A summer wedding... An eccentric aunt... What can possibly go wrong?
Libby's instincts tell her there's something amiss in the picturesque villages, small towns, and rural farms of Exmoor.
Then, people begin to disappear...
Libby's joined forces with on-off partner Max in a private investigation business, but she's getting cold feet about the idea of marriage. After all, it's taken plenty of hard work to regain her independence after her husband's death.
Meanwhile, a sinister new acquaintance sends shivers down her spine.
If you love British murder mystery whodunnits, join Libby, her faithful sheepdog, and the other quirky characters of Exham on Sea as she investigates the death of a wedding guest.
For lovers of cosy murder mysteries, Agatha Christie novels, Midsomer Murders, Murder She Wrote, lovable pets and cake, the Exham on Sea Mysteries are set in a close-knit community at the Somerset seaside, full of colourful local characters.
The green fields, rolling hills and sandy beaches of the English West Country provide the perfect setting for crime, intrigue and mystery.
Download Libby's latest adventure now to see if you can spot the murderer...
Praise for the series from Amazon "It makes you wonder if English country villages are safe places to live. But I certainly would given half a chance."
"Exham by Sea is populated with wonderful characters."
"With every book, I grow more fond of Libby and Exham; this time it already felt like coming home."
"If you like Miss Marple this amateur sleuth will enthral you."
The fifth book in the series, always a quick and enjoyable read. This one seemed to jump around a bit and had me scratching my head a few times. The series is best read in order or else you might be left with questions.
The main cast of characters are likeable. The mystery in this book took a few turns I wasn't expecting, and sometimes seemed to come out of left field. Still, a nice quick read especially if you like cosy mysteries. I will continue to read further books in this series.
I received an advance copy of this book in favour of an honest review.
4.5* Taking a moment to relax in the marquee after her son, Robert’s wedding to Sarah, Libby Forrest has a strange conversation with Belinda, the bride’s mother, which is interrupted by an unnerving man in a kaftan, causing Libby to prickle with discomfort and Belinda to make a hasty exit. Libby’s innate curiosity is aroused but before she could process her thoughts she is dismayed to hear an altercation break out over a supposedly stolen ring.
Due to their previous skills at solving cases, the police have asked Libby and Max to be consultants, on a paid retainer. So, when the two of them find the body of Liam Weston under a tractor, while walking Bear and Shipley, questions are raised. Liam was involved in the incident at the wedding the previous day. It looks like an accident initially but Libby isn’t convinced.
Another very enjoyable, cosy murder/mystery in the Exham on Sea series, populated with wonderful and quirky residents. Not to mention Bear, the huge Carpathian sheepdog, Shipley, a Springer spaniel and Fuzzy, Libby’s aloof marmalade cat who has a soft spot for Bear. Libby has settled into small town life in the two years since she relocated to Exham. The close knit community and the dynamics between the residents is realistic and is one of the aspects that make these books fun to read.
Libby and Max, who is semi retired from the intelligence service, make a good investigative team, although their personal situation isn’t yet quite resolved. Libby’s bad experience with Trevor, her ex and now deceased husband, has left her wary of commitment and her on-off relationship with Max suffers another blow.
I love being able to picture the familiar locations and enjoyed catching up with engaging Libby, handsome Max and Mandy, Libby’s Goth apprentice.
A cold wet afternoon, with nothing to do and nowhere to go: what could be better than the latest Libby Forest mystery? This is the fifth outing for the baker and choclatier turned amateur sleuth; and I think it's the best one yet. Frances Evesham brings us Libby, Max, Mandy and the wonderful Bear, plus a whole raft of other characters, some good, some less so, and some positively evil. Her characterisations are great: I loved Xavier and Great Aunt Agatha. And there were occasional references back to earlier books to keep the whole series together. I read the whole story in one sitting and thoroughly enjoyed it. I thought I'd worked it out, but as usual, I was wrong. Anyone who enjoys Midsomer Murders will love Libby Forest and Murder at the Bridge.
This is the 5th book in the Exham by the Sea mysteries. Having read the first 4 books in the series I was very familiar with many of the characters. Libby Forrest has started a new life in this small town in Somerset following the death of her husband who she later learns has committed fraud and gambled away their assets. She has teamed up with Max, a retired British intelligence officer, to formalize their investigative skills into a private detective business.
This story begins with the wedding of Libby's son to Sarah, the daughter of a local farmer and his wife. During the reception, a fight breaks out between the bride's brother and their father's employee, Troy. Later, while walking a friend's dog, Shipley, Libby discovers Troy's body pinned under a tractor. The death appears to be an accident but Libby is suspicious because of the prior fight and other strange happenings.
Family dynamics and secrets are features in all these books that continue to fascinate me. This plot is a good one with the murder mystery complicated by these family issues including the disappearance of Sarah's mother and then Sarah herself during the honeymoon. Strange neighbors seem to have an undue influence on Sarah's parents. But Max and Libby still skirting around their own relationship issues manage to solve the mystery.
The story moves quickly with lots of interesting characters. The backstory of the main characters has kept me fascinated throughout the series and continues with this book. Will Libby finally acknowledge her love for Max and commit to him after her bad marriage experience?
I recommend this book and the entire series suggesting they be read in order.
I was provided a pre-publication copy of this book in the Exham by the Sea mysteries in exchange for an honest review.
Libby and Max are working as private consultants for the police department. They have been successful in the past in doing detective work on their own. As the story opens, the entire village is at the wedding of Robert, Libby's son, and his bride Sarah. Nearly everyone is having a wonderful time. There is a fight between 2 young men, an elderly woman believes her diamond ring has been stolen, but at the end of the day, all seems to end well. This book is part of a series. I have read another book in the series, but I believe that a reader could read this book and understand what is going on. There is background information provided as things move forward. But, I believe the reader would enjoy things more if they read the entire series. People in the village are introduced as the story moves forward. When there is a death, it turns out that Libby and Max are the people who discover the body. It is an apparent accident, but Libby does not feel comfortable with that determination. This is a very British cozy mystery. A village filled with interesting people. Relationships are not always what they seem to be. Newcomers and strangers are not always as welcome as they might like to be. Libby and her assistant Mandy create chocolates and other sweets in a shop. That business supports them and also provides a place for the two of them to interact with villagers. It is also a great place to learn local gossip. The mystery in this story takes some twists and turns. Nothing is simple, but it is all satisfying when things end. This author provides a good plot filled with interesting characters. I received a copy of this book from the author. I am voluntarily writing this review and all opinions are my own.
I found that it’s not easy to find a good mystery book with Agatha Christie’s style. So I was so happy to find this treasure, a series by Frances Evesham that reminds me to Agatha’s style. The mystery was always front and centre, the clues laid in the interactions between the characters, and with good enough portion of suspense. I liked that the romance between the main characters, Libby and Max, and some other characters such as Mandy, were continuous, set up as background yet I felt for them. Oh, and I loved that Libby finally made up her mind.
I refrained from 5-stars review just because I felt the story didn’t flow as smoothly as the other books in the series. Confusing me here and there, although I could catch up again later on. However, it’s still an enjoyable read. And I definitely will continue to read the next books in this series.
I was provided a complementary copy by the author / publisher, but this in no way influenced my thoughts or opinions.
This book is not so much a murder mystery as an ongoing tale of the trials and tribulations of the main character Libby. There is a death but though Libby and her ‘sort of boyfriend’ Max, are investigating again the story revolves around her feelings of jealousy and unease at what she wants from the relationship, it’s about her young apprentice in their shop - Mandy who is a Goth with claustrophobia - it’s about a rather spooky couple running some sort of cult who put the wind up Libby at first meeting and carry on doing so etc....oh and it’s about Libby and Max’s dogs too. There’s also a daft kidnapping plot. Of course, most of this sort of joins together at the end as they are linked however tenuously. This is part of a series and you really have to have read the previous ones as it leaps right in expecting you know the characters and back stories given. An easy read but no real suspense, for me anyway.
Oh, I really liked this one. Evesham was brilliant the way she laid this one out. The very people I thought were the culprits were not and the least likely one turned out to be the killer. What a great storyline with such interesting side characters. Libby and Max were right again that an accident was actually a murder. Love the crazy way they go about investigating and Libby's empathy for anyone close to her in seeming trouble. This has turned out to be a pretty enthralling cozy mystery series. Looking forward to the next few books. When Libby and Max find the body of a local lad beneath his tractor, what seems an apparent accident, to them seems very suspicious. As they investigate, they must deal with the sudden disappearances of her new daughter-in-law and her mother, hints of a scam by a hippie type couple, blackmail, and Mandy's phobia. With Bear and Shipley at their side, this will be a hard one for the duo to figure out.
It's the wedding day for Robert, Libby's son, and Sarah, and everything's going well. Then a ruckus develops when Sarah's great aunt cries that her valuable ring has been stolen. It's found in the pocket of Liam, a young man who works for Sarah's parents, dairy farmers. The next day, while walking the dogs, Max and Libby see an accident at an old stone bridge. A tractor has turned over, killing Liam.
Then Belinda, Sarah's mother, disappears. Libby meets a strange couple and attends a séance in their home, along with Kate Stephenson, a woman that Max knew a long time ago. Libby is jealous of the closeness of those two, and decides she and Max will just be business partners. Then Sarah, on her honeymoon with Robert, disappears from their hotel room. Libby is determined to find out the truth.
I have no idea why I'm reading another of these books. Perhaps they're slightly addictive like Libby's cakes or chocolates! I am starting to think that possibly all the books are AI generated or written by a group. How else could so many clichés appear as if by magic. At one point Libby announces to her assistant Mandy that the car she'd promised to buy for the business has finally arrive. Libby warns Mandy not to get too excited as the car is " only an old banger". She then goes on to say that it's 5 years old with barely 20,000 miles on the clock. How in anyone's book could that be described as an old banger. A cliché too far I fear. As with other titles in the series this one is full of typographical errors. Come on Boldwood Books you shouldn't be charging the going rate for books that haven't been proof read.
Another enjoyable Exham-on-Sea mystery with our protagonist Libby, her gentleman friend Max, apprentice Mandy and her wonderful furry friends Bear, Shipley & Fuzzy, as well as other family and friends. It's always good to return to them and see how life has progressed since we were last in their company. This novel starts at Libby's sons wedding, introducing us to our players before getting stuck in to murder and then follows a good & fast paced tale that kept me going to the end.... I honestly didn't see that one coming! Although through the series we see the characters develop it is still possible to read as a stand alone novel and enjoy. Looking forward to further visits to this beautiful part of the country for more mysteries with Libby & co in the future.
This book continues the series well. It had been a while since I read the last book so I had to re-acquaint myself with Libby, Max, Mandy and the dogs. There isn't much about the shop in this one. Libby is moving more into private investigation and this mystery is decent for a cozy. I like the setting in coastal England. There are some references to past books in the series but the story is complete here, no cliffhangers other than the romances. Likeable characters, well written and edited. I caught just one typo. I look forward to more books in the series.
Libby celebrates her son's wedding. At the reception the bride's aunt loses a very expensive diamond ring. The bride's brother, Tim, figures it was stolen by a young man who works at his parents' farm and find it in the man's pocket. The next day, the man who stole the ring is found caught under his tractor, which had turned over. Libby figures she needs to investigate, with help from Max, her man of interest. As they investigate several folks, her new daughter-in-law disappears while on her honeymoon, and then the mother of the bride also disappears.
This is the story of Libby Forster and her friend Max who have gone into business together. Libby has just moved to Eagan on the Sea and at her son's wedding the mother of the bride approaches her but when a friend shows up she changes her mind about talking to Libby. When a farmland is killed Libby and Max start working with the police to uncover what happened. A delightful cozy mystery with interesting characters and good editing. Highly recommend this book.
I've recently re read the 1st few books in this series as I wanted to read the rest that have been released so far.
I really enjoyed this book in the series, following Libby, Max, and of course Bear and Shipley, their canine companions as well as Fuzzy, the typically aloof cat.
Set in Somerset, it's a story of greed but so much more as peoples emotions are preyed upon. They're are happy moments too, as well as lots of fun and laughter, a typical cozy mystery by an accomplished cozy mystery author.
Each book is a standalone story but the books are best read in order of publication to preserve continuity of the characters and series.
Well written. Needs better proofreading as several misspellings were missed. However, the storyline was tight and led to a surprise villain. Lovely resolution to the Libby and Max relationship. Enjoyed the psychology of fear, guilt, and apprehension as well as the desire of most people to be thought to be socially acceptable. The dogs' reaction to danger and intrigue were an added level of story. All in all, well done!
I loved this book as I did the previous ones. The plot is full of twists and turns. In this novel, we start with Libby'son getting married, and the theft of a rather large diamond ring. Max and Libby officially help the police, with great results. The ending is storybook. I have binging on the books, and fear the day I complete the series. ITV, and note! This would make for smashing television!!
Ms. Evesham has taken on a formula that works. These novels are short; thus a quick read. They are cozy, so there is a minimum of blood and gore, and only a hint of bad language. There's a bit of ongoing romance and the relationships of fellow villagers, either likeable or not, that continue to grow and become more familiar with each reading, making you feel you are almost living there yourself. If you are looking for another, different Miss Marple, but have read them all, then I think you just might like Libby and the Exham on Sea series.
Good, cozy mystery. Love the characters in the series (although I'm glad there has been a "settling" on the Libby/Max front, finally!). The "villians" were just downright creepy, and it came through on the pages. Gave me the shivers, to be honest.
Fun read, with twists, turns, and lots of mysteries to figure out.
I almost gave this book and series 2 stars, but I really like all the side characters. I'm not a fan of Libby, the main character, who is so waffling emotionally. She suddenly knows the solution to the murder and the books hurry to a close. If you love Miss Marple and Agatha Christie' s mysteries as I do, these probably aren't for you.
I enjoyed reading the 5th book in this series. Libby’s son, Robert, marries and within a couple of weeks his bride disappears. Libby and Max investigate and find her disappearance linked to Liam’s murder at the bridge. Mandy is having therapy for her phobia and even that becomes linked to the murder.
AGAIN. The minute the author introduced a pastor, I knew he was the murderer. I am so sick of this. Every mystery that I’ve read in the last several years that introduces a Christian character makes that character the murderer. Wonder why? Won’t be reading anything else by this author. She’s very mediocre anyway.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I'm listening to this series back to back and am enjoying the character development. Libby was driving me crazy with her romance waffling but that's sorted and explained in this one. Appreciate that she is a 'mature' heroine -- late 40's early 50's I'm guessing -- and the way she looks out for friends and family. Moving on to # 6.
I have enjoyed reading this series . Perfect bed time reading. With all the hate and senseless killing these days, reading this type of book that includes friendship and romance as well as the bad guy gets caught is enjoyable and comforting .