Liz McLuckie is out on her early moring walk with her dog Nelson when she stumbles across a body. She clashes horns with the lead police officer but is determined to investigate…
Death at the Abbey is the first book in a new cosy murder mystery series about an amateur sleuth Liz and her wonderul canine companion Nelson.
Liz has a depth to her character and exhibits a range of emotion over the book. She is griefstricken following the death of her husband and has thrown herself into renovating two cottages after her retirement from nursing. Yet she has solid friendships and may even be ready for romance. The chance to investigate a murder gives her something else to focus on whilst also aggravating DI Flint.
The plot was engaging and had me guessing right to the end, even getting tricked by some red herrings! There are not many gruesome forensic details but Liz is on hand for the discovery of two bodies. I loved the inclusion of Nelson the bull terrier and was very concerned for his safety at one point (no spoilers!)
This was a quick read but completely satisfying and enjoyable. The descriptions of the food, locations etc are vivid and the characters are well developed and realistic. The antagonism between Liz and DI Flint was a fun addition which I expect will continue through the series.
Death at the Abbey is an enjoyable cosy murder mystery and I look forward to the next book in the series.
Book Blurb
A cliff-top murder. A clever canine. A seaside sleuth.
After the death of her husband, Liz McLuckie has taken early retirement and moved to Whitby, a picturesque fishing town on the North Yorkshire coast. She thinks the renovation of two ramshackle fishing cottages will take her mind off things, but soon discovers Whitby isn’t quite the peaceful retreat she imagined.
When she discovers the body of a local Professor near the medieval Abbey, Liz reluctantly finds herself at the centre of a murder investigation. The post mortem reveals death by drowning. So how did he get onto the clifftop? And why did he have a fish in his pocket?
Liz follows the trail of the murderer, and many red herrings – both literal and metaphorical – in the company of her friends, including an almost-reformed burglar, a disgraced archaeology student and Nelson the bull terrier – the ugliest (and bravest!) dog in Yorkshire.
Book 1 in the Kipper Cottage Mystery Series. Book 2 in the series, Death at Neptune Yard, is now available.
Jan lives just outside Edinburgh with her husband, three kids, a one-eye whippet, and a fat black pug. Born in a colliery village in the North East of England, she cut her literary teeth on the great storytellers of the 60’s and 70’s – Wilbur Smith, Frank Yerby, Mary Renault, and Sergeanne Golon. She began her writing career as an advertising copywriter and has since had novels published by Random House and HarperCollins, and original audio series produced by Audible UK. She also writes for tv.
Jan enjoys psychological thrillers and crime fiction of all kinds, from the coziest of cozies to the blackest of noirs.
Death at the Abbey is her first cozy mystery in the Kipper Cottage series with Inkubator Books. Book 2 in the series, Death at Neptune Yard, is also available now.
Liz McLuckie is out on her early moring walk with her dog Nelson when she stumbles across a body. She clashes horns with the lead police officer but is determined to investigate…
1 comment