Murder at the Pirate Festival

by Abigail Yardimci

One dead pirate girl. Thousands of eye-patched witnesses. A whole Devonshire town struggling to believe it was murder. Teenager Paulie Trinket dreams of popularity. After she witnesses something at Berryport’s annual Pirate Festival that could prove local golden girl, Tanya Withers was murdered, she sees a chance to achieve her dream. But making herself heard in this small harbour town isn’t easy. When Paulie discovers Berryport’s only detective has retired, she decides to investigate herself. Soon Tanya’s tycoon boyfriend starts acting shady, and Paulie’s offbeat inquiry style lands her a whole new circle of friends she didn’t even ask for. With a college counsellor hounding her about her ADHD, sudden interest from Hollywood movie-makers, and the threat of her aunt’s bakery business going under, genuine friendship feels more unreachable than ever. Will uncovering the truth about Tanya really be worth it? Or could Paulie’s chance at happiness disappear like a pirate ship lost on a stormy sea?

356 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 2, 2024

Reviews

[Susanne Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a huge fan of Abigail’s Life Is Yours series I was equally excited and nervous about reading this new book as it was a different genre and had a host new characters to meet. However, I did not need to fear, as within the first few pages I was completely hooked!
Paulie is such a wonderfully quirky and totally brilliant character, whose life is both complicated and simple. Her ADHD condition means that she views life from a different perspective to most, and her character flits from one idea to another, spontaneously embracing different experiences and emotions. Her ADHD condition was very sensitively written about and it gave a very honest and open insight into living with this particular condition.
The setting was so well described, I could almost hear the seagulls calling and smell the salty sea air as I found myself drawn into this intriguing story.
Such a brilliant idea for a mystery, I loved how the murder happened in plain sight but nobody actually saw it happen!
I kept thinking of all the possible motives and who was responsible as I read, but didn’t come up with the right answer!
Such a wonderful cosy mystery but with some extra layers of emotions weaved cleverly throughout the story. I was completely emotionally invested in Paulie, and was willing her on every step of the way with her endeavours, both in solving the mystery and sorting out her own life. It was fantastic to see her overcome her challenges and issues and to realise that she has friends that she can rely on and who love her , just as she is.
Such a sweet story that was also gripping and exciting, it certainly had me avidly turning the pages and pondering the outcome late into the night!
Abigail, you sure know how to capture my imagination and how to create gorgeous characters that touch my heart, fill me with inspiration and who I would love to know in real life too!
I’m already looking forward to my next trip to Berryport!

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed being immersed in the world of Berryport. The plot was well-paced and kept me guessing. I particularly enjoyed the main character as I was taken beyond my own experiences and into the mind of someone with ADHD. A romping good read with a nice light touch.

[Lee Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful cosy murder mystery tale with plenty of British sea side charm and writing strength in every aspect…

Abigail Yardimci delivers a wonderful cosy murder mystery tale with plenty of British sea side charm and writing strength in every aspect. We follow the life of main character ‘Paulie Trinket’ who is trying to find her way in life while being in her aunt’s care and doing her best to deal with ADHD. Living in the Devonshire town of ‘Berryport’ her aspirations of being more than just a background artist and part-time baker pull her towards the spotlight as she takes on the task of solving a murder. The victim happens to be a popular student in the same drama class as her and when the deed takes place ‘Paulie’ seemingly finds herself pretty close to it both physically and socially. What follows is brilliant ride that completely immersed me in a wonderful murder mystery.

Every element of Yardimci’s writing contains a depth and strength that pulls this story together presenting a real three dimensional world brought to life on the page. ‘Berryport’ is a place you can imagine visiting and the characters are believable along with the setting which is wonderfully described along with every other sense readers will take on here. There is an intricate level of politics or even psychology when it comes to the social scene of a small sea side town and a group of young students studying drama which as you can imagine makes for a great vessel to set this story. There is even a popular social media platform known as ‘BeYu’ and an appropriately named influencer/celebrity called ‘Debbie Devon’ – all of this inventive stuff serves a purpose to deliver a cracking modern read.

‘Every now and then, when the wind got fickle, clashing smells skittered through the bakery: candy floss, fish and chips, spilled rum and, of course, the unmistakeable scent of harbour dregs…’

As ‘Paulie’ becomes an amateur detective she uncovers shadows of the past that help solve what has unfolded in the present while she approaches these situations in her own unique way. There aren’t many stories with good representation of ADHD and the struggles young people face in this world but it is done really well here – this also makes for a unique reading experience with insight and a satisfying coming-of-age theme. For anyone who likes a cosy pirate themed murder mystery with small sea side town vibes and some great description, this is the one for you!

[Pam Keevil · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thoroughly enjoyable cosy-mystery, set against the background of a pirate festival, involving the whole town and including a group of late teen drama students. The main character, student Paulie turns detective with the help of friends and also unravels the mystery of a missing person from years ago. But there are two things which makes this book extra special and well worth reading; the setting and the main character. The setting is a picturesque Devon village/town. However, the action takes place over a year so the reader gets an inkling as to what life is like off season. More importantly, the main character, Paulie, is a teenager with ADHD and the author's description of Paulie's life, internal dialogue, the challenges she faces and her reactions provide a really clear insight into ADHD. I really liked the three friends, Paulie, Breeze and Wren and hope to read more about them in the future.

[Chrissie Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Murder at the Pirate Festival is a fun-filled cozy mystery, set against the backdrop of the exciting Berryport pirate festival, in Devon.
Whilst the story is a cozy mystery, full of intrigue, it’s also spurred along by great characters who know they are different but aren’t afraid be themselves, despite what others may think of them.
This is particularly true of Paulie and Wren who have a unique friendship and are wonderful characters, written so incredibly well, making the reader want to know more about them and the decisions they make. It’s great to read a story with a mix of neurotypical, neurodiverse, and diverse characters.
Murder at the Pirate Festival is a must read for readers who love a good cozy mystery, or books set in Devon! I’m looking forward to the next book in the series already!

[Vanessa Cole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! I may be biased as Brixham has my heart, however this was such an 'easy' read yet full of depth. The characters were fully 3D (even Swanny), but especially our heroes Paulie, Wren, and Breeze, with all their neuro-sparkly characteristics. Gentle humour, with some laugh out loud moments (especially the reference to all the Jack Sparrows!), which kept me guessing to the end. There is much sorrow within the lives of the key characters, and although there is resolution, the author doesn't give us a sickly sweet 'and they all lived happily ever after', for which I am thankful.

Looking forward to Abigail's next Berryport Mystery.

[Miriam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not having read anything by the author before, I very nearly left the book aside as the first few chapters felt like a YA story but I would have missed out on a great read. Paulie is awkward and She reminded me of how I felt at seventeen without AHAD , heading towards adulthood and not knowing what or where I wanted to be. The author has clearly a good insight into people’s personalities and how they think because not any of the characters were one sided, they all had a back story which we briefly were shown. To finish a charming but different cosy mystery and I do hope we meet Paulie and the gang again soon.

[Helen Aitchison · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant cosy mystery set in fictional town, Berryport, is led by an engaging protagonist, Pauline, and a side cast of quirky, colourful characters.
I loved this book — the storyline, the emotions, the humour, the character development, the scene-setting. The pirate theme was fun and the inclusive characters were phenomenal. Another amazing book from an outstanding author. Highly recommended.

[Michaela Trueman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has such a strong setting and main character.

My favourite thing about Murder At the Pirate Festival is the insight the reader gets into Paulie's mind. We get to see her thought patterns and feel her complex emotions. That guided me through the story really nicely. I also liked some of the supporting cast such as Paulie's friend Wren, her aunt Meg, and Coral the ex-detective.

The seaside setting is brought to life by Abigail Yardimci's beautiful descriptive writing.

[Grace Power · Rating 5 out of 5]

Murder at the Pirate Festival set in beautiful Devon was a cosy mystery with a few twists, turns and numerous red herrings that kept me trying to guess the outcome. Paulie was a complex character due to her ADHD but with the help of her friend Wren she managed to solve the mystery and unmask the murderer. Fun, cosy mystery with fantastic characters.

[louise wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed Murder at the Pirate Festival. From the beginning I was completely immersed in the story, it was like I lived there! I could actually see myself walking through the streets and sitting in the bakery. Once Paulie started to really piece together all the evidence, I had to just keep reading until the end. I loved Breeze too. Cannot wait for #2…

[Lynne - The Book Squirrel · Rating 4 out of 5]

The plot was great but the names of the characters drove me crazy! Rex & Bex Bretton, Sage, Breeze & Wren, Cazza, Shazza, Debbie Devon? Really the writer couldn’t come up with decent names! God it was so bad!
Even the names she chose for our beautiful harbour & surrounding areas were just awful!

First & last for me Abigail!

[Lyn Harper · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very enjoyable read with characters that I found to be both believable and engaging.
Abigail transported me to a world of pirate festivals and plot twists with her brilliantly expressive writing.
I really hope that there will be a sequel.

[Caroline (westcountrybumpkinbookworm) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! A great first in a new series of cosy crimes. Cant wait to read the next one :)

[Dave Holwill · Rating 5 out of 5]

A swashbucklingly great read, filled with characters you'll long to know better in a town you'll want to keep coming back to. Five cannon blasts out of five.