Death at The Seaside - Frances Brody

Synopsis:

Nothing ever happens in august, and tenacious sleuth Kate Shakleton deserves a break. Heading off for a long -overdue holiday to Whitby, she visits her school friend Alma who works as a fortune teller there.

Kate had been looking forward to a relaxing seaside sojourn, but upon arrival discovers that almas' daughter Felcity has disappeared, leaving her mother a note and the pawn ticket for their only asset: a watch-guard. What makes this more intriguing is the jeweller who advanced Felicity the thirty shillings is Jack Philips, Alma's current gentleman friend.

Kate cant help but come involved, and goes on to the jewellers shop to get some answers. When she makes a horrifying discovery in the back room, it soon becomes clear that her services are needed, Met by a wall of silence by the towns officials, keen to maintain Whitby's idyllic façade it is up to Kate - ably assisted by Jim Sykes and Mrs Sugden - to discover the truth behind Felicity's disappearance

And they say something happens in August

Review:

I was send a copy of the book in order to participate in the book tour which ended yesterday after visiting this blog as well as many others since the 3rd of October. My copy came around the 8th of September and it sat on my shelf for just over a week before I finally pulled it off and begun reading it.

The blurb was what pulled me in if I have to be honest, I wanted to know the ins and out of all of it and really get to know everyone involved in what seems like the most mysterious disappearance that has ever happened. Unfortunately for me the book just wasn't what I had expected.  It took me far too long to really get into reading the book and even then I could only read 20-30 pages a day before having to force myself to read more.

I didn't feel very connected to any character in the book at all, although Kate is really vivid in my head, I just didn't forge any connection with her, she was just an important role in the book. To find out Kate has a series really makes me wonder if I read more about her will I make connections. It's a really big issues with me, if I can't forge a connection then I really find it hard to read these characters for a long time. Kate is clearly intelligent and resilient and those qualities are great to have I just wished I loved her as a character as much as other have said they do. As for Alma and Felicity, they weren't as vivid as Kate was but they still had the same outcome to me, as did everyone else.

I loved the scenery and its description really does made it sound idyllic and I fell for it as a setting. I find myself loving books set by the seaside with beautiful houses and piers.

The books had its twist and turns for surprises and didn't do bad with the overall plot because that in fact was quite nice and bearable. I could easily see Felicity and Kate in the current times and maybe if I did I could forge some sort of link with them. I'm always willing to give crime novels a shot, they intruege me and I like to see if I can figure it all out before it ends. This time I didn't figure it out at all, I figured it out when the book told me about it, all of the clues as to the events were all kept well hidden so I didn't catch on at all so it did come to me as a surprise when the truth unfolds.

I liked it as a read, it wasn't exactly a short one as all crime/mystery novels have to build up suspense etc., It was nice and refreshing to read a different genre for a change, I just wished I had connected more maybe I would have enjoyed it a lot more. The plot wasn't horrific and the characters were well written. for all of that I give the book a 4.5 out of 5. Maybe ill go off and read more of the Kate Shakleton Mysteries and see where that gets me.