Seashore Secrets: A charming small town cozy mystery, flooded with odd betrayal

by Nelly Stein

Sinister Secrets have bestowed themselves upon the seashore of the small town of Port Davis.

This mystery begins in early Summer. Mavis Ray, Amateur Detective, is consumed with the death of a young woman. Her life came to an end below the bluffs of the local lighthouse. She had captured the hearts of many, but not until she had died this tragic death. They realized her intelligence and works were beyond ordinary. In fact, most categorized them as amazing but herself as odd.

Just how odd, only time would tell. Foul play is not ruled out, so a probe is put in motion. Each time Mavis or her Cohorts of support come across a clue, they encounter a message from beyond the grave. A twist here, a turn there, sending them deeper into the puzzle.

Every eerie piece of evidence showcases the depth of relentless love and bizarre betrayal that the murderer endures. The way they’ve kept their identity hidden is disturbing. Naming this individual is top priority. If left undiscovered, it is unknown if they will kill again.

260 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 29, 2024

Reviews

[Michelle]

Quirky yet methodical

This story is quirky yet methodical. Two words I never thought I’d use to describe the same story and yet it works. It’s part of a series but stands well on its own. The story is about the lives of four friends in this book the ladies have just taken over the detective agency they had been working for. They’re from different backgrounds and have vastly different personalities but they complement each other and balance each other. The mystery itself is where the quirky comes in. A young woman who was murdered leaves clues and riddles to help solve the crime. It’s quite clever. I enjoyed it very much!.

I received a copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Charlene]

a really good read! Lots of twists and turns, murder and mayhem, interesting complex characters and a fast paced story. A real page turner and a must read!

[Bonnie]

Port Davis is a picture perfect town, you would not expect so much murder and mayhem. But that is what the Classy Cohorts find. Taking over the detective agency, the Cohorts have their first case before they can even decide on a name for the agency. This is my favorite of the series so far. I love how each of the characters are developing! And the bond the four of them have forged is something to aspire to. Mavis, Dorthy, Lana and Constance are very different and in other circumstances you can't really see them being friends. But now they can finish each other's thoughts and practically read each other's mind. And when you throw in a little romance for three of the four, they all seem like ladies you might meet for coffee. I am already counting the days until the next book!

[Carol]

Page turning read!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

In this episode of the series, my favourite character of the four detectives is definitely plucky Mavis. She has both a hilarious and (for her) traumatic incident with her hat and shoes but she keeps going! This is a mystery so meticulously written that the threads woven through the story are not always as first impressions, or second, strike the reader! When the culprit(s) is(are)~ no spoilers~ finally brought to justice in a bizarre turn of events ~ the reader is left flabbergasted! Loved this latest instalment! Lots of adventure, sleuthing, and laughter!

[Trina Jones]

This was a good book. I was on the edge of my seat and I couldn't even put it down. This was a fun read and these characters were amazing. Rebecca have to solve a murder and it was mystery who had killed this person. There were many secrets and turns in this town. Could Mavis and Rose help with this mystery could the chaos be more she can handle in this town. Will this mystery be solve in time or will the person be caught.
I highly recommend this book and you won't be disappointed. I received advance copy of this book via Bookfunnel and am voluntarily leaving my honest review. Trina Jones

[Eileen Smith]

I read received this book as part of an advance readers group. I have agreed to provide an honest review.

This is an engaging book. The characters are well-developed as are the descriptions of the setting in which the story takes place.

Now let’s get down to the basics. These ladies have worked together for a while so they actually are a cohesive team while playing to the strengths of each other.

The opening of the book totally blew me away. How the heck can you solve a mystery when there are no witnesses, no fingerprints and the victim doesn’t fit in with the rest of the town so there really isn’t anybody close enough to her to give insight. Okay, now I would thoroughly recommend that you grab a copy and see exactly how the ladies pull off this triumph. And it really is a triumph!

[Tamara Baker]

3.25 stars for an unexpected ending

I have never read a historical mystery before and at first I thought it was quite slow and a bit long and drawn out. However the closer I got to the end, I realised that we needed all of this background to make it the mystery it was.
I loved that each chapter had a name, something not enough books do these days. Characters were loveable, especially Mavis, what a character she was. I did enjoy this but probably wouldn’t read another historical mystery, just too drawn out for me

[Sandy]

I have to admit I had a hard time getting into the beginning of this book. It was difficult to figure out the relationships, what was the significance of the beauty parlor? And who were the members of this new detective agency they were forming.
As I continued reading, I was drawn in more as the story developed and then just had to finish it to find out what was going to happen.
This was not a story that I could anticipate the ending. Twists keeping you on your toes!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Sharmani Jayaram]

Rebecca Osborne's death was talked about and Margot Jackson her friend and one of her landlords wants Dorothy Mavis , Constance and Lana who were amateur sleuths to find out the truth . A lot of mayhem with twist and turns to this book to make it very exciting read  with a edge of the seat finish.   I received this ARC copy via booksprouts and leave a honest review. I recommend this book to other readers.

[Thomas]

Mavis is asked to investigate the death of a local young woman's death that was ruled a suicide.
She was the girls roommate and did not believe the woman would kill herself.

Pro's:
Developed characters and good story line.

Con's:
While the story was enjoyable.
It dragged on a little compared to the previous one.

[G]

Another great book in this series. All books can be read stand alone, but once you have read one you also want to read the others.
The characters in these books are great and give a glimpse into a different time. The story line is fun and easy to follow along. Really fun to read.

I received a free copy of this book from the author. I am leaving a voluntary and honest review.

[Nancy T Vega]

Friendships/Suicide/Murder/Deceit !!!

When friends stick together in good times & in bad, they learn a lot about each other. And after taking on a case they suddenly seem to find a clue here & a clue there. By following their noses they just might solve the case with a little help from some really good people!

[Ann]

Another great instalment in this series. I love the ladies, they're a great bunch of characters, especially Mavis who is the main character in this mystery. Lots of twists and turns and ending quite unexpected. I received an ARC copy of this book but am happy leaving this review as I loved it, couldn't put it down!

[Lesley]

This is a very quirky ‘cozy’ mystery. You have to keep your wits about you as the story is quite complicated and I found at times a little far fetched. However having said that it was enjoyable following the Classy Cohorts and their men as they tried to unravel the mystery of Rebecca’s death.
I received an ARC and am leaving a totally unbiased and honest review.

[Lizz Taylor]

This mystery centers around the questionable suicide of a young woman who may have actually been murdered. As the plot progresses there are a lot of twists and turns and some real surprises. A very enjoyable cozy that can be read as a standalone.

[Lynda]

This story had a lot of twists and turns and people that live in a small town. There are two rich families that have a kind of feud going on. The end of the story was surprising with things you were really not expecting.

[Diane]

This was a very interesting murder mystery where the victim sends clues to the sleuths to help them find out who killed her and why. I must say I was surprised and I did enjoy reading this book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Rowan Creech]

This is a wonderful mystery with many twists and turns with beloved characters as detectives . This was a really enjoyable read and I look forward to more from this author.

[Doreen Farrar]

I've enjoyed the whole series, but this is the best book yet. The writing style is smoother, the characters are well-developed, and the ending is satisfying. Highly recommended!

[Ro]

Slow at first but picked up and was a great mystery.
Enjoy the story.

[diane crile]

A very interesting mystery! Ending is very shockin! A must read if you like mysteries! Very amazing plot! Thank you Nelly Stein for a chance to read this book! Was not required to leave a review!

[Jane litherland]

It’s 1958 and Mavis Ray is consumed by the death of Rebecca was it suicide? The young woman’s life came to an end below the bluff of the lighthouse. The woman, people thought was odd was actually a very clever . They’re getting clues from beyond the grave each step Mavis and her cohorts take to unravelling the mystery. Awesome read , brilliantly written with great suspense and perfect descriptions. I’m leaving a voluntary review in my own words.