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Salt Girl
What secrets did a lost girl die to keep? When Izzy discovers the body of a teenage runaway under her conservatory, she knows that someone in this village buried a very dark secret.
Who is the girl? How was she able to vanish in a place like Seahouses? And why was her grave filled with salt?
The police are unable–or unwilling–to investigate a twenty-year-old crime, so Izzy takes matters into her own hands, teaming up with retired schoolteacher Diana to investigate.
But Diana’s memory is not what it used to be. Who was the girl she knew all those years ago, and what was she running from? Diana has the answers… if only she could remember them.
Will they uncover the secrets that this postcard-perfect village is hiding, or will the truth stay buried forever?
Who is the girl? How was she able to vanish in a place like Seahouses? And why was her grave filled with salt?
The police are unable–or unwilling–to investigate a twenty-year-old crime, so Izzy takes matters into her own hands, teaming up with retired schoolteacher Diana to investigate.
But Diana’s memory is not what it used to be. Who was the girl she knew all those years ago, and what was she running from? Diana has the answers… if only she could remember them.
Will they uncover the secrets that this postcard-perfect village is hiding, or will the truth stay buried forever?
348 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 4, 2023
22 people are currently reading
58 people want to read
About the author
Katherine Graham
3 books24 followersI'm the author of the Seahouses Mystery series: twisted murder-mysteries set in a picturesque fishing village on the Northumberland coast.
I’m from the North East of England. I love 90s RnB, Cadbury’s chocolate buttons, spin classes and bubble baths.
I’m from the North East of England. I love 90s RnB, Cadbury’s chocolate buttons, spin classes and bubble baths.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
May 15, 2024
Third in a series but the first I’ve read An excellent book with plots and twists throughout with a local flavour for me
April 15, 2023
I received a complimentary copy of the book from the author via Voracious Readers
I was hooked from the first chapter. Two great characters that made the book come alive for me were Izzy who lived where the body was discovered and Diane a retired school teacher.
I felt that I enjoyed the book the way the characters, village and the past were introduced through the book by the author. The discovery of the teenage stirs up all sorts of emotions of village people and the past people don’t want to remember.
Izzy was a likeable character and could understand where her interest and need for answers was coming from.
This is book 3 and now I will be sourcing book one to discover more about Izzy past and life.
I was hooked from the first chapter. Two great characters that made the book come alive for me were Izzy who lived where the body was discovered and Diane a retired school teacher.
I felt that I enjoyed the book the way the characters, village and the past were introduced through the book by the author. The discovery of the teenage stirs up all sorts of emotions of village people and the past people don’t want to remember.
Izzy was a likeable character and could understand where her interest and need for answers was coming from.
This is book 3 and now I will be sourcing book one to discover more about Izzy past and life.
December 7, 2023
After I finished Salt Girl, I learned it was the last book in the Seahouses Mystery series. If I’d read the other two books first, I might have been more invested in the characters. As it was, I just wanted them to get on with it.
The series centers around Izzy, an interior designer who abandoned her exciting life in Hong Kong to return to the small English village of Seahouses after her sister’s mysterious death. In Salt Girl, Izzy and her fiancé are living in a palatial but hideously decorated mansion. Izzy can’t wait to start stripping wallpaper and smashing floor tiles. When a storm destroys the conservatory, rebuilding it becomes the priority. That’s when the trouble starts.
A workman discovers a body under the foundation. The deceased is initially described as looking like a football with two holes in it. Seriously? Couldn’t we just call it a skull? Maybe I should mention that my American brain conjured up an American football, which had me envisioning a pointy-chinned, cone-headed space alien. Also, very curiously, the body is buried in salt.
The discovery is traumatic for Izzy, who is still dealing with her sister’s death. When Diana, a retired teacher in the beginning stages of dementia, enlists Izzy’s aid in solving the mystery of who the dead girl is and why her disappearance went unnoticed all those years ago, Izzy reluctantly agrees to help.
Salt Girl underscores the way we as humans often fail each other and how our “safety nets,” in this case, the foster care system, aren’t all that safe. The mystery of the salt is touched upon but not enough in my opinion. I had the killer pegged early on, but a couple of pink herrings led me astray for a while (pink because they weren’t effective enough to be red). The way the killer was identified was original, but a few things about the ending left me scratching my head.
