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A St Ives Christmas Mystery
When tragedy brings Merrin McKenzie back to St Ives, she knows adjusting might take time, even with the comfort of Christmas back in her hometown. Stepping back from her career as a solicitor, she agrees to clean holiday rentals for her friends who own cottages nearby. She anticipates dirty laundry and sandy floors, but she didn't sign up for a dead body, neatly tucked up in one of the guest beds.
The police are baffled by the young man's identity and the strangeness of his death. For Merrin, however, coincidences are beginning to stack up. Even though Inspector Louis Peppiatt is sceptical of her theories, something sinister is hiding beneath the festive surface of this charming seaside town. As the case unfolds, a dark side to the Cornish coast emerges.
The police are baffled by the young man's identity and the strangeness of his death. For Merrin, however, coincidences are beginning to stack up. Even though Inspector Louis Peppiatt is sceptical of her theories, something sinister is hiding beneath the festive surface of this charming seaside town. As the case unfolds, a dark side to the Cornish coast emerges.
336 pages, Paperback
Published October 23, 2025
8 people are currently reading
65 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
October 16, 2024
I received a free copy of A St Ives Christmas Mystery, by Deborah Fowler, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Merrin Mckenzie is back in St Ives, she is starting over, taking a break from being a solicitor and starts cleaning homes instead, all goes well till she finds a dead body. I liked this book. Merrin and Isla are great characters, in a beautiful setting.
October 25, 2024
Cozy mystery!
Merrin McKenzie remembers the day her husband Adam died. It was an ordinary morning beginning with toast and coffee. Then the telephone call! Her beloved husband has been killed, slain by an efficiently wielded knife attack.
Months later and Merrin has sold their family home in Oxford and moved back to the lovely village she grew up in, St Ives.
Helping out her friend Clara, Merrin who doesn’t clean’, has been persuaded to help out with the ‘changeover’ cleaning for a couple of Bed and Breakfasts Cara owns.
Only one contains the body of a young man laid out peacefully on the bed. Bizarre!
Next there’s police involvement, and a somewhat tenuous clue of her daughter’s land lady’s nephew being missing!
The tale flowed along at just the right pace. An enjoyable read.
An Allison & Busby ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
Merrin McKenzie remembers the day her husband Adam died. It was an ordinary morning beginning with toast and coffee. Then the telephone call! Her beloved husband has been killed, slain by an efficiently wielded knife attack.
Months later and Merrin has sold their family home in Oxford and moved back to the lovely village she grew up in, St Ives.
Helping out her friend Clara, Merrin who doesn’t clean’, has been persuaded to help out with the ‘changeover’ cleaning for a couple of Bed and Breakfasts Cara owns.
Only one contains the body of a young man laid out peacefully on the bed. Bizarre!
Next there’s police involvement, and a somewhat tenuous clue of her daughter’s land lady’s nephew being missing!
The tale flowed along at just the right pace. An enjoyable read.
An Allison & Busby ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
October 26, 2024
Thank you NetGalley and Allison & Busby Limited for a copy of "A St. Ives Christmas Mystery" in exchange for my honest opinion.
This was the first book in what I hope will be a very long series! It hooked me from the first page with the interesting characters, descriptive setting and scenery. The story starts and ends on April 12th - one year apart. In Bristol on April 12th Merrin McKenzie experiences the worst day of her life. Her beloved husband Chief Inspector Adam McKenzie has been stabbed and does not make it.
Seven months later Merrin has moved back to her childhood home of St. Ives with Horatio the rescue African Grey Parrot with a serious attitude problem. Merrin and Adam had met in college where they both read law. Adam went onto the police force and Merrin into family law. They have one daughter named Isla who is studying at Oxford.
Clara ropes Merrin into helping her clean their holiday lets because their cleaner left without notice. Clara and her husband Tristan own a busy restaurant that takes up all their time. While cleaning one of the cottages, Merrin finds a dead young man. After calling 999 Merrin stays with the young lad. When Inspector Louis Peppiatt arrives he thinks Merrin is a suspect because he thinks she tucked him in and finds it odd that she sat with him.
Clara takes advantage of her friendship with Merrin again when she sticks her in as a waitress at the restaurant. She also shows up with William - "the ugliest dog in the world" - who is an absolutely adorable character. Merrin quickly bonds with this odd dog and even Horatio takes to him immediately.
