The Shell House Detectives is book one in a well-established series, but one which I’m only just discovering! It’s a cosy mystery but really hard to describe because it’s against the norm. If picking comparable Authors I’d say that the word-smithery of Elin Hildebrand combines with the destination descriptions talent of Lucy Clarke to bring something with a huge dose of Emylia Hall’s own style into the mix. It’s marvellous and extremely compelling to read.
Setting, Characters, Plot – they’re all spot on. We’re fully immersed in the Cornish Coast, the tight-knit community of the locals and the rather isolating out-cast nature of the holiday-ers. There’s a warmth to the friendships, the beach houses and the storyline. There’s something gentle about it even with the underlying crimes and mystery. It’s a series that I am very much going to continue reading and I can’t wait to see what’s next.
“Maybe that is how it worked: certain people came into your life at just the right moment – only you didn’t know it was the right moment, not at the time.”
About the Book
Welcome to the coastal paradise of Porthpella, where murder lurks among the dunes…
Late one night, a distraught young man knocks on the door of retired and recently widowed Ally Bright’s remote home on the Cornish coast. But before she can make sense of his confused words, he’s gone—not to be seen again until he’s found the next morning at the foot of the nearby cliffs.
In an instant, the peace of Ally’s beachcombing life is shattered. Feeling responsible for the young man’s fate, she wants to help find answers—as does ex-cop Jayden Weston, whom Ally meets at the scene. He shares her certainty that there’s more to the story than attempted suicide. When it emerges that the man is newly released ex-offender Lewis Pascoe, and that Helena, the wealthy new owner of his grandmother’s home, has subsequently disappeared, the tight-knit community of Porthpella is thrown into turmoil.
Driven by their need to know more, the duo decide to investigate the mystery together. Is there a connection between the Pascoe family’s tragic history and Helena’s disappearance? And if there is a killer stalking Porthpella, do Ally and Jayden have what it takes to catch them?
About The Author
Emylia Hall lives with her husband and son in Bristol, where she writes from a hut in the garden and dreams of the sea. The Shell House Detectives is her first crime novel and is inspired by her love of Cornwall’s wild landscape. Emylia has published four previous novels, including Richard and Judy Book Club pick The Book of Summers and The Thousand Lights Hotel. Her work has been translated into ten languages and broadcast on BBC Radio 6 Music. She is the founder of Mothership Writers and is a writing coach at The Novelry.
Purchase the Book
This book can be purchased in our store either on its own or in a cosy Book Box.
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