Death Beside the Seaside by T.E. Kinsey ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

Last year, I listened to the first book in the Lady Hardcastle Mysteries series, A Quiet Life in the Country, and I really enjoyed the characters. I have not continued with the series, but when I saw book 6 Death Beside the Seaside at NetGalley, I had to request it.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

October 2019; Thomas & Mercer; 978-1542016056
audio, ebook, print (379 pages); cozy mystery

I wrote in my Goodreads review for book 1, that I enjoyed the characters but wasn't too keen on the mystery. Book 6 started a bit slow for me and I feared that I wouldn't make it to the end as I was kind of bored with it. But once Lady Hardcastle and her maid Flo Armstrong got to the hotel for their seaside vacation, the story picked up, and, this time, I not only enjoyed the characters but the plot as well.

If you aren't familiar with British humor, you may have some trouble getting some of the remarks. But if you are a fan of British humor then this book will delight you.

A lot of background information is given throughout the story about Lady Hardcastle and Flo as the visit with the various guests at the hotel. As I said I haven't read the intervening novels, but I got the feeling that these exploits occurred before the series started.

I also don't think it is necessary to have read the previous books in the series to enjoy this one. I don't remember much about book 1 and I still really enjoyed Death Beside the Seaside. Lady Hardcastle, Flo, and Harry (Lady Hardcastle's brother) are the only characters that appear in the previous books so there aren't a lot of character relationships to figure out.

A few times Lady Hardcastle and Flo reminded me of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. But at other times, they felt like their own unique characters. They are fun and have some witty dialogue.

I like when authors of historical novels share what is true and what is fiction in the story. If you like that too, then be sure to read the author's note at the end as the author gives details from his research.

Overall, this is a fun mystery with delightful characters. It is a great novel to look forward to coming home to each evening. Though it is set during a summer seaside vacation, the weather is on the gloomy side, making it a perfect book to curl up with a hot drink and a fuzzy blanket in front of a cozy fire.

Buy Death Beside the Seaside at Amazon

Donna Huber is an avid reader and natural encourager. She is the founder of Girl Who Reads and the author of how-to marketing book Secrets to a Successful Blog Tour.

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