Dead in the Water by Agatha Frost, Evelyn Amber Narrator: Cindy Hughes
Series: Scarlet Cove #1
Published by W. F. Howes Ltd on January 25, 2018
Source: Audible Plus
Genres: Cozy Mystery
Length: 4 hrs 3 mins
Pages: 245
Format: Audiobook
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When Liz Jones retired as a detective at the age of forty-two and moved to the beautiful fishing town of Scarlet Cove to pursue her passion of opening an arts and crafts store, she did not expect the murder and lies of the big city to follow her. Only days after starting her new life, Liz finds herself tangled in a web of death and deception when she pulls the body of a fisherman from the sea, but what appears at first to be a drunken accident soon reveals itself to be something much worse: poison!
While setting up her new store, getting to know the quirky townsfolk, and having the local men battle for her affection, Liz cannot resist the lure of an intriguing murder case. She falls back into old habits when she vows to discover the truth about the fisherman's death, but will she do it before the murderer strikes again? With her retirement and dream life on the line, Liz must battle against the clock to restore peace to the sleepy town of Scarlet Cove before all is washed away.
For the most part, I enjoyed Dead in the Water. Liz, a retired detective, has moved to a small fishing village to open an arts and crafts shop. When a local fisherman is discovered dead, Liz has some doubts when it’s thought to be an accident. Of course, she’s right and she can’t help herself from poking around.
I want to like Liz. She’s taking a chance and starting over and doing a good job at it. The people in town are appropriately quirky, even though I wish some of them had been a bit more three-dimensional. Of course, the town is full of gossip and Liz, happily, meets several people she gets along with well.
Then comes the end, and the competent, capable Liz almost just gives up. And then she’s saved by a lucky coincidence. We had several suspects and clues throughout the book, but I wish the whole reveal had been rewritten.
I will probably listen to the next in the series, maybe in October, since it takes place around Halloween.
About Evelyn Amber
Evelyn Amber is a British cozy mystery author. She co-writes the bestselling Scarlet Cove series with Agatha Frost, and the first book in her new solo Ashbrook Bookshop Cozy Mystery Series, Down the Rabbit Hole, is out now!
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