The series centers around Izzy, an interior designer who abandoned her exciting life in Hong Kong to return to the small English village of Seahouses after her sister’s mysterious death. In Salt Girl, Izzy and her fiancé are living in a palatial but hideously decorated mansion. Izzy can’t wait to start stripping wallpaper and smashing floor tiles. When a storm destroys the conservatory, rebuilding it becomes the priority. That’s when the trouble starts.
A workman discovers a body under the foundation. The deceased is initially described as looking like a football with two holes in it. Seriously? Couldn’t we just call it a skull? Maybe I should mention that my American brain conjured up an American football, which had me envisioning a pointy-chinned, cone-headed space alien. Also, very curiously, the body is buried in salt.
The discovery is traumatic for Izzy, who is still dealing with her sister’s death. When Diana, a retired teacher in the beginning stages of dementia, enlists Izzy’s aid in solving the mystery of who the dead girl is and why her disappearance went unnoticed all those years ago, Izzy reluctantly agrees to help.
Salt Girl underscores the way we as humans often fail each other and how our “safety nets,” in this case, the foster care system, aren’t all that safe. The mystery of the salt is touched upon but not enough in my opinion. I had the killer pegged early on, but a couple of pink herrings led me astray for a while (pink because they weren’t effective enough to be red). The way the killer was identified was original, but a few things about the ending left me scratching my head.
April 21, 2023
After a storm the conservatory at the rear of the house is partially collapsed. Izzy and her fiancé, Jake, have just moved in so get the builders to remove it, the plan being to replace it with an orangery which was in the renovation anyway. The builders remove the concrete to find what they think is a football - but is a skull. The remains are of a teenager who ran away 20 years ago. Diana, a teach at the local school, remembers her well. The police are stretched so Diana dragoons Izzy into helping her investigate.
It's part of a series set in Seahouses in the NorthEast of England. Very descriptive of the local area, and the claustrophobic nature of village life where there are no secrets - you'd think. Very much a page turner; tensions, mystery, amateur sleuthing for a cold case, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It certainly packs a lot in.
Thank you to LoveReading for a copying in exchange for a review.
It's part of a series set in Seahouses in the NorthEast of England. Very descriptive of the local area, and the claustrophobic nature of village life where there are no secrets - you'd think. Very much a page turner; tensions, mystery, amateur sleuthing for a cold case, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It certainly packs a lot in.
Thank you to LoveReading for a copying in exchange for a review.
May 6, 2023
Well written and intriguing mystery. The author does a fantastic job of creating the scene of the small costal village. I could almost smell the salt in the air. I also enjoyed how the community was so authentic to how life is in a small rural place where everyone knows everyone and gossip flows easily. Izzy was a great character and I always appreciate well written character growth. I also really enjoyed Diana, there are some deep truths written into that character that go far beyond the plot line of this story. The mystery itself kept you guessing and I had a few suspects picked out that I was wrong about and for me that is what makes mystery stories so fun to read. The epilogue did bring tears to my eyes, it was very fitting.
Overall a great book that I highly recommend to fans of mysteries and Amateur sleuths.
I received this book from the author through Voracious Readers Only.
Overall a great book that I highly recommend to fans of mysteries and Amateur sleuths.
I received this book from the author through Voracious Readers Only.
May 2, 2023
A brilliant murder mystery with plenty of twists and turns. The body of a young girl is found preserved in salt twenty years after she disappeared. The story follows the Miss Marple-like investigations of two women who both have their own reasons to be involved- and who are always one step ahead of the police. As well as the main story, which definitely has you hooked, there are lots of very poignant observations of love and loss and characters that you care about. This is the third in a series, each one better than the next. The setting of Seahouses in Northumberland, so frequently and beautifully described, is the icing on the cake.
April 19, 2023
I sometimes have trouble with murder mysteries set in the UK, usually preferring the grittiness of stories set in the US. Having said that, I really liked this book. I’d put it down and then pick it up again right away, always a really good sign for me.
The author did a really good job with developing the characters, making them seem like real people that you’d want to get to know, especially Diana.
And without saying too much, I want the murderer to be caught. I always like a happy ending.
Would definitely recommend.
The author did a really good job with developing the characters, making them seem like real people that you’d want to get to know, especially Diana.
And without saying too much, I want the murderer to be caught. I always like a happy ending.
Would definitely recommend.
May 11, 2023
I've enjoyed reading the author's other two books, and I think she's really getting into her stride with this one. An interesting narrative structure and well-formed characters, some topical themes, and a great sense of place with the sort of visual descriptions that are just crying out to be translated onto film. It's a real page-turner and the identity of the murderer took me by surprise. I would recommend for anyone who enjoys an amateur sleuth but doesn't like their crime too cosy.
December 29, 2023
Really enjoyed this book, loved the characters of Izzy and Diana. I guessed who the murderer was but couldn’t make the connection about ‘N’ until it was all revealed. Being from Northumberland it was good to recognise local places mentioned in the story. Looking forward to reading the other 2 books in the series.
April 30, 2023
I was really excited to read this book, being from the North East and a huge thriller fan. And it absolutely did not disappoint. It had me drawn in right from the beginning with a gritty, twisty storyline. I felt attached to some of the characters - particularly Diana.
I fully recommend this book. It is a gem of a thriller. Katherine Graham is definitely an author to watch and I am now looking forward to reading her other novels.
I fully recommend this book. It is a gem of a thriller. Katherine Graham is definitely an author to watch and I am now looking forward to reading her other novels.
May 29, 2023
Brilliant
Wow, Salt Girl is a awesome mystery book. I kept thinking I had guessed the killer but boy was I wrong. I loved the character of Izzy & all she went through finally deciding home is where love is not a place.
Wow, Salt Girl is a awesome mystery book. I kept thinking I had guessed the killer but boy was I wrong. I loved the character of Izzy & all she went through finally deciding home is where love is not a place.
June 27, 2023
I received a complimentary copy of this book from voracious readers only, in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed the story. Two great sleuths in Izzy and Diana and I loved how the author used the technique of going back in time to help the story unfold.
August 2, 2024
Liked it just like the other two. Appreciated the focus on the two key characters. Already known from the other two books. Great twists and surprises. But I particularly like to focus on the relations between the people that continues throughout the three books.
May 16, 2023
Who killed Kelly Reynolds and why??? AND who is N??? She wore a wire??? I enjoyed this story and recommended the book.
May 30, 2024
Took some getting into but enjoyed this nearly as much as the first in the series. Last one to go!
July 7, 2024
Bit slow this book. Took a lot of getting going and ended up in less than a chapter.
June 15, 2023
Salt Girl had me hooked. Totally gripping, it had me guessing right up till the end. Then came the extra twist.
After a 20 year old body is discovered in their quaint coastal village, Izzie and Diana decide to investigate when the local police force fail to turn up any clues.
I loved the way this book was written. The dual timeline, plus the victims POV and the now POV added a really emotive level to this book.
With definite Miss Marple vibes in Diana, a former school teacher turned sleuth and the small English setting. Add in Izzie, and you have the perfect amateur detective combination.
This was cosy mystery meets gripping thriller. With several dark secrets to uncover, this is a great read that will definitely have you page turning for sure.
I had several theories throughout the book as to the killers identity, which I think is always the sign of a good plot. That you just dont know.
Though this is book three in The Seahorse Mystery series, these books can be read as standalones. I know I'll definitely be going back to read the other two before this.
Thanks to Lovereadinguk for my ARC of this books.
After a 20 year old body is discovered in their quaint coastal village, Izzie and Diana decide to investigate when the local police force fail to turn up any clues.
I loved the way this book was written. The dual timeline, plus the victims POV and the now POV added a really emotive level to this book.
With definite Miss Marple vibes in Diana, a former school teacher turned sleuth and the small English setting. Add in Izzie, and you have the perfect amateur detective combination.
This was cosy mystery meets gripping thriller. With several dark secrets to uncover, this is a great read that will definitely have you page turning for sure.
I had several theories throughout the book as to the killers identity, which I think is always the sign of a good plot. That you just dont know.
Though this is book three in The Seahorse Mystery series, these books can be read as standalones. I know I'll definitely be going back to read the other two before this.
Thanks to Lovereadinguk for my ARC of this books.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews