Dead in the Water

Scarlet Cove #1

by Agatha Frost, Evelyn Amber

When Liz Jones retired as a detective at the age of forty-two and moved to the beautiful fishing town of Scarlet Cove to pursue her passion of opening an arts and crafts store, she did not expect the murder and lies of the big city to follow her. Only days after starting her new life, Liz finds herself tangled in a web of death and deception when she pulls the body of a fisherman from the sea, but what appears at first to be a drunken accident soon reveals itself to be something much worse: poison!

While setting up her new store, getting to know the quirky townsfolk, and having the local men battle for her affection, Liz cannot resist the lure of an intriguing murder case. She falls back into old habits when she vows to discover the truth about the fisherman's death, but will she do it before the murderer strikes again? With her retirement and dream life on the line, Liz must battle against the clock to restore peace to the sleepy town of Scarlet Cove before all is washed away.

Genres: Cozy Mystery, Mystery, Audiobook, Cozy, Fiction, Crime, British Literature

245 pages, ebook

First published September 12, 2017

About the author

AGATHA FROST, an Amazon bestselling author, has written over thirty mystery novels. She lives in the North West English county of Lancashire with her two cuddly beagles and one cat.

When Agatha isn’t writing, she loves reading head-scratching mysteries and thrillers, coffee, baking, and exploring her local countryside on long dog walks.

From a young age, Agatha devoured the great British murder mystery books and television shows, ample inspiration for her Peridale Café and Claire’s Candles series. She loves writing about family women who juggle their ordinary village lives with the challenges of amateur sleuthing.

Add in some good food, close friends and family, cute pets, and plenty of twists and turns, and you have a classic Agatha Frost mystery.

Sign up to the newsletter at www.agathafrost.com

Reviews

[Sabine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice start to the new Scarlet Cove Seaside series. I am in love with this little fishing town and its colourful residents. So many interesting characters like Christopher the rich derp who is actually one of my favourites. Liz the main character, a retired Detective from the Manchester Police, had me wondering in the beginning if I even like her but I think I'll get quickly used to her being not quite as "sweet" as most other cozy main characters .
A good mystery and the murderer caught me by surprise.
I am looking forward to coming back to Scarlet Cove.

*Thanks to the author for kindly providing me with a free copy of the book*

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was exactly what I wanted to read this weekend...an English cosy murder mystery set by the sea.
It's light and fluffy and short and entertaining.

I liked the main character Liz and her new friends and I enjoyed the mystery element.

There are some continuity errors and some odd details included that don't really fit, but I'm willing to overlook that for a bit of cosy fun.

I've just downloaded the next one in the series as I wish to remain in Scarlet Cove and away from real life a little longer :)
(and it's free on kindle unlimited at the moment yay!)

[Leo · Rating 4 out of 5]

An highly enjoyable cozy mystery that I'm very eager to continue listening to, but knowing me it might take a while still. Set i Scarlet Cove, Liz, a retired detective that recently moved there has to dust off her abilities and solve a murder of a fisherman. Likeable and compelling characters, an interesting case and a fun main detective (this time a real one for a difference!) makes this a very entertaining and fun listen to and it's an extra plus that the audiobook narrative sounds very fitting for the book!

[Bonnie Dale Keck · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kindle Unlimited

"Book 1 in the Scarlet Cove Seaside Cozy Mystery series! Can be read as a standalone but will be enjoyed more as the first book in a new series." Huh? The moving van guy gestures at empty truck saying that's all, and she responds she can handle the 'rest' {of stuff or whatever}, what rest, the truck was empty, and leaving. If she locked the shop, and she lives above the shop, where are the stairs. She was married all that time, and he's only been dead for 2 years, and boom her hormones kick in or what, totally freaking unbelievable. She tips them extra, because they're delivery men that are paid to bring her furniture, but the extra part because they didn't ask her to help them do it, huh? You don't know how to cook, you invite a snobby person to dinner to question him about a murder, even though you turn around and tell your friend that guy is not a suspect on your list, then after making dinner and the buzzer sounds you take off your APRON BUT you wipe your sauce etc covered hands on the back of your jeans.... What does the amount of makeup, that is said to be her normal amount, have to do with whether she looks more the 'part' of someone grieving at a funeral, that's the stupidest thing I've heard today. She was a detective for years, but she gets slightly cornered and could die, so she just closes her eyes and waits, uh not duh, and a cracked screen wouldn't mean it had stopped recording or that the recording was still not on there. Why would the daughter have been holding a microphone and what was it connected to that everyone DOWNstairs heard the conversation? Surely THIS time I will remember the name and NOT get ANY more books by her/them.

Took DAYS to do review book literally kept giving me migraine.

[Cadiva · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5*
Very different in feeling than the Peridale Cafe mysteries but still a cracking good tale with enough of a little twist and a couple of red herrings thrown in.

I liked Liz, she's a believable heroine and didn't feel like she was omnipotent, I liked the background created for her and the extra instincts she had from being a former police officer.

I did have a little chuckle that the occupations of what I suspect will be Liz's potential new love interest and her own are the opposite way round from Julia and Barker in Agatha's other mystery series.

I liked the seaside setting, although for me it felt very Robin Hood's Bay with the twisty streets than a South Coast village. I liked meeting the people and hope to see more of Nancy and I felt really sorry for Christopher, so I hope he gets a happier fate along the way.

#ARC received from the authors in return for an honest and unbiased review.

[Tari · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an awesome, well-written beginning for a new series! I really enjoyed this story of a retired (well, a young retiree at age 42) police officer named Liz Jones who had recently lost her husband and decided to start her life over in Scarlet Cove on England's south coast.

I knew I was going to love her new friend Nancy the moment they met. Nancy was just the type of person anyone would like to have for a friend: happy, always matchmaking and as everyone else in Scarlet Cove, loved gossip.

When the town's head fisherman was found dead by Liz one day, Liz got a gut feeling it wasn't just an accident like everyone had said. Frank had liked drinking a little to much so it was easy to put off as an accident. Liz's detective training just can't help but kick in.

Along the way she met some new and interesting people, asked a lot of questions, had some fun in the meantime. After finding yet another body, the cases were eventually cracked. Oh, and I loved how she adopted the fisherman's little beagle, Paddy, that was going to be sent to a shelter.

This had a good and happy ending for most of the people in the story and I am so anxious to read the next installment!

[Vicki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty cute cozy murder story set in Scarlet Cove (shortened from Scarlet Cove Castle due to a headless woman story). A little fishing town is perfect for this mystery where a head fisher "drowns" after getting drunk; however, the MC Detective Elizabeth Jones who's literally just retired there at the age of 42 to open an arts and crafts store can't help but to sense something else when her investigative skills sset in.

Of course, being a small town the people gossip like crazy because everyone knows everyone. There's some interesting and scandalous things going on in Scarlet Cove. Some couples that are talked about because of their differences in age, seeing someone when she's not divorced but only separated, and other such things.

I liked the characters, especially Paddy, the dead man's dog and Spikey (a cactus). lol

Cute all the way around.

[Robin Powers · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to say I'm really liking this new cozy mysteries series! Liz has retired as a detective to move to the Scarlet Cove on the shore. You would think she'd love small town life after leaving Manchester. But this small town seems to be more busy with busybodies than a crowded city! And murder? What...did it follow her? It appears that Liz has not been able to escape her detective past and finds herself trying to solve the homicide. I really liked all of the characters and this was an interesting opening to new mystery. As with all cozy mysteries, I am sucked in and loving the gossipy neighborhood and quirky personalities. Just when I think it's going in one direction, it switches it up with the mystery and love interests. I honestly don't quite know where it will lead...and that makes it all the more intriguing.

[Patrizia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Non proprio 4 stelle piene, ma do questo voto sulla fiducia. Bella ambientazione, protagonista niente male (almeno la sua curiosità si può spiegare con l'essere un ex-detective...), alcuni comprimari promettenti; solo la parte sull'investigazione non mi ha convinto del tutto.

[Joan]

This was too slap-dash in places for me to really get engrossed in the story. Little things simply didn't ring true as if this was a third draft and no one had checked the continuity, and I lost confidence in the writing.

[Isabella ~Mikku-chan~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

*~~*ARC kindly provided by the author to me in exchange for an honest review *~~*

Another book written by Agatha Frost, this time co-written with the new author Evelyn Amber. The new book sets the reader in a little village at the coast in the south in the UK, pretty far away from the big city Manchester. We meet Elizabeth, who prefers Liz, an older heroine, and a retired detective. She plans to create a new life in Scarlet Cove in starting and arts and crafts shop but stumbles over two corpses. Her curious side is tickled and she can't help herself and go full in investigation mode. :)

The first book in the new series is charming and comes with the well-known humour by Agatha Frost. The co-writing is well done, the balance is definitely there, both authors seem to blend well together. :3

The setting is a different than the small village Perridale from Agatha Frost's Peridale Café Murder series. Both are villages with a limited amount of people but with set at the seaside the events and therefore also the "feeling" is different. With the new character there are new ways of character types. It feels a bit rougher, still pleasant and opens the possibility to create other stories. I am pretty excited to see what's planned for Liz the next books.

I really enjoyed the charming noisiness of Nancy, a young woman who gives Liz a warm welcome and on top introduce her to her boyfriend and a good friend of them, Simon, the local farmer, who delivers several shops in town with his producs.
The interest by Simon is there when he met Liz for the first time and it's clear there is an upcoming love interest. I'm totally curious in with way it leads. :3 Simon is as interesting as Barker from the other series and actually I am wondering - maybe I overread it - how old he is. If I got it right we have a slight age gap, where Liz is the older one. :) Charming.

Liz is an older heroine, something which is refreshing, but Liz doesn't come along "old". In fact she seems a bit more agil and than Julia from the Peridale Café Murder series although both women are the total opposite and therefore hard to compare. Truth is, Agatha Frost knows how to display her heroines. :) And both are super likable.
The minor character have their pros and cons, deliver funny scenes or come across warm and charming, even if they have the quirks of village people. :D

The book is full of witty but also thrlling parts. The crime case is revealed in a pleasant way and I have to say you are suspecting other for a while. It definitely pushes you to investigate along with Liz.

A charming start of the series, the character show their different sides and the crime case is thrilling. A pleasant read, a new setting, which is different and refreshing to the other books by Agatha Frost. The co-writing is well done and I can't spot buckles or disturbances, therefore it's a smooth read. Very well done. A 100% recommendation and 5 out of 5 stars for this. :)

Review originally posted on my blog with added content Mikku-chan / A world full of words

[Becca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh what a good book!! I love a good cozy! Little drama, little murder, little mischief and the makings of a great book. Nothing like a retired detective to figure things out. So good!

[Emmalynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick and cute cozy mystery

[Lavins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute, cozy murder mystery. Perfect for a rainy Sunday :).

[Victoria McMahon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was really good. This series is going to be as great as Agatha Frost’s Peridale cafe series

[Sheila Mchale · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointed at the character development in this first book. The story, per se, was predictable and run of the mill, so I expected to be treated to the introduction of some interesting village folk who I'd be eager to meet in the next installment. The characters other than Liz and Fishy Chris are so flat they never captured my imagination -- except for a few hair color descriptions, they have no "faces" nor outstanding features, no back story, no history. This made their interrelationships confusing. The description of the village was more detailed than that of the people.

Will I visit Scarlet Cove again? Probably, as I'm hoping for more. Meantime, I guess I'll just hang out at the Peridale Cafe.

[Silvia Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book started off very promising indeed: a female protagonist in her forties (my favorite age bracket for cozy mysteries) embarking on a new life in a coastal English town. This is the kind of premise that gets me every time, simply because I unabashedly consider it one of my favorite tropes. Sadly, the murder intrigue itself, though not exactly predictable, was far too straightforward for my liking. I felt that the ending was a bit rushed. I like to spend hours wondering about 'whodunnit', with new suspects added every step of the way, but there were far too few of them here for my liking. That said, I did enjoy this book and will consider checking out other works by this author.

Read for #Spookathon 2017.

[Denise Vasak · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book started out promising, but then it didn't go anywhere. There are weird timing bits throughout the book. She's working on the shop, then she and Nancy manage to get everything constructed and in place in no time. There's a lot of "telling" vs. "showing." I wish we had more showing through the narrative. I'm not sure what the author wants us to make of the Christopher character, but he was not pleasant. The whole thing wraps up so quickly if you blinked you missed it. That was a long set up for very little payoff. I don't think I'll be revisiting this series.

[Richard · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really hate to give a bad review. So I will only say this is not my kind of murder-mystery novel. I’m used to the more hard-boiled type, this 'egg' has not even been in the pan it’s so soft. It’s obviously enjoyed by many according to the reviews but not for me. Sorry.

[Martha · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too formulaic of the cozy genre.

[Shree · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not the author's best work.

I understand that cozy mysteries are often not too heavy or layered, but even so this one failed to deliver what the premise promised. It almost seems like this work was rushed—like not a lot of thought was put into the plot or the presentation.

The story and characters were lacking in depth, there was hardly any character development or even description—all we seem to know is that the women were either aloof and wore too much makeup or were overly enthusiastic and talkative—for the first book in a series, the relationships between the characters were unclear, the investigation part of the mystery wasn't sufficiently detailed, the behavior of the main character was odd at a few instances, and the final part of the story raised a lot of questions rather than tie up
loose ends ( why was there a microphone in the apartment of the landlady? I presume the microphone was connected to a speaker system downstairs (why though?) and was the whole set-up switched on and ready for the confession??! The mic was near a bathroom that Mandy was using? Mandy, who seemed unbothered with the deaths until then and who didn't know how the mic worked (by her own admission), figured it all out just in time? In a village where everyone gossips and word travels at lightning speed, did no one suspect or know that Michael was a violent bully? If Laura was as scared of him as she says, wouldn't she have at least talked about it to Frank in the 3+ years she was with him? Wouldn't he have discouraged her continued "friendship" with her ex husband considering her safety?

Perhaps, the collaboration didn't work out?
(because the Peridale cafe mysteries and Claire's candles series have several good books) Either way, I'm not sure I want to read other books in this series.

[Marcella · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book in the new Scarlet Cove series.

This story is about Liz Jones, a former Detective who retired from the police force at only 42 years old. After the death of her husband two years prior, Liz wanted a new beginning and decided to pursue her passion for art and open an arts and crafts store in the quaint little town of Scarlet Cove. Little did she know that the town she thinks is peaceful and quiet is anything but.

Within days of her arrival at Scarlet Cove, there is a murder in the usual quiet town. Liz is the one to discover the body and immediately her Detective instincts are telling her this isn't right. The police of the small town were sure this was a drowning, but after further investigation, it is revealed that it was no drowning, but an actual murder. She can't help herself, and despite being busy trying to get her shop ready for its grand opening, Liz finds herself asking questions and trying to solve the crime.

I will be honest and say that I usually do not like reading books that are co-authored. The writing styles of the two authors was always obvious and it made the story seemed broken up some how. With that being said, I will tell you that I did NOT get that from this story. Both authors did an excellent job and complimented each other beautifully. The story had me from the start and I was finding myself trying to solve the case beside Liz. It was a true who done it and I just couldn't put it down. What a great start to a new series. I look forward to reading more about Scarlet Cove.

[JJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was sure this was going to written by an American as the name Scarlet Cove (where the action takes place) doesn’t sound too British but the author lives in England (though that isn’t conclusive proof she’s English, I know).
We have Liz, retiring from the police force to open an art shop in a small town in the south of England where she is welcomed with open arms, quite literally in some cases. She is 42 with red hair and apparently good-looking as she quickly attracts a younger male admirer.
Liz, comes across a dead body. She doesn’t immediately take charge of investigating what she is sure is a crime but slowly she gets told things that make her believe it is murder.
Now we are told that Liz retired with the rank of detective but this is not a rank. Your a DC or DS or DI not just D. This was a niggle as it is mentioned quite a few times in the book.
Scarlet Cove must be a dead end sort of place as we are constantly told there is nothing to do but gossip and Liz is both gossiped about and too, which helps her enquiries.
Then bad luck heaped upon bad luck she comes across another poor soul dead in a alley. She’s going to have to sort this out. And she does.
It’s not a crime book per se as a lot revolves around Liz settling in and meeting people and there is a slow blossoming romance.
I give it three stars which isn’t to imply in any way that it was bad, just average.

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great start to a new cozy mystery series! Agatha Frost is already a favorite for me and Evelyn Amber makes a great addition! Liz is looking for a new start after retiring from her detective position. She finds a small fishing town and is going to open an art shop and enjoy life. But when a body washes up it quickly goes from accident to murder and Liz finds herself trying to solve the crime.

I really enjoyed this book and it's quirky small town! It definitely has that small-town, everyone knows everyone feel and with Liz as the newcomer, it seems everyone wants to get to know her. Trying to get her shop ready to open and asking questions about the murder, she definitely gets to know everyone and uncovers some secrets along the way. Agatha Frost and Evelyn Amber make a fantastic, seamless duo and have created a fun mystery that kept me guessing! A great start to a new series I'm definitely looking forward to!

[Dallass · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just your average-ish short cosy

Had higher hopes for this than I’d realised, and while I enjoyed the storyline, and the main character, Liz, the other characters from Scarlet Cove seemed more caricatures than fully fleshed out characters. This was disappointing and my eagerness to read Dead in the Water disappeared in a puff of smoke, and turned this into read and forget type situation.

Favourite character was Liz, but I adored Paddy. Was not keen in the already forming emotional triangle situation between Liz, Simon and Christopher - even if nothing happened, it’s now still a potential situation and I’m sick of this trope - and poor old Nancy is the overly enthusiastic and peppy new friend. Just too much.

3 stars ⭐️ for the location and the murder plot.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love finding new authors who have a skill in keeping the suspense going through the whole book. And in this collaboration I have found that.
I really enjoyed this first book. The writing flowed and kept you reading I finished it in a day as I wanted to find out who had done it. I enjoyed how there were little clues throughout the book but nothing obvious. A good mystery writer does this.
I liked how there could be a budding romance here too.
The secondary characters are fun and well written without taking over from the lead. I am going to enjoy reading more about them and their adventures.
I received this advanced book for an honest review.

[Sherry · Rating 5 out of 5]

New English Cozy!

A brand new cozy mystery by Agatha Frost takes place in the small English fishing village of Scarlet Cove. Main character Liz Jones has recently retired as a detective in the Manchester Police dept. to open an arts & crafts store. She has moved to this seaside village to escape some painful memories & recreate her life. After discovering a dead body Liz decides to become involved in finding the killer. I found, that much like other English cozies, this is more cerebral than action packed. It has interesting characters that drew me in. I can't wait to see where Liz goes from here!

[Genres and Journals *Tia* · Rating 4 out of 5]

Between 3 and 4 stars.
This was such a cozy fun read. I loved the main character, Liz, and the seaside setting of Scarlet Cove. I was even on board with the budding romance and interested in the murder mystery. The only thing keeping it from a full 4 star rating, was that I thought the big showdown with the bad guy felt a little cheesy - a little too soap opera-y. I am definitely planning on reading the next in the series and I would recommend this one if you are looking for your next cozy mystery series.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written, good start to new series. Two years after her husband's death, Police Detective Elizabeth Jones retires to Scarlet Cove to open an Arts & Crafts shop and lead a quiet small town life. What she doesn't expect is to find 2 dead bodies within a week of her arrival. Follow Liz as she makes new friends, prepares for her shop opening, and solves the crimes. Very good introduction of well developed characters. Well thought out plot.

[Sallyann · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I started this I almost felt like I was cheating on Agatha's characters from her Peridale Cafe series because I was instantly in love with Liz and the residents of Scarlet Cove. Liz has retired from the force in Manchester to what she hopes is a sleepy little fishing village. What she didn't expect is to find not one but two bodies in the first few days of living there. I just know I'm going to love this series and all of the colourful characters that we will meet in Scarlet Cove.