Beach Kill

Singer Brown #2

by Phyllis Smallman

Beach Kill is the second book in the Singer Brown series. The first book won a gold medal from the Independent Publishers book awards in 2014. After her life on the streets Singer Brown figures only a dance with an orangutan could still shock her. The music is playing and the waltz begins when the body of a teenage girl is discovered out on Ghost Island. Singer identifies the remains, attacked first by man and then by nature, from a blue butterfly tattoo. Suspicion, toxic and dangerous, begins to poison the small community of Kilborn, corrupting relationships and leaving no one without fear or guilt.

268 pages, Paperback

Published September 11, 2016

About the author

Crime Writers of Canada award winning author, Phyllis Smallman, was short-listed for the Debut Dagger in the UK, and has been awarded both silver and gold medals by the Independent Publishers. She was a potter before turning to a life of crime. She lives on Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, where she golfs badly and writes madly.
Visit http://www.phyllismallman.com to read excerpts from her Singer Brown and Sherri Travis books.

Reviews

[Jackie Rogers · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good mystery. Any character could be a murderer. Singer Brown has lived on the streets. Has been abused. Now she has inherited property in Kilborn. She has discovered a dead girl on Ghost Island and is someone she knows. Her love interest is a cop, but she has investigative skills and aids him in the case. Both are disfunctional characters and find themselves falling for one another. The action is ongoing and holds ones interest because of the characters. Ms. Smallman is a good writer and am awaiting her next book with Singer and her cop. Thanks to Goodreads.

[K. Stanley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A super follow-up to Long Gone Man. Smallman continues to write excellent characters and an intriguing story. With her visual style of writing, you'll get a good feel for what it's like to live in western most islands of British Columbia. The isolation adds to the suspense and tension in the novel.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very difficult book to find.

I read it in one weekend, primarily while flying or waiting to fly.

This is an excellent sequel to the first book.

Singer has inherited property which requires her to live there for one year.

She had met with the local police and they are casually dating.

This comes in handy to feed her information on the investigation into the death of Trina. While Louis does the official questioning, Singer does it informally, and they share data. This puts Singer into some dangerous situations, all very believable.

I enjoyed this and wish there were more in the series.

[MGB · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author has written another amazing mystery at Glenfiddie island in the Salish Sea. There is a lot of mystery woven around the small town and island. Seems like everyone could be a suspect, but is it the most logical suspect? The clues come and both obfuscate the story and fill in the details of the story. The Singer is relentless however. She is a singer, but she is also driven to find the evil which has descended upon her home.

A well written mystery that is highly recommended.

[Toni Osborne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book #2, in A Singer Brown Mystery

“Beach Kill” is set on a Gulf Island of British Columbia and follows “Long Gone Man” although it is nice to read series in sequence it not necessary to do so here, the second book works pretty well on its own.

Ms. Smallman has once more penned down a nail biter. It all starts when the body of a teenage girl is found on a beach. As we follow Singer, not so much homeless in this drama, we gradually discover why she has the knack for being in the right place at the wrong time and why she goes digging for secrets. Singer is slowly becoming a crafty sleuth poking her nose where it does not belong, sometime opening a can of worms and leaving no stone unturned, placing herself in danger in order to get to the bottom and get justice. Exciting: yes quite a page turner also. Of course to spice up the story, we have a budding romance between our protagonist and the handsome RCMP officer…. We simply need to stay tuned till the next saga to find out the outcome. (Can’t wait).

I am partial to the author’s style: a simple and light narrative, a fast paced storyline that includes many humorous twists and has plenty of suspenseful moments, one that is populated with colorful and eccentric characters and to top it all provides a captivating saga that grabs you from the start and never let’s go.

This new series has the same beat as the “Sherri Travis Series”, but with a new local, a new protagonist and a fresh storyline… Well-done.

Thank you Ms. Smallman for ARC

[Don Graves · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author, Phyllis Smallman can tell a story with a sense of place that frames the intense, emotional grip she has one her characters. Murder can trigger depressed pain that Smallman captures with point yet gentle dialogue.

Beach Kill is not a circus of forensic details nor is their violence for violence sake. The action is blunt but the fine writing lies in the layers of pain and frustration that urge the need to kill.

The dialogue is a gift: you feel like you’re a gust at the table nursing a cold beer and a lamb burger. Set that against the toxic atmosphere and contaminated relationships and you have a Smallman winner to enjoy.


Don Graves, Canadian Mystery Reviews