Book Description:
It’s Tinworthy village’s summer fete: a brass band, cream teas, gentle gossip... and a body on the beach? The party’s just getting started for super sleuth Kate Palmer!
Kate Palmer thought spending the day at Tinworthy’s annual summer party would involve sea air, sunshine and Cornish cream cake – how very wrong she was! When Kate goes for a cliff-top walk she is shocked to spot the body of Sienna Stone – Cornwall’s biggest gossip – on the sandy beach below.
Rumours swirl around the close-knit community and all eyes are on Kate. Half the village saw her arguing with Sienna at the party earlier that day. It was the usual bickering between neighbours, but when Kate finds herself in the frame can she – and her new husband Woody Forrest – solve the puzzling death and clear her name?
There’s a long list of people who might have wanted to push Sienna – her long-suffering husband Irvin, her jealous younger sister Sally and Timmy Thomson, the man who idolised her, not to mention all the villagers who felt the sharp end of her tongue. Finding out the truth isn’t going to be easy…
Just as Kate thinks she’s getting closer to an answer, an unexpected afternoon visitor shares some curious information over tea and scones that sets her on an entirely different path. And soon she starts to wonder if she might be in real danger too…
Can Kate solve the curious case before the murderer declares the party over? Or have her days of sleuthing come to an end?
If you love cosy crime stories complete with quirky characters, twisty plots and plenty of suspects, A Body on the Beach will have you absolutely hooked until the very last page! Perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, Faith Martin and Clare Chase.
BLOG TOUR REVIEW
Review for 'A Body On The Beach' by Dee Macdonald.
Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Dee MacDonald, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous
Publication date 28th April 2022.
This is the fourth book I have read by this author. It is also the fifth book in the 'Kate Palmer' Mystery series but can be read as a standalone. I have previously read 'A Body In Seaview Grange' (book 2 in the series) , 'A Body At The Tea Rooms' (book 3 in the series) and 'A Body At The Altar' (book 4 in the series) which I highly recommend.
I was originally drawn to this book by its stunning eye catching cover and its intriguing synopsis and title. The synopsis stated that this book is 'Perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, Faith Martin and Clare Chase. ' I am a huge fan of all three of those authors so am looking forward to seeing if this lives up to this statement. I am also a huge fan of Dee and if this is half as good as 'A Body In Seaview Grange', 'A Body At The Tea Rooms' and 'A Body At The Altar' it is sure to be a page turning read. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).
This novel consists of 38 chapters. The chapters are short to medium in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!
This book is based in Cornwall, England 🏴 , UK 🇬🇧. The bonus for me of books that are partly or fully based in the UK is that I live in the UK and have sometimes visited places mentioned in the book which makes it easier to picture. I have actually been on holiday to Cornwall on several occasions so am looking forward to seeing if I recognise anywhere that Dee has based the book on.
This book is written in third person perspective and the main protagonist is Kate Palmer. The benefits of third person perspective are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything.
Although this is the fifth book in the series I had absolutely no problems reading it without the others. Any details or events that have previously happened are mentioned in just the right amount of detail to let a new reader know what has happened and yet not too much to bore a previous reader.
Well done Dee on another successful cosy mystery!!! This book is very smoothly written with vivid descriptions which really help you see what's going on around you as well as the storyline. The blurb and the cover compliment the novel perfectly.
I absolutely LOVE this series and have become so invested in it, always reading the books in one sitting!!
The plot really sucked me in and I really enjoyed curling up on the sofa and getting dragged into this cosy mystery. I was so absorbed I read it in one sitting. The storyline was realistic which I always prefer as it makes it more enjoyable to read when you can see that it is something that could happen. This book is well constructed and traditional and what starts off as one murder becomes quite multi layered with all the characters backgrounds coming out. It was a very compelling read. I would never have guessed who did what and I was completely shocked by the mega twist. An absolutely fantastic read filled with suspense, mystery, twists and much more (I can't say much more as I don't want to spoil it for future readers) Congratulations Dee, it is getting harder and harder to surprise me and you did just that!!! I love the fact that in this book Kate herself is under scrutiny as a suspect herself as it brings in even more tension and suspense. The atmosphere is perfect for this cosy murder mystery and the descriptions leave you feeling the wind in your air and sand on your toes.
I loved meeting all the characters again who are a delightful mix of personalities with intriguing backgrounds and each one was very compelling. They have become like friends to me since I've started this series and I enjoy learning more about them each time. I really enjoyed the main characters of Kate, Woody and Angie and think they really worked well together as a team, well Kate and Woody but I also enjoyed Kate and Angie relationship develop and am looking forward to see where it leads in the next book. I have mixed feelings with Fergus but he has definitely got a HUGE personality and I enjoyed meeting Catherine again too too am looking forward to seeing her again. It was lovely to finally meet Kate's son Jack in this :episode' and I'm looking forward to getting to know him more. Jack seems like a really down to earth and friendly guy and it's lovely seeing is relationship with his mum Kate and also seeing Kate as a mum in this book. I am certainly looking forward to reading more Dee McDonald's books especially the first which I still haven't got around to and any further books in this series.
Congratulations Dee on another successful book, keep up the fantastic work and I look forward to meeting Dee, Woody, Angie, Fergal, Jack and Catherine again!! Here's to your next success 🥂
Overall an intriguing, page turning and compelling cosy mystery that is perfect for Agatha Christie, Faith Martin Verity Bright and Claire Chase fans and will have you up until you have finished it.
Genres covered in this novel include Mystery, Thriller, Cosy Mystery, Police Procedural and Crime Fiction amongst others.
I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of Agatha Christie, Joy Ellis, Faith Martin, Clare Chase, Verity Bright and anyone who enjoys a good mystery by the fire.
273 pages.
This book is just £1.99 to purchase on kindle via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!
Rated 5 /5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.
Feel free to add me on Goodreads or follow me on my website or Facebook for more reviews
@DeeMacDonald @Bookouture @Bookworm1986 @bookworm86
Author Bio:
Aged 18, Dee arrived in London from Scotland and typed her way round the West End for a couple of years before joining BOAC (forerunner of British Airways) in Passenger Services for 2 years and then as a stewardess for 8 years.
She has worked in Market Research, Sales and at the Thames TV Studios when they had the franchise.
Dee has since relocated to Cornwall, where she spent 10 years running B&Bs, and only began writing when she was over 70!
Married twice, she has one son and two grandsons.
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorDeeMacDonald
https://twitter.com/dmacdonaldauth
Buy Link:
Amazon: https://geni.us/B09QG53FZNsocial
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