A Coastal Corpse and Washed Up With the Tide (Seffi Wardwell Mysteries)
by Rebecca Douglass
A Coastal Corpse (Seffi Wardwell Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting - Maine
Publisher : Independently Published (August 31, 2023)
Paperback : 298 pages
ISBN-13 : 979-8854581851
Digital ASIN : B0CGN9Z7ZD
Just what the doctor ordered: fresh salt air, a garden to tend… and a fresh corpse behind the dahlias?
Retired science teacher Seffi Wardwell has moved to coastal Maine looking for peace, fresh air, and an accepting community. So far, she’s enjoying the sea air.
When a corpse turns up in Seffi’s flower garden, she can’t help asking questions about the victim and his death. Police officer Miah Cox doesn’t want her assistance, but Seffi’s curiosity is what made her a scientist.
The more she learns about the dead man’s background, the more she wants to know. Estranged from his wealthy family, and a village pariah for something that happened years before, the dead man had plenty of enemies. At least one wanted to make him disappear forever, and they’re all eager to see this case wrapped up and forget about him.
The way Seffi sees it, somebody has to care about him, and as a fellow outsider, she’s it. But all of her poking around is stirring up trouble in the village. It’s up to Seffi and Miah to figure out whodunit before they strike again, and before the locals decide the handiest scapegoat is Seffi herself.
Washed Up With the Tide (Seffi Wardwell Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Setting - Maine
Publisher : Independently Published (November 18, 2024)
Print length : 270 pages
ASIN : B0DJPTJ7PM
Beautiful weather, bountiful baked goods, and… bodies on the beach?
Seffi’s pleasure in her long walks among the fall colors is more than a little marred when she encounters cantankerous fisherman Bob Hughes washed up on the shore—sodden, entangled in a net, and very definitely dead. Did the man drink too much and fall overboard in an unfortunate accident? Or was his death something more sinister? With an estranged wife, enemies in the fishing fleet, and ticked-off deckhands, there are plenty of people around Smelt Point who aren’t sorry he’s dead. But did any of them actually kill him? The scuttlebutt at the bakery raises more questions than it answers, and to top it off the fishermen gathering there have eaten Seffi’s favorite treats.
Once again Seffi needs all her reasoning and gossip-gathering talents to help village policeman Miah Cox get to the bottom of the mystery. But will Miah’s own secret tear the village apart?
My Review of Both Books:
A Coastal Corpse and Washed Up With the Tide are fantastic books in the new Seffi Wardwell Mystery series. I love that Seffi is a retired science teacher. I haven't read many cozies with the main character being a teacher, employed or retired.
In Book 1, Seffi has just relocated to Maine and gets caught up in a murder investigation after a body is found in her garden. Being curious by nature, Seffi finds herself turning amateur sleuth. All of her questions become draining on the police officer in charge of the investigation. She's also asking question of the townsfolk, uncovering secrets, and making waves.
Seffi is a strong, intelligent character. She's determined to assist with the investigation much to the chagrin of the local police. The author does a great job with the character development. Seffi isn't dumped on us all at one. We learn about her in the perfect amounts. The book is perfectly paced in the character development and unraveling of the murder mystery.
In Book 2, Seffi is settling in nicely in her new home. Autumn is here and Seffi finds herself out for a bird walk. When she notices atypical birds near the shoreline, she figures it must be a dolphin or seal caught in a fisherman's net and left to die. A tragic part of the fishing boat business. She's soon shocked to find it isn't a water mammal but a human. She dutifully calls in Officer Miah Cox and another murder mystery begins.
Another enjoyable book in the series. There are plenty of suspects in the death of the fisherman Seffi found tangled in a fishing net. All had the means and motive for the crime.
I enjoyed the author's writing style in both books. The character development is done well. I love the setting and world-building. Descriptive and vibrant but not overly so or distracting.
Nice series so far and I look forward to the next book.
I was provided a copy of both books.
My Rating:
About Rebecca M. Douglass:
Rebecca M. Douglass has lived and worked around the American West for more years than she’ll admit, while raising two children to adulthood and dreaming up interesting ways to bump people off. Thanks to good friends in Maine, she has also spent time on the other side of the country and has fallen in love with that coast. Since retiring from work at the library, the author of the Ninja Librarian series for younger readers and the Pismawallops PTA mystery series now lives in Seattle, where she is writing the Seffi Wardwell mysteries. She has also had short stories published in a variety of magazines and anthologies. When she isn't writing, Ms. Douglass likes to go hiking and backpacking or to travel to discover new places or revisit old favorites, including the Grand Canyon and of course Maine, where so many of the best cozy mysteries are found.
Author Links:
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Thanks so much for the great review! I'm really glad you liked the books.
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome :)
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