This cosy crime novel set on the Cornish coast features loveable characters and plenty of wee twists and turns.

Our amateur detective team consists of dad and ex-police Jayden and cosy artist and retiree Allie (who majorly reminds me of my mum which is probably why I like her!). When retired rockstar moves to the coast and invites ghosts from his past to attend his 70th birthday party, the last thing anyone expects is to find him floating facedown in the pool the same day.

This backdrop creates an effective closed room mystery, where I was able to guess some but not all of the twists which is refreshing for me in this genre. I have not read the previous books in this series but I will certainly go back and check them out now! Huge thanks to NetGallery for the advance copy of this book!

Another great mystery set in the scenic and beautifully described Cornwall. This has the feel of a country house mystery with a set number of suspects. However there are plenty of red herrings thrown in to keep you guessing. It kept me guessing until the end and no for once I didn't guess the correct person, Lovely to meet Jayden and Allie again with lots going on in there lives. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

4.25

I think this might have been my favorite in the series so far. I really enjoy watching Ally and Jayden’s adventures and how they continue to grow in their detective work through the books. I loved this new set of characters from the Carson family and thought they helped us learn more about the established characters. I’m hoping this series will continue!

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.

<i>Hate born out of love is the strongest kind</i>

This cozy beach detective mystery was cute. A very tasteful one too. I find myself coming back to cozy books to enjoy a fresh clean slate of what I usually read. I really enjoyed this one.

RockPool Murder 3 is about relationships, friendships, murder, justice system, and even cute pastries and desserts.

The twists in this book were good. I was shocked that my “Who Done It?” Was actually wrong. That one I was shocked by. Overall, a cute read and definitely will be coming back to this author for more cozy beach vibes with a murder mystery twist.

Thank you Netgalley and Thomas &Mercer for this ARC!

Music rockstar legend Baz Carson had planned to host his closest friends and family to celebrate his seventieth birthday at Rockpool House, his stunning white mansion set high on the cliffs on the Cornish coast. But the festivities come to an abrupt end when Baz is found dead in his swimming pool. Tallulah, an American woman who was Baz’s first love, is convinced that his death wasn’t an accident. Baz had just published his tell-all memoir, and the list of those who might wish him harm is long. However with just only eight guests at Baz’s luxury, gated home, who could have killed him—and why? Tallulah hires Ally Bright and ex-cop Jayden Weston to uncover the truth. It’s a case that becomes a race against time, and one that will push Ally and Jayden to their limits as they draw ever closer to a killer. It was my first time reading the Shell House Detectives and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the characters and the Cornish sea-side town. I look forward to seeing their new adventures. Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the eARC.

Cornish-coast, ex-cop, local-gossip, local-law-enforcement, artist, small-town, mystery, murder, crime-fiction, suspense, series, closed-circle-mystery, dysfunctional-families, dysfunctional-people, pet-dog, widow, relationships, family-dynamics, famous-persons, investigators*****

A music industry celebrity hosts a house party for his 70th birthday but winds up dead in the pool. Permanent residents of the area include a burned-out former PC turned campsite manager and the widow of a former detective now an eco-artist. Together, they have become the Shell House Detectives, and they are expected to solve the crime before the next murder occurs. I enjoyed the first two and this has no disappointments.
I requested and received a free temporary EARC from Thomas & Mercer via NetGalley. Thank you!
Available 19 Mar 2024 #ShellHouseDetectivesBk3

This series gets better and better! Picking up one of the Shell House detective books feels like going on holiday and meeting old friends. The setting is gorgeous and beautifully described. I love reading the chapters from the point of view of different characters, and my favourite of the 5 core characters changes with each story. The mystery is intriguing with plenty of red herrings and twists and turns, and a gasp-out-loud moment with this one. Absolutely loved it and was thrilled to see the series will continue for three more books!

I really enjoyed reading the third book in the series. The plot was engaging with unexpected twists that kept me on edge. The characters were relatable, and the situations were were engaging and realistic. However, I did feel that some of the descriptions or story fillers were a bit too lengthy. Additionally, in an attempt to keep the reader guessing about the plot, there were misdirections which made it challenging to keep track of the story. Nevertheless, it was a good book overall, and I would be interested in reading more books by the same author.

Beguiling Setting..
The third outing in the Shell House Detectives Mystery series featuring a most unlikely group of sleuths in a beguiling setting. Baz Carson was preparing to welcome one and all to his stunning cliff side Cornish mansion in order to celebrate his birthday - any carousing comes to a sudden finale when his very dead body is discovered in his own infinity pool. As the sleuths are recruited to find the truth, they find themselves in a deadly race to find a killer. Another engaging and enjoyable addition to this series with a delightful cast of characters, a beautiful backdrop and a pacy plot with a solid mystery at its very heart.

Utterly fabulous. Third in the series, and you don't need to have read the other two because Emylia catches you up on the situation (but I'd suggest you read them anyway as they're an excellent read). Beautiful descriptions of Cornwall make you feel as if you're there with the Shell House detectives. Good mystery (I love musicians in books) with a dysfunctional set of family and friends making a good cast of potential murderers (I didn't guess). The characterisation is fabulous and it's lovely to see Ally and Jayden's personal-life dilemmas mixed in with the sleuthing. Delighted to see that there will be another three in this series; I'm very much looking forward to the next one. Five stars (if I could give more, I would).

Three and a half stars.

The third outing for our unlikely detectives, consisting of Jayden West, a former PC turned campsite manager, Ally Bright, the widow of a former detective, and Gus, a retired geography teacher turned author.

Baz Carson, legendary rock star, is turning seventy and has invited his ex-wife, remaining band mates, manager, children, grandchild, the son of the love of his life, and a former lover to his new mansion Rockpool House in Cornwall for a birthday bash. Meanwhile, Ally meets Baz' former lover Tallulah at the gallery where she is about to exhibit some of her artwork. The two women form a bond, so when Baz is found dead floating in his pool just hours after he and Tallulah meet for the first time in thirty years she begs Ally for help in discovering who killed him, even if the police think that there is no foul play. Then a second person at the party is killed, and everyone is arrested, including Saffron who has been hired to cater the party.

There are lots of tensions between the guests which only intensify after the second death.

In my review of the last book in this series I complained that there was too much personal history, but that wasn't a problem with this novel. In fact, I love that PC Mullins is starting to become a more rounded character (and indeed person) as the series progresses.

However, I did feel that in the attempt to keep the reader guessing about whether Baz was murdered, and if so by whom, and whether there is a link to the murder of the second person there were too many red herrings. It may of course just be sour grapes because I thought *someone* was clearly the guilty person almost from the start and turned out to be totally wrong. Also, even after the event, I have trouble in recalling who did what and why.

Final shout out to the covers of these books, I love them.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.

Also available on Kindle Unlimited.

"'It is a good idea, isn't it? This party? I won't live to regret it?' 
'A party is always a good idea.'
But as the buzzer sounds again - impatiently and raucously - and Baz heads out of the kitchen, Saffron feels a sudden sense of foreboding. It comes out of nowhere, as quick and powerful as a rip current. 'A party is always a good idea,' she repeats to herself. Only this time with less conviction."

Book three of The Shell House Detectives, cosy crime series, see amateur detectives Ally and Jayden investigating the death of a famous, aging rocker, who's retired to Rockpool House in Cornwall. 

I enjoyed being back in Porthpella, enjoyed reading what happens next and may be in the future for friends Ally, her dog Fox, Jayden (a former police officer), Saffron and Gus. A locked room mystery in a large, cliffside mansion during a hot summer, made for a dramatic setting and introduced new characters - the dislikeable, greedy family and friends of musician and songwriter, Baz Carson, celebrating his 70th Birthday. This made for a pool of suspects, who all had motives that the police, including Sergeant Mullins as usual, are investigating. There are twists and turn as the reader learns more about the characters and suspects are ruled in and out. An engaging mystery, a gorgeous setting and great characters make this a series to get stuck into.

An enjoyable third entry in the series. I'm so glad there will be at least three more! This series really makes me want to visit Cornwall, in spite of the spate of murders.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC. I loved this book - the characters are so warm and likeable and it manages to be a cosy read even whilst being a twisty murder mystery.

This was just as charming as the first book, although I didn't love the supporting cast of characters as much (and there weren't as many, to be fair). I like the relationship between Jayden and Ally, just as I did in the second book (I didn't read the first in the series). I also enjoy Gus and Saffron and Mullins (he might be my favorite). But - I would appreciate if these books were a little more concise. There was a point (just as there was in the second book) where things dragged down in the middle and then everything wrapped up without much of a bang. So while I appreciate the time with the characters, I found the resolution both too confusing and a little underwhelming. I had some guesses about what happened but I kept getting some characters mixed up. Also can Imogen come back and stay in Porthpella at some point?

I really enjoyed the book. Loved the story plot and twists. Approachable characters, realistic situations. Some descriptions or story „fillers” were tiny bit too long, but in overall - very good book and I’d read more by the author. Thank you, great job!

Summer is on the horizon in Cornwall, skies are clear and the temperatures are rising. Above the village of Porthpella at Rockpool, a strikingly white clifftop mansion, Baz Carson is waiting for his guests to arrive and his birthday celebrations to begin. The aging rock star has hired local chef Saffron to cater the whole weekend but things are about to take an unexpected and tragic turn. Meanwhile, Ally Bright, one half of the Shell House Detectives, is looking forward with amazement, to her first solo art exhibition but when a body is found she and her partner Jayden Weston, are hired to investigate

With tension running high at Rockpool after the publication of Baz’s tell all memoirs Ally and Jayden find themselves with a shortlist of suspects all of whom have compelling reasons to have had a hand in the suspicious death. When a second body is also found it is clear someone will stop at nothing to remain free. As things work towards a climax of accusation and blame Ally and Jayden's involvement suddenly becomes dangerously personal. Can they discover who is responsible before the cost becomes more than they can bear?

Book three in Emylia Hall's wonderful series was not for the fainthearted! With momentous decisions coming to light throughout this was a wonderful reading experience from start to finish. Ally and Jayden are the main protagonists but the cast of other regulars all have potentially life changing parts to play and it all works brilliantly. By the last few chapters I was reading with my heart in my mouth and I hope book four won't be long in coming as I really need to know what happens next!

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Thomas and Mercer, but the opinions expressed are my own. This is a brilliant read and one I highly recommend.

This was a real disappointment. Clearly trying to emulate the Thursday Murder Club books, this book features a disparate group of friends who happen to solve murders together. Problem is that they are uninteresting. I found myself skipping large chunks of text as it prattled on at length about their past lives. The mystery itself was of some interest, but the book ending fell flat. Oh well, I am sure there are many who will enjoy this.

The Rockpool Murder is the 3rd in the Shell House Detective series. I have read this series from the first book. Ally Bright is the main character. She is an artist as well as a partner in the Shell House Detectives with Jayden, a retired policeman. They live in the coastal town of Porthpella. She is having a one woman show of her artwork at the Bluebird Cafe owned by good friend, Sunita. Her friend and author, Gus Munro lives down the way.

Baz Carson is the new owner of the house, Rockpool. He was the lead singer of the band, The Nick. He has also written a book about his life which just came out. He has invited his band members, Davey Hart and Ruper Frost, ex-wife, Nicole Carson and his children Ruby Edwards and Jet Carson and his grand-daughter, Imogen Edwards to celebrate his 70th birthday. Also invited is his friend and ex girlfriend, Tallulalh Pearce and Felix Boyd a music journalist who is the son of his true love, Connie who died 5 years ago.

Saffron who owns Hang 10 Cafe has been hired to prepare the meals and serve. She is to live at the house for the weekend. While preparing the food she hears a scream from Imogen and runs to find, Baz floating face down in the pool. Saffron jumps in the pool to save him but he is already dead. The police are called. Tim Mullins is the first police officer to arrive with his boss, DS Skinner.

There is so much going on in this book to put on paper so I will leave it to the reader to enjoy to the exciting and surprising ending.

I really enjoy this series and look forward to seeing what the next adventure of the Shell House Detective Agency. Will Gus stay in Porthpella and buy the house he is renting, Will Ally's daughter, Evie and her grandsons who have come for a surprise visit without her husband be staying,

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this ARC.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the eARC.
Up to about half of the book I enjoyed it, but then I started to get a bit bored ... The story just went on and on and I had already guessed the murderer, so I tore through it to the end in a hurry.
The cast of characters (good & bad) were well-drawn, but somehow I couldn't connect with them; didn't love them, didn't hate them. They felt bland.
The book itself was mildly enjoyable, but nothing special.