Death at Sandy Bay — Betty Rowlands

A manor house hotel, a musical weekend… and a mysterious murder?

Spring has arrived in the Bristol countryside and Sukey Reynolds is enjoying the fine weather and lovely views from her quaint apartment. She has found love with an intrepid crime reporter, and they are busy planning a romantic weekend in London. During her time away she is determined to avoid any more amateur sleuthing.

But life is never quiet for Sukey and one night before her holiday she is summoned to the charming Dallington Manor, a country house hotel nestled on the coast in Sandy Bay. She arrives at the starlit grounds to find a terrible tragedy has occurred. Lance Rainbird, a guest at a weekend gathering, has been discovered murdered in the lake.

Her superiors close in on a suspect, the man who hosted the party, but Sukey can't shake the feeling that they've got this case completely wrong. During her weekend in the city, she follows a hunch, pokes around Rainbird's house and finds an address book that might just be the golden ticket to clearing an innocent man and nailing the true villain.

As Sukey examines Rainbird's acquaintances, she finds old flames, combative colleagues and an estranged brother, but no one with an obvious motive for murder. He had a reputation for being difficult, but who could have wanted him dead? Then Sukey finds a name in the address book that shouldn't be there. Suddenly she knows who the killer is, but can she convince her boss he's got the wrong suspect before it's too late?

If murder mysteries by Agatha Christie, Faith Martin and Joy Ellis have you gripped, then you'll love this twisty whodunnit from the queen of cozy crime!

This book was previously published as The Scent of Death.

‘Riveting, can't put it down! I love this story… a wonderfully twisted tale of a crime that has more twists than I thought possible... fantastic.' Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars

‘OMG I loved this book! A proper whodunnit with great characters and a fabulous plot. This reminded me of the Agatha Christie mysteries I used to read as a child… Excited for the next in the series!' Mrs Roadley Reads, 5 stars

‘BRILLIANT!... Having read and enjoyed the Melissa Craig series as well, I find the Sukey Reynolds even more engaging and I can't wait to read more in this series!' Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars

‘It was unwise of me to begin this book in late afternoon because it held me to the pages until I finished it!... diabolical twists and red herrings… addictive!' Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars

‘Betty Rowlands is the mistress of cozy whodunnits… I simply cannot wait for the next book in the series to be released… Fantastic.' Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars

‘Yay, a new series by Betty Rowlands and a new heroine to cheer for in Sukey Reynolds. I am a huge fan of this author's books and this one with all its twists and turns is another delicious book and series to follow.' NetGalley Reviewer, 5 stars

‘I really enjoyed this book â€" it has a great plot, excellent main characters and is a real page-turner. I would highly recommend this book.' NetGalley Reviewer, 5 stars

‘I thoroughly enjoyed meeting Sukey… a jolly good murder mystery with a satisfying number of clues and twists. I would not hesitate to recommend this book and I will be reading more of this author's work.' Goodreads Reviewer

‘An amazing start to a series that gives us an honest and relatable character… Intriguing, gripping, suspenseful to the end.' Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars