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Death Under the Slovenian Sun: A thrilling, twisty mystery set on the sparkling Adriatic coast
Detective Petra Vidmar is back! Expect more stunning scenery, lovable protagonists, clever twists and of course, a baffling murder. It's the perfect summer holiday read!
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It's high summer in Slovenia. The charming resort town of Portorož is swarming with holidaymakers, and Detective Petra Vidmar is losing her cool.
Fresh from her success solving the baffling murder of a beloved colleague, Petra's been enjoying sunshine, ice cream and very little crime in her new home on the stunning Slovenian coast. Life is blissful . . . until a superyacht drifts into the harbour with a body sprawled on deck.
Steffi de Vries was a star on the social media scene, but her glittering career and picture-perfect life were brutally cut short. It seems that among her millions of followers, were many jealous boyfriends; ambitious rivals; illicit lovers and vengeful business partners. But who took their dislike beyond their phone screen and into real life?
Petra and her assistant Policist Aleš Koren soon find themselves deep in the world of wealth, glamour, luxury and 'likes'. But not all is as it seems . . . can they prise off the filter of perfection to reveal the murderous truth?
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Following Death on the Adriatic, this is Georgina Stewart's second twisty, clever mystery set on the breathtakingly beautiful Slovenian coast. Perfect for fans of Tom Hindle, Robert Thorogood and Donna Leon.
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Praise for Death on the Adriatic:
'I thoroughly enjoyed this book... the description of the Slovenian coast made me feel that I was there. Hopefully this is the first in a series as I would love to go again!' - Amazon reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'An excellent debut novel from a promising young writer... the setting is wonderful... and best of all, I didn't see the ending coming. I look forward to this novel becoming a series' - Amazon reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'If you want to read a good mystery, set in a lovely place and featuring great characters, this is the right book!' - Amazon reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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It's high summer in Slovenia. The charming resort town of Portorož is swarming with holidaymakers, and Detective Petra Vidmar is losing her cool.
Fresh from her success solving the baffling murder of a beloved colleague, Petra's been enjoying sunshine, ice cream and very little crime in her new home on the stunning Slovenian coast. Life is blissful . . . until a superyacht drifts into the harbour with a body sprawled on deck.
Steffi de Vries was a star on the social media scene, but her glittering career and picture-perfect life were brutally cut short. It seems that among her millions of followers, were many jealous boyfriends; ambitious rivals; illicit lovers and vengeful business partners. But who took their dislike beyond their phone screen and into real life?
Petra and her assistant Policist Aleš Koren soon find themselves deep in the world of wealth, glamour, luxury and 'likes'. But not all is as it seems . . . can they prise off the filter of perfection to reveal the murderous truth?
----------
Following Death on the Adriatic, this is Georgina Stewart's second twisty, clever mystery set on the breathtakingly beautiful Slovenian coast. Perfect for fans of Tom Hindle, Robert Thorogood and Donna Leon.
----------
Praise for Death on the Adriatic:
'I thoroughly enjoyed this book... the description of the Slovenian coast made me feel that I was there. Hopefully this is the first in a series as I would love to go again!' - Amazon reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'An excellent debut novel from a promising young writer... the setting is wonderful... and best of all, I didn't see the ending coming. I look forward to this novel becoming a series' - Amazon reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'If you want to read a good mystery, set in a lovely place and featuring great characters, this is the right book!' - Amazon reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
384 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 28, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I read Death Under the Slovenian Sun with a mix of national pride and a healthy dose of skepticism. As a Slovene, I found it flattering to see our coast, specifically Portorož, turned into a playground for a cozy murder mystery. Detective Petra Vidmar is back, and the peace of her seaside life is ruined when a superyacht drifts into the harbour with a dead influencer, Steffi de Vries, on deck. It is a classic setup that moves the investigation from sunshine and ice cream straight into the shallow, filtered world of social media fame.
Petra remains a likable lead, especially as she tries to keep her cool in the middle of a high-summer tourist swarm. Her assistant, Aleš Koren, provides a solid enough foil, though I wanted more meat on his character bones. The contrast between the relaxed Adriatic lifestyle and the frantic, image-obsessed world of the victim is where the book finds its rhythm. However, I have to be honest about a nagging issue: the way Stewart mixes Slovenian and English words. For a local reader, it stutters; it doesn't flow naturally and often feels like it's trying too hard to remind us of the location.
Thematically, the story looks at the gap between an online "picture-perfect" life and the ugly reality of those who live it. Steffi had millions of followers but just as many enemies, from jealous rivals to illicit lovers. It’s a cynical but fair commentary on our current obsession with digital validation. The writing style is light and professional, clearly aimed at fans of Robert Thorogood or Donna Leon, but I found myself wishing for a bit more linguistic consistency to help the immersion.
The pacing is generally tight, though the middle section circles the drain of influencer tropes a few times too many. I appreciated the cleverness of the twists, but the "bilingual" dialogue felt like a speed bump in an otherwise smooth ride. If you can ignore the clunky language mixing, the atmosphere of Portorož is captured well. It’s a sharp, observational read that doesn't sugarcoat the absurdity of social media fame, even if it does lean into the "sunshine and secrets" vibe of a holiday read.
I left the book feeling like I’d just had a slightly messy chat with an old friend. It has its flaws, mostly in the execution of the local dialect, but the emotional core is honest. It’s a unique entry in the genre because of its setting, and Petra is a detective I’d actually like to have coffee with. If you want a mystery that feels like a summer trip with a side of murder, this is it; just be prepared for the linguistic jumps.
Petra remains a likable lead, especially as she tries to keep her cool in the middle of a high-summer tourist swarm. Her assistant, Aleš Koren, provides a solid enough foil, though I wanted more meat on his character bones. The contrast between the relaxed Adriatic lifestyle and the frantic, image-obsessed world of the victim is where the book finds its rhythm. However, I have to be honest about a nagging issue: the way Stewart mixes Slovenian and English words. For a local reader, it stutters; it doesn't flow naturally and often feels like it's trying too hard to remind us of the location.
Thematically, the story looks at the gap between an online "picture-perfect" life and the ugly reality of those who live it. Steffi had millions of followers but just as many enemies, from jealous rivals to illicit lovers. It’s a cynical but fair commentary on our current obsession with digital validation. The writing style is light and professional, clearly aimed at fans of Robert Thorogood or Donna Leon, but I found myself wishing for a bit more linguistic consistency to help the immersion.
The pacing is generally tight, though the middle section circles the drain of influencer tropes a few times too many. I appreciated the cleverness of the twists, but the "bilingual" dialogue felt like a speed bump in an otherwise smooth ride. If you can ignore the clunky language mixing, the atmosphere of Portorož is captured well. It’s a sharp, observational read that doesn't sugarcoat the absurdity of social media fame, even if it does lean into the "sunshine and secrets" vibe of a holiday read.
I left the book feeling like I’d just had a slightly messy chat with an old friend. It has its flaws, mostly in the execution of the local dialect, but the emotional core is honest. It’s a unique entry in the genre because of its setting, and Petra is a detective I’d actually like to have coffee with. If you want a mystery that feels like a summer trip with a side of murder, this is it; just be prepared for the linguistic jumps.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Well done to author Georgiana Stewart for producing another really enjoyable murder mystery.
Inspector Petra Vidmar is now living on the coast and is the lead detective at her local station. It’s high Summer and the temperatures are uncomfortably hot when Petra and her team get word that a young woman’s body has been found on a luxury yacht in a nearby resort.
This is the beginning of a pleasantly complicated mystery involving a British stag party, a group of teenage Dutch girls and some mysterious men who appear to have prior history with Petra.
As with the author’s previous book, this has a strong sense of place and it’s easy to imagine the stifling temperatures and busy night life of Portoroz. The Slovenian coast seems to be a real meeting place of nationalities and this is emphasised in the book with a focus on the difficulties caused by so many languages in the investigation. Sometimes it felt as if this point was made a little too often but that is a minor niggle in what was a well plotted and written mystery.
Unlike the last book, the suspects involved in the murder were not an especially likeable set. Several of them appeared to be very self centred and most of them were lying to the police at some point which made it an intriguing case to try and solve.
Petra and her colleagues are definitely becoming more of a team now and it’s nice to have a young detective who isn’t carrying years of baggage behind her. Petra comes across as a very normal young woman trying to make a home in a new place. The addition of the cat was a nice touch of light relief as was the introduction of the young officer Bisjak whose enthusiasm reminded me of a young puppy.
This was an excellent new book in this series and I will definitely be reading whatever Petra and her team get involved with next.
Thank you as always to Net Galley and the publishers, Little Brown Group for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Inspector Petra Vidmar is now living on the coast and is the lead detective at her local station. It’s high Summer and the temperatures are uncomfortably hot when Petra and her team get word that a young woman’s body has been found on a luxury yacht in a nearby resort.
This is the beginning of a pleasantly complicated mystery involving a British stag party, a group of teenage Dutch girls and some mysterious men who appear to have prior history with Petra.
As with the author’s previous book, this has a strong sense of place and it’s easy to imagine the stifling temperatures and busy night life of Portoroz. The Slovenian coast seems to be a real meeting place of nationalities and this is emphasised in the book with a focus on the difficulties caused by so many languages in the investigation. Sometimes it felt as if this point was made a little too often but that is a minor niggle in what was a well plotted and written mystery.
Unlike the last book, the suspects involved in the murder were not an especially likeable set. Several of them appeared to be very self centred and most of them were lying to the police at some point which made it an intriguing case to try and solve.
Petra and her colleagues are definitely becoming more of a team now and it’s nice to have a young detective who isn’t carrying years of baggage behind her. Petra comes across as a very normal young woman trying to make a home in a new place. The addition of the cat was a nice touch of light relief as was the introduction of the young officer Bisjak whose enthusiasm reminded me of a young puppy.
This was an excellent new book in this series and I will definitely be reading whatever Petra and her team get involved with next.
Thank you as always to Net Galley and the publishers, Little Brown Group for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I read an eARC of this book so thank you to the author and the publisher.
I understand this is the second book in a series. I had not read the first, but I didn’t have any trouble following the story. I think I would have more understanding of the characters and their backstories if I’d read the first, but I didn’t have any trouble reading this standalone.
This is a police procedural with a perfect summer setting. It’s set on the Slovenian coast line and we have a young influencer found dead in a luxury boat. The detective must piece together everyone she had spoken to and who could have motive to understand what happened to this girl.
This was an easy read, there’s plenty of intrigue, misdirection and shady characters, all set to a gorgeous backdrop of the a summer seaside town. There’s some cute little details like the visiting cat, the ice cream shop and the landlady who knows everyone’s business. This would be a good beach read where you’re looking for a compelling mystery with a fun and unique setting.
I understand this is the second book in a series. I had not read the first, but I didn’t have any trouble following the story. I think I would have more understanding of the characters and their backstories if I’d read the first, but I didn’t have any trouble reading this standalone.
This is a police procedural with a perfect summer setting. It’s set on the Slovenian coast line and we have a young influencer found dead in a luxury boat. The detective must piece together everyone she had spoken to and who could have motive to understand what happened to this girl.
This was an easy read, there’s plenty of intrigue, misdirection and shady characters, all set to a gorgeous backdrop of the a summer seaside town. There’s some cute little details like the visiting cat, the ice cream shop and the landlady who knows everyone’s business. This would be a good beach read where you’re looking for a compelling mystery with a fun and unique setting.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Inšpektorica Petra Vidmar is back for a second investigation following Georgina Stewart's Debut - Death on the Adriatic in 2025.
A tourist is found dead on a luxury boat on the Slovenian coast and Petra and her team are back to investigate. Now living by the sea, Petra is now the lead detective and is becoming familiar with the coastal resort and getting to know the foibles of her colleagues . Supported by her police team of Aleš Koren ,Medved, Crevatini and the enthusiastic Bizjak, several suspects come to the fore - who is the murderer?
This is a great read- the characters are really developing and the police procedural aspects are fast paced and full of twists and turns. Petra Vidmar is a great creation - fully of empathy and not loaded down with dark past( as is the case in so many detective series)
The sun of the Adriatic fills the pages and the plot is a pitch perfect.
A great summer time crime read . Georgina Stewart is creating a winning series- roll on book 3 - (4.5 out of 5 .. if I give 5 then it puts high expectation on the next story:-) )
Thank you to Constable publishing and Netgalley for the advance copy
A tourist is found dead on a luxury boat on the Slovenian coast and Petra and her team are back to investigate. Now living by the sea, Petra is now the lead detective and is becoming familiar with the coastal resort and getting to know the foibles of her colleagues . Supported by her police team of Aleš Koren ,Medved, Crevatini and the enthusiastic Bizjak, several suspects come to the fore - who is the murderer?
This is a great read- the characters are really developing and the police procedural aspects are fast paced and full of twists and turns. Petra Vidmar is a great creation - fully of empathy and not loaded down with dark past( as is the case in so many detective series)
The sun of the Adriatic fills the pages and the plot is a pitch perfect.
A great summer time crime read . Georgina Stewart is creating a winning series- roll on book 3 - (4.5 out of 5 .. if I give 5 then it puts high expectation on the next story:-) )
Thank you to Constable publishing and Netgalley for the advance copy
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews