Danger at the Cove by Hannah Dennison

First Line: "Do you mind moving those plants into the potting shed before you run my errand, Ollie?"

 

Evie Mead is beginning to think that the renovations on the Tregarrick Rock Hotel may actually be done in time for opening day until one of Margot's high-maintenance Hollywood friends shows up expecting VIP treatment. Evie is all for telling Louise to find lodgings elsewhere, but her sister, Margot, talks her into letting Louise stay. Louise is grieving the death of her husband and besides... she's a marketing guru who should be able to work wonders at putting the hotel on the map.

But then one of the hotel staff is found dead, a mysterious stranger arrives, another death occurs, and old rivalries are uncovered. Does all this have anything to do with the shipwreck that was uncovered and the hints of buried treasure? Evie and Margot have got a lot to accomplish before opening day!

~

I have to be honest and say that I began reading Danger at the Cove with a bit of trepidation because of my reaction to the first book in the series, Death at High Tide. In that first book, Evie's sister Margot was a Diva of the highest order, packing six months' worth of clothing for a weekend stay and demanding a herd of minions be constantly at her beck and call. I have no use for divas, especially when they're major series characters. Fortunately, all the renovations being done at the Tregarrick Rock Hotel have evidently knocked most of the diva out of Margot, and her high-end attitude is seen mainly in what she wants the hotel to become.

On the other hand, Evie is much more my type of character. She tends to be a bit more hesitant and doubtful of her own abilities than I'd like, but she's still mourning the death of her husband. Evie wants to take the hotel back to its glory days when it was a writers retreat, and I'm all for that. I loved the descriptions of some of the rooms in the old place, just as I enjoyed the ambiance and bits of history about the Isles of Scilly that Dennison weaved into her story. Anyway, what's not to like about shipwrecks, treasure, and clinging to the side of a cliff during a raging storm?

For anyone who does like divas, they can feast upon the character of Louise. Good old Louise. I wanted to wring her scrawny little neck but, knowing that she was just temporary, I was able to restrain myself.

What made me happy was that Danger at the Cove reminded me of my favorite Dennison series, the Honeychurch Hall mysteries... the way the characters play off each other, the gentle humor, the enjoyable mysteries to solve. If this is the direction these Island Sisters mysteries are going to take, I am going to be very happy indeed. Bring on book three!

Danger at the Cove by Hannah Dennison

eISBN: 9781250194527

Minotaur Books © 2021

eBook, 320 pages

 

Cozy Mystery, #2 Island Sisters mystery

Rating: A

Source: Net Galley

Death at High Tide by Hannah Dennison

 

 

First Line: "I'm sorry, but I don't understand what you mean."

 

After Evie Mead's beloved husband drops dead of a heart attack, she learns that she may own the rights to a hotel on one of the Isles of Scilly. Grief-stricken, she's quite content to leave the matter in the hands of the accountant, but her sister Margot, who's flown in from Los Angeles, envisions a luxurious weekend getaway and promptly books two one-way tickets to Tregarrick Rock. In its heyday, the Tregarrick Rock Hotel was the home-away-from-home for many Golden Age mystery writers, but now it's a fixer-upper, definitely not a spa. The hotel employees and island residents are more obstructive than helpful, and frustration soon turns to desperation when dire things begin to happen. Evie and Margot are stuck there, unable to leave due to weather and high tides, and since they are the unwelcome newcomers, they are suspects one and two in the crimes that have occurred. It's up to them to unravel the mystery so they can leave Tregarrick Rock in one piece.

 

I enjoy Hannah Dennison's writing, especially her Honeychurch Hall series, but my reaction to Death at High Tide was decidedly lukewarm. The setting is perfect, and a lot can be done with the tired old hotel, but the problems arose in both plot and characterization.

Whodunit was altogether too easy to deduce. I had strong suspicions the first time a character was introduced, and I was certain I was right shortly thereafter. That always takes some of the sparkle out of the proceedings. However, there were some excellent red herrings and damsel in distress segments.

 

Then there were the characters. Detective Sergeant Patricia Williamson didn't set well with me. I found her sense of humor difficult to fathom, and most of the time she seemed more interested in her latest date than in doing any sort of policing. Evie was much too timid, and I don't think the reasons why can all be laid at the feet of grief. My reaction to Evie's sister Margot was swift and sure. For much of the book, she's a diva-- a type of person I have very little use for. For a weekend getaway she packs enough designer labels for a two-month stay. When warned about the swiftness of the tide and the difficulty of getting to Tregarrick Rock, she purposely drags her feet and takes as long as possible to do what she needs to do. And she's the sort who needs a four-member Beck-and-Call Staff to do her bidding. By book's end, the detective sergeant and Margot have changed a bit, but will it be enough for me?

The jury's still out and probably will be until the next book in the series makes its appearance.

Death at High Tide by Hannah Dennison
eISBN: 9781250194497

Minotaur Books © 2020

eBook, 304 pages

Cozy Mystery, #1 Island Sisters mystery

Rating: C+

Source: Net Galley