When retired doctor Sarah Vane moves to Merstairs, she has no idea that the quaint seaside town isn't quite as friendly it seems, and something sinister is bubbling under the picturesque surface...
Recently widowed and looking for a fresh start away from city life, Sarah Vane moves into a lovely little cottage by the sea. The rustic charm is everything she hoped it would be, but her new home doesn't quite have enough space for her things. Her old friend Daphne offers to store Sarah's boxes in her messy beach hut, but while clearing it out, they're shocked to find a heavy trunk... containing a dead body.
They immediately recognise the poor man as pub landlord Gus Trubshaw. Sarah concludes that he was suffocated, but who could have wanted jolly Gus dead? Unimpressed by the police's lack of interest, Sarah realises she will have to solve the case herself.
Soon, Sarah discovers that not everyone loved Gus as much as she'd thought. Is the killer scoutmaster Bill, who was recently banned from the pub? Or perhaps it was antique store owner Charles, who owned the beach hut before Daphne? Or was it brewery director Mr. Grimes, who was livid with Gus for squeezing them on the purchase price of their delicious ale?
Just when the clues are starting to fall into place, the prime suspect is found strangled on the beach. And when Sarah discovers a deadly secret that links the two murders, she's certain that a dangerous killer is roaming the streets of Merstairs. With the town in a panic, time is ticking for Sarah. Will she solve the mystery before it's last orders for another victim?
Set off for the breezy English seaside and join Sarah on her adventures in quirky Merstairs, where nothing is quite as it seems! Fans of Agatha Christie, Betty Rowlands and Katie Gayle will be instantly hooked by this deliciously gripping cozy mystery.
Readers love Alice Castle:
'Wow!!! Absolutely LOVED this cozy murder mystery... Brilliant... Completely sucked me in from beginning to end... Truly is a page-turner and I felt myself walking around with my Kindle in my hand every chance I could get.' Bookworm86, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'EXCELLENT!... I read this book in one day and I didn't regret a thing about that!... When you think the story is solved there comes more twists and turns... A page-turner that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Highly recommended.' Nat's Bookish Corner, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