Overview

This is a cosy mystery set in the south of the Australian continent, where the cold southern wind blows from  Antarctica. 

Blurb

When feature writer Ruth Finlay and her elderly neighbor Doris Cleaver visit an antique and collectibles market in the small town of Myrtle Bay, they get a lot more than they bargained for.

After Ruth’s old tennis coach is found dead, they discover that there’s no lack of people who harbor a grudge against the victim, and a tangled web of family ties and lies begins to unravel. But can Ruth and Doris find the killer in time to avert a second murder?

A quirky feel-good mystery laced with intrigue, Murder in Myrtle Bay is the first book in Isobel Blackthorn’s ‘Ruth Finlay Mysteries’ series. Set in small town Australia, it is a sure pick for any fan of classic whodunits and cozy mysteries!

Story

Ruth Finlay goes shopping with her neighbour and friend, Doris, in a converted factory. She finds her old tennis coach lying on the floor, having been hit on the head. His last words were,‘I didn’t do it.’

But what was it he didn’t do?

Ruth is intrigued and, along with Doris, decides to start her own investigation, having admired  the victim throughout her life.

Of course, things are not straightforward.  It transpires that the victim isn’t the man Ruth thought he was, and there are many who hold a grudge against him.

Characters

Ruth is a writer for a magazine. She is currently researching for an article on the old factory. A sensible woman, Ruth keeps herself fit by going on a daily run. It is on one of these runs that she spots some suspicious activity. Her natural curiosity is what makes her decide to investigate the murder.

Doris is a favourite character of mine. She is an elderly lady who seems to think she is still a hippie from the 70s. She dresses in an eccentric style.

She joins Ruth with enthusiasm and thinks she knows who the murderer is based on nothing more than her own prejudices. She is also very stubborn.

There are many other characters in the book, of course, but I really can’t pick any out without mentioning all of them, which isn’t practical. Suffice it to say that they are all believable.

Writing

Fairly near the beginning, there is a description of the relationships between some of the families in the story. I found this somewhat confusing, and I don’t think it was necessary; at least not until we got to know the characters. There were other places, too, where information was given that wasn’t needed.

On the whole the writing is good with no typos, but there are a few grammatical errors. For example, Ms Blackthorn says, ‘Doris and I’ on occasions where it should be ‘Doris and me,’ and she mentions ‘French provisional cuisine’, when it should be ‘French Provençal cuisine’.

But these are few and far between, and didn’t distract me too much from the story.

I GIVE IT 4*

My ranking of books.

In order to get a particular number of stars, it is not necessary to meet all the criteria. This is a guide only.

5* Exceptional. Wonderful story. Setting well drawn, and characters believable–not perfect, but with flaws. Will keep you up all night. No typos or grammatical errors.

4* A thoroughly enjoyable read. Great and original story. Believable setting and characters. Very few grammatical errors or typos.

3* I enjoyed it. Good story. Characters need some development. Some typos or grammatical errors.

2* Not for me. Story not very strong. Unbelievable and flat characters. Setting not clearly defined. Many typos or grammatical errors.

1* I hated it. Story almost non-existent. Setting poor. Possibly couldn’t finish it.

I’ve not read any other books in this series, but I will definitely be doing so.

Have you read any of Isabel’s books?