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Astrid Swift #3
Death Comes to the Costa del Sol
Amateur sleuth Astrid Swift swaps the sporting summer in England for a British expat enclave in Spain, where everyone has a secret for leaving the UK.
Amidst the sun and sangria, something sinister is lurking. A world-famous restaurant has been the victim of a robbery, and soon the perfect seaside town finds itself rattled by a poison-pen campaign that is teasing out its residents' secrets on social media.
With priceless art gone missing – and her own father insistent that his life is under threat – Astrid is called to piece together the puzzle before it's too late for both the town and her father.
Amidst the sun and sangria, something sinister is lurking. A world-famous restaurant has been the victim of a robbery, and soon the perfect seaside town finds itself rattled by a poison-pen campaign that is teasing out its residents' secrets on social media.
With priceless art gone missing – and her own father insistent that his life is under threat – Astrid is called to piece together the puzzle before it's too late for both the town and her father.
314 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 13, 2023
50 people are currently reading
200 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
May 12, 2024
This book is based in Spain and I am traveling in Spain, so I thought I’d read it. Astrid has been asked to investigate who is posting negative things about her stepmother on social media.
The pace was slow and the plot wasn’t intriguing, so after reading about 30%, it went in the DNF pile.
The pace was slow and the plot wasn’t intriguing, so after reading about 30%, it went in the DNF pile.
January 25, 2023
This book felt like a bad rip off of an Agatha Christie novel and it deeply upsets me. The writing felt like I was reading fanfiction. Where’s the mystery? I want to root for the detective not be royally annoyed by how much of a child they’re being.
January 18, 2023
Judging by the cover and the blurb I expected something light and funny. Mostly funny. With a crime twist.
What I got is a light, simple story with a crime twist, yes, but...
The crime is not a crime, the death is almost accidental and is not taken seriously by anyone. The villain is a sorry guy. The so-called heroine Astrid is not a hero by any means. The beginning is off in terms of where and how the story starts and the Astrid family relationship makes no sense. The whole thing is not clever, not surprising, not thrilling and not funny. And the biggest wth moment was at the very end when Astrids' dad makes a business offer to her.
I´m sure this book will have happy readers, because, after all, it is likable, but I still expect from literature more.
What I got is a light, simple story with a crime twist, yes, but...
The crime is not a crime, the death is almost accidental and is not taken seriously by anyone. The villain is a sorry guy. The so-called heroine Astrid is not a hero by any means. The beginning is off in terms of where and how the story starts and the Astrid family relationship makes no sense. The whole thing is not clever, not surprising, not thrilling and not funny. And the biggest wth moment was at the very end when Astrids' dad makes a business offer to her.
I´m sure this book will have happy readers, because, after all, it is likable, but I still expect from literature more.
July 27, 2025
Death Comes to the Costa del Sol is the third book in M.H. Eccleston's series featuring English art restorer- turned- sleuth Astrid Swift. This instalment takes our heroine, aboard her yacht The Curlew's Rest, away from southern England to Estepona on Spain’s Costa del Sol, with the intention of healing her relationship with her father Peter, who lives there with his second wife, Jennifer.
Astrid is immediately thrust into the midst of an investigation, into a social media poison pen who's been preying upon the local expat community in Estepona, focusing on the clientele of Shakespeare's Bar & Grill.
Astrid is immediately thrust into the midst of an investigation, into a social media poison pen who's been preying upon the local expat community in Estepona, focusing on the clientele of Shakespeare's Bar & Grill.
January 1, 2023
Astrid Swift has had a tumultuous time lately and has decided to sail to Spain and surprise her somewhat estranged dad and his unpopular, to her at least, new wife. The weather and the coastal town of Estopena are beautiful and soon Astrid is thoroughly enjoying her impromptu visit and getting to know the locals and expats alike.
Not everything is perfect however, and when Astrid's stepmother, Jennifer, asks her to try and find out who is trolling the expat community online, she soon finds herself investigating who has insider knowledge of the secrets her new friends would rather continue to keep to themselves. As Astrid enjoys trying to get one step ahead of someone hiding in plain sight she discovers her family is also keeping things from her and then, when a body is found, her fun in the sun becomes deadly serious.
This is the third in M H Eccleston's excellent series and I loved it. Each book has become a better version of itself and Astrid is now a totally relatable, likeable, main protagonist and, once again, the author has provided her with a new set of friends to help solve the latest puzzle. As with the previous books there are hints about what might happen next and, as this has become a must read series for me, I will definitely be on the lookout for Astrid's next adventure.
I was able to read an advanced copy of this book, which I thoroughly enjoyed, thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the opinions expressed are my own. As each book has a standalone mystery following on from the previous storyline they are best read in order. Highly recommended.
Not everything is perfect however, and when Astrid's stepmother, Jennifer, asks her to try and find out who is trolling the expat community online, she soon finds herself investigating who has insider knowledge of the secrets her new friends would rather continue to keep to themselves. As Astrid enjoys trying to get one step ahead of someone hiding in plain sight she discovers her family is also keeping things from her and then, when a body is found, her fun in the sun becomes deadly serious.
This is the third in M H Eccleston's excellent series and I loved it. Each book has become a better version of itself and Astrid is now a totally relatable, likeable, main protagonist and, once again, the author has provided her with a new set of friends to help solve the latest puzzle. As with the previous books there are hints about what might happen next and, as this has become a must read series for me, I will definitely be on the lookout for Astrid's next adventure.
I was able to read an advanced copy of this book, which I thoroughly enjoyed, thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the opinions expressed are my own. As each book has a standalone mystery following on from the previous storyline they are best read in order. Highly recommended.
April 6, 2023
This started out well and then stalled. I think my biggest issue with this is that the investigation revolves around Twitter and tweets by a particular account but no investigation is actually done on Twitter; in fact, it doesn’t seem like there’s much investigation done at all. It’s just Astrid bumbling around a beautiful setting hoping clues fall in her lap. The story starts to drag once the investigation starts and never really picks up. I enjoyed learning more about painting restoration but even these sections were drawn out and dragged. I liked Astrid but found that this story could have been so much shorter. I may go back and try the other two in the series.
I received a copy from #NetGalley for an honest review.
I received a copy from #NetGalley for an honest review.
January 24, 2023
I was attracted to the vibrant cover design of this book, and I was hoping for a cheerful cosy mystery.
I hadn't read any books by this author before, but I thought this was lovely. As soon as I started reading it, I felt like it provided an escape - it was like reading and being teleported to somewhere warmer and sunnier. I found it quite funny too - the characters made me chuckle. The mystery was entertaining, and when I realised who the culprit was, it surprised me. If this is part of a series, I think I'd be interested in reading some of the others.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy to review.
I hadn't read any books by this author before, but I thought this was lovely. As soon as I started reading it, I felt like it provided an escape - it was like reading and being teleported to somewhere warmer and sunnier. I found it quite funny too - the characters made me chuckle. The mystery was entertaining, and when I realised who the culprit was, it surprised me. If this is part of a series, I think I'd be interested in reading some of the others.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy to review.
February 21, 2023
Thank you Aria & Aries, Head of Zeus and NetGalley for approving my request to read and review this book.
It is the 3rd book in the Astrid Swift Series. Astrid is visiting The Costa Del Sol in Spain to catch up with her Dad after becoming estranged!! She becomes entangled in a mystery and she sets outs to investigate and solve the crime!! The descriptions brought this area of Spain alive and I could see it very well. All in all, this was a fun to read book, filled with interesting plot twists and turns with a serving of humour!! I will be recommending this to my fellow book worms!!!
It is the 3rd book in the Astrid Swift Series. Astrid is visiting The Costa Del Sol in Spain to catch up with her Dad after becoming estranged!! She becomes entangled in a mystery and she sets outs to investigate and solve the crime!! The descriptions brought this area of Spain alive and I could see it very well. All in all, this was a fun to read book, filled with interesting plot twists and turns with a serving of humour!! I will be recommending this to my fellow book worms!!!
February 12, 2023
Such a fun holiday mystery. Characters were amazing and how I expect a lot of expats are. Found it funny and heartwarming
May 19, 2023
The plot is laughable and Astrid is insufferable.
January 29, 2023
When I’ve got the January blues, I find myself longing for sunshine and warm beaches. So when I came across Death Comes to the Costa del Sol by M. H. Eccleston, I was excited to escape endless rain to the seaside resort of Estipona. (Thanks to NetGalley and Aria & Aries for the digital review copy!)
Death Comes to the Costa del Sol follows art conservator Astrid as she docks her boat in Estipona to reunite with her ex-pat father. The story follows a major mystery involving Internet blackmail and a subplot involving Astrid’s father himself. This premise - seaside town, art conservator protagonist - felt like a bright antidote to dreary weather. And after reading, I found a lot to love in this cozy resort mystery.
A resort town riddle
Death Comes to the Costa del Sol takes place in Estipona, a Spanish resort town off the Mediterranean Sea. The protagonist, Astrid, sails in after a harrowing adventure in the Isle of Wight. She’s hoping to spend some time with her estranged father whole unwinding a bit. She quickly learns that the town’s ex-pats have been targeted by a Twitter troll, and her father asks her to investigate.
This requires Astrid to meet each ex-pat and explore Estipona as she does so. As she travels between ex-pat’s homes, trying to find a common thread between the targets, we’re treated to a lovely description of the setting. Eccleston brings the small town to life, both the idyllic sun-drenched resort and the less-glamorous reality of ex-pat life. We get to see a British import store, a golf course, and a British pub in Estipona. It’s the classic case of escaping elsewhere only to recreate your home.
As someone who grew up in beach towns, this is extremely familiar territory. It serves the same niche in my brain as American Chinese food - not the authentic experience. but there’s a particular nostalgia there. Read this as a resort town novel, not a holiday novel - this is about slightly sunnier home comforts. (An apt setting for a cozy mystery!)
Another way to balance cozy and mystery
Quite often, cozy mystery authors create a cozy atmosphere around a murder. So you’ll have an ice cream store owner, thinking cozy thoughts about ice cream and family members, as they solve a gory crime. “Cozy” and “mystery” describe parallel tracks in the novel.
Eccleston takes a different approach, downgrading the crime while maintaining all the social intrigue. Like other authors who take this route, Eccleston instead focuses on a community insider revealing dark secrets. In earlier years, these were poison pen letters; today, it’s a Twitter troll. There’s some coziness inherent in the cute resort town setting, but the mystery stays cozy with this lower-stakes crime.
That’s not to say it doesn’t work - lower-stakes doesn’t mean bad. If social intrigue and community are the core of the cozy mystery genre, a mysterious Twitter account revealing dark secrets works pretty well to generate tension. The secrets (and their holders) are a nice balance of interesting and familiar: I found myself thinking about local counterparts and engaging more to guess each secret.
Technical difficulties
Perhaps I have too high a bar for technical accuracy in stories, but I found the technical elements in Death Comes to the Costa del Sol a bit lackluster. For a book that centers on a Twitter troll, it contains remarkably little Twitter investigation.
Astrid, the protagonist, knows very little about Twitter, so she quickly stops trying to investigate online. Instead, she chooses to investigate the secrets of the twin, deeming it more expedient than trying to learn a new technology. Which is fair, but then why have a Twitter troll in the first place? Blogs or anonymous emails or letter or public posters would work just as well. (Also, Twitter’s not too different from any other social network - and they’re all designed to be very easy to adopt. For a thirty-something to be unaware of the idea of “following” someone online strains credulity.)
It’s not that I need some massive hacking subplot - solving this mystery via technical methods would make a pretty boring story. But the constant references to Twitter kept breaking the otherwise cozy atmosphere of book. I would have been perfectly happy with either more or less Twitter - but this amount did not do it for me.
Reader's notes & rating (⭐⭐⭐✨)
This was a lovely little read and I’ve actually gone ahead and bought the first two books in the series. Astrid was a fun protagonist and I’m curious to see if her background as an art conservator comes up more in the other books. The book put me in mind of a warm summer day and would be an excellent beach read in warmer months. (Or as an antidote to atmospheric rivers…) 3.5 stars. If you enjoy beachy cozies, I’d give this a try!
Read this if...
You’re excited for resort-town vibes
You think mysteries are about intrigue - not murder
You’re ok to start in the middle of a series
Skip this if...
You like to start a series from the beginning
You’re more excited about the Spanish setting than the ex-pat closed circle
Technically confused protagonists irritate you
Death Comes to the Costa del Sol will be published on March 2, 2023!
Death Comes to the Costa del Sol follows art conservator Astrid as she docks her boat in Estipona to reunite with her ex-pat father. The story follows a major mystery involving Internet blackmail and a subplot involving Astrid’s father himself. This premise - seaside town, art conservator protagonist - felt like a bright antidote to dreary weather. And after reading, I found a lot to love in this cozy resort mystery.
A resort town riddle
Death Comes to the Costa del Sol takes place in Estipona, a Spanish resort town off the Mediterranean Sea. The protagonist, Astrid, sails in after a harrowing adventure in the Isle of Wight. She’s hoping to spend some time with her estranged father whole unwinding a bit. She quickly learns that the town’s ex-pats have been targeted by a Twitter troll, and her father asks her to investigate.
This requires Astrid to meet each ex-pat and explore Estipona as she does so. As she travels between ex-pat’s homes, trying to find a common thread between the targets, we’re treated to a lovely description of the setting. Eccleston brings the small town to life, both the idyllic sun-drenched resort and the less-glamorous reality of ex-pat life. We get to see a British import store, a golf course, and a British pub in Estipona. It’s the classic case of escaping elsewhere only to recreate your home.
As someone who grew up in beach towns, this is extremely familiar territory. It serves the same niche in my brain as American Chinese food - not the authentic experience. but there’s a particular nostalgia there. Read this as a resort town novel, not a holiday novel - this is about slightly sunnier home comforts. (An apt setting for a cozy mystery!)
Another way to balance cozy and mystery
Quite often, cozy mystery authors create a cozy atmosphere around a murder. So you’ll have an ice cream store owner, thinking cozy thoughts about ice cream and family members, as they solve a gory crime. “Cozy” and “mystery” describe parallel tracks in the novel.
Eccleston takes a different approach, downgrading the crime while maintaining all the social intrigue. Like other authors who take this route, Eccleston instead focuses on a community insider revealing dark secrets. In earlier years, these were poison pen letters; today, it’s a Twitter troll. There’s some coziness inherent in the cute resort town setting, but the mystery stays cozy with this lower-stakes crime.
That’s not to say it doesn’t work - lower-stakes doesn’t mean bad. If social intrigue and community are the core of the cozy mystery genre, a mysterious Twitter account revealing dark secrets works pretty well to generate tension. The secrets (and their holders) are a nice balance of interesting and familiar: I found myself thinking about local counterparts and engaging more to guess each secret.
Technical difficulties
Perhaps I have too high a bar for technical accuracy in stories, but I found the technical elements in Death Comes to the Costa del Sol a bit lackluster. For a book that centers on a Twitter troll, it contains remarkably little Twitter investigation.
Astrid, the protagonist, knows very little about Twitter, so she quickly stops trying to investigate online. Instead, she chooses to investigate the secrets of the twin, deeming it more expedient than trying to learn a new technology. Which is fair, but then why have a Twitter troll in the first place? Blogs or anonymous emails or letter or public posters would work just as well. (Also, Twitter’s not too different from any other social network - and they’re all designed to be very easy to adopt. For a thirty-something to be unaware of the idea of “following” someone online strains credulity.)
It’s not that I need some massive hacking subplot - solving this mystery via technical methods would make a pretty boring story. But the constant references to Twitter kept breaking the otherwise cozy atmosphere of book. I would have been perfectly happy with either more or less Twitter - but this amount did not do it for me.
Reader's notes & rating (⭐⭐⭐✨)
This was a lovely little read and I’ve actually gone ahead and bought the first two books in the series. Astrid was a fun protagonist and I’m curious to see if her background as an art conservator comes up more in the other books. The book put me in mind of a warm summer day and would be an excellent beach read in warmer months. (Or as an antidote to atmospheric rivers…) 3.5 stars. If you enjoy beachy cozies, I’d give this a try!
Read this if...
You’re excited for resort-town vibes
You think mysteries are about intrigue - not murder
You’re ok to start in the middle of a series
Skip this if...
You like to start a series from the beginning
You’re more excited about the Spanish setting than the ex-pat closed circle
Technically confused protagonists irritate you
Death Comes to the Costa del Sol will be published on March 2, 2023!
January 7, 2023
Visiting her estranged father on the coast of Spain, Astrid Swift finds herself looking into the theft of some pricy artwork. While she wants nothing more than to reconnect with her father, what’s a girl to do when she’s ask for help? Especially when her father insists he is in danger?
This was an enjoyable read, I can see lots of mystery fans reading this on the beach with a cold drink in one hand, thee book in the other, while sitting under the shade of the umbrella. Add this one to your summer reading list for sure!
This was an enjoyable read, I can see lots of mystery fans reading this on the beach with a cold drink in one hand, thee book in the other, while sitting under the shade of the umbrella. Add this one to your summer reading list for sure!
February 18, 2023
Amateur sleuth Astrid Swift swaps the sporting summer in England for a British expat enclave in Spain, where everyone has a secret reason for leaving the UK. I really enjoyed this one and the beautiful place. Astrid is a fun character that is easy to like. She tries to re-build a relationship with her father all the while dealing with an internet troll. Solid cozy!
#DeathComestotheCostadelSol #NetGalley
#DeathComestotheCostadelSol #NetGalley
February 24, 2023
"Death Comes to the Costa del Sol" by M.H. Eccleston is a story centering around British expats living in Spain. Astrid travels to Spain to visit her father and ends up investigating who is trolling their community on Twitter. An entertaining novel that is both humorous and heartwarming.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
March 30, 2023
This cozy crime was ok, however it felt a little clunky and the story dragged somewhat. Also found it somewhat hard to sympathise with some of the characters.
2,5 rounded up to 3.
I wasn’t aware this was part of a series, had I read previous books I may have enjoyed this more.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my review.
2,5 rounded up to 3.
I wasn’t aware this was part of a series, had I read previous books I may have enjoyed this more.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my review.
December 19, 2022
This was a great mystery. I like how another counry was brought into the story it made it seem so real. I love the characters abd the mystery aspect of it. This book was approved by netgalley and the publisher for ne to read and review.
January 20, 2023
I love Spain so enjoyed reAding this very much. It was a typical xpat environment and characters so enjoyable to read, very light.
August 31, 2023
I love Astrid and her sailing mystery adventures! This third installment finds her in the Costa del Sol in a British ex-pat enclave and trying to build a closer relationship with her father, who has been largely absent for most of her life. He lives in Spain with his new wife, Jennifer, who is a hairdresser to the small English community there, and is someone Astrid hasn't warmed to over the years. Someone has set up a Twitter account trolling the ex-pats and threatening to reveal all their secrets and Jennifer asks Astrid to try and figure out who it is, before these secrets devastate the little group.
All told, the secrets aren't *that* explosive, but it was fun to follow Astrid while she tried to work out who it was. I did guess before she did, but that didn't take away my enjoyment of the story. I like her confidence and her attitude towards everything she does. She's able to stand up for herself, too, which is great, as well as admit when she's wrong about things. I think she's a terrific character.
The mystery got a bit lost in book 2, but I think the plotting and story are back on track in this one, particularly because there are a lot of characters to keep track of here, all of whom are quite well-done and individual. I'm an ex-pat myself, although not a British one, and so could spot the British stereotypes in the group. The reticence of the English to talk about things was both well-done and particularly frustrating, although I appreciate younger folks probably don't get it (my mother is the dictionary meaning of this particular foible). I'm already looking forward to the next one in the series! Recommended.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the eARC to read and review. All opinions are strictly my own.
All told, the secrets aren't *that* explosive, but it was fun to follow Astrid while she tried to work out who it was. I did guess before she did, but that didn't take away my enjoyment of the story. I like her confidence and her attitude towards everything she does. She's able to stand up for herself, too, which is great, as well as admit when she's wrong about things. I think she's a terrific character.
The mystery got a bit lost in book 2, but I think the plotting and story are back on track in this one, particularly because there are a lot of characters to keep track of here, all of whom are quite well-done and individual. I'm an ex-pat myself, although not a British one, and so could spot the British stereotypes in the group. The reticence of the English to talk about things was both well-done and particularly frustrating, although I appreciate younger folks probably don't get it (my mother is the dictionary meaning of this particular foible). I'm already looking forward to the next one in the series! Recommended.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the eARC to read and review. All opinions are strictly my own.
May 20, 2024
Another unlikely story in which art conservator Astrid struggles to find a Cost del Troll and solve a few mysteries, but endearing and entertaining at the same time
December 9, 2024
1.5 rounded up
Astrid is now on the Costa del Sol with a strange group of ex-pats and her even stranger family.
Most of my reservations after a disappointing book 2 came to the fore in this the third of this series. Although slightly better I was still frustrated by the plot, the characters and found myself smiling at some of the strange "humour" but more often grimacing.
No book 4 for me.
Astrid is now on the Costa del Sol with a strange group of ex-pats and her even stranger family.
Most of my reservations after a disappointing book 2 came to the fore in this the third of this series. Although slightly better I was still frustrated by the plot, the characters and found myself smiling at some of the strange "humour" but more often grimacing.
No book 4 for me.
August 22, 2023
Not as good as the first 2 books but I am hoping for a 4th instalment. I didn't warm to the characters as much as I did in the first 2 books. I did love the mention of 'brexit' throughout though!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 13, 2024
Felt very much aimed at an older audience than I but I enjoyed it.
January 24, 2023
" i know your secret... "
i picked this up through Netgalley, with thanks to the author and the publisher for gifting me this e-ARC
when astrid swift decides to take a sailing trip to the costa del sol to see her father when everything seemed uncertain, she wasn't thinking she'd find herself wrapped up in a community mystery, all stemming from an anonymous twitter account that starts targeting individuals, including her father's new girlfriend. whos behind the messages? what secrets are the community hiding? and what is in it for the anonymous face behind the account?
rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
my thoughts: if you are looking for a nice cosy mystery set in the heat of spain for a beach read? i'd say pick this up. the book is easy to pick up and understand, despite being the third in a trilogy of books focusing on astrid swift and her adventures solving crimes and murders alongside her art conservator career.
alongside the main storyline, we also get an insight into astrid's family dynamics and another mystery that goes on featuring paintings, the church, and astrid's father and uncle. the characters were enjoyable, and having visited a few spanish and greek islands, the descriptions of the settings truly made me wish i was back holidaying and visiting the harbours, british pubs and traipsing around the streets.
i will say that the resolution is a little unsatisfying, with the villain who was behind it all along basically being served justice in what i would say is a very childlike-manner.
all in all, was a satisfying read that once into was enjoyable. will hopefully pick up the others in the series at some point!
i picked this up through Netgalley, with thanks to the author and the publisher for gifting me this e-ARC
when astrid swift decides to take a sailing trip to the costa del sol to see her father when everything seemed uncertain, she wasn't thinking she'd find herself wrapped up in a community mystery, all stemming from an anonymous twitter account that starts targeting individuals, including her father's new girlfriend. whos behind the messages? what secrets are the community hiding? and what is in it for the anonymous face behind the account?
rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
my thoughts: if you are looking for a nice cosy mystery set in the heat of spain for a beach read? i'd say pick this up. the book is easy to pick up and understand, despite being the third in a trilogy of books focusing on astrid swift and her adventures solving crimes and murders alongside her art conservator career.
alongside the main storyline, we also get an insight into astrid's family dynamics and another mystery that goes on featuring paintings, the church, and astrid's father and uncle. the characters were enjoyable, and having visited a few spanish and greek islands, the descriptions of the settings truly made me wish i was back holidaying and visiting the harbours, british pubs and traipsing around the streets.
i will say that the resolution is a little unsatisfying, with the villain who was behind it all along basically being served justice in what i would say is a very childlike-manner.
all in all, was a satisfying read that once into was enjoyable. will hopefully pick up the others in the series at some point!
March 11, 2023
I received a complimentary ARC copy of Death Comes to the Costa del Sol (Astrid Swift #3) by M.H. Eccleston from Net Galley and Head of Zeus Publishing in order to read and give an honest review.
"…characters are incredibly quirky and entertaining as is finding out the identity of the troll…"
Desperate for some R & R after the events of book two Death on the Isle Astrid decides to visit her estranged father and stepmother Jennifer in Estipona on the coast of Spain. One of her main reasons for visiting Costa del Sol is to mend fences with her father and get to the bottom of a family feud. When her stepmother Jennifer asks for help with an online troll whose been terrorizing both Jennifer and her tight-knit group of ex-pat friends, Astrid feels obligated to help. On twitter, a troll keeps posting the victims’ deepest secrets with threats of more to come. The eclectic group begs Astrid to get to the bottom of it before everyone becomes aware of their deepest darkest and potentially damaging secrets. When it seems that her father is keeping secrets of his own, Astrid needs to solve more than one puzzle.
Having absolutely loved the previous books, I was looking forward to reading this entry into the series but for me although it still had its usually brilliant and quirky characters, the plot fell somewhat flat for me in comparison. The murder which occurs after the halfway point is answered in the end but more in passing and the ending felt rushed. I would recommend this alone for trolling storyline, the characters are incredibly quirky and entertaining as is finding out the identity of the troll, but the murder mystery was lackluster and felt like an afterthought in my opinion.
"…characters are incredibly quirky and entertaining as is finding out the identity of the troll…"
Desperate for some R & R after the events of book two Death on the Isle Astrid decides to visit her estranged father and stepmother Jennifer in Estipona on the coast of Spain. One of her main reasons for visiting Costa del Sol is to mend fences with her father and get to the bottom of a family feud. When her stepmother Jennifer asks for help with an online troll whose been terrorizing both Jennifer and her tight-knit group of ex-pat friends, Astrid feels obligated to help. On twitter, a troll keeps posting the victims’ deepest secrets with threats of more to come. The eclectic group begs Astrid to get to the bottom of it before everyone becomes aware of their deepest darkest and potentially damaging secrets. When it seems that her father is keeping secrets of his own, Astrid needs to solve more than one puzzle.
Having absolutely loved the previous books, I was looking forward to reading this entry into the series but for me although it still had its usually brilliant and quirky characters, the plot fell somewhat flat for me in comparison. The murder which occurs after the halfway point is answered in the end but more in passing and the ending felt rushed. I would recommend this alone for trolling storyline, the characters are incredibly quirky and entertaining as is finding out the identity of the troll, but the murder mystery was lackluster and felt like an afterthought in my opinion.
April 30, 2023
I really enjoyed this. When I picked it up I just noticed it was a new book, I didn't realise it was part of a series so I hadn't read the previous 2, but you don't need to. You would have a better understanding of the main character, Astrid and her previous travels, but it's not necessary to enjoy this book as you do get little snippets of what happened before.
Astrid sailed on her boat from the Isle of Wight to see her father in Estapona, and try to rebuild their relationship. Her father lives with his partner, Jennifer, who Astrid doesn't like initially. When she turns up at their villa they are surprised to see her but welcome her in. Astrid is an art restorer and her father has a job for her, but also, it turns out Jennifer has been receiving threats on Twitter and they think Astrid can help, so she agrees.
When Astrid starts investigating, it turns out it's not only Jennifer who received threats. There are a group of ex-pats who meet at a local bar, Shakespeare's, and many of the friends are all on the threat list. Astrid has to find out who is responsible and why. The threats are that they all have secrets that will be revealed one by one in an attempt to destroy them. When Astrid finds a dead body on a golf course, things ramp up a gear!
It was a great read, nice short chapters, easy writing and very funny in places. I loved following the story and hearing about each character and trying to solve the puzzle of the online troll, The Costa Del Troll as it became known! Really good typical "whodunnit" read and I would love to read the others. Looking forward to the new one which is definitely coming!
Astrid sailed on her boat from the Isle of Wight to see her father in Estapona, and try to rebuild their relationship. Her father lives with his partner, Jennifer, who Astrid doesn't like initially. When she turns up at their villa they are surprised to see her but welcome her in. Astrid is an art restorer and her father has a job for her, but also, it turns out Jennifer has been receiving threats on Twitter and they think Astrid can help, so she agrees.
When Astrid starts investigating, it turns out it's not only Jennifer who received threats. There are a group of ex-pats who meet at a local bar, Shakespeare's, and many of the friends are all on the threat list. Astrid has to find out who is responsible and why. The threats are that they all have secrets that will be revealed one by one in an attempt to destroy them. When Astrid finds a dead body on a golf course, things ramp up a gear!
It was a great read, nice short chapters, easy writing and very funny in places. I loved following the story and hearing about each character and trying to solve the puzzle of the online troll, The Costa Del Troll as it became known! Really good typical "whodunnit" read and I would love to read the others. Looking forward to the new one which is definitely coming!
March 7, 2023
Death comes to the Costa del Sol by M.H Eccleston.
It's always a pleasure to return to Astrid and her boat.. so, this time Astrid is visiting the costa to catch up with her father and stepmother and she discovers that not everything is not as rosy as looks living in paradise.
Astrids parents like to meet other ex-pats and when the group start to receive threatening tweets, that would release their deepest secrets to the world.. Astrid is asked to investigate, and she jumps at the chance while also making plans to reconnect with her father and find out about the rift with between her late uncle and father.
A great mystery that is neatly wrapped up with a very satisfactory ending, its full of humour... I loved it and I hope to meet Astrid again...
#DeathComestotheCostadelSol #NetGalley #mystery #cosy #Spain
It's always a pleasure to return to Astrid and her boat.. so, this time Astrid is visiting the costa to catch up with her father and stepmother and she discovers that not everything is not as rosy as looks living in paradise.
Astrids parents like to meet other ex-pats and when the group start to receive threatening tweets, that would release their deepest secrets to the world.. Astrid is asked to investigate, and she jumps at the chance while also making plans to reconnect with her father and find out about the rift with between her late uncle and father.
A great mystery that is neatly wrapped up with a very satisfactory ending, its full of humour... I loved it and I hope to meet Astrid again...
#DeathComestotheCostadelSol #NetGalley #mystery #cosy #Spain
March 8, 2023
CAWPILE 7.14
I can't go into detail given that this is the third in a series and I truly do not wish to spoil anything for anyone who is considering reading this.
I have really enjoyed the Astrid Swift series thus far, the first and second books were really strong and this is no different- the first based in Cornwall and the second on the Isle of Wight. This one, as the title suggests takes us to Spain and we're dealing with Astrid's relationship with her somewhat estranged father and his wife and a rogue twitter account that is causing all sorts of trouble amongst the ex-pats who are living in the sunshine.
I really do hope this series continues as I enjoy Astrid as a character, the writing is well done and I've thoroughly enjoyed each of the three books.
I can't go into detail given that this is the third in a series and I truly do not wish to spoil anything for anyone who is considering reading this.
I have really enjoyed the Astrid Swift series thus far, the first and second books were really strong and this is no different- the first based in Cornwall and the second on the Isle of Wight. This one, as the title suggests takes us to Spain and we're dealing with Astrid's relationship with her somewhat estranged father and his wife and a rogue twitter account that is causing all sorts of trouble amongst the ex-pats who are living in the sunshine.
I really do hope this series continues as I enjoy Astrid as a character, the writing is well done and I've thoroughly enjoyed each of the three books.
February 17, 2023
Someone is trolling the British ex-pats in Estipona. Astrid had planned to spend the summer there chilling after a tough time the Isle of Wight as well as building a bridge to her father, with whom relations have been chilly. But then her stepmother Jennifer asks for her help finding who is behind the trolling and Astrid is off. Oh, and there's a robbery too. I liked the humorous stops around town, the characters, and the mystery, while not tough, was topical. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. It's a light, easy read that worked especially well on a cold rainy day.
March 5, 2023
M.H. Eccleston writes excellent cozy mystery and each one features a different setting and something new.
This one is an entertaining read but we also see a more personal side of Astrid meeting her father.
The description of expat colony are hilarious and the solid mystery, full of twists, kept me guessing.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine
This one is an entertaining read but we also see a more personal side of Astrid meeting her father.
The description of expat colony are hilarious and the solid mystery, full of twists, kept me guessing.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine
March 4, 2023
This book was my holiday read and I really enjoyed it although it took me a little while to get into the story, I stuck with it and I really liked it. Definitely the perfect holiday read and really engaged me after the first quarter of the book
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