Thursday, June 3, 2010

Book Review: The Body on the Beach

The Body on the Beach by Simon Brett (Berkley, 2000) is the first installment of the Fethering Mysteries featuring retired government worker Carole Seddon and her new bohemian next-door neighbor, Jude.

Carole has carved out for herself the perfect retirement in the right neighborhood of the most respectable seaside community of Fethering. Her day is regimented. Friends never call without a day or two's notice. She is a stickler for exactitude in matters of truth. Then one day, two things occur to turn her carefully crafted world topsy-turvy. She finds a body on the beach while taking her dog for his dawn walk. And Jude moves in next door.

Brett's story is interesting and moves along at a good pace. The characters of the locals in Carole's world are well drawn, and you can detect him setting the framework for future stories involving them. The story is told from both Carole and Jude's points of view, which helps to develop both characters and their relationship. The very minimal involvement of law enforcement seemed a bit far-fetched, and I hope to see a better relationship with the local inspector develop as the series moves forward.

Memorable Morsels:
Links to Investigate Further:

Buy the book: The Body on the Beach: The Fethering Mysteries
Author's Page on Wikipedia
Author's Website
Author's Page on LibraryThing
Book's Page on LibraryThing

The Final Analysis:

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