Frances Brody writes marvelous British mysteries, and if you haven't met the wonderful Kate Shackleton, Death at the Seaside is the perfect place to start this terrific series! Whether you are already a Brody fan or new to the Kate Shackleton series, Death at the Seaside is a mystery you just plain can't miss!" —Charles Todd, bestselling author of the Ian Rutledge Mysteries and the Bess Crawford Mysteries
"A delightful trip through time and space to 1920s England with a heroine who would make the ladies of the Golden Age proud." —Rhys Bowen, New York Times bestselling author of the Royal Spyness and Molly Murphy novels
Frances Brody returns with an intricate, absorbing plot while capturing the atmosphere and language of 1920s England in the eighth book of her cozy mystery series.
Nothing ever happens in August, and tenacious sleuth Kate Shackleton deserves a break.
Heading off for a long-overdue holiday to Whitby, she visits her school friend Alma who works as a fortune teller there. Kate had been looking forward to a relaxing seaside sojourn, but upon arrival discovers that Alma's daughter Felicity has disappeared, leaving her mother a note and the pawn ticket for their only asset: a watch-guard.
What makes this more intriguing is the jeweler who advanced Felicity the thirty shillings is Jack Phillips, Alma's current gentleman friend.
Kate can't help but become involved, and goes to the jeweler's shop to get some answers. When she makes a horrifying discovery in the back room, it becomes clear that her services are needed. Met by a wall of silence by town officials, keen to maintain Whitby's idyllic façade, it's up to Kate - ably assisted by Jim Sykes and Mrs Sugden - to discover the truth behind Felicity's disappearance.
And they say nothing happens in August...