Death at Castle Cove by Mary Grand
Genre: Cosy Mystery
Read: 8th March 2023
Published: 8th March 2023
★★★ 3 stars
DESCRIPTION:
Island life suits Susan, and she can’t imagine ever moving from her beloved Isle of Wight. So it gives her real pleasure to see her young lodger Colette settle in to life by the sea, especially knowing that she has such a troubled past.
Susan’s days are comfortingly routine, starting every morning by exercising her beloved Rocco on Ventnor beach with her fellow dog walkers. The group may have bonded over their fondness for their canine companions, but over time their friendships have deepened.
So, when Colette dies in suspicious circumstances at Castle Cove, Susan is devastated to realise that the dog walking group were the last to see Colette alive, and one of her friends must have been responsible for her death.
And when Susan begins to suspect that the police are minded to put Colette’s death down to an accident, Susan decides she won’t rest until she solves the mystery and finds the murderer.
MY THOUGHTS:
Firstly, let me just say - that setting. The Isle of Wight is such a beautiful and atmospheric setting for all of Mary Grand's books that it often has me googling for places and landmarks to look up so that I may see them for myself. I firmly believe that the setting is the key to a good mystery or thriller and the Isle of Wight is the perfect place.
We meet Susan, a soon-to-be divorcee, has lived on the Island for all of her life and in the same house for the past forty years that she had shared with her soon-to-be ex-husband Steve before he left her after four decades of marriage. Her daughter Zoe lives on the mainland with her partner and has some big news she wishes to share with Susan, making her promise to visit the following weekend.
Every morning Susan walks with a local dog walking group most of whom she has befriended over time and together they enjoy friendship whilst walking their dogs on the beach...whatever the weather. Life is good now.
Recently Susan opened her home to a lodger, Colette, whose grandmother had lived in a nursing home on the Island until her death recently. Colette has come over from the mainland to gather her grandmother's possessions but soon finds that she likes it there and decides to stay. Hence her taking a room at Susan's home, and the two women become friends. One night Colette confides in Susan that when collecting her grandmother's belongings, she had discovered some of her grandmother's "treasures" she kept hidden in a secret drawer of her jewellery box had gone missing. A locket with a photo of her and her grandmother along with a diamond and ruby brooch and children's book gifted to her by a former employer many years ago.
Colette is determined to uncover the thief and lays a trap for them...to her detriment. One night, she goes down to the beach alone and doesn't return. Her body is found the following morning by a dogwalker and her death treated as suspicious...until a post mortem reveals she had in fact died of anaphylaxis. A deadly reaction to a severe shellfish allergy. But Susan is convinced that the death is in fact suspicious. Colette was very careful about what she ate due to her allergy and always carried an EpiPen with her in a red velvet pouch that was very precious to her. But it was not found at the scene. The police, however, believe it to be an open and shut case, their focus shifted to the bigger case at hand of people trafficking.
It seems Colette was right. That she was the type of person to leave a room and would be quickly forgotten. No one cared enough to remember her or believe that her death was not an accident. No one, except Susan. Who will stop at nothing until she uncovers the truth about Colette's death.
This is I think the third book I've read by Mary Grand and, while I enjoyed it, I do prefer the thrillers. But I guess that's just me and personal choice. Cosies are not really my thing as a rule and I'm really fussy about them. The characters are an eclectic mix and sometimes not entirely likeable. In fact, I'm sure there are times the reader would suspect just about every one of them...in true Agatha Christie form.
For once I was completely hoodwinked and had no idea who the killer was or why. There were plenty of clues but also plenty of red herrings. With so many twists, DEATH AT CASTLE COVE is bound to keep readers glued to the pages until the very end.
I believe this is the first in a new series by Mary Grand. I do enjoy her storytelling though I much prefer thrillers, but if you are looking for a good cosy mystery that is atmospheric and will keep you guessing, then why not try DEATH AT CASTLE COVE.
I would like to thank #MaryGrand, #Netgalley, #BoldwoodBooks and #RachelsRandomResources for an ARC of #DeathAtCastleCove in exchange for an honest review.
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