★★★
SYNOPSIS:
Three children found murdered on Lyme Regis beach.
A local reporter announces the horrific story, throwing the quiet town into turmoil at this shocking discovery.
Unused to dealing with murder on his peaceful seaside beat, the local Detective Chief Inspector has taken the easy option, pointing a finger at the step-father, Eric Goldcrest, as the only suspect directly linked to the children.
But wealthy Goldcrest, now forced to leave the marital home by his hysterical wife and the constabulary’s suspicions, has gone to ground. The only person he can trust to prove his innocence is unconventional, Private Investigator, Tammy Pierre. But as the case gets more complicated, Tammy, uncovering new evidence becomes a target herself, when first subjected to a brutal knife attack, and then chased by three big SUVs aiming to force her off the road. She now realises the seriousness of the case as her life is at risk, but by whom?
Possible suspects, Goldcrest’s business partners admit they hate the man for the past criminal gains he’s made at their expense. Could Tammy now be within their sights?
Fresh information has the town’s folk alarmed by news of the return, after twenty years in jail, of a convicted child rapist and murderer. Someone answering his description has been seen lurking in the back gardens of the Goldcrest children’s home late at night.
But the children’s murder is just the start, as killing follows killing and Tammy, still seeking to prove Goldcrest’s innocence, finds herself groping for solutions in a nightmare of senseless slaughter.
Might revenge be the motive? Or is there something far more sinister happening? The Lyme Regis Murders will keep you riveted to the end.
MY THOUGHTS:
I was drawn to this book for a number of reasons: Firstly, I live quite close to Lyme Regis and I really enjoy reading books set in or around places I know. Secondly, the synopsis drew me in; I love a murder mystery. And finally, that front cover.
I found the book to be an easy read and was full of surprises. The main character Tammy was someone who broke all stereotypical moulds and I loved both her and the author for making her both diverse and who openly shocked me with her behaviour throughout the novel. The story line was intriguing and although didn't focus too heavily on the actual brutal murder of the children it was the underlying crime that dominated the novel. This allowed me to get swept away with the story and not too emotionally disturbed by the killings. For me, it was just the right balance.
Along with Tammy I found all the characters to be well developed and evolved alongside the plot. The ending was very satisfying, tying up all loose ends to the crimes being investigated. I particularly enjoyed the final pages and the epilogue which highlighted what each of the characters were up to now. This added an element of realism to the ending which I found fulfilling and rounded off the novel well.
Thank you so much to Damppebbles for inviting me join The Lyme Regis Murders Blog Tour and to
Andrew Seqal and Happy London Press. It was a pleasure to read The Lyme Regis Murders.
AUTHOR:
Andrew Segal is a prolific author with books ranging from rhyming kids’ stories through ‘The Hamilton Conspiracy’ to this series of fascinating thrilling short stories. His ‘day job’ provides the basis for many entertaining tales, and his imagination conjures characters and situations that will leave you eager to read more.
An idea for the first short story came out of the blue, (don’t they often?), and witnessed the production of the somewhat surreal, ‘Cat and Mouse,’ duly presented to wife and daughter, his sternest critics, for approval, which having thus been gained, resulted in Andrew joining a writer’s group. The success of that first foray into the world of writing encouraged Andrew to write further, with the group clamouring for more each week.
Andrew finds inspiration for many of his stories in real life events. His story, ‘The Leopard,’ relates to an appalling event involving a family member when they were just 6 years old, and already showing signs of leadership skills.
Social Media:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorSegal
Website: http://andrewsegalauthor.com/
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