Murder at the Lighthouse: An Exham on Sea Mystery

Libby Forest's husband has died, her children are grown and gone from home. She has moved from London to the small town of Exham on Sea.
As she is walking her friend's dog, she finds the dead body of a woman. She must have been someone who got caught by the tide. Libby does not believe it was an accident, nor suicide. And when it is found that the woman was murdered, Libby is not surprised.
The woman was once a rock star. Susie had grown up here, and gone to America and made her fortune. She had not been home in many years. Why in the world was she here and dead?
The town is filled with interesting characters. Libby meets most of them.
Max is a man who was a friend of Susie's. Samantha is a woman who did not like Susie. Most of the boys in town, liked Susie. Everyone knew Susie.
The more that Libby learns about her, Libby begins to like Susie too. There is an elderly woman, Mrs Thomson, who liked Susie and kept in touch.
This is a quick read and a very British cozy.
The characters are well done. This is the first in a series, and I am pretty sure the town's people will play parts in future books. The town itself plays a part in the story. It is also a character.
The plot is well developed and interesting and moves at a good pace. As Libby finds clues, the reader finds the same clues.
I enjoyed this book very much and I look forward to reading the next in the series.

Grab a cup of tea and a biscuit and settle in for a good old yarn.

Loved this book! Bought the other 2 books right after reading it. Very believable characters. Well-written mystery.

A very well written mystery. Enjoyable throughout

Good mystery. Easy and short to read.

Book was great; more, please.

I enjoyed this book very much and just ordered the second one in the series. It's a quick read, the clues are spelled out well, and the characters are interesting and I'm sure will be more rounded out as the series goes along. Very enjoyable to read on a late spring day in sunny California... Congratulations to the author for entertaining her readership.

Libby Forest is a recent widow with a knack for walking dogs, making great desserts and finding dead bodies. The police think singer Susie Bennett’s death was an accident or suicide. Elderly Mrs. Thomson’s death is ruled an accident. Libby is sure both women were murdered, and she eventually gets the police to admit it and to start investigating.
The police are not thrilled with Libby who found both bodies and who was caught breaking and entering Mrs. Thomson’s house. But how else is an amateur detective going to find clues?
The story’s end has the characters grouped together for Susie’s funeral, and Libby the detective explains about the murders, and she reveals the name of the killer.
The clues are all there. The author even calls attention to them. For instance, when Libby models a Victorian dress for the historical society, something about the outfit nags at her. Maybe the reader will catch on here. I didn’t.

A simple, relaxing read. Nothing too complicated, enjoyable characters and a decent plot. I’m not giving the scenario as others have done and it’s easy enough to get into. I have had some real lemons of cozy mysteries with lacklustre characters and am pleased to say that this isn’t one of them. It’s what it says- a nice cozy read. Think Midsummer murders and Father Brown. Short chapters keep it moving along nicely and without any gore or gritty scenes. A lovely afternoon read.