Review: Mystery by the Sea

Mystery by the Sea by Verity Bright
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’ve not read any of the previous books in this series, but I liked the cover and description, and enjoy other cozy crimes set in the 1920s, so I thought I’d give it a try. I’m glad I did.

This story worked very well as a stand alone. Although there were a couple of points where I was aware that things had happened before, everything I needed to know was in this book, and I was never confused.

I really enjoyed reading this book. The main characters (Lady Eleanor Swift and her staff) are well drawn, likeable, and entertaining. There’s a good array of mysterious and nefarious-looking suspects, and the mystery itself is fun and interesting. Brighton makes an excellent setting.

I did find Lady Swift a little slow on the uptake to start with, on some things particularly (eg the photograph), but I think this is realistic, given the emotional strain she was under. I’ll be reading the previous four books, as I enjoyed this one so much, so I’ll find out if this is always the case. However, she did begin to pick up on things more as time went on, with a few nudges from the very helpful Clifford (who I love as a character).

In conclusion, this book was an absorbing and entertaining way to pass a few hours, and I’d recommend it to cozy crime fans who love reading historically set books.

I was given a free copy of this book, my opinions are my own.

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