Death at the seaside

‘Frances Brody has made it to the top rank of crime writers.’

Daily Mail

DEATH AT THE SEASIDE

FRANCES BRODY

Published 6^th October 2016

Paperback Original | £8.99

Nothing ever happens in August, and tenacious sleuth Kate Shackleton feels like she 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 jeweller 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 soon 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 . . .

Frances Brody is the author of the Kate Shackleton mysteries, as well as many stories and plays for BBC Radio, scripts for television and four sagas, one of which won the HarperCollins Elizabeth Elgin Award. Her stage plays have been toured by several theatre companies and produced at Manchester Library Theatre, the Gate and Nottingham Playhouse, and Jehad was nominated for a Time Out Award.

For more information please contact Clara Diaz on

Clara.Diaz@littlebrown.co.uk | 020 3122 6565 | @ClaraHDiaz

My Review

This is the first Kate Shackleton mystery I've read and I really enjoyed it. I loved the way that Frances Brody brought to life a bygone age and depicted Whitby at that time marvellously. It was a pleasure to read a book that didn't rely on graphic description or crudity - a real cosy murder mystery that delves into the relationships of a small close-minded town.
There are some wonderful characters such as Alma and Mr C and it is a tribute to the author that they seemed like real people; it would have been easy for them to end up as caricatures or stereotypes, a trap the writer skilfully avoids.
It would have been a five start review from me except for the fact that despite a wonderful start and an ending that tied everything together beautifully, the middle bit slowed down the pace and could have been slightly shorter. This is just my own observation and overall a very enjoyable read. I haven't read any of the others in the series but look froward to doing so in the future.

4.5/5