Cover Image: A Death at Neptune Cove (A Jemima Jago Mystery Book 4)

A Death at Neptune Cove (A Jemima Jago Mystery Book 4)

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Member Reviews

Jem Jago and friends are having a surprise birthday party for her boyfriend's sister at Neptune Cove. There was a small mishap with the cake and Jem and Pauly try the cottage above the beach for tools to fix the icing. They find the occupant, Arthur Ajax. He was a mysterious figure who had recently appeared in the islands and had many of the ladies vying for his attention.
Later, Jem finds jewelry buried on the beach. Could it be related?
Complicating matters, the mainland police get involved,especially the inspector who exiled their police chief, Hack Hackman to the islands.
Jem and friends eventually get to the bottom of who Arthur actually was and why he was on the island, in spite of the objections of official law enforcement.
A good read as is this entire series!

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This is the fourth book in the series, and even though I haven't read the previous books in the series, this one read nicely enough as a standalone. Book was a thrilling read with twists and turns from beginning to end, making each page a page turner.

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This story is a mix of personal life and trying to find a murderer.
Bookouture and Net galley let me read this book for review (thank you). It has been published and you can get a copy now.

There is a man in their small village who is gay. He's attractive but he ends up dead...

Jemima is determined to find the killer. There is a missing man, too. She hopes to find him alive.

Along with her detective skills, she also has a romance going on.

There is a lot of work involved in finding the killer and it turns into a very dangerous situation.

Will she and her love manage to save themselves?

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Murder, She Wrote meets Doc Martin in the fourth fabulous Jemima Jago cozy mystery by Emma Jameson: A Death at Neptune Cove.

When Jem knocked on the door of an isolated cottage overlooking Neptune Cove, she had been hoping for help fixing a baking disaster – she never in a million years imagined finding herself stumbling upon the dead body of the tenant! The victim is Arthur Ajax, an American tourist who’d come to the Isles of Scilly and simply never left. Rich, extravagant and with a penchant for the finer things in life, Arthur had been the subject of many a scandalous story on the village grapevine, but was his death an accident? Or something far more sinister? Jem fully intends to find out!

This case gets even more complicated when a cache of jewels is dug up from the dune by a dog. Could the jewels be somehow connected to Arthur’s death? Could the rumours about an unpaid debt be true? Or is it just village gossip? It’s not everyday eye-wateringly expensive jewels are found hidden in an antique biscuit tin and Jem knows that she is getting very close to the truth. When she asks for help from a local jewellery expert, Jem thinks she’s on the right track to finding the killer, but when he suddenly disappears, she realises that there is somebody willing to do whatever it takes to keep their secrets dead and buried. Can Jem stop them in time? Or is she about to become the killer’s next victim?

A Death in Neptune Cove is so much fun I guzzled it down in one afternoon! Fast-paced, brilliantly suspenseful and full of juicy secrets and revelations you won’t see coming, A Death in Neptune Cove is a hugely addictive mystery with a terrific sleuth who is an absolute joy to spend time with.

A treat for cozy mystery fans everywhere, aficionados of the genre will love Emma Jameson’s A Death in Neptune Cove.

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⭐⭐⭐⭐ -- Great cover on this one!

This is honestly such a delightful little series! This was another great addition. Same fantastic writing. A great setting. Well paved. A mystery that kept me guessing. Wonderful characters. What's not to love? Well, one small thing. I am (and will always be) #teamHack I just think she has way more on page chemistry with him than Rhys, and I was not a fan the way Jem treated Hack and the way the author left things at the finish of this one. However, what can you do? That's not the direction the author choose to go in. 🤷🏻‍♀️ This series is still a lot of fun and I can't wait to dive into the next book!

**ARC Via NetGalley**

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Wonderfully atmospheric and compelling characters combined to keep me reading long past bedtime. I truly enjoyed the writing style and character development.

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Another case for amateur sleuth Jem Jago and her friends which involves murder, blackmail, treasure hunting and much more.

Well written and with lively descriptive writing about the area this is a good book, best read after the first three to get a good idea of the main characters and their motivations and relationships to each other. Loving the new budding romance for Jem and looking forward to reading more about this in the next book.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

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I previously had the opportunity to review the third in Emma Jameson’s Jemima Jago series, A Death at Silversmith Bay. It was delightful, so I was pleased to have the chance to be on the blog tour for A Death at Neptune Cove.

Emma Jameson does not disappoint!

Jem is only trying to find help fixing a squashed birthday cake when she and Pauley let themselves into Neptune Cottage. Instead of a helping hand, though, they found the tenant, one Arthur Ajax, dead on the kitchen floor. The murder weapon? Apparently a loaf of pumpernickel bread. Clarence, a local amateur baker, handed them out to everyone. Jem realizes the police will take this to mean Clarence was the killer, so she and her friends jump into action to figure out who really dunnit.

And not only is there a murder. There’s also treasure! Rhys Tremayne’s little dog Buck unearths a cache of jewels. Are the jewels related to the dead man? Jem is determined to find out.

This is another fun read! Arthur Ajax is definitely not what he seems. Several things don’t make sense – a stash of letters addressed to someone else and a very expensive sewing machine found in the cottage don’t seem to fit what people know of Arthur. The more Jem digs, the more she realizes that several people might have wanted to see an end to him. As they unravel the clues, we get international intrigue, a yacht that Arthur may or may not have owned, and a line of hearts he trifled with that could wrap around the island. The twists and turns kept me guessing.

The island setting is, as always, delightful. I want to visit the Isles of Scilly now. Jameson uses the environment and the things associated with it, particularly boats, to good effect here.

And I was thrilled to see progress in Jem and Rhys’ relationship! I give nothing away, but they do make me smile.

This is another tremendously enjoyable read from Emma Jameson, and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good cozy with a side of romance and a lovely British setting. Five stars from me!

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The Scilly Sleuth strikes again in this cosy island mystery....

A birthday party for a teen,
At Neptune Cove, it sets the scene.
A trip, the cake cushions the fall
Help's needed to sort it so on a neighbour they call...

The lights are on but no one answers the door
Then they see the body on the kitchen floor.
An American business man who came here to stay
Will never again see the light of day.

With rumours, secrets and blatant lies
Jem into the victim's life tries to spies.
When jewellery is found buried in the sand
Is it connected? Was it planned?

Travel around the islands with Pauley and Jem, too,
As they and their friends try to uncover a clue
To help them identify just who the victim could be
And bring the killer to justice as you'll see.

There's murder, mischief, gossip and lies
Plenty of twists and more than one surprise!
This is another engaging mystery that's great to read
And could well be the next book that you also need!

For my complementary copy of this book, I say thank you,
I highly recommend it in this is my honest review.

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Jemima Jago is trying to celebrate a friend's birthday when she finds a murder victim in a secluded cove. It soon becomes clear that the victim had many lovers as well as a secret past, but who wanted him dead?
A Death at Neptune Cove is the fourth amateur sleuth Jem Jago book, set on the Isles of Scilly with trips to mainland Cornwall.
Once she has recovered from her shock at finding another body, Jem uncovers that the victim had a multitude of enemies. This sets her and her friends off on an investigation into the man's love life as well as his true identity and possible jewel heists.
The love triangle of Jem, Hack and Rhys, which has simmered over the previous books, may have finally been resolved but I am not sure who I think she should be with. I liked the mix of personal relationships as a background to the murder case.
The tone of the book is quite light hearted and the dialogue ripples with teasing and humour. Even the supposed murder weapon is amusing: a frozen loaf! The victim himself doesn't not appear to be very easy to like despite his attractiveness to a number of suspects. I had a lot more sympathy with the poor people he used and discarded!
A Death at Neptune Cove is an enjoyable and light hearted murder mystery.

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This is one of those series I enjoy reading as I want to know what is going on the character's life. There's a lot of character development and I was glad to see how things changed and one my pet peeve in cozy mystery was solved.
It's the best book in this series so fare and I thoroughly enjoyed the solid mystery that kept me guessing.
The characters are becoming more and more interesting and loved the setting.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

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Reading a Jem Jago is always a pleasure, especially towards the end. I find that the first one third was a bit laggy, and sometimes - just sometimes - the humour is a little too much, almost as if everything is a big joke.

But those really are my only criticisms. Characters are well-portrayed (Rhys is one of a kind) and so is Jem, who I really warmed to this time around. Apart from the slight drag in the beginning, this was a solid read.

Till next time Jem Jago, always a pleasure. 3 and a half stars, rounded up.

Thanks to NetGalley for my ARC.

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A Death at Neptune Cove is the fourth book in this British Cozy mystery series, but the first for me. At first It was a little hard figuring out who the characters are as there isn't much of a backstory, but I caught on quickly. Librarian Jemima Jago and her friend Pauley, stumble into a cottage and find a man murdered with a loaf of frozen bread. The victim is a wealthy american with a mysterious past. When their friend Clarence becomes the prime suspect, Jemima and her crew of friends decide to investigate and clear Clarence's name. This was a fun quick read with likeable characters, a nice setting, lots of red herrings, buried treasure, some romance, and a cute dog. Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for providing me with this advance readers copy.

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BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'A Death At Neptune Cove' by Emma Jameson.

Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Emma Jameson, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous

Publication date 29th September 2022.

This is the fourth book I have read by this author. It is also the fourth book in the 'Jemima Jago Mystery' series but can be read as a standalone. I have previously read 'A Death At Seascape House' which is the first book in the 'Jemima Jago Mystery' series, 'A Death At Candlewick Castle' which is the second book in the series and 'A Death At Silversmith Bay' which is the third book in the series and I would highly recommend each one.


I was originally drawn to this book by its beautiful eye catching cover and its intriguing synopsis and title. The synopsis stated that 'Fans of M.C. Beaton, Faith Martin and Agatha Christie will be hooked by A Death at Neptune Cove.'. I am a huge fan of Faith Martin and Agatha Christie so am looking forward to seeing if this lives up to this statement. I am also a huge fan of Emma Jameson and if this is half as good as 'A Death At Seascape House', 'A Death At Candlewick Castle' and 'A Death At Silversmith Bay' it is sure to be a page turning read. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).

This novel consists of 28 chapters. The chapters are short to medium in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!

This book is based in Cornwall, England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 UK 🇬🇧. The bonus for me of books that are partly or fully based in the UK is that I live in the UK and have sometimes visited places mentioned in the book which makes it easier to picture. The fact that this book is based in Cornwall is even better as I have been on holiday in Cornwall many times so may even recognise some places Emma has set the book around.

This book is written in third person perspective with the main protagonist being Jemima Jago, Rhys Tremayne and Pauley Gwyn. The benefits of third person perspective especially with multiple protagonists are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything.

Yet another absolutely fantastic read from the very talented Emma Jameson!!! Well done Emma 👏 👏 👏!!!


This book was very well written and the vivid descriptions really made me feel that I was in Cornwall with the sea air and sand all around me. It felt like a lovely mini holiday which was much needed!! The synopsis and cover worked perfectly with the storyline. I really liked that the chapters all had their own headings that resonated with the events of that chapter and many were direct quotes from the chapter itself and also quite amusing.


The storyline itself is a mix of slow and fast paced, starting off quite slow and picking up speed throughout. I would liken it to to a rollercoaster with the first quarter being the build up as you get to the top and then the rest of the ride being fast paced filled with twists, turns, some suspense, tension and a shock at the end!! One I never expected which I am very pleased to report, not a huge fan of books that I have it all figured out by 50%. I loved that it had so much book talk, which was to be, if not expected then definitely hoped for as our protagonist is a librarian. This is a perfect beach read or one to curl up with in front of a fire. The setting and atmosphere is perfectly portrayed for a cozy mystery. This book is such an easy read with the words flowing I just could not put it down. I absolutely love the atmosphere and really feel like Cornwall is becoming my second home. I'm especially looking forward to visiting again in real life next year and will be keeping an eye on some of the places mentioned in the book to see if I recognise anywhere Emma based the storyline on. Emma's first two books are based in St. Morwenna and her third book in Penzance so it was pleasant surprise to be exploring Bryher in this book. I am definitely looking forward to returning to Morwenna but also exploring more of Penzance. I actually find it quite delightful that I have now got 3 places to look forward to visiting every time I step into Emma and Jem's adventures!!! I loved that in this book we get to see what is going on through the eyes of Paulie and Rhys and see how they are feeling and hope Emma continues in this theme in the next book. It would be interesting to see more of what Hugh is feeling and seeing too. I absolutely adore the Jem Jago series and am thoroughly looking forward to reading the next book in this fantastic series that I have loved from the start!!!

Although this is the fourth book in the series I had absolutely no problems reading it without the others. Any details or events that have previously happened are mentioned in just the right amount of detail to let a new reader know what has happened and yet not too much to bore a previous reader.

The characters were an eclectic mix. I must admit I'm not quite sure what to make of Jem at the start of the series as at times I quite enjoyed her strong willed personality and she has definitely grown more on me since first meeting her in 'A Death At Seascape Hoise'. However, since reading 'A Death At Candlewick Castle', 'A Death At Silversmith Bay' and now this fantastic read I can definitely say I am now one of her biggest fans!! I absolutely adore her attitude and love watching her relationships with friends and more grow, develop and change over the books. It was intriguing to see that Jem and Rhys are finally in a relationship but it will be interesting to see how long it lasts with Hack on the scene who is obviously not happy about this development!! However, I do think that what she did towards to the end of the book will cause a shift in their friendship so I'm definitely looking forward to what happens next!! It has also been intriguing watching Kenzie grow and her attitude change as she develops. Although she did seem to be a bit of a brat a few times there were other points where she showed her maturity. However, nobody can really blame her for acting out with a mother like Lissa. Lissa is a complete embarrassment and should be ashamed of how she acts especially being a mother. I would be mortified if she was my sister let alone mum!! Bart is his usual self in this book, some things never change and I'm glad they don't. My heart went out to Clarence in this book who is a larger than life character and who I have really bonded with from the start. I bonded with Micki immediately in the first book and loved meeting her larger than life character again along with Hack. Pauley and Rhys in both the following books. They have turned into friends for me and I look forward to meeting them every time. They all have their own quirks and habits and all work perfectly together. I loved meeting the newer characters again in this series especially Tori who I am looking forward to getting to know more and one cannot forget about Wotsit who is just a typical, but memerable, cat!!. So much to look forward to in the next epic adventure, I just cannot wait!!! Their team dynamic works really well and i have become completely invested in them.

A huge congratulations to Emma on yet another successful novel. This is exactly why you are one of my favourite authors and here's to the next book in this explosive series 🥂

This is exactly why this series is one of my favourite and you Emma are on og my favourite authors!!!

Overall an intriguing, page turning, cosy mystery in an idyllic setting which will keep you hooked throughout.

Genres covered in this novel include Mystery, Thriller, Cozy Crafts & Hobbies Mystery, Cozy Culinary Mystery, Cozy Animal Mystery, Suspense, Murder, Police Procedural, Crime Thriller and Cozy Mystery amongst others.

I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of Faith Martin, Clare Chase, M.C. Beaton, Fliss Chester, Agatha Christie and anyone looking for a page turning cosy mystery!!!


274 pages.

This book is just £1.99 to purchase on kindle via Amazon or free on kindle unlimited and £7.99 in paperback (at time of review) which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!

Rated 5 /5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.

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Murder on the Scilly Isles! A likeable sleuth with mainly a fairly well rounded set of friends, some of whom knew more about the dead man that they were prepared to let on.

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Jemima Jago, a.k.a. the Scilly Sleuth, is back for the fourth time in another installment of this fun cozy mysteries series.

A surprise birthday party at Neptune Cov goes awry when Jem falls on the birthday cake and she and Pauley go to Neptune Cottage to try to salvage it, but instead they find the tenant dead on the floor. A buried treasure and evidence of fraud will complicate matters even more, but Jem and her friends will be there to catch a murderer.

I really like how this series is evolving. Not only Jem’s character has truly grown since book one (here’s even mentioned how she’s not the same woman she first arrived to the island), but all the supporting characters are evolving and getting their chance to shine. It was great to see how we got to hear from Pauley and Rhys’ POVs, and this time the investigation was more of a team effort and not focused only on Jem.

Although the mysteries are self conclusive in each installment, I would truly recommend to read the series in order, as the personal lives of the characters have been developing over the four books, so it will help you to understand their dynamics. It’s been great to see the love triangle situation resolved at last, although I’m a bit sad for Hack.

The setting is one of the biggest successes of the series. The small town community feel around the island works perfectly for the cozy mysteries and always makes me wanna move there (or take a trip aboard the Bellatrix at least!).

There are plenty of suspects and red-herrings to keep you on your toes. There was one that had me convinced I had guessed the culprit, for me to be proven completely wrong at the end so, well done!

Another great addition to the series. I can’t wait to meet back Jem and Co.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

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A Death at Neptune Cove by Emma Jameson

Jem Jago and friends, on the (oh-so-complicated) case, a most satisfying twisty mystery. It begins, innocently enough, with a birthday party for Kenzie, a show of love intended to cheer her up, but then Jem trips and falls splat! on the special cake, which is only the beginning of the troubles. I don’t want to spoil suspense, so just a partial list of complications will have to suffice: dead body . . . buried treasure . . . stuffed shark and swordfish . . . mystery sailboat . . . scam with “alien’s” healing powers . . . expensive sewing machine with torn silk fabric . . . and why am I mysteriously craving pumpernickel? The investigations goes better with the help of willing friends, hunting bad guys and standing up to authoritarian obstacles. 
I love this series (you don’t have to read in order, but you could) and I would watch it if someone cared to dramatize it (Netflix? if you’re reading this, just do it!)

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Jemima Jago has put together a last-minute birthday party but then the birthday cake was all but ruined. Knocking on the door of a nearby cottage while at Neptune Cove with hopes of fixing the cake nets Jem a real shock. The householder is dead. Sadly, this is not the first dead body that Jem as stumbled upon. She uses her finely honed skills of deduction and logic to try and discover what has happened.

It doesn’t take Jem long to discover the identification the victim, who was a business from America. Apparently he had been living on the Isles of Scilly for quite some time, and as things turned out, had been the victim of gossip and rumors. Someone wanted him dead and Jem is determined to discover who that was and to bring that individual to justice.

Not sure if it is a coincidence or not, Jem’s flame Rhys and his dog, were about and Rhys’s dog dug up a cache of gems on the beach. Not one to believe in coincidences, Jem soldiers on, more determined than ever. Talking to anyone who knew the victim, and learning about his extravagant lifestyle, Jem and Rhys find themselves deeply embroiled in a world previously unknown to both of them.

Meanwhile, Jem is determined to have that birthday party for fourteen-year-old Kenzie, thus she has more than enough on her plate. With a determined Jem, excellent pacing and a light touch, A Death at Neptune Cove was another enjoyable read in this wonderful cozy mystery series.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

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Jemima Jago, librarian and amateur sleuth, found a body in a rented cottage and of course it turned out to be murder. Determined not to let a close-minded detective railroad an innocent friend into jail, she jumped in to investigate...

I have read some of Emma Jameson's other series and have always been engaged by the depth of her characters. It is not different in this series. Though this is the first one in this series I have read--it is the fourth in the series--it was not necessary to have read the other books to understand what was going on in this one but it was obvious there is a lot of context I have lost by not reading them. These were well-developed characters who struggled with relationships, careers and being true to oneself.

The mystery was solid, the location interesting and the relationships were strong even if they were not perfect. It was all the more realistic that way. I will definitely be reading more of this series.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest opinion.

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A ruined birthday cake leads to a dead body. A relocated birthday party leads to buried treasure. Can Jem, Pauley, and the rest of the gang solve the mystery before one of their own is wrongfully charged with the crime?

A Death at Neptune Cove is the fourth book in the Jemima Jago Mystery series by Emma Jameson. It is the first book in the series that I've read.

I read a lot of British cozy mysteries, but this one felt a little too English for me. I thought it might be the London slang but I'm not sure it was that (or not just that). I'm not sure where the Isle of Scilly is so maybe it is a geographic difference as most of the present-day English cozies I read are set in the Cotswolds or London. I mention this because I know some American readers are put off by British books that are "too English". It didn't put me off the novel, but I do think it made it more difficult for me to get drawn into the story.

I liked the set-up for the murder - death by a loaf of bread is such a great cozy mystery ploy.

The cast of characters isn't too big - there seems to be a group of 6 who work through the murder together. I wasn't sure of everyone's connections. Micki and Clarence are related and Pauley is Clarence's business partner. There seems to be a connection between Pauley and Rhys but maybe they have just been friends since they were children. I didn't realize the name of the series was Jemima Jago Mystery because Jem and Pauley seems much more like sleuthing partners rather than Pauley merely being the sidekick. Perhaps this a new development and in early books Jem was the main sleuth.

I read several cozy mysteries with librarians as the amateur sleuth so I was a little shocked that her role as a librarian isn't more applicable to her detective work. Usually, the librarian uses their research skills or literary references. So it was kind of nice to read a novel not using the normal tropes associated with a librarian cozy.

I prefer cozy mysteries that you can basically pick up anywhere in the series and enjoy it. I'm wondering if this is a series where you need to read the earlier books to enjoy the current one. There isn't a lot of backstory provided for the new reader. This might also explain why I had trouble connecting with the characters.

There is a heavier focus on romantic relationships than I typically see in a cozy mystery. At times the story felt like a romance novel disguised as a cozy mystery. I don't read romance novels and so the endless descriptions of how appealing the characters looked were a bit tiresome for me. It may just be this one book in the series that has so much romantic commentary since it is relevant to the plot. Pauley had a crush on the victim and it turns out that he left a long list of jilted lovers behind.

Overall, this novel was a bit rocky for me. There were some nitpicky things that I didn't like which amount mostly just to personal taste. It's a solid cozy mystery. I liked the murder set-up and I think once I get to know the characters more that I would really like them. I would definitely try another book in the series to see if it was just me not likely this novel before deciding if this series goes on my must read cozy mystery list.

My review will be published at Girl Who Reads on Friday - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2022/09/a-death-at-neptune-cove-by-emma-jameson.html

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