What do you think?
Rate this book
Mirabelle Bevan Mystery #1
Brighton Belle
“Great fun. The world needs Mirabelle’s feistiness, intelligence, and charm.”—James Runcie, author of the Grantchester mysteries
In post-World War II England, former Secret Service operative Mirabelle Bevan becomes embroiled in a new kind of intrigue…
1951: In the popular seaside town of Brighton, it’s time for Mirabelle Bevan to move beyond her tumultuous wartime years and start anew. Accepting a job at a debt collection agency seems a step toward a more tranquil life.
But as she follows up on a routine loan to Romana Laszlo, a pregnant Hungarian refugee who’s recently come off the train from London, Mirabelle’s instincts for spotting deception are stirred when the woman is reported dead, along with her unborn child.
After encountering a social-climbing doctor with a sudden influx of wealth and Romana’s sister, who seems far from bereaved and doesn’t sound Hungarian, Mirabelle decides to dig deeper into the suspicious circumstances surrounding the death. Aided by her feisty sidekick—a fellow office worker named Vesta Churchill (“no relation to Winston,” as she explains)—Mirabelle unravels a web of evil that stretches from the Brighton beachfront to the darkest corners of Europe. Putting her own life at risk, she must navigate a lethal labyrinth of lies and danger to expose the truth.
In post-World War II England, former Secret Service operative Mirabelle Bevan becomes embroiled in a new kind of intrigue…
1951: In the popular seaside town of Brighton, it’s time for Mirabelle Bevan to move beyond her tumultuous wartime years and start anew. Accepting a job at a debt collection agency seems a step toward a more tranquil life.
But as she follows up on a routine loan to Romana Laszlo, a pregnant Hungarian refugee who’s recently come off the train from London, Mirabelle’s instincts for spotting deception are stirred when the woman is reported dead, along with her unborn child.
After encountering a social-climbing doctor with a sudden influx of wealth and Romana’s sister, who seems far from bereaved and doesn’t sound Hungarian, Mirabelle decides to dig deeper into the suspicious circumstances surrounding the death. Aided by her feisty sidekick—a fellow office worker named Vesta Churchill (“no relation to Winston,” as she explains)—Mirabelle unravels a web of evil that stretches from the Brighton beachfront to the darkest corners of Europe. Putting her own life at risk, she must navigate a lethal labyrinth of lies and danger to expose the truth.
188 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 20, 2012
175 people are currently reading
2409 people want to read
About the author
Sara Sheridan
46 books430 followersBorn in Edinburgh. I'm a complete swot - love books always have! Currently obsessed with late Georgian/ early Victorian culture, the subject of several of my novels, and with 1950s Britain for my Mirabelle Bevan murder mystery series set across the UK - and even one in Paris. Occasionally write tie-in books for historical dramas on TV, children's picture books and short stories, mostly for charitable causes.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 271 reviews
May 17, 2021
You would think that after decades of reading, and decades of disappointments, I would have learned that – sometimes – there really is truth to that old saw about a book by its cover. But sometimes you can judge a book! And look at this one! It's gorgeous!
Dammit.
So the story goes that Mirabelle worked in the offices for the secret service during WWII, though she never went into the field, and now that the war is over she has a job working with a debt collector. A client comes in one day looking to get his money back from a girl who has disappeared and then she turns up dead only something seems hinky about it and meanwhile Mirabelle's boss is home sick but then he disappears too and then there's a high-end prostitute who kills her client and they're all connected to this other woman and also to this priest that Mirabelle and her now-dead lover Jack knew in the war and then he disappears along with the girl who works in the office down the hall from Mirabelle who gets swept into the whole mess and kidnapped and … did I leave anything out? Probably.
Actually, one thing I'm leaving out is the motivation behind it all. There's a sort of "oh, really?" reveal – "He walked over to the corner of the room and dramatically pulled off the tarpaulin to reveal" something very exciting. That would have been such a dramatic moment … if the reader didn't already know all about it. Actually, all of the revelations – like the identity of that girl who owed the money – were kind of lame.
Mirabelle … She is the epitome of the "I'm not going to tell the police anything because obviously I know far better than they do" kind of detective. She decides that with her training she's totally qualified to fling herself into the whole thing and get to the bottom of it. She flings caution and common sense (and legality) to the wind and begins breaking into places willy-nilly. Of course she appropriates evidence. One suspect/witness tells her so much upon three minutes' acquaintance and some very awkward questioning that I think my mouth was hanging open for the whole scene – it was absurd.
The only plausible excuse for this kind of interference by a civilian is that the police are either uninterested or incompetent. And here, to use one of my favorite Star Trek quotes, "Sorry – neither." The cop in charge is not stupid, and he's working the case(s) as hard anyone could. And all I could think as this woman tromps through crime scenes and flies by the seat of her pants was that if she would only collaborate with the cops everything might resolve more quickly and safely. Example: she finds herself looking for a house somewhere there have been noise complaints – something the police should have the resources to be able to find very quickly.
"We need information, Miss Churchill, but this isn’t a job for amateurs."
And then the young woman from the office down the hall, Vesta, becomes involved. Where Mirabelle has a modicum of training from the war, Vesta is pure civilian, and struck me as little more than a lamb to the slaughter. She does not volunteer – she is volunteered by Mirabelle. She baffles me, Vesta does. She's a black woman struggling to succeed in post-war England, and I think she's supposed to be of Jamaican origins, but she comes off as American South.
In the end, terrible things happen that I can't imagine would have happened if Mirabelle hadn't been trying to do it all on her own with her even more inexperienced helper. It was completely implausible, and deeply irritating, and when a completely and utterly unnecessary death occurs the book loses any possibility of anything more than a two-star rating.
Chapter headings throughout are taken from many different sources, but these sources are not, as they usually are, given with the quotes. Instead they're all lumped into one page at the end… so when one chapter is headed "All right then, I’ll go to hell" I was just … confused. (Sorry, I'm behind on my Twain.) Either the author didn't put any thought into it, or she gave the reader far more credit than this one deserves in quote identification.
What amazes me is that after so many things go wrong, such horrific things happen – after Mirabelle spends a time (accurately) bemoaning things like "I’ve failed .... I can’t save anyone, least of all myself. There are corpses everywhere. I’m the kiss of death" … still, at the end she is so pleased with herself that she and Vesta are going into business together. And a whole new series is born. "We got skills", Vesta states.
Like what? Like only screwing things up badly enough that some people get killed, not everyone?
It may not need saying that I had a hard time liking Mirabelle. Part of the reader's introduction to her is as she avoids paying a fee for using a deck chair … even though it comes to be pretty obvious that she has ample money. (Which explains a lot, doesn't it.) The writing is mostly adequate to the task of telling the story, in terms of putting sentences together, but as my attempt at summarizing the plot above may indicate it's all very confused. There is head-hopping; there is homonym confusion; there are a few really jumbled, slightly disastrous sentences. Overall … not a promising beginning.
One last note – I find it depressing that the only two books I've ever seen use my grandmother's maiden name, Duggan, are this one and another one which was nearly as bad.
The usual disclaimer: I received this book via Netgalley for review.
Dammit.
So the story goes that Mirabelle worked in the offices for the secret service during WWII, though she never went into the field, and now that the war is over she has a job working with a debt collector. A client comes in one day looking to get his money back from a girl who has disappeared and then she turns up dead only something seems hinky about it and meanwhile Mirabelle's boss is home sick but then he disappears too and then there's a high-end prostitute who kills her client and they're all connected to this other woman and also to this priest that Mirabelle and her now-dead lover Jack knew in the war and then he disappears along with the girl who works in the office down the hall from Mirabelle who gets swept into the whole mess and kidnapped and … did I leave anything out? Probably.
Actually, one thing I'm leaving out is the motivation behind it all. There's a sort of "oh, really?" reveal – "He walked over to the corner of the room and dramatically pulled off the tarpaulin to reveal" something very exciting. That would have been such a dramatic moment … if the reader didn't already know all about it. Actually, all of the revelations – like the identity of that girl who owed the money – were kind of lame.
Mirabelle … She is the epitome of the "I'm not going to tell the police anything because obviously I know far better than they do" kind of detective. She decides that with her training she's totally qualified to fling herself into the whole thing and get to the bottom of it. She flings caution and common sense (and legality) to the wind and begins breaking into places willy-nilly. Of course she appropriates evidence. One suspect/witness tells her so much upon three minutes' acquaintance and some very awkward questioning that I think my mouth was hanging open for the whole scene – it was absurd.
The only plausible excuse for this kind of interference by a civilian is that the police are either uninterested or incompetent. And here, to use one of my favorite Star Trek quotes, "Sorry – neither." The cop in charge is not stupid, and he's working the case(s) as hard anyone could. And all I could think as this woman tromps through crime scenes and flies by the seat of her pants was that if she would only collaborate with the cops everything might resolve more quickly and safely. Example: she finds herself looking for a house somewhere there have been noise complaints – something the police should have the resources to be able to find very quickly.
"We need information, Miss Churchill, but this isn’t a job for amateurs."
And then the young woman from the office down the hall, Vesta, becomes involved. Where Mirabelle has a modicum of training from the war, Vesta is pure civilian, and struck me as little more than a lamb to the slaughter. She does not volunteer – she is volunteered by Mirabelle. She baffles me, Vesta does. She's a black woman struggling to succeed in post-war England, and I think she's supposed to be of Jamaican origins, but she comes off as American South.
In the end, terrible things happen that I can't imagine would have happened if Mirabelle hadn't been trying to do it all on her own with her even more inexperienced helper. It was completely implausible, and deeply irritating, and when a completely and utterly unnecessary death occurs the book loses any possibility of anything more than a two-star rating.
Chapter headings throughout are taken from many different sources, but these sources are not, as they usually are, given with the quotes. Instead they're all lumped into one page at the end… so when one chapter is headed "All right then, I’ll go to hell" I was just … confused. (Sorry, I'm behind on my Twain.) Either the author didn't put any thought into it, or she gave the reader far more credit than this one deserves in quote identification.
What amazes me is that after so many things go wrong, such horrific things happen – after Mirabelle spends a time (accurately) bemoaning things like "I’ve failed .... I can’t save anyone, least of all myself. There are corpses everywhere. I’m the kiss of death" … still, at the end she is so pleased with herself that she and Vesta are going into business together. And a whole new series is born. "We got skills", Vesta states.
Like what? Like only screwing things up badly enough that some people get killed, not everyone?
It may not need saying that I had a hard time liking Mirabelle. Part of the reader's introduction to her is as she avoids paying a fee for using a deck chair … even though it comes to be pretty obvious that she has ample money. (Which explains a lot, doesn't it.) The writing is mostly adequate to the task of telling the story, in terms of putting sentences together, but as my attempt at summarizing the plot above may indicate it's all very confused. There is head-hopping; there is homonym confusion; there are a few really jumbled, slightly disastrous sentences. Overall … not a promising beginning.
One last note – I find it depressing that the only two books I've ever seen use my grandmother's maiden name, Duggan, are this one and another one which was nearly as bad.
The usual disclaimer: I received this book via Netgalley for review.
September 13, 2016
5 Words: Murder, mystery, feminism, investigation, British.
Yes, I did pick this book up based purely on the cover. Because that cover is stunning.
That was a relatively fun yet cosy mystery. I liked that Mirabelle pushed herself, tested the boundaries of society. She seemed like a very brave and intelligent (if slightly bored) young woman. I liked her tenacity in her investigations, how she honed her second-hand skills.
But I found this book a little too easy to put down, which meant it took a long time to read. It was easy to just fall out of the story and stop caring. Despite the feminist Mirabelle setting the story apart from others in the genre, it still felt a lot like a bog standard British murder-mystery.
Over all it was good, nice. Just not as great as I thought it could be. It was a very comfortable book to read with no really big surprises.
Yes, I did pick this book up based purely on the cover. Because that cover is stunning.
That was a relatively fun yet cosy mystery. I liked that Mirabelle pushed herself, tested the boundaries of society. She seemed like a very brave and intelligent (if slightly bored) young woman. I liked her tenacity in her investigations, how she honed her second-hand skills.
But I found this book a little too easy to put down, which meant it took a long time to read. It was easy to just fall out of the story and stop caring. Despite the feminist Mirabelle setting the story apart from others in the genre, it still felt a lot like a bog standard British murder-mystery.
Over all it was good, nice. Just not as great as I thought it could be. It was a very comfortable book to read with no really big surprises.
January 16, 2019
You can read all of my book reviews on my blog -> Cover2CoverMom
I'm going to preface this review with the fact that I am not a fan of cozy mysteries, so take my review with a grain of salt. If I do not like cozy mysteries, then why did I request it? I have no idea. I can't remember if it was sent to me unsolicited, or if I somehow accidentally requested it... Either way I ended up giving it a go.
The premise behind this one is that a former WWII secret service operative settles down working for a debt collector after the war. When people start turning up dead and others go missing, Mirabelle decides to take matters into her own hands and do some digging. Mirabelle was a driven female lead, that was determined to unveil the truth surrounding this mystery. While I appreciated Mirabelle's tenacity & determination, I questioned many of her decisions which placed herself (and others) in dangerous situations. Mirabelle's poor decisions and reckless behaviors made it hard for me to root for her. Mirabelle felt very naive & foolhardy, which contradicts her past occupation as a secret service operative...
The writing overall seemed to be a tad on the developing side. There were instances where the POV shifted out of the blue in the middle of a chapter. The transitions definitely needed a little work. I had some issues with the overall plot as well...
One thing that really irked me while Brighton Belle was that I felt like the reader is just thrown into this story without proper character development or backstory. It almost seemed like this book was the second in a series, or possibly a spin off series, and that we were already supposed to be familiar with the main character & her back story. We learn early on in the book that Mirabelle is mourning the loss of a lover that died in the war by the name of Jack. Jack is often referenced throughout the book, but we don't ever learn his backstory or really anything about their relationship. Oh yeah, did I mention that Mirabelle was the "other woman" and he was totally going to leave his wife for her? ((Insert eye roll here)) The way Jack is referenced made it seem like the reader should have known who this character was before coming into this novel. It all felt a bit disorienting to me.
The biggest issue I had with the plot line in Brighton Belle would be the fact that there were far too many coincidences, improbabilities, and plot holes for me to enjoy this one. I found myself highlighting many scenarios where I was rolling my eyes either because the scene was far-fetched or unbelievable. This is one of my biggest pet peeves in any type of crime fiction.
If you are one that enjoys simplistic cozy mystery types of books, this one may work for you, but it was not my cup of tea.
*Big thanks to Kensington Books for providing me with a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I'm going to preface this review with the fact that I am not a fan of cozy mysteries, so take my review with a grain of salt. If I do not like cozy mysteries, then why did I request it? I have no idea. I can't remember if it was sent to me unsolicited, or if I somehow accidentally requested it... Either way I ended up giving it a go.
The premise behind this one is that a former WWII secret service operative settles down working for a debt collector after the war. When people start turning up dead and others go missing, Mirabelle decides to take matters into her own hands and do some digging. Mirabelle was a driven female lead, that was determined to unveil the truth surrounding this mystery. While I appreciated Mirabelle's tenacity & determination, I questioned many of her decisions which placed herself (and others) in dangerous situations. Mirabelle's poor decisions and reckless behaviors made it hard for me to root for her. Mirabelle felt very naive & foolhardy, which contradicts her past occupation as a secret service operative...
The writing overall seemed to be a tad on the developing side. There were instances where the POV shifted out of the blue in the middle of a chapter. The transitions definitely needed a little work. I had some issues with the overall plot as well...
One thing that really irked me while Brighton Belle was that I felt like the reader is just thrown into this story without proper character development or backstory. It almost seemed like this book was the second in a series, or possibly a spin off series, and that we were already supposed to be familiar with the main character & her back story. We learn early on in the book that Mirabelle is mourning the loss of a lover that died in the war by the name of Jack. Jack is often referenced throughout the book, but we don't ever learn his backstory or really anything about their relationship. Oh yeah, did I mention that Mirabelle was the "other woman" and he was totally going to leave his wife for her? ((Insert eye roll here)) The way Jack is referenced made it seem like the reader should have known who this character was before coming into this novel. It all felt a bit disorienting to me.
The biggest issue I had with the plot line in Brighton Belle would be the fact that there were far too many coincidences, improbabilities, and plot holes for me to enjoy this one. I found myself highlighting many scenarios where I was rolling my eyes either because the scene was far-fetched or unbelievable. This is one of my biggest pet peeves in any type of crime fiction.
If you are one that enjoys simplistic cozy mystery types of books, this one may work for you, but it was not my cup of tea.
*Big thanks to Kensington Books for providing me with a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
March 1, 2016
I am SO glad I requested this one and SO glad there was nothing or no one to bother me while reading it. There was a lot going on in this book, by that I mean characters and plots. Yet, it was so GOOD!! The list of suspects was so long, there is absolutely no way anyone could have figured out what was going on in this book. I had to read some things a couple of times because there were new characters and I thought I had missed something, which I had. Especially at the end with the lady on the train.
This book definitely kept me riveted and so thoroughly entertained. I loved it! I highly recommend it. It will keep you wondering the whole time.
Huge thanks to Kensington Books for approving my request and to Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest review.
This book definitely kept me riveted and so thoroughly entertained. I loved it! I highly recommend it. It will keep you wondering the whole time.
Huge thanks to Kensington Books for approving my request and to Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest review.
November 8, 2019
Osim zgodne naslovnice,ova knjiga je potpuni promašaj za mene.
Plitki,naivni krimić o dvije ženske koje se igraju detektiva...
Možda štivo za neku čekaonicu!?!
Plitki,naivni krimić o dvije ženske koje se igraju detektiva...
Možda štivo za neku čekaonicu!?!
January 12, 2016
Mystery set in Brighton (“So good that I’ve already bought the next two in the Mirabelle Bevan Mystery Series”)
1951 sees Mirabelle Bevan retired from her wartime job with the Secret Service and living a rather lonely and limited life in Brighton. Following the death of her lover and hopes of a cosy domestic life, she has left London with all its memories and taken a job well beneath her capabilities in a Brighton debt collection agency. Life seems to have little to offer her, apart from frequent nips of whisky and the daily challenge of outwitting the beach attendant so she can occupy a deckchair for free and eat her solitary lunchtime sandwich looking at the sea.
When her boss, Big Ben McGuigan, takes some sudden leave because of illness, Mirabelle is left in charge and that’s when Bert Jennings shows up wanting assistance in recovering a £400 debt from a pregnant Hungarian refugee, Romana Laszlo, who has supposedly come to Brighton to have her baby. Mirabelle starts to work the case and soon finds that facts about Romana don’t add up and she just can’t resist doing a little detective work to discover the truth. For this, she enlists the help of the delightful Vesta Churchill, a young black woman who works in an insurance office in the same building as Mirabelle. Mirabelle and Vesta, when the latter can be persuaded away from her chocolate biscuit tin, uncover a complex and deadly plot, involving prostitution, Nazi war criminals and numerous brutal deaths.
Sara Sheridan is better known as a writer of historical fiction and one of the best things about this novel is the way in which post-war austerity, fifties dress, food (or lack of it) and décor are so brilliantly evoked. Sheridan also doesn’t shy away from spelling out for us the racism endemic in 50’s Britain. Vesta’s philosophical acceptance of the cruelty, insults and unfair treatment speak volumes.
Brighton Belle has all the necessary qualities of good detective fiction and thankfully it tells the story in a clear and straightforward manner. How unusual is that nowadays? But it does more. The setting combined with a female detective and female side-kick/assistant feels very fresh. Mirabelle, too, is a very engaging character and certainly not two-dimensional as many fictional detectives are. The only negative thing I could say about this book (and this is probably just a fault of my too-vivid imagination) is that Mirabelle is portrayed as a very elegant and sophisticated woman and yet she is described as leaping over walls and vaulting fences and I just can’t see that in 1950’s dress. Just ignore me – way too picky.
All in all, this novel is Sara Sheridan’s first foray into the realm of crime fiction but by no means her first book. She has written much in other genres and it shows. Brighton Belle is slick, fast paced, well-crafted and just darned good. So good that I’ve already bought the next two in the Mirabelle Bevan Mystery Series.
Praise indeed.
1951 sees Mirabelle Bevan retired from her wartime job with the Secret Service and living a rather lonely and limited life in Brighton. Following the death of her lover and hopes of a cosy domestic life, she has left London with all its memories and taken a job well beneath her capabilities in a Brighton debt collection agency. Life seems to have little to offer her, apart from frequent nips of whisky and the daily challenge of outwitting the beach attendant so she can occupy a deckchair for free and eat her solitary lunchtime sandwich looking at the sea.
When her boss, Big Ben McGuigan, takes some sudden leave because of illness, Mirabelle is left in charge and that’s when Bert Jennings shows up wanting assistance in recovering a £400 debt from a pregnant Hungarian refugee, Romana Laszlo, who has supposedly come to Brighton to have her baby. Mirabelle starts to work the case and soon finds that facts about Romana don’t add up and she just can’t resist doing a little detective work to discover the truth. For this, she enlists the help of the delightful Vesta Churchill, a young black woman who works in an insurance office in the same building as Mirabelle. Mirabelle and Vesta, when the latter can be persuaded away from her chocolate biscuit tin, uncover a complex and deadly plot, involving prostitution, Nazi war criminals and numerous brutal deaths.
Sara Sheridan is better known as a writer of historical fiction and one of the best things about this novel is the way in which post-war austerity, fifties dress, food (or lack of it) and décor are so brilliantly evoked. Sheridan also doesn’t shy away from spelling out for us the racism endemic in 50’s Britain. Vesta’s philosophical acceptance of the cruelty, insults and unfair treatment speak volumes.
Brighton Belle has all the necessary qualities of good detective fiction and thankfully it tells the story in a clear and straightforward manner. How unusual is that nowadays? But it does more. The setting combined with a female detective and female side-kick/assistant feels very fresh. Mirabelle, too, is a very engaging character and certainly not two-dimensional as many fictional detectives are. The only negative thing I could say about this book (and this is probably just a fault of my too-vivid imagination) is that Mirabelle is portrayed as a very elegant and sophisticated woman and yet she is described as leaping over walls and vaulting fences and I just can’t see that in 1950’s dress. Just ignore me – way too picky.
All in all, this novel is Sara Sheridan’s first foray into the realm of crime fiction but by no means her first book. She has written much in other genres and it shows. Brighton Belle is slick, fast paced, well-crafted and just darned good. So good that I’ve already bought the next two in the Mirabelle Bevan Mystery Series.
Praise indeed.
March 8, 2013
Find this and other reviews at: http://flashlightcommentary.blogspot....
I picked up Sara Sheridan's Brighton Belle expecting a historical whodunit, but found instead a light mystery set in the post WWII Britain. Now I have nothing against light fiction, I read a lot of it, but having expected something weightier I found the reality somewhat underwhelming.
This may seem like small potatoes to some readers, but the time period had little if any real impact on the narrative and that bothered me. I read historic fiction to be transported to another time and place, and was the primary reason for my interest in Brighton Belle. Seeing it so casually handled left me disappointed and the majoring reason behind my three star rating.
The mystery itself is another reason for the letdown I feel. There is a line in the opening chapters, easily spotted if one is paying attention, that gives it all away. Call me crazy, but mysteries aren't as exciting when you are reading to know the details as opposed to obsessing over how it all connects.
My experience wasn't all bad. Sheridan's characters are a little thin, but diverse enough to keep my attention and the plot isn't all that bad despite my calling the conclusion in the early chapters of the book. Most notable, however, is the pacing. Even I have to admit Brighton Belle is a pleasantly engaging read cover to cover.
This review sounds harsh even to my ears, but bear in mind that it is my disappointment talking. Had I known this would be a lighter piece and formulated a different sort of expectation I know I would have had a much more positive experience with Sheridan's work.
I picked up Sara Sheridan's Brighton Belle expecting a historical whodunit, but found instead a light mystery set in the post WWII Britain. Now I have nothing against light fiction, I read a lot of it, but having expected something weightier I found the reality somewhat underwhelming.
This may seem like small potatoes to some readers, but the time period had little if any real impact on the narrative and that bothered me. I read historic fiction to be transported to another time and place, and was the primary reason for my interest in Brighton Belle. Seeing it so casually handled left me disappointed and the majoring reason behind my three star rating.
The mystery itself is another reason for the letdown I feel. There is a line in the opening chapters, easily spotted if one is paying attention, that gives it all away. Call me crazy, but mysteries aren't as exciting when you are reading to know the details as opposed to obsessing over how it all connects.
My experience wasn't all bad. Sheridan's characters are a little thin, but diverse enough to keep my attention and the plot isn't all that bad despite my calling the conclusion in the early chapters of the book. Most notable, however, is the pacing. Even I have to admit Brighton Belle is a pleasantly engaging read cover to cover.
This review sounds harsh even to my ears, but bear in mind that it is my disappointment talking. Had I known this would be a lighter piece and formulated a different sort of expectation I know I would have had a much more positive experience with Sheridan's work.
April 21, 2016
Mirabelle Bevan, about whom this book revolves, is a remarkable woman, inspiring even. During the war she worked for the Secret Service; not in the field, as she frequently points out, but in a desk job. But she read all the manuals.
Now in post-World War II England, Mirabelle Bevan is having a bit of a hard time adjusting to peace. After all, in the war, no-one was just ordinary, and now life is nothing but ordinary.
She has taken a job working in the office of a debt collector in Brighton following the death of her long term lover Jack. While following up on a routine debt collection matter in the absence of her boss "Big Ben", her instincts for spotting deceit are stirred and she is soon embroiled in a melee of missing persons, dead bodies, prostitution and gold coins.
This is a cracking good read! The plot moves along at a good pace and is infused with a tongue-in-cheek humour. The characters are interesting, and I became very fond of Mirabelle. So fond of her that I am eagerly looking forward to further adventures with her.
A heartfelt thank you to NetGalley and Kensington books for the ARC of Brighton Belle in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
Now in post-World War II England, Mirabelle Bevan is having a bit of a hard time adjusting to peace. After all, in the war, no-one was just ordinary, and now life is nothing but ordinary.
She has taken a job working in the office of a debt collector in Brighton following the death of her long term lover Jack. While following up on a routine debt collection matter in the absence of her boss "Big Ben", her instincts for spotting deceit are stirred and she is soon embroiled in a melee of missing persons, dead bodies, prostitution and gold coins.
This is a cracking good read! The plot moves along at a good pace and is infused with a tongue-in-cheek humour. The characters are interesting, and I became very fond of Mirabelle. So fond of her that I am eagerly looking forward to further adventures with her.
A heartfelt thank you to NetGalley and Kensington books for the ARC of Brighton Belle in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
September 29, 2018
Fun mystery set in 1951 with a great heroine. Nothing gets by Mirabelle as she sets out to solve a mystery on her own. Uniquely written and quick-paced to read.
November 10, 2014
Promising Maisie Dobbs readalike! So "promising," in fact, that I'd be feeling a bit ripped off by Mirabelle were I Maisie. Let's review...both series plots seem to contain:
Young female character. Postwar. Did something heroic and unconventional during the war. Kinda traumatized by it. Had slightly unacceptable love affair during said war. Ended tragically. Now back in England. Trying to do something totally different. Solves mysteries. Past creeps back. Has diversity sidekick.
About that diversity sidekick. I'll gladly read a few more of these, but Vesta had better be given an actual *personality* sometime soon, in addition to only being being The Black Friend Who Illustrates How English Society Is Racist and Helps Solve the Mystery.
Young female character. Postwar. Did something heroic and unconventional during the war. Kinda traumatized by it. Had slightly unacceptable love affair during said war. Ended tragically. Now back in England. Trying to do something totally different. Solves mysteries. Past creeps back. Has diversity sidekick.
About that diversity sidekick. I'll gladly read a few more of these, but Vesta had better be given an actual *personality* sometime soon, in addition to only being being The Black Friend Who Illustrates How English Society Is Racist and Helps Solve the Mystery.
July 16, 2021
This was quite a different take on the female investigator, a different time period, and a great pacey read.
Mirabelle Bevan is trying to rebuild her life after working in intelligence during WWII. She's lost her job, and she's also lost the man she loves - and ironically, she can't actually talk about either. So she's working as assistant to a debt collector in Brighton, when her boss disappears. Mirabelle is bored, she's depressed, she's bitter and resentful - she's not in a good place, but she's in the perfect place to investigate, and not to care about the risks she's taking.
There's a complicated plots with untold twists and turns, and a tiny few too many co-incidences - though the book help me despite those, so I'm not going to carp about them. There's a detective 9of course) who is intrigued by Mirabelle (of course). There's a sidekick (of course) who is a black female insurance clerk (sooooo NOT of course). The concentration camps, those in charge and those who suffered from the Nazi pogroms are at the core of this story, but they don't take over, and I really liked that - the points were really well made, the horror was there though not graphic, and I think that made the points even better. This was a detective novel, but it is grounded in serious history, and the history was really well done. Sexism and racism are also really well done - subtly made points, but part of the story, no tub thumping.
I read this at a pace. I enjoyed every minute of it. I'll definitely be going back for more.
Mirabelle Bevan is trying to rebuild her life after working in intelligence during WWII. She's lost her job, and she's also lost the man she loves - and ironically, she can't actually talk about either. So she's working as assistant to a debt collector in Brighton, when her boss disappears. Mirabelle is bored, she's depressed, she's bitter and resentful - she's not in a good place, but she's in the perfect place to investigate, and not to care about the risks she's taking.
There's a complicated plots with untold twists and turns, and a tiny few too many co-incidences - though the book help me despite those, so I'm not going to carp about them. There's a detective 9of course) who is intrigued by Mirabelle (of course). There's a sidekick (of course) who is a black female insurance clerk (sooooo NOT of course). The concentration camps, those in charge and those who suffered from the Nazi pogroms are at the core of this story, but they don't take over, and I really liked that - the points were really well made, the horror was there though not graphic, and I think that made the points even better. This was a detective novel, but it is grounded in serious history, and the history was really well done. Sexism and racism are also really well done - subtly made points, but part of the story, no tub thumping.
I read this at a pace. I enjoyed every minute of it. I'll definitely be going back for more.
January 12, 2019
Full transparency... I got all three in the series from the library. I read this one and sent the other two back. I found this book to be a little too outrageous and loosely fitting of a plot to even be remotely believable. The main character has an alcohol dependency to cope with the loss of her lover and her experiences from the war. This could be a really pivotal character development aspect, yet it's dropped after telling the reader she trades in her food ration cards so she can get Glenlivet whiskey with a few vague references to her flask use. We quickly jump to her getting involved in a murder that appears to be a part of a prostitution ring.. wait no... Nazi war criminal smuggling ring... wait no... money laundering ring tied into shady horse racing. Do you see my issue with this? Too much going on that makes it seem like a Vaudeville act. Not my cup of tea.
September 10, 2012
It's a nice idea this book..intelligent woman kicking her heels in a deb collection agency gets embroiled in murder and the like. Belle's past is left almost blank, possibly to tease interest in the character for future novels, but at this stage all characters are left very thin. The plot gallops, but not in an enticing or interesting way, it is in fact so simple, and often pedestrian that you get the sense the author is just splashing possible ideas quickly down on each page, so as not to bother to particularly develop them but to just gallop on regardless. There is some charisma here, but overall a very skimpy and perfunctory affair that offers no real bite, nor even much gristle. As for period detail, merely saying it's based in the 1950's doesn't make it so. In the hand's of a better author this could read rather like the plot for the decent TV of 'Foyle's War' but generally one gets the impression the publisher's let Sara Sheridan publish and be damned with little forethought for what might craft a decent detective story from a potentially intriguing character.
March 13, 2016
I really enjoyed this fast read featuring strong female characters. Mirabelle Bevan works as the secretary for a debt collection agency. It's a pretty ho-hum job after working behind the scenes at Whitehall (British spy headquarters) during WWII, but she put all that behind her after the sudden death of her lover, Jack. When her boss Bob turns up dead, Mirabelle finds herself caught up in a murder mystery and there's plenty more bodies besides Bob's. Along the way she enlists the help of Vesta, the secretary from the insurance office down the hall. Vesta is quite a funny girl, but just right to play off Mirabelle's seriousness. They get themselves into all sorts of jams trying to figure out who done it, but in the end these two heroines save the day.
Read
March 8, 2016This was a book I set down around 20%. I wasn't connecting with the characters or the story. I picked this up hoping for a nice period read, but there was little regarding the post war era. I was also put off by the heroine pining over her dead boyfriend, with whom she had an illicit affair. I kept thinking I was reading the second book in a series as so many events from the past were eluded to, but no, this is the first in the series. Needless to say, this was just not a book that worked for me.
June 4, 2019
3.5 stars A GoodReads giveaway win. Thank you! Think of a female version of Sherlock Holmes with sidekick, Watson, post WWII England. Brighton Belle is a former Secret Service operative, working for a debt collector, trying to live a normal life. Of course her training as an operative has her senses honed and she can smell deceit a mile away. And of course her instincts get her in a whole lot of trouble. This mystery is a fun, fast-paced crime fiction that may (or may not) have you guessing til the end.
August 3, 2015
Cijela ideja priče mi je super, a likovi su divno zamišljeni, ali nedovoljno duboki i "živi".
Lako se čita i stil općenito i nije loš, ali imam osjećaj da se autorica previše zalijeće i otkriva previše prerano. Sve u svemu: slatko.
Lako se čita i stil općenito i nije loš, ali imam osjećaj da se autorica previše zalijeće i otkriva previše prerano. Sve u svemu: slatko.
May 13, 2018
I think this should be listed as mystery #4, not #1
I met the lawyer and his wife in chapter 1 heading for the train. We never meet them again but I cannot believe in a London lawyer who would wear a tweed suit in town. That made my eyes zoom in looking for any other dubious items. Any others I managed to erase because I had enough to do wondering about the logic of the plot. The themes of the book, all the crookedness used to smuggle nazis out of Europe, the changes in people's lives in the post war period, the ongoingness of rationing, all of these and concerns about the honesty of the police force (was that really a particular concern?) make for a serious novel, as serious as The Third Man, but we flit through the events with a considerable lightheartedness. Yes, there is tragedy, Jack has already died and there is the young woman who goes to Brighton to have her baby and then dies, to say nothing of several peculiar deaths along the way, but we don't feel them the way we should. Mirabelle mourns deeply but we don't really feel her grief. Perhaps I'm asking too much of the book, but there was so much scope for exploration of a period and we didn't get it. Yes, I think I'm asking too much of the book.
I met the lawyer and his wife in chapter 1 heading for the train. We never meet them again but I cannot believe in a London lawyer who would wear a tweed suit in town. That made my eyes zoom in looking for any other dubious items. Any others I managed to erase because I had enough to do wondering about the logic of the plot. The themes of the book, all the crookedness used to smuggle nazis out of Europe, the changes in people's lives in the post war period, the ongoingness of rationing, all of these and concerns about the honesty of the police force (was that really a particular concern?) make for a serious novel, as serious as The Third Man, but we flit through the events with a considerable lightheartedness. Yes, there is tragedy, Jack has already died and there is the young woman who goes to Brighton to have her baby and then dies, to say nothing of several peculiar deaths along the way, but we don't feel them the way we should. Mirabelle mourns deeply but we don't really feel her grief. Perhaps I'm asking too much of the book, but there was so much scope for exploration of a period and we didn't get it. Yes, I think I'm asking too much of the book.
February 8, 2018
The idea of this was cool--interesting plot and character sketches--but the execution could have used improvement. I am always amazed that head-hopping POV jumps from one paragraph to the next don't get fixed in editing. I find them so disorienting when they're not done well, and these were not done well. I will give the author kudos for the surprise ending. I thought I'd had the entire whodunnit figured, but nope! I also liked that she included a woman of color as a major secondary character--so often this sort of historical story is unrealistically white. I may read more in this series if I can get them through the library or on sale. No way is this worth $10+.
February 6, 2021
Mirablle Bevan used to work in administration in the secret service during WWII, but now in 1951 life is routine and maybe a little dull. She works as a secretary for a debt collection agency in Brighton and nurses whisky and mourns for her dead lover. However, when her boss leaves her in charge of the office for three days, she becomes embroiled in mystery that will involve murder, false impersonation and kidnapping.
This is a popular series, but I likely won't continue it. Initially, I thought it sounded like it might be fun, but I prefer mysteries that are solved out based on clues and deduction. Mirabelle pretty much stumbles into every reveal and the plot was overly convoluted for my taste. I found Mirabelle uninteresting as a character and much of the book’s dialogue felt anachronistic.
This is a popular series, but I likely won't continue it. Initially, I thought it sounded like it might be fun, but I prefer mysteries that are solved out based on clues and deduction. Mirabelle pretty much stumbles into every reveal and the plot was overly convoluted for my taste. I found Mirabelle uninteresting as a character and much of the book’s dialogue felt anachronistic.
January 13, 2022
I've considered heading over to#2 in the series, but..... I did enjoy this first book but the extent gone to obtain clues was too much to relate to. To jump fences , chase through a crowded train Depot and...(no spoilers here), wasn't what I expected of her and lessened my enjoyment of the story. In the future, another book by Sara Sheridan might catch my eye, but for now Im off to search for what's next hiding on my massive book shelf!!
March 22, 2019
Great mystery featuring a female detective in 1950's England. I found the story captivating and I do enjoy a good historical fiction. This is the first book in a series and I plan on reading more! Mirabelle Beaven is a great protagonist!
April 26, 2017
Review to come. ** Please note I received this book for free from Goodreads First-Reads.
August 7, 2017
Underwhelmed. Yes there were moments, but it was sort of an old-fashioned, British version of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum without the slangy verve of New Jersey.
June 30, 2018
Really enjoyed this one, definitely getting the rest of the books in the series
March 30, 2019
This was a good first read for me by this author. Mirabelle is former WWII secret service operative forced to settle for a predictable job working for a debt collector. A mystery presents itself and Mirebelle feels her life turning back to its former satisfying pace.
July 15, 2020
Mogla bi ovo biti odlična knjiga, da samo nije zbrkano napisana. Leti se iz ugla jednog lika u drugi, bez ikakve najave ili obilježja, što je meni lično pokvarilo dojam. Ipak, knjiga nije totalno loša, ima simpatičnih detalja i smještena u zanimljiv historijski period.
June 20, 2025
I wasn’t sure what to expect but I really enjoyed this!
February 26, 2017
I enjoyed meeting Mirabelle and Vista very much!
I know that these two women are going to make great partners in crime, oh I mean debt collection! They did a great job on their first try and now they are going to try it full time!
Only next time they do not want as many dead bodies showing up.
They make a great team and can get the most difficult collection jobs done in a flash.
The book is very well written and kept me glued to it until until the very end. I will be waiting to get the next one soon!
I know that these two women are going to make great partners in crime, oh I mean debt collection! They did a great job on their first try and now they are going to try it full time!
Only next time they do not want as many dead bodies showing up.
They make a great team and can get the most difficult collection jobs done in a flash.
The book is very well written and kept me glued to it until until the very end. I will be waiting to get the next one soon!
March 25, 2016
Brighton Belle is a promising beginning in a new series by Sara Sheridan set in the seaside resort of Brighton in 1951. Mirabelle Bevan had a very exciting War working in British Intelligence. Even though she was not a field agent, Mirabelle picked up a lot of investigative knowledge. She also fell in love with her boss, Jack. After the war, she moves to Jack's hometown of Brighton and dreams of future domestic bliss. When Jack dies of a heart attack she is set adrift and grieving intensely for both Jack and her dreams. Mirabelle is financially secure but takes a job at a debt collection agency. Her boss, Big Ben McGuigan, does all the actual collections and Mirabelle takes care of the office work. One day, however, Big Ben claims illness and goes home: something he has never done before. Big Ben goes missing and Mirabelle is thrown into an investigation of both his disappearance and the death of an immigrant mother, supposedly in childbirth. Along the way, she picks up a sidekick, Vesta, another office worker in her building.
I admit that I don't know much about Britain in the 1950's other than it was dreary. Austerity and rationing made life difficult, along with dealing with social upheaval and the emotional fallout of war. There were a lot of very bad people still around, mostly trying to escape the consequences of their wartime actions. Mirabelle and Vesta run up against a number of these criminals. I can't speak to the accuracy of historical detail in Brighton Belle, but one thing does come across loud and clear. Racial prejudice and a dismissal of women, in general, were rampant in Britain at the time. Another character, Inspector MacGregor of the Brighton Police, exemplifies the dismissal of Mirabelle's abilities. MacGregor is just about the most annoying misogynist I have run across lately (at least in fiction) but he seems to be a character we will meet again.
Brighton Belle was a fast, entertaining read and I liked Mirabelle and Vesta enough to follow their further adventures. I would like a little more historical detail and fewer fortuitous escapes from tight spots by the ladies, both of whom seem incapable of looking before they leap.
Thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley.com for an advance digital copy in return for an honest review.
RATING- 3 Stars
I admit that I don't know much about Britain in the 1950's other than it was dreary. Austerity and rationing made life difficult, along with dealing with social upheaval and the emotional fallout of war. There were a lot of very bad people still around, mostly trying to escape the consequences of their wartime actions. Mirabelle and Vesta run up against a number of these criminals. I can't speak to the accuracy of historical detail in Brighton Belle, but one thing does come across loud and clear. Racial prejudice and a dismissal of women, in general, were rampant in Britain at the time. Another character, Inspector MacGregor of the Brighton Police, exemplifies the dismissal of Mirabelle's abilities. MacGregor is just about the most annoying misogynist I have run across lately (at least in fiction) but he seems to be a character we will meet again.
Brighton Belle was a fast, entertaining read and I liked Mirabelle and Vesta enough to follow their further adventures. I would like a little more historical detail and fewer fortuitous escapes from tight spots by the ladies, both of whom seem incapable of looking before they leap.
Thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley.com for an advance digital copy in return for an honest review.
RATING- 3 Stars
Displaying 1 - 30 of 271 reviews