death Ally's life has lacked purpose. Late one night her peace is shattered by the arrival of an agitated young man asking to see her husband however, wary of strangers, Ally sends him on his way only to discover that, the following morning, the young man has been found at the foot of the nearby cliffs. Drawn into the mystery surrounding this young man, Ally and ex-police officer Jayden Weston start to try to put together several layers of an intricate puzzle which opens up the pretty Cornish town of Porthpella to intense scrutiny.

As with any new series there is a certain amount of scene setting and certainly Porthpella and its inhabitants come to life quite beautifully, so that it quickly becomes a real pleasure to get to know just what makes them call this picturesque place home. The mystery at the heart of the story is cleverly controlled and there were lots of red herrings, and interesting twists and turns, which kept me guessing. The series has the potential to run and run as the partnership between Ally Bright and Jayden Weston has only just begun but I can already imagine them becoming embroiled in further cosy mysteries as the series progresses.

Not only is The Shell House Detectives a cleverly controlled mystery drama, it is also a really lovely depiction of Cornwall and everything that makes this stunning area such a magnet for tourists, artists, and writers. The slightly slow pace of Cornish life is beautifully detailed and both Ally and Jayden fit so seamlessly into the story it feels as though I had been reading of their investigations forever.  I look forward to reading more from this talented author as The Shell House Detectives series continues.

About the Author

Twitter @emyliahall #TheShellHouseDetectives

@AmazonPub

@FMcMAssociates

Social Media Blast ~ Murder by the Minster by Helen Cox

✨✨ Delighted to be part of this Social Media Blast ✨✨

Quercus Books
31 October 2019

#1 The Kitt Hartley Yorkshire Mysteries

My thanks to the publishers for my copy of this book and the invitation to this Social Media Blast

Kitt’s quiet life at the Vale of York University library quickly turns upside down when she begins an investigation (armed with detective knowledge absorbed over years of reading Agatha Christie and Ian Rankin) to clear her best friend Evie’s name when she is wrongfully accused of murdering her ex-boyfriend. Kitt soon discovers that the quaint streets of York hold darker secrets than she’d ever dreamed, but what she doesn’t know is that the true murderer is watching her every step.

What did I think about it...

When Kitt's friend, Evie, is arrested for murder it creates a situation in both of their lives which pretty much alters everything they think they know about each other, but one thing Kitt is sure about is that her friend Evie couldn't possibly be a murderer. 

What then follows is Kitt's attempt to exonerate her friend whilst at the same time searching for clues to the real culprit, and that's where Kitt put her detective skills to good years. Years as a librarian, and reading detective fiction, shows Kitt to be more competent than two hapless detectives who are also on the hunt for a killer.

Murder by the Minster is a gentle cozy crime mystery which has some interesting investigative detail but without any gloomy or gory details, although the MO of the killer is pretty grim. I raced through the story, warming to all of the characters, especially Kitt, and her assistant, Grace, and laughed out loud at their interaction with the local psychic, Ruby.

Setting the story in the beautiful historic city of York gave the story a quirky atmosphere and thanks to the author's lovely descriptions I could picture the narrow streets of the city really well. There's a nice old fashioned feel to the novel and whilst there were times when I had to suspend belief at some of Kitt's actions, overall, I thought this was an interesting start to a new cozy crime series and I look forward to meeting up with Kitt Hartley again in future Yorkshire mysteries. 

About the Author

Helen Cox is a Yorkshire-born novelist and poet. After completing her MA in creative writing at the University of York St. John Helen wrote for a range of magazines and websites as well as for TV and radio news Helen has edited her own independent film magazine and penned three non-fiction books as well as two romance novels published by Harper Collins.  She currently hosts The Poetrygram podcast and works for City Lit, London. Helen’s new series of cosy mysteries stars librarian-turned-sleuth Kitt Hartley, and is set in York.

Website

Twitter @helenography #MurderbytheMinster

@QuercusBooks

Amazon UK