A murder with no known suspects. A chance meeting that changes everything…
Simon Croft has seen death before. Yet the death of a drug user leads him down a path he has yet to experience. A dark crime has been committed on the south coast of Sussex, and it is going to take all of his skill to get this case solved.
A murder with no suspects is always hard, but evidence is always left behind. Simon’s attention is caught by two unassuming people, Bethany and Stevie, who seem to be hiding something.
Simon has to deal with his personal life, while feeling the mounting pressure of a death that can’t be explained. This gripping murder mystery will have you questioning if a trip to the seaside is worth it.
Good day reading folk, welcome to a The Reading Closet on my day of the Murder by the Seaside tour. Thanks to James at Panther Publishing for the invite and for supplying me with an electronic copy of this murderous debut in preparation of my blog review.
Murder by the Seaside is a debut mystery written by Brian Gee, the first instalment of the Simon Croft series. Published yesterday in ebook and paperback – happy publication day plus one Brian – you can purchase yourself a copy directly from Panther Publishing’s online store here!
so, I begun Murder by the Seaside while eating my breakfast, by tea time I had finished and thoroughly enjoyed this mystery debut, actually I am glad that it is a series because I need more Simon Croft mysteries in my future. We are first introduced to scene of crime investigator Simon Croft when he is called in to a suspicious death involving a drug addict. this coincidently lead him and his team to the south coast – unbeknown to him where a crime has been committed and he may be the key. We are also introduced to various other characters whose lives begin to be woven into an interlocking storyline. We meet Stevie, a man who has been down on his luck in terms of careers, with a wife who lives for money and twins who he utterly adores. Then there is Bethany, a young reliable lass who just wants to live unnoticed until she can fly the sheltered housing where she currently resides. Us as the reader has no clue why these characters are detrimental to the storyline but wow doesn’t Brian weave a tale that will make you shout ‘holy shirtballs’.
Brian’s attention to the smaller details present within the dialogue, especially the forensic details, it showed research and also it tied in with the basis of the novel perfectly. I found that the sequence of events and alternating point of view to be planned out and written really well with personal insight into each individuals lives. The character that intrigued me the most was Stevie, his persona made me shiver and I wanted to know more about his married life, I feel like the surface was scratched but this greedy reader would have liked maybe a tad more insight into the family life. I thoroughly enjoyed this bite-sized crime fiction novel, as a debut it is a really strong start to a murderous series. It has that cosy feel yet with a dark twisted flair. Gripping, taut and cleverly tied together, Murder by the Seaside is a great summer (autumn winter and spring) read!)
Thanks again to James for having me on-board the tour. If this book peaks your interest please purchase from Panther Publishing’s online store, it really does help indies rather than buying from Amazon. Also right now they have a 25% off promotion when you use pantherpubs2020 at the checkout. The promotion is only until the end of August so get buying and supporting!
Make sure to check out the other bloggers on the tour using the hashtag #MurderByTheSeaside on Twitter and Instagram.
Until next time,
Happy reading!
The Reading Closet 