A Death at Seascape House
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- Create Date：2021-04-28 22:32:10
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Emma Jameson
- ISBN：B08WLVLD9N
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Bridget
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This is the first book in a new series from Emma Jameson featuring librarian Jemima （Jem） Jago， set on the idyllic island of St。 Morwenna， Isles of Scilly。 Jemima is over the moon to be given the chance to catalogue a collection of antique shipwreck records， however， to do so she must return to her hometown， the place she said she would never， ever return to。 She hasn't been back on St。 Morwenna for very long when local busybody， Edith Reddy is found dead， her mouth and nose taped up with duct t This is the first book in a new series from Emma Jameson featuring librarian Jemima （Jem） Jago， set on the idyllic island of St。 Morwenna， Isles of Scilly。 Jemima is over the moon to be given the chance to catalogue a collection of antique shipwreck records， however， to do so she must return to her hometown， the place she said she would never， ever return to。 She hasn't been back on St。 Morwenna for very long when local busybody， Edith Reddy is found dead， her mouth and nose taped up with duct tape。I love to start a cozy mystery series from the very beginning and A Death at Seascape House did not disappoint。 Jem made a great protagonist and was a very interesting and intriguing character to follow。 Jem was 14 when she persuaded her friends Pauley Gwyn， Rhys Tremayne and Rhys’ younger brother， Cam， to take a trip out on a boat one night。 They were unlucky enough to be hit by a huge wave which resulted in Cam’s drowning。 The Islanders blamed Jem and she left under a cloud of anger causing her to be extremely traumatised。 Now， Pauley， her former best friend has a collection of books， maps， papers and other library material， some of which is over 350 years old， she wishes to donate to the Royal Institute of Cornwall （RIC）。 The RIC need a librarian with the training， knowledge， and desire to take on the project as well as a willingness to live on St。 Morwenna for up to a month， leading them to Jem。 This is a promising series opener and a gritty cosy mystery with plenty of intrigue， action and drama。 Awash with memorable and eccentric characters， there are red herrings scattered about and I did not guess the murderer's identity before the denouement。 A Death at Seascape House is a fantastic， richly drawn cozy and with the promise of interesting things to happen in future instalments。I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Bookouture via NetGalley。 This review is my own unbiased opinion。 。。。more
Page-Turners
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This is the first book I’ve read by Emma Jameson and I absolutely loved it。 Her writing style is very captivating， and I found the characters to be intriguing。This story is about a librarian Jemima Jago in the emerald hills of Cornwall who is sent to catalog antique shipwreck records。 It’s her dream job but the only problem， it is located in the house she grew up in。 But when the town busybody， Edith Reddy is found dead， Jem is cought at the scene of the crime。 Jem is then the police’s number on This is the first book I’ve read by Emma Jameson and I absolutely loved it。 Her writing style is very captivating， and I found the characters to be intriguing。This story is about a librarian Jemima Jago in the emerald hills of Cornwall who is sent to catalog antique shipwreck records。 It’s her dream job but the only problem， it is located in the house she grew up in。 But when the town busybody， Edith Reddy is found dead， Jem is cought at the scene of the crime。 Jem is then the police’s number one suspect。 She must clear her name and the only way to do that is to find the real killer and prove it to the police。 So many people in the town had different reasons for wanting Edith dead。 These characters are so entertaining and eccentric， I found myself completely addicted to each one， I couldn’t wait to read more。 The twists and turns of the plot had me on the edge of my seat， a true roller coaster of a ride。 This story has all the feels。 It was so exhilarating， and will keep your attention from beginning to end。 I am so glad this is the start of a series。 Oh my goodness， I can’t wait for the next book in the series。 Thank you Emma Jameson for this wonderful， exciting and enjoyable page turner。 I loved it！ It is a must read。 。。。more
Karen
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Emma Jameson has done it again: another enthralling British mystery series。 I read this in one afternoon; the story and the characters kept pulling me forward。 While labeled as a "cozy" mystery， Jameson doesn't fall into the cuteness that often irritates me about cozy mysteries。 Her characters are believable， her setting is well-researched， down to occasional Ashland slang typical to the area。 Emma Jameson has done it again: another enthralling British mystery series。 I read this in one afternoon; the story and the characters kept pulling me forward。 While labeled as a "cozy" mystery， Jameson doesn't fall into the cuteness that often irritates me about cozy mysteries。 Her characters are believable， her setting is well-researched， down to occasional Ashland slang typical to the area。 。。。more
Sue F
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I’ve read and really enjoyed all of the books in Emma Jameson’s Lord and Lady Hetheridge series。 So I was happy to receive an advance review copy of the first title in Jameson’s new series featuring Jemima （Jem） Jago and set in the Isles of Scilly， off the coast of Cornwall。 And I’m very glad I got a chance to read A Death at Seascape House。Jem Jago is a Special Collections librarian with a difficult past – at the age of six she was dumped on her grandmother’s doorstep on St。 Morwenna by her fat I’ve read and really enjoyed all of the books in Emma Jameson’s Lord and Lady Hetheridge series。 So I was happy to receive an advance review copy of the first title in Jameson’s new series featuring Jemima （Jem） Jago and set in the Isles of Scilly， off the coast of Cornwall。 And I’m very glad I got a chance to read A Death at Seascape House。Jem Jago is a Special Collections librarian with a difficult past – at the age of six she was dumped on her grandmother’s doorstep on St。 Morwenna by her father after her mother died of cancer。 We find out early on that Jem was a “wild child” when young， that she was involved in some sort of incident with tragic consequences， and that she regards one of the island’s residents， Edith Reddy， as the catalyst for her rejection （and her grandmother’s） by the St。 Morwenna community after that incident。 So when it appears that the most valuable book in the collection Jem has returned to St。 Morwenna to catalog has been stolen by Reddy， Jem decides to confront her， but finds her dead instead – a victim of a recent murder。 Reddy was a thoroughly unpleasant woman， and there are a number of suspects with cause to wish her ill。 However， Jem again turns out to be a convenient scapegoat for the islanders， and author Jameson takes us on a ride through both the past and the present as Jem searches for answers to clear her name of this second tragedy。I have to admit that it took me a while to warm up to this book， and to Jem herself in particular。 I found the hints and allusions in the first few chapters to the earlier mysterious incident to be sort of frustrating， and if this hadn’t been a review copy， I might even have put the book down。 But I’m glad I persevered， because the book really picked up once we find out what really happened so long ago， and the story moves into more of a detection/investigation phase。 In the end， I enjoyed watching Jem grow throughout the book， making some new friends， and resolving issues with some old ones。 And， of course， figuring out whodunnit， which kept me guessing until the denouement at the end。 All-in-all， after its slow start， I really enjoyed A Death at Seascape House， and I’m looking forward to the new title coming out in August。 And hopefully， since the characters are already established， that new book can get off to a quicker start！ I tend not to give a lot of 5-star rankings， saving them for a very few of the many books I read， so my 4-star rating is a solid recommendation to read this book。 Oh yeah， and Jameson does a wonderful job of portraying the Isles of Scilly， so be forewarned that you’ll find yourself trying to figure out how soon you can visit！ And my thanks to the publisher， Bookouture， and to NetGalley for the advance review copy。 。。。more
Julie
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I wasn't sure when I chose this book whether it would be my cup of tea perse。 The plot intrigued me but I am on the fence when I read British Mysteries。。 It is a personal taste or perhaps some of the ones I have previously read were not up to par。 I took a chance and I was not disappointed。 This is one of those British Mysteries that will hook readers and leave them wanting more。Jemima Jago is a flawed person having been judged wild and unfit as a teenager。 This wild teenager became a librarian I wasn't sure when I chose this book whether it would be my cup of tea perse。 The plot intrigued me but I am on the fence when I read British Mysteries。。 It is a personal taste or perhaps some of the ones I have previously read were not up to par。 I took a chance and I was not disappointed。 This is one of those British Mysteries that will hook readers and leave them wanting more。Jemima Jago is a flawed person having been judged wild and unfit as a teenager。 This wild teenager became a librarian and now returns to her hometown to catalogue Cornwal's largest collection of antique shipwreck records。 Small communities have long memories and are quick to point fingers when Jemima finds a body of a former nemesis。A Death at Seascape House has strong characters with a history of heartbreak and friendship which weaves a tale of murder， mystery and human feelings drawing you in and keeping us reading long into the night。。 This may be a work of fiction， but the real emotions will touch a readers life reminding us that we are all flawed with pasts that shape who we are， and if we can't escape them， our destinies。What more could we ask for with our reading pleasure？ 。。。more
Stina
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As the first book I have read by this author， as well as the first in the Jemina Jago series， I was excited to delve into it as the setting was somewhat different as being on the Isles of Scilly， off the coast of Cornwall。 I am partial to books set in and around Cornwall （or anywhere along the West Country coastline） so naturally I jumped at the chance to read this book。 Unfortunately， I think my interest was left in Penzance because it certainly didn't make it to St Morwenna or anywhere on the As the first book I have read by this author， as well as the first in the Jemina Jago series， I was excited to delve into it as the setting was somewhat different as being on the Isles of Scilly， off the coast of Cornwall。 I am partial to books set in and around Cornwall （or anywhere along the West Country coastline） so naturally I jumped at the chance to read this book。 Unfortunately， I think my interest was left in Penzance because it certainly didn't make it to St Morwenna or anywhere on the Isles。The story goes with Jemima Jago， former resident of St Morwenna on the Isles of Scilly some twenty odd years ago， returns to the Isles to catalogue a bunch of shipwreck records including a previously undiscovered poem by Oscar Wilde。 Jem is excited by this rare find in the library of the island's oldest house which belonged to a former school friend of hers。 Shortly after she arrives in town， she discovers that the book and the Oscar Wilde poem has gone missing， possibly stolen by the island's resident busybody Edith Reddy。 So Jem makes her way over to St Morwenna to confront Edith and upon finding her door ajar and hearing a crashing noise coming from inside， enters the house whilst alerting anyone inside to her presence。 After slipping in some blood and losing a shoe， she soon discovers Edith's body on the bed， her mouth and nose bound repeatedly in duct tape。 Someone really wanted to make sure the job was done。Hearing a sound coming from beyond the window， Jem then sticks her head out and comes face to face with the wild eyes of a bearded man that left her screaming and reeling in shock。 Perhaps he is the murderer。 But then the murderer wouldn't re-enter the house calling her name。。。would they？ Turns out， the "wild man" was none other than her first boyfriend and first love， Rhys Tremayne。 For a couple that used to be so in love and joined at the hip， they did nothing but snipe at each other the entire time。 Jem called 999 afterwhich the island's police chief "randy Andy" arrived and taking one look at the mess and Jem snapping photos and going through the kitchen， arrested her。Honestly， I don't know much of what happened after that as it all seemed to go in one ear and out the other and by almost halfway through nothing much was happening。 In fact， it took about 20% of the book for Jem to actually get to St Morwenna and the body being discovered。 I ended up tossing it and I could not be bothered with continuing to find out who killed Edith Reddy and why。 By that point， I really didn't care。 Jem and Rhys had me tearing my hair out with their constant bickering。 The police chief was arrogant and annoying。 Bart was just weird。 Everyone else I couldn't connect to or care less about。I really wanted to like this book but I couldn't connect with the characters。 They were all equally unlikeable， maybe apart from Micki who I thought was a hoot， but not enough to engage me。 Jemima was far from interesting。 In fact I found her downright annoying。 For someone who supposedly had enough brain cells after watching plenty of true crime drama she sure as hell made a good job of contaminating the crime scene when she knew that any evidence needed to be preserved。 No wonder she was arrested on the spot for suspicion of murder。。。she left traces of herself absolutely everywhere！ And I am puzzled as to how she came to be suddenly BFF's with a bartender after a 5 minute conversation！I'm not sure why it is classified as a cosy mystery because there is nothing cosy about it。 It's picturesque setting isn't enough to make it cosy。 And the characters are all repugnant。 Nope， nothing cosy about it。 Trying to draw on fans of Agatha Christie doesn't endear me to it either。 I did， however， love the cover which initially drew me to it。If you are looking for a delightful cosy read， then A DEATH AT SEASCAPE HOUSE is not for you。 It is， however， if you like drama and irritating vile characters。I would like to thank #EmmaJameson， #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #ADeathAtSeascapeHouse in exchange for an honest review。This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic。blogspot。com/。 。。。more
Renita D'Silva
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Just wonderful。 Loved this from start to finish。 A brilliant mystery。 Satisfying。 Tense。 Thrilling。 Addictive。 Loved it。
Lou
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A Death at Seascape House is the first instalment in the Jemima ”Jem” Jago Mystery series， set on the fictional island of St。 Morwenna in the Scilly Isles。 Librarian and amateur sleuth Jem Jago vowed many years ago never to return to St。 Morwenna after a tragedy that occurred in her teen years。 It was when Jem was 14 that she persuaded her friends Pauley Gwyn， Rhys Tremayne and Rhys’ younger brother， Cam， to take a trip out on a boat one night。 They were unlucky enough to be hit by a huge wave w A Death at Seascape House is the first instalment in the Jemima ”Jem” Jago Mystery series， set on the fictional island of St。 Morwenna in the Scilly Isles。 Librarian and amateur sleuth Jem Jago vowed many years ago never to return to St。 Morwenna after a tragedy that occurred in her teen years。 It was when Jem was 14 that she persuaded her friends Pauley Gwyn， Rhys Tremayne and Rhys’ younger brother， Cam， to take a trip out on a boat one night。 They were unlucky enough to be hit by a huge wave which resulted in Cam’s drowning。 The Islanders blamed Jem and she left under a cloud of seething anger and upset causing her to be extremely traumatised。 Now 20 years later， as an expert in antique books and local resources of historic importance， Jem has been offered the chance to work for the Royal Institute of Cornwall （RIC） and the Courtney Library。 When her former best friend， Pauley， contacted RIC to inform them she wished to donate her three-hundred-and-fifty-year-old library， an undifferentiated mass of books， papers， maps， and Gwyn family ephemera， the institute’s leadership had been over the moon。 The collection even included an exceedingly rare find—what appeared to be a lost poem by none other than Oscar Wilde。 Their search for a librarian with the training， knowledge， and desire to undertake such a project—not to mention a willingness to live on St。 Morwenna for up to a month—had led them to Jem。 But it isn't long before she discovers that the rare copy of A Child’s Garden of Verses， the book containing the poem， has been brazenly stolen， but Pauley is already aware of who she believes is the culprit: the ubiquitously hated Mrs Edith Reddy。Edith was a mean-spirited， self-important battle-axe whose vehicle was the strange ”Big Orange” dune buggy and she would ride around barking orders and criticisms at everyone from fully grown adults to tiny tots。 She was known hilariously as the ”secret police”。 Jem had been staying on the largest of the Scilly Isles， St Mary's， waiting to meet Pauley there， but after news of the theft， she decides to hitch a ride on Bart the Ferryman’s water taxi straight to St。 Morwenna to investigate the pilfered book。 13-year-old Kenzie stated that she had seen Reddy hovering nearby when the precious book vanished， so despite Edith having practically spearheaded the witch hunt of her when the tragedy happened all those years earlier， Jem wants to face her head-on and this is the most opportune time to do so。 She makes her way over to Seascape House， but there is no answer when she knocks at the door。 She decides to enter and finds Edith dead in the bedroom with her nose and mouth duct-taped shut and she is arrested。 Let go the following morning。 Jem is still shocked at what she saw and is aware that the people are treating her with suspicion just like all those years ago， but then she finds the body of a young girl murdered in the Ice Cream Hut。 Can Jem help solve these two brutal murders and stay both alive and out of jail？ This is a compulsive， compelling and promising series opener and a cosy mystery with more grit and nail-biting moments than most。 There's plenty of intrigue， action and drama and the settings are vivid and evocative。 A slow burn piece of cosy escapism populated with memorable， quirky and eccentric characters。 Highly recommended。 。。。more
Janet Graham
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Great Series IntroductionThis should be a great series to read。 It takes place on the islands of the Cornwall archipelago， which I had never heard of。 Our heroine is a specialist librarian with an intriguing past。 The whodunit portion of the story was fascinating and a bit twisted。 I had my guesses and they all proved to be wrong。 There are plenty of characters to enjoy or dislike。 The history of the area is also fascinating。 This is a well-written book that I enjoyed reading and am looking forw Great Series IntroductionThis should be a great series to read。 It takes place on the islands of the Cornwall archipelago， which I had never heard of。 Our heroine is a specialist librarian with an intriguing past。 The whodunit portion of the story was fascinating and a bit twisted。 I had my guesses and they all proved to be wrong。 There are plenty of characters to enjoy or dislike。 The history of the area is also fascinating。 This is a well-written book that I enjoyed reading and am looking forward to more of the series。 I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review。 。。。more
Annie
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Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader。 A Death at Seascape House is the start of a new librarian cozy series by Emma Jameson。 Due out 27th April 2021， it's 293 pages （ebook version） and will be available in paperback， audio， and ebook formats。 It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout。 I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately。 For Kindle Unlimited subscribers， thi Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader。 A Death at Seascape House is the start of a new librarian cozy series by Emma Jameson。 Due out 27th April 2021， it's 293 pages （ebook version） and will be available in paperback， audio， and ebook formats。 It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout。 I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately。 For Kindle Unlimited subscribers， this book is currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free。I love library cozies （and libraries， and cozies） and this is the start of a new series， so I hopped in。 Main protagonist Jem is back in the area in which she grew up （and left， due to trauma， swearing never to return）。 She hadn't been in town for 24 hours before she was already suspect #1 in a murder。 Although the plot is a little formulaic， it's well written and I was engaged by the setting and descriptions。 I'm not personally a fan of slow burn enemies， love triangles， and romance elements in my reads， but fans who like those will enjoy them here。 Warning for cozy mystery fans， this one is slightly more hard edged and a tiny bit more graphic than usual for fluffy library cozies。 The language is relatively clearn （PG level） and includes only a scattering of damns and similar level mild curses。 I found some of the dialogue unpolished and some of the motivations for Jem's actions a bit muddled （she's a bit of a doormat， to be honest）。 The denouement and resolution were just a bit melancholy for me。 It's a small-town cozy（ish） setting and the book does have a plethora of small-town oddball eccentric characters。 I found most of them funny， but in a creepy kind of way （not entirely sure of the author's actual intent here， but there's a distinctly uncomfortably creepy vibe）。 The author is unquestionably gifted and prolific and has a firm grasp of the technical aspects of writing。 Her descriptive prose is excellent， and as stated， she writes atmosphere very well。 Three and a half stars with the codicil that readers who don't like harder edged mysteries and occasionally unpleasant characters and actions might want to tread carefully。 No fluffy kitties here。Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes。 。。。more
Janet
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When librarian Jemima Jago is offered the opportunity to catalogue Cornwall’s largest collection of antique shipwreck records it is a dream come true。 The collection is housed on the island of St。 Morwenna， the childhood home she left years ago and vowed never to return to。 Shortly after Jem arrives back in town， island busybody and notorious grump Edith Reddy is found dead。 Jem， caught seemingly red-handed at the scene of the crime， mistakenly becomes the police’s number one suspect。 The handso When librarian Jemima Jago is offered the opportunity to catalogue Cornwall’s largest collection of antique shipwreck records it is a dream come true。 The collection is housed on the island of St。 Morwenna， the childhood home she left years ago and vowed never to return to。 Shortly after Jem arrives back in town， island busybody and notorious grump Edith Reddy is found dead。 Jem， caught seemingly red-handed at the scene of the crime， mistakenly becomes the police’s number one suspect。 The handsome Sergeant Hackman in particular can’t seem to leave Jem alone。 Jem must take matters into her own hands if she wants to clear her name。 Snooping around Edith’s once-grand home， she is struck by the mess before her。 The bedroom is completely ransacked and in the living room all the photographs have been removed from their frames。 Was Edith’s death simply a break-in gone wrong， or is there more to the mystery that the police are missing？The first in a new series， a well written entertaining book but not sure if it is a cosy mystery， the descriptions of the picturesque scenery weren’t cosy & the description was a bit too graphic for a cosy。 That said I did enjoy the book， I liked Jem who’s past was gradually revealed & I liked her eye for finding clues。 There were twists & turns as well as red herrings。 Not all of the characters are likeable but they are well portrayed。 An interesting series starter & I look forward to more in the seriesMy honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read 。。。more
Annarella
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It's a good start for a new cozy series even if it's not one of those book that makes you fall in love with the characters or the plot since the first pages。It took a bit to warm up to Jem and be hooked by the plot as I found her a bit too wimpy for my tastes and the plot a bit slow。But Jem is a character that slowly grows on you and I couldn't put it down as soon as secrets started to revealed。That said I think the author delivered an entertaining and enjoyable story with a cast of interesting It's a good start for a new cozy series even if it's not one of those book that makes you fall in love with the characters or the plot since the first pages。It took a bit to warm up to Jem and be hooked by the plot as I found her a bit too wimpy for my tastes and the plot a bit slow。But Jem is a character that slowly grows on you and I couldn't put it down as soon as secrets started to revealed。That said I think the author delivered an entertaining and enjoyable story with a cast of interesting and fleshed out characters and a solid mystery。I appreciated how the author developed a cast of characters with a story and who had to face a lot of issues as this makes them more realistic and relatable。 The descriptions of the places are great and I loved when it describes the library and the wonderful places。The love triangle is one of main pet peeves in cozy mysteries so I hope it will be solved soon。I think there's a lot of potential and this could become a favorite cozy series as I love story that involves librarian。This book is recommended and I hope to read a new installment soon。Many thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for this ARC， all opinions are mine 。。。more
Kirsty Noah-whitlock
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BLOG TOUR REVIEW Review for 'A Death At Seascape House' by Emma Jameson。 Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Emma Jameson， Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous Publication date 27th April 2021。This is the first book I have read by this author。 It is also the first book in the 'Jemima Jago' series。 I was originally drawn to this book by its beautiful eye catching cover and its intriguing synopsis。 It also stated in the synopsis 'fans of Agatha Christie， Faith Martin and Betty Rowlands w BLOG TOUR REVIEW Review for 'A Death At Seascape House' by Emma Jameson。 Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Emma Jameson， Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous Publication date 27th April 2021。This is the first book I have read by this author。 It is also the first book in the 'Jemima Jago' series。 I was originally drawn to this book by its beautiful eye catching cover and its intriguing synopsis。 It also stated in the synopsis 'fans of Agatha Christie， Faith Martin and Betty Rowlands will love A Death at Seascape House。' I am a huge fan of Agatha Christie and Faith Martin so am looking forward to see if it lives up to this。 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 a 35 chapters。 The chapters are short to 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， England 🏴 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。 The fact that this book is based in Cornwall is even better as I have been on holiday in Cornwall many times so may even recognise some places Emma has set the book around。 