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Exham on Sea Mysteries #1-2
The Exham-On-Sea Murder Mysteries Vol 1
This volume contains 'Murder at the Lighthouse' and 'Murder on the Levels'.
Murder at the Lighthouse:
Have you ever found a body on the beach?
Recently widowed Libby Forest arrives in the small coastal town of Exham-on-Sea, keen to start a new life baking cakes and designing chocolates.
Walking on the beach one stormy autumn day, Libby and excitable Springer Spaniel Shipley discover a body under the lighthouse. Convinced the death was no accident, Libby teams up with Max Ramshore, an attractive local resident, and Bear, a huge sheepdog, to unmask the killer.
Murder on the Levels
Libby's chocolates sell like hot cakes ... until people die.
When a group of cyclists, all customers at the bakery where Libby Forest works, are poisoned, suspicion falls on the shop itself, and Libby's food.
In partnership with blue-eyed Max Ramshore and Bear, Libby sets out to uncover the poisoner and save the bakery. But who can she trust?
Murder at the Lighthouse:
Have you ever found a body on the beach?
Recently widowed Libby Forest arrives in the small coastal town of Exham-on-Sea, keen to start a new life baking cakes and designing chocolates.
Walking on the beach one stormy autumn day, Libby and excitable Springer Spaniel Shipley discover a body under the lighthouse. Convinced the death was no accident, Libby teams up with Max Ramshore, an attractive local resident, and Bear, a huge sheepdog, to unmask the killer.
Murder on the Levels
Libby's chocolates sell like hot cakes ... until people die.
When a group of cyclists, all customers at the bakery where Libby Forest works, are poisoned, suspicion falls on the shop itself, and Libby's food.
In partnership with blue-eyed Max Ramshore and Bear, Libby sets out to uncover the poisoner and save the bakery. But who can she trust?
309 pages, Paperback
First published December 8, 2020
6 people are currently reading
22 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
March 3, 2024
Two for the price of one in this omnibus edition containing Frances Evesham's first two books featuring Libby Forest, who investigates a couple of incidents with help from Max Ramshore.
Of the two titles, 'Murder at the Lighthouse' and 'Murder on the Levels', I found the former the more entertaining and understandable. Libby has moved to Exham-on-Sea (based on Burnham-on-Sea in Somerset) to start a new life after the death of her husband. She intends to concentrate on her baking skills and her making of chocolates but what she doesn't expect to encounter is a dead body on the beach beneath the lighthouse.
Reporting it to the police, Libby is convinced that the death was no accident and she is determined to find out what has happened to the lady, Susie Bennett, a former resident of Exham who had gone on to form a successful singing career in America. Her investigation leads her down all sorts of blind alleys and, along with a friend's huge sheepdog named Bear and the help, or on occasion hinderance, of a certain Max Ramshore she uncovers a variety of situations, none of which initially seem to relate to the victim's death.
But her exhaustive probing eventually pays off, as despite threats on her life, she unmasks the killer.
'Murder on the Levels' is less straightforward as it is a number of cyclists who are involved in the plot, especially when, on a group outings some are taken ill and two of them die in mysterious circumstances. Once again Libby is determined to get to the bottom of the mystery and although the plot becomes a little convoluted and slow-moving, she once again gets to the bottom of the situation to come out triumphant. It says something when quite close to the end, the denouement on the horizon, Max comments, (without giving too much away), 'I don't understand much of this ... None of it makes sense.' I must admit, I do understand what he means!
Of the two titles, 'Murder at the Lighthouse' and 'Murder on the Levels', I found the former the more entertaining and understandable. Libby has moved to Exham-on-Sea (based on Burnham-on-Sea in Somerset) to start a new life after the death of her husband. She intends to concentrate on her baking skills and her making of chocolates but what she doesn't expect to encounter is a dead body on the beach beneath the lighthouse.
Reporting it to the police, Libby is convinced that the death was no accident and she is determined to find out what has happened to the lady, Susie Bennett, a former resident of Exham who had gone on to form a successful singing career in America. Her investigation leads her down all sorts of blind alleys and, along with a friend's huge sheepdog named Bear and the help, or on occasion hinderance, of a certain Max Ramshore she uncovers a variety of situations, none of which initially seem to relate to the victim's death.
But her exhaustive probing eventually pays off, as despite threats on her life, she unmasks the killer.
'Murder on the Levels' is less straightforward as it is a number of cyclists who are involved in the plot, especially when, on a group outings some are taken ill and two of them die in mysterious circumstances. Once again Libby is determined to get to the bottom of the mystery and although the plot becomes a little convoluted and slow-moving, she once again gets to the bottom of the situation to come out triumphant. It says something when quite close to the end, the denouement on the horizon, Max comments, (without giving too much away), 'I don't understand much of this ... None of it makes sense.' I must admit, I do understand what he means!
May 14, 2021
The first of the novellas in this volume starts off quite slow, and I found the prose quite clunky and hard to follow. However, as I got used to the writer’s style and invested in the tale, the story developed into a very entertaining read. Somewhat like Hot Fuzz in terms of the plot, it also combines elements like that of Agatha Christie to come together and be an enjoyable mystery set in a vivid and (for me) familiar location. The second starts off much better, and is an enjoyable fast-paced story which leaves you none the wiser as to who’s done it until the very end; I found it much easier to get into and a very entertaining read.
June 9, 2021
Feels a bit too much like it’s writing by numbers. Single woman with sad past. Tick. Possible romance with detecting partner who has mysterious life. Tick. Dog. Tick. Cakes & chocolate. Tick. Rural community where everyone knows each other. Tick. Incompetent police. Tick.
June 27, 2021
Poorly edited, disjointed story and not as good as other authors. I won't read any more.
September 22, 2023
Cozy mysteries with some twists. Entertaining read. The narrator is always clear and engaged in the reading material—a professional. ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️
January 21, 2024
Easy read
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews