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A Lacey Doyle Cozy Mystery #12

Scandal of the Seaside

“A great story of murder, romance, new beginnings, love, friendships and a wonderful cascade of mystery.”
--Amazon reviewer (regarding Murder in the Manor)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

SCANDAL OF THE SEASIDE (A LACEY DOYLE COZY MYSTERY—BOOK 12) is the twelfth book in a charming new cozy mystery series which begins with MURDER IN THE MANOR (Book #1), a #1 Bestseller with over 100 five-star reviews—and a free download!

Lacey Doyle, 39 years old and freshly divorced, made a drastic change when she walked away from the fast life of New York City and settled down in the quaint English seaside town of Wilfordshire. Now with a new relationship and a blossoming business, it looks like Lacey has the life she always dreamed of.

But Lacey could never predict that purchasing an ancient pirate’s compass would throw her off-course into deadly waters. The murder of its authenticator exposes sinister undercurrents among the town’s founding families, compelling Lacey to solve this maritime mystery before she’s forced to abandon ship—permanently!

Immerse yourself in the charming world of the Lacey Doyle series, where warmth intertwines with witty amusement and whimsical peculiarities. With expert craftsmanship, the series stitches together soft chuckles, heartfelt emotions, and unexpected plot turns. Be prepared to be charmed by a lovable protagonist who's sure to ensnare your heart and keep you engrossed until the early morning light.

Future books in the series are also available!

"Very entertaining. I highly recommend this book to the permanent library of any reader that appreciates a very well written mystery, with some twists and an intelligent plot. You will not be disappointed. Excellent way to spend a cold weekend!"
--Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (regarding Murder in the Manor)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“The story line wasn't just a who done it, but had a story about her life and romance, including village life. Very entertaining.”
--Amazon reviewer (regarding Murder in the Manor)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“It has endearing and sometimes quirky characters, a plot that keeps you reading and the right amount of romance. I can’t wait to start book two!”
--Amazon reviewer (regarding Murder in the Manor)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“What a great story of murder, romance, new beginnings, love, friendships and a wonderful cascade of mystery.”
--Amazon reviewer (regarding Murder in the Manor)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“This is a clean contemporary romance that you will find hard to put down!”
--Amazon reviewer (regarding Always, Forever)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“A bit of romance and a very determined woman! I have read many of Fiona Grace's novels and loved every one of them—this was no exception. I am looking forward to reading the rest of this new series!”
--Amazon reviewer (regarding Always, With You)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

152 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 6, 2025

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About the author

Fiona Grace

699 books773 followers
Debut author Fiona Grace is author of the LACEY DOYLE COZY MYSTERY series which includes MURDER IN THE MANOR (Book #1), DEATH AND A DOG (Book #2) and CRIME IN THE CAFE (Book #3). Fiona would love to hear from you, so please visit www.fionagraceauthor.com to receive free ebooks, hear the latest news, and stay in touch.

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Community Reviews

5 stars
39 (32%)
4 stars
42 (34%)
3 stars
37 (30%)
2 stars
2 (1%)
1 star
1 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
Profile Image for Audrey.
71 reviews
September 5, 2026
I would actually give this a 3.5 stars if I could.

It was cute and exactly what I needed: a mindless cozy mystery to focus on while going on my morning walk. It was entertaining enough that while listening I wasn't constantly thinking about what I needed to get done that day or what we were going to have for dinner.

The premise is Lacy Forrester lives in a seaside town in which a large sailing festival is happening. She owns an antiques shop in the town, and often finds herself at estate sales where she purchases items she can resell in her shop. One such sale she attends is the estate of an old sailor, so she knows her chances of selling merchant sailing collectibles is high with the sailing festival in town.

When she purchases a large ship's compass with a vague engraving on it, she enlists the help of a professor who specializes in maritime history to determine it's origins and worth. But when Professor Wright turns up murdered in his home, Lacy realizes the history of the compass might be more complex than she first imagined.

This book was super cute. It wasn't anything that was going to blow your socks off, but it was a fun, carefree "beach read"--the kind of book you take to the beach because it's entertaining, easy to follow and you can put it down and pick it up at random.

The best part of this book was certainly the reader, who was the quintessential British reader. Even though she didn't do an amazing job differentiating between the different characters, she had different voices for the main characters (Lacy was American) and thus it worked. My favorite character was Gina, Lacy's 50-something co-worker, so reminded me so much of Emily Blunt in The Devil Wears Prada, I couldn't visualize Gina as anyone else.

The story itself was very simple. There weren't any real shocking plot twists and it was fairly predictable. There were certain parts I believe Fiona Grace was opting for a more comedic impact; Lacy is pregnant and craves cheeseburgers and there was a ridiculous amount of mentions about this.

This is a good one to pass the time when you don't really want an in-depth book that requires a lot of thinking.
199 reviews1 follower
September 12, 2025
Great entry into the Lacy Doyle series

Lacy’s latest antique purchase lands her in the mysterious past of her town’s history. Solving murder and mayhem replete with pirates, she handles both the mysteries and her pregnancy.
Profile Image for Jenna.
426 reviews2 followers
September 27, 2026
Audiobook version.
Cute mystery book. I didn't realize until I was almost a quarter in, that this is a series. It was fine for the story, but i could tell she had history with all the characters that was probably explained in previous books.
89 reviews1 follower
December 13, 2025
Cute as usual.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Joe Hoggard.
217 reviews6 followers
August 29, 2026
Short, simple cozy story. You have to appreciate a good nautical pun because this book is awash in them.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews