Caught Out in Cornwall

Rose Trevelyan #7

by Janie Bolitho

It’s a cold November afternoon and Rose Trevelyan is at Marazion Beach overlooking St. Michael’s Mount trying to capture an image of the blustering seascape.

Suddenly she sees a distress flare go up from a yacht in the bay. Rose immediately alerts the Coast Guard and waits with the small crowd gathered on the beach to watch the rescue mission.

Then something catches her eye: a four-year-old girl wandering along the shore in the pelting rain on her own.

Rose watches as a man approaches the little one — the girl lifts her arms up ready to be carried home.

Then a piercing scream startles the bystanders on the beach. A mother has lost her daughter — and her description matches the little girl Rose has just seen being carried to the car park.

The man wasn’t the girl’s father. And now she’s missing.

Rose is racked with guilt for not intervening. There’s one person she knows she can rely on to help, her on-again off-again boyfriend Detective Jack Pearce.

Genres: Mystery, Crime, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Murder Mystery

290 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 11, 2003

About the author

Aka Jodie Sinclair.

Born in Falmouth, Cornwall, Janie Bolitho enjoyed a variety of careers - psychiatric nurse, debt collector, working for a tour operator, a book-maker's clerk - before becoming a full time writer. She died of breast cancer in 2002.

Reviews

[Stephen Gray · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have thoroughly enjoyed Janie Bolitho's novels Rose Trevelyan, it is so sad that there will be no more. We will never know if Rose finally marries Jack? We will never know so much about the life of Rose, but we will always have the memories of these seven episodes of her life.
This has been a very satisfying and interesting series that i will return to in the future and read again. Thank you Janie RIP.

[Sally Parker · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I would have enjoyed this book more had I read any of the previous novels in the series, which would have made the characters more real. However, the story of the apparent abduction of a four year old from a Cornish beach witnessed by Rose Trevelyan , a local artist, and the subsequent frantic search for the missing child made for a good read. I thought at times there was too much description of domestic details not relevant to the story, but otherwise I enjoyed it.

[Izzy Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book on a short stay in Cornwall and absolutely loved it! I found the story fast paced and well written, imagining the story and characters well. Very accurate depiction of local townspeople and places. I enjoyed the twists and turns it keeps the reader hooked and engaged with the story as you meet all of the different cast members. This is a book in a series which I wasn’t aware of before I read and personally I don’t think you need to read in order but you may get more out of the character development of some of you do read in order. I would definitely recommend and will be reading more when I return on my next trip!

[Kirsty · Rating 3 out of 5]

There seems an interminable amount of detail which we really don't need to know in this one. I really don't need to know if someone washed up, for example, unless it was relevant to the plot. Too much unnecessary filler, really. Plot was reasonable, but from the start there was one elementary question which wasn't asked of a witness, which bugged me throughout, but not asking it turned out to be the hinge the plot ran on. It really wasn't a believable omission. I quite liked the series, but to be honest the points of irritation are beginning to overpower the plots, so I suspect this is the last I'll read.

[Bill Lawrence · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the reading of it, but it felt that it was a draft or two short of being published. Some poor typos and writing that needed tidying up. This maybe due to the sad passing of Janie Bolthio before publication. I enjoyed the setting in Cornwall, largely due to my familiarity with it. Rose is an engaging character, but under-developed, maybe because of assumptions from the previous books in the series. I'd be tempted to read the earlier books to see how they compare.

[margo wheeler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Last in a very good series

I started reading book 4 and realized I liked the writing, setting, characters and plot. Therefore I held off, purchased the entire set and read them right through. All that I liked originally was consistently good throughout.
For those that enjoy a good English (here Cornish) mystery you will thoroughly enjoy this journey.

[Yvonne Lynch · Rating 5 out of 5]

so enjoyed this series of books!

These books have been so well researched and each one has added to the main characters who I would have loved to be friends with!
Storyline was excellent- most authors wouldn’t take on the idea of a mother murdering her child. So, so disappointed that this is the last one in the series!

[Laurie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great series with likable characters and intriguing mysteries. Sadly this the last of the series as the author has passed away. I would have loved to be able to follow more of Rose's adventures.

[Carol A jowett · Rating 5 out of 5]

great series

Love this series. Great characters and always a good ‘who done it ‘ this time it involves the disappearance of a child from a beach. Rose is a witness and Jack is in charge of a seemingly unsolvable crime.

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cornwall

Very much enjoyed this series of seven cozy mysteries. The writer through her main character Rose, an artist, provided brilliant descriptions of the beauty of the Cornwall coast.

[Harry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have enjoyed the 'Cornwall' stories immensely. The protagonists seem so alive and the plots believable. My major regret there will be no more. These stories are the kind that one can go back and read again, and still enjoy. Thank you Janie Bolitho.

[Carol S Tikkanen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Caught Out in Cornwall

This was an excellent story. I had a hard time putting it down. I didn’t expect this ending but it all was so realistic one had no idea it would come to that.

[Debi Ziemba · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this Series

Rose drives me crazy, but the detailed descriptions of Cornwall are amazing imaging. All the characters are memorable. Shall await another saga.

[JoyceCharbonneau · Rating 4 out of 5]

Too sad to be a 5

Well written, suspenseful, completely unexpected conclusion! The familiar people of this Cornwall village evolving and enjoyable as always. And very sad

[Karen Szyszko · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am so mad at myself. I read the last book. It wasn't until I was pages into the story when a reference was made that stopped me with a, "Whoa, when did that happen?" I then realized that this was not Book 6 . . . . By this time, I was too far into the story to put it aside and go back to read Book 6. However, having now read the final book, except for that reference, nothing else deterred from the reading.

Like the other stories before this one, it was captivating from the onset. The descriptions of the Cornish countryside and shorelines are breathtakingly descriptive. However, my suspicion of "Munchausen syndrome" as the explanation for the murder was off. Obviously, I'm not a Rose or a Jack, which is a good thing. I wouldn't have enjoyed the read had I figured it out.

It's a shame that this series has ended. This book gave the impression that there was more to come. Ms. Bolitho's time on this earth came much too soon; but she left me with wonderful friends that I will be able to visit over and over again. Thank you, Jane Bolitho!

[Chrissie Kirk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book #7 in the Rose Trevelyan Cornwall series...I've enjoyed them all and wish there could have been more but Janie Bolitho died in 2002 which was a definite loss to the world of books, the world of the cozy mystery. Lovingly set in the beautiful area of Britain, Cornwall was definitely the star of these stories in my mind. Lovely characters that surrounded the mains of Rose and Jack. Now that I finished and have read the finale I have to wonder if Janie would have had Jack and Rose become permanent partners at some point. I somewhat think they would have joined forces as investigators or Jack retired and Rose went on to become an almost world famous artist with Jack prodding her along! It was a lovely series and I am very happy I came upon it one day in a charity shop in Shrewsbury England!

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

The last book in the series, which, a little formulaic is still worth a read if you like cozy mystery type books.

Rose is, once again, drawn into a murder investigation when she's the last person to see a little girl being 'abducted' from the beach. As usual, she gets involved, much to the consternation of her on/off boyfriend, Jack Pearce, the local police Detective.

I do enjoy reading these mysteries, easy to read in an evening. I'm so sad this is the book in the series as the author passed away, I would have liked to see a happy ending for Rose and Jack.

[David Hull · Rating 5 out of 5]

Saddened as I am that the Author, Janie Bolitho, passed away in 2002 from cancer, this edition concludes the 7-book ‘Rose Trevelyan’ series. These crime fiction stories, set in the West Country (Cornwall, UK), with an interesting cast of characters, each deliver clever and absorbing ‘who dunnit’ stories, varied with different scenarios, each is equally well crafted and intriguing. I will miss them! RIP Janie, you were taken far too soon!

[Polly Sinclair · Rating 3 out of 5]

Final one in the series which I’ve read over a couple of weeks ahead of/whilst in Cornwall. Agree with comments over errors and assumptions but being final book if you’ve read the series you can get over these. Great holiday read. Shame it couldn’t have come to a ‘proper’ conclusion but obviously unavoidable and not sure how I would have wanted it to end anyway!

[Kim Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn’t realise until I began this book that it was the last book in this series due to the author’s death in 2002. I enjoy reading books set in Cornwall, & this book was no exception. The characters are easy to like & the story was briskly paced. I read this book in a day. I will read the other six books in order.

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this as read previous novel, pleasing story with enough mystery and lots of characters developing. Could have done with less incidental information but overall a good , quick read. Sad that Janie Bolitho died before she could finish the series, will have to imagine what future Rose and Jack have.

[Hilary Mccarthy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just had to read the next book.
A good story with plenty red herrings .
Enjoyed it very much and read it in one sitting .
A well written crime novel , more gentle than some but well written with a good plot .
An easy to read , page turning book .

[Mystic Miraflores · Rating 1 out of 5]

The author never explained how the murderer committed the crime. This person needed a car or some other transportation to move the body across town to another area. However, the murderer doesn't own a car!! So how did this person do it? It was a very sloppy and disappointing end to this novel.

[Shirley Dawson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another good little story of crime in the county of Cornwall. A simple, easy to read novel, unlike some mysteries which can be quite long-winded with complicated plots. This is the last in the Rose Trevelyan series by Janie Bolitho.

[Jean Walton · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick read though the subject is somewhat distressing and the ending not hard to percieve. I enjoyed it mostly because it reminded me of happy times there in the past with DH's cousin as we stayed in Penzance and I'm familiar with that area.

[Barb Emanuel · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s my first read from this author but the last book for her series of unintentional sleuth Rose Trevelyn. I really enjoyed it. A few too many characters but a good twist at the end. Nice, easy read.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book.
Set in Cornwall - around Marazion & Penzance.
Rose is an artist and always seems to get involved when a crime is commited.
A young girl goes missing and Rose witnesses her being abducted.
Who took her and why did she seem to go willingly?

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved all the Cornish references, as always, with these good Janie Bolitho stories. Great to read about the characters walking across the Penzance promenade and having a drink the The Yacht!

[Monique · Rating 3 out of 5]

So sad this series ended!

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book