Mystery by the Sea by Verity Bright ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

After the eventful Christmas season, Lady Eleanor Swift decided to treat herself and her staff to a holiday by the sea. As it is only March and still the off-season, Brighton should provide a quiet yet enjoyable time away. However, when Eleanor arrives at the Grand just in time to see a body being carried away she knows that this is going to be anything but a quiet holiday. Especially when the body turns out to be her dead husband.

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

March 2021; Bookouture; B08P4Y71JX
audio, ebook (307 pages); cozy mystery

Even though I have read the last couple of books in Verity Bright's Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery series, Mystery by the Sea can be read as a stand alone. It picks up a few months after the last book but the Christmas season and murders they solved then is only briefly mentioned at the beginning of the story.

Eleanor is celebrating her 30th birthday and she is looking for a holiday full of ice cream and donkey rides even if it is still too chilly to go to the beach. Brighton offers plenty of other distractions and fun for her and her staff. It all provides a great opportunity to get to know the characters better. It was almost as if the mystery was secondary to the character development. I enjoyed getting to know the characters better.

The mystery was interesting as it provided more opportunity to learn about Eleanor. I also didn't solve who the murderer was until it is revealed at the end. 

For those who are following the series and have been cheering for Chief Inspector Detective Seldon... Don't worry, just because Eleanor is not in his jurisdiction he still makes an experience. "Please call me Hugh" is more than willing to do a favor for Eleanor, particularly since it means he can take her dancing for her birthday. 

If you love cozy mysteries, this is a great series to read. And for those who like to know about the historical aspects in the novel, there is a little guide at the end that gives the reader a bit of information about Brighton and other points of interest mentioned in the story.

Buy Mystery by the Sea at Amazon

(The ebook is a free read for Kindle Unlimited subscribers)

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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