Book Description:
Practice nurse Kate Palmer is ready for some peace and quiet in her little Cornish village, but there’s soon to be a murder on her doorstep…
Kate’s retirement in Cornwall hasn’t quite gone as planned – Lavender Cottage is in need of substantial repairs and her sister Angie’s fondness for gin does rather stretch the purse-strings.
So when Kate is asked to do some nursing at the luxury retirement flats in Seaview Grange, she jumps at the chance. The old Victorian house has stunning views of the sea and the retirees are a peaceful bunch. That is, until Edina Martinelli, a glamorous ex-opera singer, is found poisoned in her home.
Edina’s death is ruled an overdose by Digoxin, the same medication she had been on for years. But Kate is sure the woman she met was not suicidal, and with the reputation of her practice on the line, she decides to do some digging. Luckily she’s got the newly retired Detective Inspector Woody Forrest to help her…
It’s not long before Kate discovers evidence of foul play, and there’s no shortage of suspects. Was it the besotted vicar? The ill-tempered stepson? Or perhaps Edina’s neighbour finally had enough of her constant warbling. It seems everyone had a motive, but who amongst them had the stomach for murder? And will they kill again?
If you love murder mysteries by Agatha Christie, Faith Martin or Joy Ellis, then this page-turning novel will have you reading late into the night!
BLOG TOUR REVIEW
Review for 'A Body in Seaview Grange ' by Dee MacDonald.
Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous
Publication date 12th November 2020
This is the first book that I have read by this author. It is also the second book in the 'Kate Palmer' series but can be read as a standalone.
I was originally drawn to this book by its beautiful eye catching cover its intriguing synopsis. 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 35. The chapters are 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, 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 visited Cornwall on several occasions so am looking forward to see if I recognise anywhere.
This book is written in third person perspective and the main protagonist is Kate Palmer. The benefits of third person perspectives 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.
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.
The plot really sucked me in and I really enjoyed curling up on the sofa and getting dragged into this cosy mystery. 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. Although it is part of a series it worked well as a standalone as any previous characters and relationships made were adequately explained in just the right amount of detail. 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. The only downfall for me is I wasn't that surprised when the killer was revealed. However, I was surprised to find they worked alone as I was certain that another person was involved (I'd also worked out there was something going on between them but not quite what). I do, however, read alot of crime so just because I wasn't surprised it doesn't mean that another person wouldn't be.
THE characters were a delightful mix of personalities with intriguing backgrounds and each one was very compelling, especially a certain creepy one!!! 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. I am certainly looking forward to reading more Dee McDonald's books especially the previous and any further books in this series.
Overall an intriguing and compelling cosy mystery that is perfect for Agatha Christie fans.
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.
232 pages.
This book is £1.99 to purchase on kindle via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!
Rated 4/5 (I loved it but feel I need to remove one star as I wasn't shocked when I found out who the killer was ) 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.
Buy Links:
Amazon: https://bit.ly/3er1Fuw
Apple: https://apple.co/3exnKG1
Kobo: https://bit.ly/2ZsvTak
Google: https://bit.ly/3h6CpK9
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