Death at the Deep Dive by Josh Lanyon

Death at the Deep Dive by Josh Lanyon
Narrator: Matt Haynes
Series: Secrets and Scrabble #7
Published by JustJoshin Publishing on January 13, 2023
Source: Purchased
Genres: Cozy Mystery
Length: 6 hrs 4 mins
Pages: 199
Format: Audiobook
Purchase at Bookshop.org or Audible
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When Pirate Cove's favorite—and only—mystery bookshop owner and sometimes-amateur sleuth Ellery Page discovers a vintage diving collection bag full of antique gold coins tucked away for safe keeping in the stockroom of the Crow’s Nest, it sets off a series of increasingly dangerous events, culminating in murder.

I thoroughly enjoy this series for the characters, mysteries, and setting. Ellery is such a nice guy and I’ve enjoyed his relationship with Police Chief, Jack. They make a good pair. Pirates Cove on Buck Island is a small town with quirky residents, as befits any good cozy, and Buck Island’s pirate history adds a unique flavor.

Ellery finds a back of Spanish coins tucked away in the bookstore. Apparently sixty years ago, Vernon Shandy did discover the famed Blood Red Rose treasure before he was killed. By now Ellery has built a bit of a reputation for his amateur detective work, and Vernon’s sister Vera, matriarch of the Shandy clan, asks Ellery to solve the murder, offering a list of suspects that includes Ellery’s great aunt Eudora.

The mystery was put together well. We had several suspects, but the solution is actually a bit sad.

The ending of the book was quite sweet, however, and I’m looking forward to the next in the series. I usually listen to these on audio, like I did with this one. The narrator did a great job, he really sounded like Ellery He portrayed his sense of humor, insecurities, and intelligence well.