This book is written in third person perspective with the main protagonist being Jemima Jago。 The benefits of third person perspective especially with 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。 Some of the chapters were dedicated to what happened in Jem's past。 When books show what has happened in the past and what is happening in the present I find it really helps the reader （if it is well done） understand why things are happening and what has lead to the present activities and decisions。 It also shows the bigger picture。It is always worrying when starting a new series as you have no idea who the characters are。 It is very important for me to bond with the main protagonist。 This book was very well written and the vivid descriptions really made me feel that I was in Cornwall with the sea air and sand all around me。 It felt like a lovely mini holiday which is just what I needed in this lockdown！！ The synopsis and cover worked perfectly with the storyline。 I really liked that the chapters all had their own headings that resonated with the events of that chapter and many were direct quotes from the chapter itself。 The storyline kicks off a brand new series with a bang！！ The storyline itself is a mix of slow and fast paced， starting off quite slow and picking up speed throughout。 I would liken it to to a rollercoaster with the first quarter being the build up as you get to the top and then the rest of the ride being fast paced filled with twists， turns， some suspense， tension and a shock at the end！！ One I never expected which I am very pleased to report， not a huge fan of books that I have it all figured out by 50%。 I loved that it had so much book talk， which was to be， if not expected then definitely hoped for as our protagonist is a librarian。 This is a perfect beach read or one to curl up with in front of a fire。 The setting and atmosphere is perfectly portrayed for a cozy mystery。 The characters were an eclectic mix and I must admit I'm not quite sure what to make of Jem。 At times I quite enjoyed her strong willed personality and then others she seemed to be a bit of an over the top brat if I'm brutally honest， which I always am when it comes to reviews。 However， as the story developed she did start to grow on me。 It will be interesting to see how her character develops in the next book which I'm looking forward to read。 I also wasn't a big lover of the islanders as their attitude to Jem was disgusting considering how many years had passed since she had left。 I can't say I was surprised when nobody seemed bothered by a certain person's demise！！ At the same time the islanders attitude is very realistic as in a close knit community （which Emma did a brilliant job portraying） it is very likely that this is how people would react to someone in Jems position。 I did bond with Micki immediately who seems like a larger than life character and also Hack。 Pauley and Rhys slowly grew on me and it will be interesting to watch all their characters develop and the relationships between them。 Overall an intriguing cosy mystery in an idyllic setting which will keep hooked throughout。 Genres covered in this book include Mystery， Suspense， Murder and Cozy Mystery amongst others。 I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of Faith Martin， Clare Chase， Fliss Chester and Agatha Christie。 293 pages。This book is just 99p to purchase on kindle via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book！！！ Rated 4 /5 （I enjoyed it ） 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 #ADeathAtSeascapeHouse #Bookouture #EmmaJameson #NetGalley #BookReview #BlogTour #BooksOnTour@EmmaJameson @Bookouture @Bookworm1986 @bookworm86 https://kcmw86。wixsite。com/bookworm86https://m。facebook。com/Bookworm1986/？。。。https://m。facebook。com/Bookwork86/？__。。。 。。。more
Nikki Thompson
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Thank you to @netgalley and @bookouture for the opportunity to read this advanced copy。Even though I primarily read thrillers， this one really caught my attention。 Our main character is a librarian， and I really enjoy books with isolated locations。 I could envision the cute shops and the tranquility of the island of St。 Morwenna， where this novel is set。 I love being able to armchair travel when I read！Our main character Jemma travels to the island where she grew up to catalog a collection of wo Thank you to @netgalley and @bookouture for the opportunity to read this advanced copy。Even though I primarily read thrillers， this one really caught my attention。 Our main character is a librarian， and I really enjoy books with isolated locations。 I could envision the cute shops and the tranquility of the island of St。 Morwenna， where this novel is set。 I love being able to armchair travel when I read！Our main character Jemma travels to the island where she grew up to catalog a collection of work， but not without hesitation。 When she left as a kid， it was not on good terms with the residents。 An awful tragedy happened， and she was the one everyone blamed。 Thinks quickly escalate upon her arrival when she finds a woman dead in her home。 While trying to figure out the first murder， another resident is murdered as well。 While reading， I enjoy being able to form some sort of feelings toward the characters。 I really did not feel anything toward Jemma。 You can love or hate a character， at least something is there。 I wish we were able to see more of her working on the books， or repairing more relationships that were severed when she was a kid。 This is book one of a new series， so maybe that will be touched upon in the next installment。 I will say that if being a librarian doesn't pan out， Jemma could really be a detective。 She either watches a lot of crime TV or she is just very hyper-aware of her surroundings。 If you are looking for a lighter mystery this one may be for you！ 。。。more
Alexa Altman
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This cozy mystery is set on the beautiful Isles of Scilly， off of England。 Jem Jago returns to her hometown to work in the library， and she finds out the disliked Mrs。 Reddy stole one of her archived books。 Jem goes to confront Mrs。 Reddy to find out she has been murdered！ Jem and a few of her old friends and new acquaintances work together to find out what happened to Mrs。 Reddy， when another death happens shortly after。 This cozy mystery was very enjoyable to read。 I felt like I was in the tow This cozy mystery is set on the beautiful Isles of Scilly， off of England。 Jem Jago returns to her hometown to work in the library， and she finds out the disliked Mrs。 Reddy stole one of her archived books。 Jem goes to confront Mrs。 Reddy to find out she has been murdered！ Jem and a few of her old friends and new acquaintances work together to find out what happened to Mrs。 Reddy， when another death happens shortly after。 This cozy mystery was very enjoyable to read。 I felt like I was in the town with Jem and learning all of the gossip a small town elicits。 Thank you @netgalley ， and Emma Jameson for this advanced copy！ 。。。more
Mellissa Bushby
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I thoroughly enjoyed the story， and found the characters well-written and lovingly portrayed， especially Rhys， Pauly and Micki。 Jem herself needs a bit of a talking to， she's rather a brat and while that in itself can be refreshing， in this case， I felt she was a bit overdone as if the author really needed to push the point， which she didn't。 A bit of common sense and/or courtesy would have endeared Jem to me a lot more。 Unlike Kenzie， whom I adore。 Also， Jem's odd penchant for allowing random p I thoroughly enjoyed the story， and found the characters well-written and lovingly portrayed， especially Rhys， Pauly and Micki。 Jem herself needs a bit of a talking to， she's rather a brat and while that in itself can be refreshing， in this case， I felt she was a bit overdone as if the author really needed to push the point， which she didn't。 A bit of common sense and/or courtesy would have endeared Jem to me a lot more。 Unlike Kenzie， whom I adore。 Also， Jem's odd penchant for allowing random people to treat her like rubbish was somewhat perplexing。Rhys was my favourite character， I hope we get to see much more of him， and Pauly too。 I loved the portrayal of the island， and the somewhat unpleasant folk living there， the lighthouse， and the books！ Nice touch， that。 I look forward to more。 Thanks to Net Galley， the author and the publisher for my ARC。 。。。more
Javier
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Review published in: https://diagnosisbookaholic。blogspot。。。。3，5 ⭐️ A death at Seascape House is the first installment in a new cozy mysteries series。 I’m always up for a good cozy murder mystery and if the amateur sleuth is a librarian even better！ I love where there’s book talk in a story。I must confess that it took me a while to connect with the story and its characters。 At first they were all quite unpleasant and could not understand Jem’s passiveness to all the islanders attacks， especially Review published in: https://diagnosisbookaholic。blogspot。。。。3，5 ⭐️ A death at Seascape House is the first installment in a new cozy mysteries series。 I’m always up for a good cozy murder mystery and if the amateur sleuth is a librarian even better！ I love where there’s book talk in a story。I must confess that it took me a while to connect with the story and its characters。 At first they were all quite unpleasant and could not understand Jem’s passiveness to all the islanders attacks， especially when all their beef with her was because of something that happened 20 years ago when she was a teen。With everyone thinking her guilty of her arch nemesis’ murder Jem takes upon herself to find the truth along some old and new friends。 For someone who claimed to be quite reserved with strangers she sure was very chatty with people she had just met！ 😅 I loved how Micki felt like a closer friend than the ones she knew from her childhood。The pace picked up halfway through when revelations started coming to light and we’re finally explained what happened during her time in St。 Morwenna 20 years before。The setting was lovely and the close knit community very well portrayed。 As the story progressed Jem became less bratty so I could finally warm up to her。 I also loved how she managed to rekindle her friendship with Pauley and I’m curious to see where that hint about a love triangle will go。After a bit of a slow start， A death at Seascape House turned out into an enjoyable cozy mystery， with characters that will grow on you and the promise of interesting things to happen in future installments。Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Scilla
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This is the first book in a new series。 Jem has gone to the Scilly Isles as a librarian。 Jem's mother died， and her father remarried， and she was sent to live with her grandmother on St。 Morwenna when she was 6。 She left St。 Morwenna under a cloud when she was 14。 While she was there she had three best friends， her girlfriend Pauley， her boyfriend Rhys， and his younger brother Cam。 At 14， she convinced her friends to go out on a boat at night; they were caught by a huge wave; and Cam drowned。 Ev This is the first book in a new series。 Jem has gone to the Scilly Isles as a librarian。 Jem's mother died， and her father remarried， and she was sent to live with her grandmother on St。 Morwenna when she was 6。 She left St。 Morwenna under a cloud when she was 14。 While she was there she had three best friends， her girlfriend Pauley， her boyfriend Rhys， and his younger brother Cam。 At 14， she convinced her friends to go out on a boat at night; they were caught by a huge wave; and Cam drowned。 Everyone on the island blamed Jem， including the Chief of Police Anderson， who was still there。 Jem is now going back to help with Pauley's books which are going to the Courtney Library at the Royal Institute of Cornwall。 On arrival in Hightown on St。 Mary， she meets the bartender， Micki， and they soon become good friends。 Pauley was supposed to meet her， but didn't show because her mother was very ill。 Pauley also told Jem that some of her books were stolen， including probably the most valuable one。 Pauley thinks it was Mrs。 Reddy， who was an officious woman who road around the island on an orange dune buggy and made life miserable for kids as well as most of the islanders。 When Bart， the Ferry Man comes into the pub， Jem decides to hook a ride to St。 Morwenna and face off with Mrs。 Reddy。 They find a good looking man， Buck， who is also looking for a ferry ride that evening。 Jem gets off the ferry， and walks to Mrs。 Reddy's home。 She knocks and when no one answers， she goes in and finds Mrs。 Reddy in her bedroom， dead， with her face wrapped in duct tape。 She sees Rhys and a dog outside。 Jem calls 911， and Anderson arrives and soon arrests her for the murder。 He lets her out in the wee hours。 The next day， Jem goes back to Morwenna where she meets Kenzie （who saw Mrs。 Reddy take the book）。 She has lunch at Pauley's with Dahlia Reddy， who accuses Jem of murdering her mother。 She meets the man on the boat with her the first night again after he has a boat accident near Snoggy Harbor and she tells him about her past and calls Rhys to help him fix the boat。 When Jem finds another young girl murdered in the Ice Cream Hut， she also finds out that Buck is the new police chief！ Jem finally figures out the connection between the two murders， and she is very good at discovering clues。 However， the more she finds out， the more danger she is in from the real killer， who is definitely not one of the original suspects！ I can't wait for the next book in the series。 。。。more
Gail C。
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Full review to be published at https://www。mysteryandsuspense。com/ on April 21st。 Full review to be published at https://www。mysteryandsuspense。com/ on April 21st。 。。。more
Danielle Bush
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I quite enjoyed this mystery。 Jem is a librarian which I think would be a super cool job。。 She is on her way back to her hometown for a job cataloging a childhood friends extensive library。。 Jem is reluctant to go back， when she left all those years ago she was known as a wild child and had gotten her self into a bit of a situation。。 Which we learn about as the story progresses。 Jem ends up going to confront the towns mean old lady who is always in everyones buisness。。 and of course as this is a I quite enjoyed this mystery。 Jem is a librarian which I think would be a super cool job。。 She is on her way back to her hometown for a job cataloging a childhood friends extensive library。。 Jem is reluctant to go back， when she left all those years ago she was known as a wild child and had gotten her self into a bit of a situation。。 Which we learn about as the story progresses。 Jem ends up going to confront the towns mean old lady who is always in everyones buisness。。 and of course as this is a mystery that lady is dead， and because she caused some trouble as a child the sheriff thinks Jemma is suspect #1。。 Jem is a strong woman， she has had to become one with everything that she went through as a child， and how most of the town treats her when she returns。。 She ends up running into her childhood sweetheart who is acting like a total tool。。 but we find out he sort of has a reason why。。 They mystery was quite good， I did suspect who the killer ended up being， but there were alot of good suspects so I wasn't 100 percent sure until it was revealed。。 The isolated nature of the island means that there are a set number of suspects， and everyone knows everybody and their buisness。 So there are know end to who the killer could be。 I loved the setting of the island of St。 Morwenna。 It was described really well and sounded like a place I would love to visit。 I really liked this story and look forward to reading the next book in the series。I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from netgalley。 all opinions are my own 。。。more
Karen Fan
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Good start to a new series！ The author is great at painting a picture of the setting; I love the small/remote island and the close knit community of locals who are definitely very judgmental。 Even the setup I’d the future love triangle was fine in a very natural way。
Tracy Wood
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Jemima Jago used to live on St Morwenna in the Scilly Islands but after leaving as a traumatised teenager never thought she'd return。 Now an expert in antique books and local historic resources she is enticed back by the chance to catalogue a recently donated collection from the ancestral home of her one time best friend。 Unfortunately also still there is her old nemesis， Mrs Reddy， and finding the elderly woman dead wasn't the homecoming she'd been hoping for。 The local police chief， who also r Jemima Jago used to live on St Morwenna in the Scilly Islands but after leaving as a traumatised teenager never thought she'd return。 Now an expert in antique books and local historic resources she is enticed back by the chance to catalogue a recently donated collection from the ancestral home of her one time best friend。 Unfortunately also still there is her old nemesis， Mrs Reddy， and finding the elderly woman dead wasn't the homecoming she'd been hoping for。 The local police chief， who also remembers Jem as the wild child she once was， has his sights set on retiring on a high by arresting her for murder and closing his highest profile case but that is before a second body is discovered。 With Jemima determined to find out what happened， while trying to silence the ghosts of her past， she may be the next person in the killer’s sights。 Although I have not read any of this author's other work and had no idea what to expect I enjoyed this book。 The isolated nature of the islands added a different dimension to the storyline and the local reliance on water taxis was definitely unusual。 Although the island of St Morwenna is fictional the saint herself does exist as does the area's economic reliance on tourism。 There were a few things other than whodunnit to work out with some more difficult than others but all were enjoyable。 There were a few unnecessary Americanisms as well as the overuse of local nicknames which were annoying but overall there are definite signs this is a good new series set in a beautiful British location。 I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the opinions expressed are my own。 I enjoyed this relaxing summer read which I would give 3。5 stars rounded up to 4。 。。。more
zoe Hitchen
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A quick easy read！ Jem Jago is a librarian and she returns to the Scilly Isles to catalogue a collection of books。 Jem left St。 Morwenna under a cloud when she was 14 ， so she is apprehensive about returning。 On the day Jem arrives there is a murder and all eyes turn to Jem ， so she begins her own amateur investigation， whilst rekindling childhood friendships。I found the first part of the book a bit hard going and boring ， but by the middle of the story the pace picked up and redeemed itself。 I A quick easy read！ Jem Jago is a librarian and she returns to the Scilly Isles to catalogue a collection of books。 Jem left St。 Morwenna under a cloud when she was 14 ， so she is apprehensive about returning。 On the day Jem arrives there is a murder and all eyes turn to Jem ， so she begins her own amateur investigation， whilst rekindling childhood friendships。I found the first part of the book a bit hard going and boring ， but by the middle of the story the pace picked up and redeemed itself。 I found the characters all had depth and the type of people you may imagine live in a close knit island community。Jem seems a despondent character at the start of the story ， but we learn more about her and her life and this explains her low spirits， but by the conclusion we see the real Jem Jago。After the slow start I found the story an enjoyable cozy mystery and look forward to reading the next in the series。Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this arc copy 。 。。。more
Anna Fox
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This was an interesting read， however， a little more descriptive of the bloody murder than usual in a cozy。 The whole book is very descriptive。 I liked the town setting in Cornwall。 You do get to find out why she left originally。 I also liked the other characters in the book。 I look forward to what happens next。Thank you to the author， publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review。
Sonia Williams
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I wanted a change of pace from fantasy and science fiction so this seemed to fit the bill。 This is the first in a series and has promise but not all elements of the story gelled for me。A murder mystery set in the Scillies， off the Cornish coast and on the island of St。Morwenna。 Our protagonist is Jem Jago， now a librarian， who grew up on the islands， left after a tragedy and has been living in London until her recent return。 Lured back by the opportunity to curate a rare collection of books dona I wanted a change of pace from fantasy and science fiction so this seemed to fit the bill。 This is the first in a series and has promise but not all elements of the story gelled for me。A murder mystery set in the Scillies， off the Cornish coast and on the island of St。Morwenna。 Our protagonist is Jem Jago， now a librarian， who grew up on the islands， left after a tragedy and has been living in London until her recent return。 Lured back by the opportunity to curate a rare collection of books donated by the local first family her return is not without reservations as tragic events from her childhood and the hatred of the community continue to haunt her。 On her first evening back she goes to confront her nemesis Mrs Reddy who may have stolen an item of value from the book collection。 When Jem arrives at Seascape House she finds Mrs。 Reddy dead and so a whole world of trouble unfurls。。。With the help of her friends Pauley， Micki and Rhys combined with many hours of reading crime novels Jem sleuths it out and charms the new chief of police Hatch in the process。 There were some predictable elements， and some of the swiftness of connections made between characters seemed unlikely。 Some threads seem to drop suddenly - for example Hatch is introduced， Jem unbares her soul to him and then he fades to the background。However as a librarian I appreciated this analogy - "One of the best things about being librrian was constantly drinking in knowledge， like a blue whale straining the ocean for krill。" I would read the next installment to see if Jem actually gets round to doing any of her collection curating！Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC - all views are my own。 。。。more
Krista
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I really wanted to love this book but I couldn’t connect。 I think the main character Jem was interesting enough to carry a story but I didn’t understand some of her actions。 How does someone seemingly so closed off instantly became best friends （and I really mean besties， not just a casual acquaintance） with A bartender after a 4 minute convo？ Even stranger ended up telling a man she doesn’t know her darkest memory after not talking about it （even a therapist） for years and years。 The pacing and I really wanted to love this book but I couldn’t connect。 I think the main character Jem was interesting enough to carry a story but I didn’t understand some of her actions。 How does someone seemingly so closed off instantly became best friends （and I really mean besties， not just a casual acquaintance） with A bartender after a 4 minute convo？ Even stranger ended up telling a man she doesn’t know her darkest memory after not talking about it （even a therapist） for years and years。 The pacing and motivations seemed a bit off in that respect。 The rest of the characters were kind of weak and the mystery fairly predictable。 This one just wasn’t for me。 。。。more
Gea
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I enjoyed this first entry in the Jemima Jago series。 Jem finds it difficult to go back to St。 Morwenna to deal with a special and potentially valuable book collection， and to face events from her past。 There are some very unlikeable characters from Jem's past and it's no surprise when Jem finds herself in the midst of a murder enquiry。 As Jem faces her fears， she rebuilds relationships and helps to unravel the murder mystery。 I enjoyed this first entry in the Jemima Jago series。 Jem finds it difficult to go back to St。 Morwenna to deal with a special and potentially valuable book collection， and to face events from her past。 There are some very unlikeable characters from Jem's past and it's no surprise when Jem finds herself in the midst of a murder enquiry。 As Jem faces her fears， she rebuilds relationships and helps to unravel the murder mystery。 。。。more
Bookgyrl
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Jem has lived on the Island of St Morwenna as a child until she left at 14 and now - 20 years later - she has a job to do as a librarian。 But going back is not always easy。 The people are still judging Jem for a horrible accident and the fact Jem discovers an old enemy murdered is not helping her case。 The people of the Island include her old boyfriend Rhys and new police sergeant Hack。 Jem has a knack for sleuthing it seems and an eye for detail。 I would not really class this a cozy mystery。 It Jem has lived on the Island of St Morwenna as a child until she left at 14 and now - 20 years later - she has a job to do as a librarian。 But going back is not always easy。 The people are still judging Jem for a horrible accident and the fact Jem discovers an old enemy murdered is not helping her case。 The people of the Island include her old boyfriend Rhys and new police sergeant Hack。 Jem has a knack for sleuthing it seems and an eye for detail。 I would not really class this a cozy mystery。 It has a different vibe to it。 I really enjoyed it and look forward to the next。 *** I requested an ARC via Netgalley and this is my honest and voluntary review。 *** 。。。more
Eeva
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I'm not sure if that book should count as a cosy mystery since there is nothing cosy about it。Setting a book in a picturesque setting is not enough to call it cosy， unfortunately。 There's drama， there's trauma， there are vile people。The characters are unlikable， and I'm not talking about the ones who should be perceived like that。 There is not one person that I liked。 The main character is a doormat。 One would think that leaving the island that treated her wrong， living many years in London woul I'm not sure if that book should count as a cosy mystery since there is nothing cosy about it。Setting a book in a picturesque setting is not enough to call it cosy， unfortunately。 There's drama， there's trauma， there are vile people。The characters are unlikable， and I'm not talking about the ones who should be perceived like that。 There is not one person that I liked。 The main character is a doormat。 One would think that leaving the island that treated her wrong， living many years in London would toughen her up， but no。 Jem gets back to the island and still can't utter one word to defend herself。 She's a grown woman and yet every time someone gives her a stink eye she just blushes and does nothing。 Like， ffs。 I can't stand people like that in real world， not to mention in a novel。Her so-called friends are no better。 I'd understand why Rhys is how he is， but Paulie？ Jesus， I'd probably never want to speak to a person like that。 Ever。Talking about friends。 Jem meets Micki， the bartender， on her way to the island and after like 5 minutes they're the best of friends。 She tells her her life story and then Micki is like by her side all。the。time。 It feels like Micki was their childhood friend the way she eased her way into thestory。 I think it would be so much better if she were written as an actual childhood friend， as it wuld be more believable。As to the mystery part， it's neither engaging nor surprising。 I didn't really care about how it was going to end。 It's so obvious that in the next book（s） there will be a strong love triangle - Jem-Hack-Rhys and I'm not interested in that。I received this book from the Publisher for an honest review 。。。more
Zoe M
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