Book Review: Murder at the Abbey, Exham-by-the-Sea Book 8, Frances Evesham
Mystery: Murder at the Abbey, Exham-by-the-Sea Book 8, Frances Evesham
Exham-by-the-Sea Book 8,
Blog Tour November 15, 2021
There is something comforting about later books in an established series. Murder at the Abbey is Frances Evesham’s eighth novel set in the Somerset community of Exham-by-the Sea. A seemingly quiet town, apparently there have been enough murders and assorted crimes to keep our detectives busy for eight novels and counting.
Libby Forest and Max Ramshore run a detective agency in the town. Libby also is a fantastic cook and her desserts are in high demand at the local cafe. The two are not only partners in business but have also gotten married recently. Both of them have grown children from previous marriages, and Libby’s son and his wife are expecting the family’s first grandchild.
Active in the local historical society, Libby brings Max along to the society’s picnic at the nearby abbey. Dating back centuries, the abbey cast a long shadow over the history of the area. The picnickers become aware of just how long that shadow is when some of them discover human bones in the nearby creek.
Although the bones do not belong to a modern victim but are relics from the past, the historical society is abuzz with the discovery and the investigation into the bones. Adding to the excitement is the decision of a nearby paranormal investigator to spend a night in the abbey looking for ghosts. The entire historical society is invited.
They do not find a ghost in the abbey, but a new ghost is almost made. A vicious attack leaves one of the historical society members near death. Given the likelihood that the would-be killer was one of their group, Libby and Max are gripped with a sense of urgency as they help the police in their investigation.
Evesham has a creative and twisty plot, and things do not proceed at all as I expected. Suspects are investigated and cleared, then new evidence brings them back into suspicion. Throughout, the quirky and engaging characters entertain with their romances and feuds, their passions and their tastes.
Oh, and there’s a baby. Which is a plus in my view for any book.
Our thanks to Rachel Gilbey of Rachel’s Random Resources for our copy of Murder at the Abbey, provided in exchange for our review during this blog tour. The opinions here are solely those of Scintilla. For other perspectives on the book, check out the other bloggers on the tour.
Book Review: Murder at the Abbey, Exham-by-the-Sea Book 8, Frances Evesham