Isla thinks there is a link between the dead lad and her landlady's missing nephew. So many questions: why didn't the aunt report James missing? Why is she so angry when Isla tried to help? And why so reluctant to give DNA? What is the landlady hiding - it becomes a huge piece in this complicated puzzle.
There is also an interesting link with a fisherman who washed up 3 years ago with the exact same injuries and cause of death as young James. We also have the cleaner who reappears and is rather unfriendly and hostile. Leading Merrin to believe that she might have known James.
When another body turns up, suspicion falls on Steve Matthews who drives a van for a shady character named Rick, but everyone believes in his innocence. Enough so that Merrin agrees to be his solicitor pro bono.
As all the pieces fall into place, Inspector Peppiatt places himself in great danger to save an innocent. As everyone gathers with their loved ones for Christmas, all the stories come out and everything wraps up neatly.
The story ends on April 12th, the first anniversary of Adam's death. Merrin has fit back into the St. Ives community, she has Horatio and William and hopefully many more stories and adventures in the future. Easily my favourite new series of the year.
This was the first book in what I hope will be a very long series! It hooked me from the first page with the interesting characters, descriptive setting and scenery. The story starts and ends on April 12th - one year apart. In Bristol on April 12th Merrin McKenzie experiences the worst day of her life. Her beloved husband Chief Inspector Adam McKenzie has been stabbed and does not make it.
Seven months later Merrin has moved back to her childhood home of St. Ives with Horatio the rescue African Grey Parrot with a serious attitude problem. Merrin and Adam had met in college where they both read law. Adam went onto the police force and Merrin into family law. They have one daughter named Isla who is studying at Oxford.
Clara ropes Merrin into helping her clean their holiday lets because their cleaner left without notice. Clara and her husband Tristan own a busy restaurant that takes up all their time. While cleaning one of the cottages, Merrin finds a dead young man. After calling 999 Merrin stays with the young lad. When Inspector Louis Peppiatt arrives he thinks Merrin is a suspect because he thinks she tucked him in and finds it odd that she sat with him.
Clara takes advantage of her friendship with Merrin again when she sticks her in as a waitress at the restaurant. She also shows up with William - "the ugliest dog in the world" - who is an absolutely adorable character. Merrin quickly bonds with this odd dog and even Horatio takes to him immediately.
Isla thinks there is a link between the dead lad and her landlady's missing nephew. So many questions: why didn't the aunt report James missing? Why is she so angry when Isla tried to help? And why so reluctant to give DNA? What is the landlady hiding - it becomes a huge piece in this complicated puzzle.
There is also an interesting link with a fisherman who washed up 3 years ago with the exact same injuries and cause of death as young James. We also have the cleaner who reappears and is rather unfriendly and hostile. Leading Merrin to believe that she might have known James.
When another body turns up, suspicion falls on Steve Matthews who drives a van for a shady character named Rick, but everyone believes in his innocence. Enough so that Merrin agrees to be his solicitor pro bono.
As all the pieces fall into place, Inspector Peppiatt places himself in great danger to save an innocent. As everyone gathers with their loved ones for Christmas, all the stories come out and everything wraps up neatly.
The story ends on April 12th, the first anniversary of Adam's death. Merrin has fit back into the St. Ives community, she has Horatio and William and hopefully many more stories and adventures in the future. Easily my favourite new series of the year.
April 11, 2025
Murder mystery in ST IVES
Merrin Mackenzie remained in Bristol after her university studies, living with her husband and child. She felt well settled but a tragic event sees her relocating to St Ives, where she grew up. There is no longer any family there, her brother is in Australia, but she feels drawn to change her life.
She has been a practising solicitor but as her new life begins, she will be cleaning holiday lets for her old friend, which suits her just fine. Another old friend sets her up with accommodation, somewhere where her pet parrot, Horatio, can live reasonably happily. She is all set to get on with this new chapter of her life.
On virtually her first cleaning assignment, Merrin (which incidentally means sea pearl in Cornish) discovers a body, that of a young man, tucked up in one of the bedrooms. It is, as she suspects, a murder scene – an extraordinary occurrence, as crime in St Ives is negligible. Merrin finds herself increasingly involved in the ensuing investigation and then another death occurs….. Clearly there is something very dark going on.
Location plays a prominent backdrop in this novel – the Sloop (pub), which dates back to the 1300s, gets a good mention, Fore Street (there is, in fact, a wealth of odd street name in St Ives) and of course the sea is everywhere “The sea flowing into the harbour, on a sunny day, was an extraordinary colour combination of deep blues and greens, translucent and sparkling – quite unlike anywhere else”.
This is a nicely paced whodunnit that is firmly and recognisably set in this beautiful part of the world.
Merrin Mackenzie remained in Bristol after her university studies, living with her husband and child. She felt well settled but a tragic event sees her relocating to St Ives, where she grew up. There is no longer any family there, her brother is in Australia, but she feels drawn to change her life.
She has been a practising solicitor but as her new life begins, she will be cleaning holiday lets for her old friend, which suits her just fine. Another old friend sets her up with accommodation, somewhere where her pet parrot, Horatio, can live reasonably happily. She is all set to get on with this new chapter of her life.
On virtually her first cleaning assignment, Merrin (which incidentally means sea pearl in Cornish) discovers a body, that of a young man, tucked up in one of the bedrooms. It is, as she suspects, a murder scene – an extraordinary occurrence, as crime in St Ives is negligible. Merrin finds herself increasingly involved in the ensuing investigation and then another death occurs….. Clearly there is something very dark going on.
Location plays a prominent backdrop in this novel – the Sloop (pub), which dates back to the 1300s, gets a good mention, Fore Street (there is, in fact, a wealth of odd street name in St Ives) and of course the sea is everywhere “The sea flowing into the harbour, on a sunny day, was an extraordinary colour combination of deep blues and greens, translucent and sparkling – quite unlike anywhere else”.
This is a nicely paced whodunnit that is firmly and recognisably set in this beautiful part of the world.
January 24, 2025
"Something sinister is hiding beneath the festive surface of this charming seaside town"
When tragedy brings widow Merrin McKenzie back to live in St Ives from her current home in Bristol, leaving her young adult daughter Isla to complete her studies at Oxford, she knows adjusting might take time, even with the comfort of Christmas back in her hometown. Stepping back from her career as a solicitor, she agrees to clean holiday rentals for her friends who own two cottages nearby, after their change-over person had let them down at the last minute. The couple also own a restaurant business in the town, which means they are always short of time, especially with the Christmas rush just around the corner. Not fond of housekeeping at the best of times, Merrin anticipates dirty laundry and sandy floors, but on her first day, she didn't sign up for a dead body, neatly tucked up in the guest bedroom of one of the cottages.
When Inspector Louis Peppiatt is called in to investigate, he at first questions why a fifty-something woman is so calm and collected about her discovery, or why she is quite so forthright and in his eyes, interfering with her constant questions and suggestions, even insinuating at one point that she might be implicated as a suspect in the person's demise. It isn't until much later that Louis will realise exactly who this formidable and determined woman is, and her excellent credentials for offering her help and services in an investigation which is much more complex than he had at first thought and which quickly turns more ugly and dangerous than he could have imagined, with multiple violent crimes involved. Something sinister is hiding beneath the festive surface of this charming seaside town and as the case unfolds, a dark side to the beautiful Cornish coast emerges, steeped in the history and lore of the past.
The reverberations of Merrin's discovery also echo far beyond this small Cornish town and ultimately involve police forces from several different and geographically diverse authorities. They also reach out as far as Oxford, to include Isla and her friend Maggie, which directly affects not only their University placements, but their off-campus living arrangements too. At first Isla is despairing of her mother's involvement with the investigation, as she was never in favour of her having sold up and moved out of the family home quite so soon anyway. However, once the facts surrounding the case become clearer and Isla realises that her own and definitely Maggie's safety is under threat, she is only too keen to have Merrin work alongside Louis to help uncover the perpetrators and see them brought to justice.
It is down to the wire as to whether Christmas is going to pass Louis and his team, or Merrin and her family and friends by, or if there is any hope that the season of goodwill might herald in an altogether better New Year for them all!
...
Oh My Goodness! This is definitely a new cosy series I shall be following avidly, with not too long to wait, as I see that episode #2 is due out later in 2025.
Deborah Fowler is an author who definitely knows how to weave an excellent storyline, full of many threads and replete with plenty of sneaky twists and turns along the way. Whilst I might have needed to suspend belief just a little at the many coincidences which came together so neatly to solve the case, the dots took a very convoluted route to join and complete the circle, but come together they did, and in the most satisfactory of ways. Cornwall also has a rich, well-documented history and rather dubious claim to fame, when it comes to pirates smuggling contraband into the country completely under the radar, so to have this theme brought bang up to date, made for a satisfying read, in a storyline which was face-paced and ever-changing, presented in well proportioned and sharply focused chapters.
Alongside the many crimes which were tangled in this web of lies and deceit, there was a profusion of characters, who, love or loathe them (and there was plenty of opportunity for both), were all relatable, even if I did connect with some of them more easily than others. Coercive control was also one of the important themes of the book, together with grief, the vulnerabilities of adults who have difficulties communicating, and friendships both new and those re-kindled.
I have come to the conclusion that all 'armchair detectives' tend to be female and of a certain age, with Merrin McKenzie being no exception. They all manage to rub their respective police forces up the wrong way, with their ability to spot clues which are often obvious, yet over-looked, as well as having the knack of wheedling information out of both potential witnesses and suspects, without them even realising it. This love/hate relationship between amateur sleuth and a police contact who is usually male, single and 'damaged', tends to blossom into mutual respect and friendship quite quickly, although with Merrin's grief still fairly new and raw, I shall be interested to see the development of the characters and their relationship, going forward. Peppiatt is at the stage where he is probably ready to move on in his private life, with the inherent complications and complexities having been all but ironed out, but will Merrin want to take the risk of being hurt again by the dangers of the job, or risk upsetting Isla who is far from ready for a new male influence in her life?
The author also writes with authority and personal experience about real, named locations she knows well and that they happen to be in Cornwall, one of my most favourite parts of the UK, is all the better. Whilst descriptions of individual sites are kept fairy low-key in their description, there is more than enough detail to offer a genuine 'feel' for them, evoking a good sense of time and place. She has also wonderfully captured the uniqueness of the Cornish people, in their imagined appearance, words, turns of phrase and deeds. I could almost imagine myself sitting on a bench at the seafront in St Ives, with my fish and chips from Clara's place, trying to shield them from the thieving beaks of the persistent and ever-hungry seagulls, whilst passing the time of day with one or two of the locals. And all that before moving on to enjoy a pleasant few hours browsing the culture on offer in the wonderful 'The Tate St Ives'!
My first cosy mystery of 2025 and it couldn't have been a more fulfilling distraction, just what I need right now!
When tragedy brings widow Merrin McKenzie back to live in St Ives from her current home in Bristol, leaving her young adult daughter Isla to complete her studies at Oxford, she knows adjusting might take time, even with the comfort of Christmas back in her hometown. Stepping back from her career as a solicitor, she agrees to clean holiday rentals for her friends who own two cottages nearby, after their change-over person had let them down at the last minute. The couple also own a restaurant business in the town, which means they are always short of time, especially with the Christmas rush just around the corner. Not fond of housekeeping at the best of times, Merrin anticipates dirty laundry and sandy floors, but on her first day, she didn't sign up for a dead body, neatly tucked up in the guest bedroom of one of the cottages.
When Inspector Louis Peppiatt is called in to investigate, he at first questions why a fifty-something woman is so calm and collected about her discovery, or why she is quite so forthright and in his eyes, interfering with her constant questions and suggestions, even insinuating at one point that she might be implicated as a suspect in the person's demise. It isn't until much later that Louis will realise exactly who this formidable and determined woman is, and her excellent credentials for offering her help and services in an investigation which is much more complex than he had at first thought and which quickly turns more ugly and dangerous than he could have imagined, with multiple violent crimes involved. Something sinister is hiding beneath the festive surface of this charming seaside town and as the case unfolds, a dark side to the beautiful Cornish coast emerges, steeped in the history and lore of the past.
The reverberations of Merrin's discovery also echo far beyond this small Cornish town and ultimately involve police forces from several different and geographically diverse authorities. They also reach out as far as Oxford, to include Isla and her friend Maggie, which directly affects not only their University placements, but their off-campus living arrangements too. At first Isla is despairing of her mother's involvement with the investigation, as she was never in favour of her having sold up and moved out of the family home quite so soon anyway. However, once the facts surrounding the case become clearer and Isla realises that her own and definitely Maggie's safety is under threat, she is only too keen to have Merrin work alongside Louis to help uncover the perpetrators and see them brought to justice.
It is down to the wire as to whether Christmas is going to pass Louis and his team, or Merrin and her family and friends by, or if there is any hope that the season of goodwill might herald in an altogether better New Year for them all!
...
Oh My Goodness! This is definitely a new cosy series I shall be following avidly, with not too long to wait, as I see that episode #2 is due out later in 2025.
Deborah Fowler is an author who definitely knows how to weave an excellent storyline, full of many threads and replete with plenty of sneaky twists and turns along the way. Whilst I might have needed to suspend belief just a little at the many coincidences which came together so neatly to solve the case, the dots took a very convoluted route to join and complete the circle, but come together they did, and in the most satisfactory of ways. Cornwall also has a rich, well-documented history and rather dubious claim to fame, when it comes to pirates smuggling contraband into the country completely under the radar, so to have this theme brought bang up to date, made for a satisfying read, in a storyline which was face-paced and ever-changing, presented in well proportioned and sharply focused chapters.
Alongside the many crimes which were tangled in this web of lies and deceit, there was a profusion of characters, who, love or loathe them (and there was plenty of opportunity for both), were all relatable, even if I did connect with some of them more easily than others. Coercive control was also one of the important themes of the book, together with grief, the vulnerabilities of adults who have difficulties communicating, and friendships both new and those re-kindled.
I have come to the conclusion that all 'armchair detectives' tend to be female and of a certain age, with Merrin McKenzie being no exception. They all manage to rub their respective police forces up the wrong way, with their ability to spot clues which are often obvious, yet over-looked, as well as having the knack of wheedling information out of both potential witnesses and suspects, without them even realising it. This love/hate relationship between amateur sleuth and a police contact who is usually male, single and 'damaged', tends to blossom into mutual respect and friendship quite quickly, although with Merrin's grief still fairly new and raw, I shall be interested to see the development of the characters and their relationship, going forward. Peppiatt is at the stage where he is probably ready to move on in his private life, with the inherent complications and complexities having been all but ironed out, but will Merrin want to take the risk of being hurt again by the dangers of the job, or risk upsetting Isla who is far from ready for a new male influence in her life?
The author also writes with authority and personal experience about real, named locations she knows well and that they happen to be in Cornwall, one of my most favourite parts of the UK, is all the better. Whilst descriptions of individual sites are kept fairy low-key in their description, there is more than enough detail to offer a genuine 'feel' for them, evoking a good sense of time and place. She has also wonderfully captured the uniqueness of the Cornish people, in their imagined appearance, words, turns of phrase and deeds. I could almost imagine myself sitting on a bench at the seafront in St Ives, with my fish and chips from Clara's place, trying to shield them from the thieving beaks of the persistent and ever-hungry seagulls, whilst passing the time of day with one or two of the locals. And all that before moving on to enjoy a pleasant few hours browsing the culture on offer in the wonderful 'The Tate St Ives'!
My first cosy mystery of 2025 and it couldn't have been a more fulfilling distraction, just what I need right now!
November 21, 2024
2.75 stars rounded up. If you like your cosy mysteries and accept the quirks of the genre (amateur sleuth, police divulging details they never would in real life, coincidences, etc), then you’ll probably love this. For me, it just felt a bit… I don’t know, I got major “debut writer” vibes from this, and yet the author has clearly published a lot. The tone of voice was quite newbie for me - that slightly prim and correct style of writing, rarely using contractions so speech sounds a bit stilted (like most people would say “I’d rather”, but here it would be “I would rather”. And a lot of “telling” rather than “showing” the reader. You could drown in the cojncidences here (Merrin seeming to always find the clues for the police, and the whole Oxford bit full stop (seriously, what are the odds of all that?). The over repetition of Clara calling Merrin “darling Pearl” virtually every time, and Jack calling her “my maid” over and over… yes, we got the message of CORNWALL, loud and clear thanks.
As I said, if you like your cosy mysteries - especially the fluffy amateur sleuth end of the range - you’ll probably love this. I’m not sure it’s a series I’d continue with myself at the moment though, given how many books I have on my TBR pile.
I received a free ARC copy of this via NetGalley and the publishers in return for an unbiased review.
As I said, if you like your cosy mysteries - especially the fluffy amateur sleuth end of the range - you’ll probably love this. I’m not sure it’s a series I’d continue with myself at the moment though, given how many books I have on my TBR pile.
I received a free ARC copy of this via NetGalley and the publishers in return for an unbiased review.
September 23, 2024
After the death of her husband, Merrin has moved back St Ives, the town where she grew up. When an old friend, who owns a couple of holiday rentals, asks her to help clean them up before the arrival of holiday guests, she agrees. Housekeeping is not exactly her thing and she hopes she won’t find too much of a mess. She definitely did not anticipate finding the body of a young man tucked up neatly, almost lovingly, in one of the bedrooms.
A St Ives Christmas Mystery is the start to a new cozy mystery series by Deborah Fowler and it is quite an entertaining beginning. The pace here is somewhat slow, more character than action driven and that’s not a bad thing, as it allows the story to build gradually as we get to know the characters who are well-drawn with interesting back stories as well as the countryside which Fowler describes beautifully. There are several plot lines, both in St Ives and in Oxford where Merrin’s daughter attends school but they are eventually all tied together satisfactorily. Over all, a quiet but very enjoyable Christmas cozy.
Thanks to Netgalley and Allison & Busby for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review
A St Ives Christmas Mystery is the start to a new cozy mystery series by Deborah Fowler and it is quite an entertaining beginning. The pace here is somewhat slow, more character than action driven and that’s not a bad thing, as it allows the story to build gradually as we get to know the characters who are well-drawn with interesting back stories as well as the countryside which Fowler describes beautifully. There are several plot lines, both in St Ives and in Oxford where Merrin’s daughter attends school but they are eventually all tied together satisfactorily. Over all, a quiet but very enjoyable Christmas cozy.
Thanks to Netgalley and Allison & Busby for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review
October 24, 2024
Fifty-four year old family solicitor Merrin McKenzie was recently widowed when husband CI McKenzie was killed on the job. She just can't face staying in her empty house and consoling friends what with her daughter Isla up at university. She and her African Grey Parrot (Horatio) move house back to St Ives where she grew up. There she reconnects with childhood friends who help her to acclimate as well as asking her to do some housekeeping tasks at the Holiday house they rent. And blessing her with a very odd doggo (William) whose owner had a stroke. After finding the first body she meets with Inspector Louis Peppiatt (who eventually becomes a friend) as well as a constable nearing retirement who remembers her from school days. It isn't until the second body that she is introduced to the Border Force and the local courts. This is a new series and I hope to read everything this author brings out!
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected proof copy from Allison & Busby via NetGalley. Thank you! Avail NOW
##AStIvesChristmasMystery by Deborah Fowler #NetGalley @AllisonandBusby #CozyCrime #NewSeries
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected proof copy from Allison & Busby via NetGalley. Thank you! Avail NOW
##AStIvesChristmasMystery by Deborah Fowler #NetGalley @AllisonandBusby #CozyCrime #NewSeries
October 17, 2024
Merrin moves back to St. Ives after the death of her policeman husband. She is in her mid fifties and decides to retire from her job as a solicitor. Once back in St. Ives. a good friend from her past persuades Merrin to help clean her b & b's. Much to Merrin's surprise, a dead body is found in one of the beds. Merrin is drawn into the mystery of the death. Soon, she meets the local police, more friends from her past and an adorable dog. Merrin struggles as to where life will lead her after her husband's demise. She is concerned about her daughter at Oxford and her relationship with her daughter. The author does a good job of introducing characters who interact while Merrin finds clues to solve the murders in St. Ives. This is a good start to a new series. A possible love interest or companionship relationship evolves near the end of the novel. The Christmas in the title really just refers to the time of the year of the story. Thanks to NetGalley for this arc.
November 1, 2024
"A St Ives Christmas Mystery" is a cozy mystery set in England. The main characters were likable and interesting. Merrin was a solicitor and married a policeman, so she understood legal issues as well as thought things out (rather than making random guesses). She often came across clues that she passed on to the detective on the case, Louis. They worked well together, but Louis often felt like Merrin was making connections that weren't there...so she sometimes felt like she needed to get further proof. Louis and the police did most of the investigating, and we also follow that investigation.
This was a clue-based mystery that can be puzzled out, though generally Louis and Merrin came to the correct conclusions as fast as the reader could. There was no sex. There was some bad language (with about a third of that being British bad language). Overall, I'd recommend this interesting mystery.
I received an ebook review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.
This was a clue-based mystery that can be puzzled out, though generally Louis and Merrin came to the correct conclusions as fast as the reader could. There was no sex. There was some bad language (with about a third of that being British bad language). Overall, I'd recommend this interesting mystery.
I received an ebook review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.
October 29, 2024
This story introduces Merrin McKenzie, a lawyer whose police officer husband is stabbed and killed at the beginning of the story. The story moves forwards 7 months and Merrin has moved back to St Ives, where she grew up. He friend Clara asks her to help out by standing on for her missing cleaner by cleaning her holiday lets. Merrin is probably the world's worst cleaner but she agrees to help. Then, she stumbles across a body whilst cleaning and finds herself suspected of murder by Inspector Pepplatt. Eventually, the real story emerges with a satisfying conclusion. As a Cornish resident, I really enjoyed the descriptions of the St Ives area and I also found the characters enjoyable and, in most cases likeable. This was a pleasant, easy read and I'm looking forward to Merrin's future adventures.
November 25, 2024
A cozy crime tale, St Ives Christmas Mystery (2024) by Deborah Fowler is the first book of a new mystery series. After her husband, a policeman was killed on duty, Merrin McKenzie quits her legal practice and moves back to her childhood hometown of St Ives - on the West Cornish coastline. Reuniting with her old friend, Merrin agrees temporarily to clean her two holiday cottages, only to discover a dead body in one. A surprisingly integrated mystery unfolds with the disappearance of a local teenager and the death of a fisherman years earlier. A delightful read and police procedural, with its well-rounded characters and easily flowing narrative that is a four stars rating. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own, freely given and without any inducement. With thanks to Allison & Busby publishers and the author, for an uncorrected advanced review copy for review purposes.
October 27, 2024
A well written cosy with a likable heroine. Merrin McKenzie has been recently widowed. Seeking a change, she returns to her childhood village of St Ives in Cornwall. It doesn’t take long until she is helping the police with a two suspicious murders that also involve drug running, and relationship abuse. The story develops gradually as Merrin and the local police piece together the clues. St Ives is beautifully described and it is obvious the author is well acquainted with the area. This is the start of a new series and I look forward to reading the next installment. Thanks to NetGalley, and Allison and Busby for the advance electronic copy. I recommend this book.
A true cosy with no bad language, sex, or graphic details.
A true cosy with no bad language, sex, or graphic details.
June 8, 2025
If you like cosy mysteries with unthinkable happenings, twists and secrets, look no further. I loved the setting of St Ives. Author has written the book so well. First Merrin husband dies then she decides to move back her home to St Ives but murders consumes St Ives also. Police investigation takes place and when the secrets come out, they bring everyone’s life at stake. Merrin is a recently widowed, she is getting over her husband’s loss and now when murder happens in her lovely village too, it tangles her as well. I didn’t guess the twists. The ending was so unpredictable
October 30, 2024
A St Ives Christmas Mystery is the first book in a new cozy mystery series. The pace here is somewhat slow, more character than action driven as the story builds gradually an we get to know the characters who are all new since it's a new story, The setting is lovely and beautifully described, An enjoyable start. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
January 3, 2026
This was a book club read and it wasn't really for me. Merrin moves to St Ives after the death of her husband and almost single handedly saves several people from various disasters. The book comes across quite patronising in parts and ill informed in others. The characters all read the same and felt quite under developed. Not a fan of this authors work but I can imagine there is a market and fan base for it.
November 26, 2024
This is the first book I’ve read by author Deborah Fowler, but it won’t be the last. With likeable and interesting main characters, good supporting cast (including a parrot and a dog), and an interesting plot made this a great first entry. Looking forward to more from this author!
December 13, 2024
good cozy mystery
December 3, 2025
More like 3.75 stars. A good cozy, and having spent some time in St Ives, I especially enjoyed the setting details.
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