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Wave's End: A Port Stirling Mystery, Book 9
From award-winning storyteller Kay Jennings comes the ninth installment of A Port Stirling Mystery.
The shocking murder of a city councilor has stunned Port Stirling, Oregon, and Police Chief Matt Horning is running hard to find the killer and soothe a nervous town.Port Stirling is torn apart by a controversial new luxury resort planned in a pristine setting near the Pacific Ocean beach. As the city council prepares to vote on the Wave’s End proposal, Freida Ogelthorpe – thought to be the swing vote – is found with a knife in her back. Was her murder related to the resort development decision?
As the tension builds while the killer is still out there, PSPD nerves are fraying. Matt and his local team are forced to investigate professional colleagues and even some of their closest friends. If he fails, will another city councilor be next? Or worse, will Port Stirling itself survive this crisis?
Issues surrounding development are wreaking havoc throughout Oregon, and this small village in a remote, rugged corner of the state is not immune from residents’ discord. Old grudges and competing business interests, bubbling under the surface of the town for decades, begin to boil over. Everyone knows everyone, and everyone is a suspect.
If you like small-town mysteries with a moody ocean setting, a law enforcement team that cares about each other and their town, and a pressure-packed chase to find a killer, you will love this book. Perfect for fans of Ann Cleeves, Robert Dugoni, and Kendra Elliot.
Buy Wave’s End to start reading a taut, nerve-racking story today.Praise for A Port Stirling Mystery
Winner of Writer's Digest best self-published book in the Mystery/Thriller/Suspense category for 2024
"Brisk, instantly engaging police procedural" (The Oregonian)
"I really enjoyed this book from beginning to end. The characters were believable and so was the plot. I highly recommend it! (Lois Shingleton-Verified Purchase
"I recently came across this series by Kay Jennings. I am addicted. It has everything - great characters that you instantly become attached to, intense stories that keep you on the edge, twists and turns." - Elaine E-Verified Purchase
"This series manages to get even better with each book." - WYBound-Verified Purchase
"I just finished reading the sixth book in the Point Stirling Mystery series. I'm retired and read about one book a day.
I love mysteries but lately I've become a little tired of most. This is my first time reading Kay Jennings. From the first book of this series I could tell something was fresh and new. Each book has a difference to it but still developed the main characters. Ms Jennings is a delightful story teller." - Kindle Customer-Verified Purchase
"I was an English teacher and I am impressed with this author. Her writing style in addition to the intrigue she infused into the books makes them awesome and I am not able to put them down until I have finished one and then I can’t wait for the next one." - Kindle Customer-Verified Purchase
"Could not wait for this book to come out; again, it was excellent. The author has a way of dragging you in and not letting go. I enjoy how the law enforcement departments all work together and have respect for each other and their thought processes. I absolutely love everything about her writing and this series." - Little Bird-Verified Purchase
"5.
The shocking murder of a city councilor has stunned Port Stirling, Oregon, and Police Chief Matt Horning is running hard to find the killer and soothe a nervous town.Port Stirling is torn apart by a controversial new luxury resort planned in a pristine setting near the Pacific Ocean beach. As the city council prepares to vote on the Wave’s End proposal, Freida Ogelthorpe – thought to be the swing vote – is found with a knife in her back. Was her murder related to the resort development decision?
As the tension builds while the killer is still out there, PSPD nerves are fraying. Matt and his local team are forced to investigate professional colleagues and even some of their closest friends. If he fails, will another city councilor be next? Or worse, will Port Stirling itself survive this crisis?
Issues surrounding development are wreaking havoc throughout Oregon, and this small village in a remote, rugged corner of the state is not immune from residents’ discord. Old grudges and competing business interests, bubbling under the surface of the town for decades, begin to boil over. Everyone knows everyone, and everyone is a suspect.
If you like small-town mysteries with a moody ocean setting, a law enforcement team that cares about each other and their town, and a pressure-packed chase to find a killer, you will love this book. Perfect for fans of Ann Cleeves, Robert Dugoni, and Kendra Elliot.
Buy Wave’s End to start reading a taut, nerve-racking story today.Praise for A Port Stirling Mystery
Winner of Writer's Digest best self-published book in the Mystery/Thriller/Suspense category for 2024
"Brisk, instantly engaging police procedural" (The Oregonian)
"I really enjoyed this book from beginning to end. The characters were believable and so was the plot. I highly recommend it! (Lois Shingleton-Verified Purchase
"I recently came across this series by Kay Jennings. I am addicted. It has everything - great characters that you instantly become attached to, intense stories that keep you on the edge, twists and turns." - Elaine E-Verified Purchase
"This series manages to get even better with each book." - WYBound-Verified Purchase
"I just finished reading the sixth book in the Point Stirling Mystery series. I'm retired and read about one book a day.
I love mysteries but lately I've become a little tired of most. This is my first time reading Kay Jennings. From the first book of this series I could tell something was fresh and new. Each book has a difference to it but still developed the main characters. Ms Jennings is a delightful story teller." - Kindle Customer-Verified Purchase
"I was an English teacher and I am impressed with this author. Her writing style in addition to the intrigue she infused into the books makes them awesome and I am not able to put them down until I have finished one and then I can’t wait for the next one." - Kindle Customer-Verified Purchase
"Could not wait for this book to come out; again, it was excellent. The author has a way of dragging you in and not letting go. I enjoy how the law enforcement departments all work together and have respect for each other and their thought processes. I absolutely love everything about her writing and this series." - Little Bird-Verified Purchase
"5.
338 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 22, 2025
69 people are currently reading
10 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
September 30, 2025
Kept reading till I was done!
It was perfect to follow the Scotland adventure with a back to home and the Oregon coast location. Characters were exciting and believable.
Wish I could visit that lovely spot and talk to Roger.
It was perfect to follow the Scotland adventure with a back to home and the Oregon coast location. Characters were exciting and believable.
Wish I could visit that lovely spot and talk to Roger.
September 24, 2025
Lies of twists and turns...
Great story with loads of twists and turns. Can't wait for the next in the series! I highly recommend the series.
Great story with loads of twists and turns. Can't wait for the next in the series! I highly recommend the series.
November 23, 2025
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.
🌊 Kay Jennings’ Wave’s End is a gripping continuation of the Port Stirling Mystery series, weaving coastal atmosphere with taut suspense. By the ninth installment, Jennings has honed her craft into a blend of procedural precision and emotional depth, delivering a story that feels both fresh and rooted in the series’ evolving world.
🌒 The Oregon coast setting is vividly alive, its rugged beauty shadowed by danger. Jennings uses the natural environment—storms, tides, and isolation—as a mirror for the turbulence within the investigation.
The tone balances urgency with reflection, ensuring the mystery unfolds with both adrenaline and poignancy.
The pacing is tight, with moments of quiet tension punctuated by bursts of revelation.
👤 Detective Dani Grasso continues to anchor the series with resilience and sharp instincts. In Wave’s End, her personal stakes feel heightened, deepening her character beyond the procedural role.
Supporting figures—colleagues, suspects, and townsfolk—are drawn with ambiguity, each carrying motives that keep readers guessing.
Jennings excels at portraying community dynamics, showing how small-town bonds can both conceal and reveal truths.
🔍 This novel interrogates loyalty, betrayal, and the corrosive effects of secrets.
The title Wave’s End resonates metaphorically, suggesting both the literal dangers of the coast and the figurative breaking point of human endurance.
Jennings explores how past choices ripple into the present, shaping identity and trust.
🎧 The narrative structure is taut, weaving investigative detail with psychological insight.
Jennings uses shifting perspectives to heighten suspense, ensuring readers remain uncertain about who can be trusted.
Dialogue is crisp and authentic, grounding the investigation in realism while pushing the story forward.
⭐ Wave’s End is a compelling addition to the Port Stirling Mystery series, delivering a crime thriller that is as much about atmosphere and community as it is about solving the case. Kay Jennings proves that even nine books in, her series retains its sharp edge and emotional resonance, leaving readers eager for what comes next.
🌊 Kay Jennings’ Wave’s End is a gripping continuation of the Port Stirling Mystery series, weaving coastal atmosphere with taut suspense. By the ninth installment, Jennings has honed her craft into a blend of procedural precision and emotional depth, delivering a story that feels both fresh and rooted in the series’ evolving world.
🌒 The Oregon coast setting is vividly alive, its rugged beauty shadowed by danger. Jennings uses the natural environment—storms, tides, and isolation—as a mirror for the turbulence within the investigation.
The tone balances urgency with reflection, ensuring the mystery unfolds with both adrenaline and poignancy.
The pacing is tight, with moments of quiet tension punctuated by bursts of revelation.
👤 Detective Dani Grasso continues to anchor the series with resilience and sharp instincts. In Wave’s End, her personal stakes feel heightened, deepening her character beyond the procedural role.
Supporting figures—colleagues, suspects, and townsfolk—are drawn with ambiguity, each carrying motives that keep readers guessing.
Jennings excels at portraying community dynamics, showing how small-town bonds can both conceal and reveal truths.
🔍 This novel interrogates loyalty, betrayal, and the corrosive effects of secrets.
The title Wave’s End resonates metaphorically, suggesting both the literal dangers of the coast and the figurative breaking point of human endurance.
Jennings explores how past choices ripple into the present, shaping identity and trust.
🎧 The narrative structure is taut, weaving investigative detail with psychological insight.
Jennings uses shifting perspectives to heighten suspense, ensuring readers remain uncertain about who can be trusted.
Dialogue is crisp and authentic, grounding the investigation in realism while pushing the story forward.
