A Death at Seascape House
by Emma Jameson
Kindle Edition, 295 pages
Published April 27th 2021 by Bookouture
Synopsis:
With its sweeping sandy beaches and rolling emerald hills, the island of St. Morwenna is an idyllic escape. But behind the perfectly pruned primroses and neighborly smiles a killer lies in wait…
When librarian Jemima Jago is offered the opportunity to catalogue Cornwall’s largest collection of antique shipwreck records it is a dream come true. The only problem? The collection is housed on the island of St. Morwenna, the childhood home she left years ago and vowed never to return to.
Shortly after Jem arrives back in town, island busybody and notorious grump Edith Reddy is found dead, with duct tape clamped over her mouth and nose. Jem, caught seemingly red-handed at the scene of the crime, mistakenly becomes the police’s number one suspect. The handsome Sergeant Hackman in particular can’t seem to leave Jem alone…
Jem must take matters into her own hands if she wants to clear her name. Snooping around Edith’s once-grand home, she is struck by the mess before her. The bedroom is completely ransacked and in the living room all the photographs have been removed from their frames. Was Edith’s death simply a break-in gone wrong, or is there more to the mystery that the police are missing?
Jem has a sharp eye for a clue and she soon realizes that many of the island’s eccentric residents had reason for wanting Edith out of the way. Could Declan, the curious café owner, or Bart, the fishy ferryman have killed Edith? Jem won’t rest until she uncovers the truth, but doing so will put her right in the killer’s line of sight…
A totally charming cozy mystery from the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Emma Jameson. Brimming with intrigue and warm humor, fans of Agatha Christie, Faith Martin and Betty Rowlands will love A Death at Seascape House.
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4.5 stars This is the first book in the Jemima Jago mystery series by Emma Jameson. I have to admit, this was a very convoluted story. It seemed a lot of backstory had to be explained before the real story could begin. And realistically, Jem wasn’t my favorite main character. So it made it a bit of a challenge to navigate through the story. The story itself was fine. The mystery was compelling, well thought out and stellar. Lots of people to love and hate. I am just annoyed they made me hate the main character. I understand she is misunderstood and had a lot of responsibility thrown on her at a younger age, but before any of that was brought forth she sort of proved her reputation right at the murder scene when she stumbled upon it. Jem has quite a past in this town and is immediately pegged as the killer before she can even get a hotel for the night. The police officer in charge has a grudge due to past mistakes she made. Now she is a Librarian with good job references but all her negative references are personality based. I liked how they introduced the two new men in her life which I assume will be expanded upon in the next book. I just wish she was a bit softer and not so ‘I’m going to kill you if you look at me wrong.’ Overall it was a good read. Definitely pick this up if you are a detective fiction or cozy mystery lover. |
I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title. Opinions are completely my own.
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