A cosy mystery set in Whitby, a loveable dog, friendly band of sleuths… lots to like about Durham’s opener to the Kipper Cottage series. A decent mystery with good characters, it will appeal to those who like a quick and well paced story, and I look forward to reading the next in the series, Death at Neptune Yard.

I received a free ARC copy of this via NetGalley and the publishers Inkubator Books, in return for an unbiased review, with apologies for the delay in providing this.

Well written and clever. A strong 1st book in the series. Reading the second one already. I’m excited to see that there a a few more in the series. Can’t wait to red those as well.

I enjoyed the characters, they were interesting and I wanted to know more about them. It was a cozy read, and I would read more in the series.

Totally gripping
Liz discovers a dead body near Whitby Abbey whilst walking her dog early one morning and ends up more involved in the police investigation than she may have planned
I liked Liz, she is an older character who shows that it’s still possible to have a proper life after retirement whilst also restoring 2 cottages. She gets pulled into the investigation and ends up uncovering certain clues in a Miss Marple type manner which help her to unravel the mystery which I thought was really well done and blended into the story so she felt like a real person to me
I think a part of the reason this story worked so well for me was the supporting characters from Liz’s close circle of friends and some of the people in the town who made the book come alive
The main mystery runs throughout with other things coming together to challenge the characters and make them wonder if everything is connected and if it is then how and why
This book caught my attention from the beginning and I ended up reading it all in one go which was so not planned but which shows how the story pulled me in and had me gripped and determined to find out more, especially following each new twist and turn
I would recommend this book to those who enjoy a mystery novel that will pull you in and have you so entwined in the story that it’s possible to forget it’s fiction!

This was an enjoyable reading experience. This book was engaging and had a good plot. This was the first Liz McLuckie mystery I've read, and I look forward to reading more. The identity of the killer really threw me for a loop. I highly recommend this book to other mystery readers.

A brilliant murder mystery, hooks you in from the off and is hard to put down. Really loved this authors writing style

Death at the Abbey by Jan Durham introduces us to Liz McLuckie in the Kipper Cottage Mystery series. Liz is a middle-aged widow has recently moved to Whitby, Yorkshire, England and purchased two cottages that she s in the process of renovating them to then use one as a rental. She has also recently adopted a bulldog, Nelson, from the RSPCA. On an early morning walk with Nelson at the old Abbey, Liz comes across a body. The police quickly determine that it is murder.

>As with all first in series books, the author is tasked with creating a setting that the reader can visualize from the descriptions on the page, a cast of characters for the reader to become invested in, and a plot line that while presenting clues has enough twists and red herrings so as not to give up the killer and motive too soon. This author has accomplished all that and more. Within in this book, each of the characters introduced are multidimensional and many are shown to have potential motives for the murder as the plot unfolds. The ending was a complete surprise but totally believable killer and motive. I look forward to more installments in this series to see what the future has in store for Liz and her friends.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Inkubator Books and am leaving this review voluntarily.

Death At the Abbey is the first book in a new cozy mystery series. I haven't read anything previously by the author Jan Durham but I got a chance to read the first two books in this series and I enjoyed both of them. I liked the setting, the characters were interesting, quirky, original and fleshed out well while the mystery and plot was nicely conceived with enough red herrings which didn't let on who the culprit was until right at the end. Nelson, the bull terrier stole the show.

I received an e-Arc of the book from the publisher Inkubator Books and the author Jan Durham via NetGalley.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

This book was perfect in my comfy bed where I read it too late into the evening.
A nicely conceived plot with a well written mystery kept me on my toes the entire time.
The setting is magnificent and I was full of suspense the entire book

Liz McLuckie is out on her early moring walk with her dog Nelson when she stumbles across a body. She clashes horns with the lead police officer but is determined to investigate...
Death at the Abbey is the first book in a new cosy murder mystery series about an amateur sleuth Liz and her wonderul canine companion Nelson.
Liz has a depth to her character and exhibits a range of emotion over the book. She is griefstricken following the death of her husband and has thrown herself into renovating two cottages after her retirement from nursing. Yet she has solid friendships and may even be ready for romance. The chance to investigate a murder gives her something else to focus on whilst also aggravating DI Flint.
The plot was engaging and had me guessing right to the end, even getting tricked by some red herrings! There are not many gruesome forensic details but Liz is on hand for the discovery of two bodies. I loved the inclusion of Nelson the bull terrier and was very concerned for his safety at one point (no spoilers!)
This was a quick read but completely satisfying and enjoyable. The descriptions of the food, locations etc are vivid and the characters are well developed and realistic. The antagonism between Liz and DI Flint was a fun addition which I expect will continue through the series.
Death at the Abbey is an enjoyable cosy murder mystery and I look forward to the next book in the series.

A complex, suspenseful plot with tension so thick that it felt palpable. Wonderful characters with depth and substance. I was immediately drawn in and held captive from beginning to end.

*I received a complimentary ARC of this book in order to read and provide a voluntary, unbiased and honest review, should I choose to do so. #DeathattheAbbey #NetGalley

On an early morning walk, Liz’s bull terrier Nelson leads her to a body lying in the old clifftop Abbey cemetery. The man, a professor and museum curator, drowned. So how did he get from the sea to the graveyard, high above? Even though DI Flint does not want locals involved, Liz and her mah-jong friends begin their own investigation. They’re soon mixed up with missing antiquities, break-ins, health cures and legends… well worth a read!

A great read, and I am already looking forward to the next book in the series! The author delivers a great cast of characters - human and canine, a beautiful setting and a clever plot in Death at the Abbey.

Liz McLuckie is a widow and former A&E nurse who has retired early to Whitby, buying the run-down pair of Kipper and Gull Cottages to renovate. She lost her husband to Mark from cancer 5 years ago and now lives alone in Kipper Cottage whilst working on it together with her rescue English Bull Terrier Nelson. She plays mah-jong with her friend Benedict from the Historical Society, local café owner Tilly and Benedict’s son DC Kevin Ossett who is struggling to cope with his new and very difficult boss DI Flint. Walking Nelson at the famous Abbey grounds one morning they stumble over the body of Professor Ian Crowby, a historical archivist. Flint and Kevin arrive to take charge of the scene which is later shown to be death by drowning. It’s not long before Liz finds the clues which demonstrates it was murder in the Abbey. Then a valuable medieval artifact is found to be missing from the Abbey Museum. Could there be a connection to the murder? When Tilly falls under suspicion for the theft (due to her previous career of breaking and entering), she and Liz decide to investigate the crimes themselves, even if it does mean bribing Kevin for information with numerous excellent sausages rolls! It seems there was much more to the professor and other people in the town than they realised but can they unravel the truth before anyone else gets hurt?
This new cosy mystery series is warm and engaging, and features some wonderful and very likable characters, not least Tilly, Liz herself, Liam, Kevin and of course Nelson who really steals the show! It’s well written, easy to become immediately engrossed in, and is full of vivid descriptions of the people and the famous town of Whitby with all its wealth of history and buildings. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and can see this becoming a favourite series of mine very quickly. I am looking forward to reading book 2, Death at Neptune Yard, very soon.
5*

This is such a start to a new cosy mystery series. It has everything I like in a mystery- a great protagonist who is clever and warm and up for adventure, an interesting supporting cast, fantastic setting and a dog with a big personality.

Liz is out for a dog walk at Whitby Abbey when Nelson the English Bull Terrier finds a body. It appears that the victim has drowned, but how did it get to the top of the cliffs?

With the help of her mahjong playing friends, Liz sets out to solve the case. There don’t seem to be any obvious suspects, but the more they find out about the professor , the more secrets are revealed.

I loved Tilly and Liz’s investigations, there are some really funny moments as they set out to snoop around Whitby. Nelson the dig definitely steals the show – he’s a great judge of character!

The setting is perfect for a crime series – so many quirky shops and winding alley ways. Having recently visited the town it was so easy tonpicture the places that Liz was exploring.

Overall, thus was a great read. A really intriguing mystery that kept me guessing all the way to the end. And I have already downloaded the second book in the series.

The excellent start for a new cozy series featuring a great MC, Liz, and a great and lovely dog, Nelson.
i read this book in one setting as it's a page turner I couldn't put down. There's a lot of twists, humour, suspects, and some very funny moments.
I loved the cast of characters and I hope there's going to be a HEA on the romantic side.
The mystery is solid, full of twists and turns, and the solution came as a surprise.
I can't wait to read the next novel and I hope this is going to be a very long series.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

This book was sent to me by Netgalley for review…this is a cozy mystery by a great author…I cannot wait to read more…the protagonist is curious and wants to solve the murders in this sleepy little village…there is a cast of characters…mostly all likable…a few exceptions…I suggest the reader get comfortable in a cozy chair…with a cup of steaming hot tea…a couple of butter scones…enjoy an afternoon with these characters…read from beginning to end…guess who did the murders…you might be surprised as I was…i liked this book…I really liked 5is book…

Death at the Abbey by Jan Durham is a new to me murder mystery, pat of the Kipper Cottage series. It takes place in the town of Whitby (fictional) in North Yorkshire. Liz MacLuckie had moved here following the death of her husband and had bought two cottages with the intention of living in one and renting out the other as a holiday let. Refurbishing is harder than she thought. Five months past she had adopted a dog from the shelter: an English bull terrier, who made sure she was wake at 6:20 each morning so they could go for a walk. In was on such a walk that her discovered, and shared with her, a dead body up in the cemetery on the grounds of the ruins of the abbey. In her former life and an A & E nurse, she had seen many bodies and knew this one had been dead only an hour or so. When she said that to the detective who had arrived, it did nothing to endear her to the woman. Liz suspected there was more to it than met the eye.

I enjoyed this new series and I especially liked Liz. She has all the foibles of a human and yet was strong and progressive. The way she approached things, including the refurbish and the murders, was straightforward and courageous. The only thing she didn't approach that way was her possible interest in a new man. Her friends, Tally and her partner, Mags, were friends, as well as the owners of a coffee shop that she frequented. She, Tilly, a young policeman named, Kevin, and his father, Benedict, got together weekly to play Mahjong. They were all food friends and enjoyed the game, the food, and the company. That is a different twist. Also the way Liz "adopted" a young archeologist who was proving helpful in the refurbishment show the kind of person she is: friendly and open. It was a good mystery and although highly illegal and unethical, showed just how creative people could get to earn a buck. All-in-all, a very good read.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of Death at the Abbey by Inkubator Books, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #netgalley #inkubatorbooks #jandurham #deathattheabbey

Although i had read the second in the series first this is just as good

Moving to Whitby after the death of her husband Liz McLuckie realises that the seaside town of Whitby is not in the slightest how she imagined and after stumbling across the body of Professor dead near the towns medieval abbey she soon discovers that murder lurks everywhere

Widowed Liz McLuckie has retired early from her job as an A & E nurse and has moved to Whitby, a fishing community, in Yorkshire where she has bought a couple of shabby and neglected cottages - Kipper Cottage and Gull Cottage - she is renovating. Out walking her dog, Nelson, an English bull terrier Nelson becomes fascinated by a pile of old clothes on the grounds of the town's Abbey, only the soiled garments turn out to be a corpse.

This was a superb beginning to a new series by Jan Durham which captured my attention because of the Whitby setting. I enjoyed being in the pockets of Liz as she puzzled over clues and irritated DI Flint the local detective. Well written and intriguing with some colourful characters and great descriptions of community life and the locale. Now for book two!

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Inkubator Books via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.