⭐ Wave’s End is a compelling addition to the Port Stirling Mystery series, delivering a crime thriller that is as much about atmosphere and community as it is about solving the case. Kay Jennings proves that even nine books in, her series retains its sharp edge and emotional resonance, leaving readers eager for what comes next.
October 6, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review "Wave's End", the ninth book in Kay Jennings absolutely addictive Port Sterling series, featuring Matt Horning.
Bill Abbott, Port Sterling's City Manager, after enjoying his morning cup of coffee, prepares to meet a new day... but the body in the trunk of his car sure puts an end to that! The body belongs to Freida Oglethorpe, a city councillor who opposes a proposed new, luxury resort called Wave's End, and she is really, most sincerely dead (with a knife sticking out of her back).
Nerves are on edge already in Port Sterling, with seemingly half the town opposed and the other half in favour of the luxury resort, and Police Chief Matt Horning and his entire team must look at everyone as possible suspects (it's always the husband! No, it's the multi-millionaire developer!). Even close friends and associates will not escape the microscope.
While simultaneously keeping a lid on the investigation, and dealing with the evidence such as it is, Matt and his team dive deep into Freida's personal and professional life, and after careful investigation they believe that they have a viable suspect; and arrest is made. But, do they have the right man?
I'm not going to give anything away, but if you have read the previous 8 books in the series you won't want to miss this one! And even if you have not, there's no reason not to - it might convince you to go back to the beginning.
Highly recommended.
Bill Abbott, Port Sterling's City Manager, after enjoying his morning cup of coffee, prepares to meet a new day... but the body in the trunk of his car sure puts an end to that! The body belongs to Freida Oglethorpe, a city councillor who opposes a proposed new, luxury resort called Wave's End, and she is really, most sincerely dead (with a knife sticking out of her back).
Nerves are on edge already in Port Sterling, with seemingly half the town opposed and the other half in favour of the luxury resort, and Police Chief Matt Horning and his entire team must look at everyone as possible suspects (it's always the husband! No, it's the multi-millionaire developer!). Even close friends and associates will not escape the microscope.
While simultaneously keeping a lid on the investigation, and dealing with the evidence such as it is, Matt and his team dive deep into Freida's personal and professional life, and after careful investigation they believe that they have a viable suspect; and arrest is made. But, do they have the right man?
I'm not going to give anything away, but if you have read the previous 8 books in the series you won't want to miss this one! And even if you have not, there's no reason not to - it might convince you to go back to the beginning.
Highly recommended.
October 8, 2025
Great Series
I didn't finish reading book 8 but wanted to start book 9. Couldn't put it down. Obviously I now know what happened to Matt and Fern. I am going back to book 8 to start all over again. This is a great series with well written characters. Matt's gut told him something was wrong even after the first arrest. Thankfully the killer was caught.
I didn't finish reading book 8 but wanted to start book 9. Couldn't put it down. Obviously I now know what happened to Matt and Fern. I am going back to book 8 to start all over again. This is a great series with well written characters. Matt's gut told him something was wrong even after the first arrest. Thankfully the killer was caught.
September 26, 2025
Friday morning the city manager found a body in the trunk of his car
The dead woman had made several enemies, so it took a lot to figure out who killed her. Matt arrest the wrong guy at first.
The dead woman had made several enemies, so it took a lot to figure out who killed her. Matt arrest the wrong guy at first.
December 9, 2025
A truly wonderful example of talent and the ability to craft a series of stories with excellent char
Regardless of topic, inter office memos must have been a truly delightful read. Thanks for all of the books and characters.
Regardless of topic, inter office memos must have been a truly delightful read. Thanks for all of the books and characters.
October 3, 2025
Waves End
As always, Kay Jennings takes the reader on a journey filled with wonderful characters who fight for justice in Port Sterling.
As always, Kay Jennings takes the reader on a journey filled with wonderful characters who fight for justice in Port Sterling.
October 9, 2025
I enjoyed hearing about the characters from the other books. A good story.
October 12, 2025
A Cozy Read
I guess the Port Stirling murder mysteries come under the heading of "cozy." They are too cute by half but are a pleasant diversion and an easy read.
I guess the Port Stirling murder mysteries come under the heading of "cozy." They are too cute by half but are a pleasant diversion and an easy read.
October 21, 2025
Wave’s End
Great book! I look forward to the next book in this series. Hoping to continue reading more. Kay Jennings is a great author.
Great book! I look forward to the next book in this series. Hoping to continue reading more. Kay Jennings is a great author.
October 28, 2025
As usual Kay Jennings never writes a boring book. This was great and kept me enthralled! What a twist at the end! Thank you for another fantastic book! Hope you will keep them coming.
November 9, 2025
I enjoyed this Kay Jennings novel. She’s a keeper as her novels can always be good entertainment!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews