3.50 stars

This mystery was a mixed bag for me. It was nicely written but there were some holes that puzzled me. Main character Delia has moved back to her home on an island in Long Island Sound after working in NYC for years. There is a lot of family stuff going on: Delia's parents are on the outs, her aunt and uncle are contemplating divorce, and Delia herself is trying to re-connect with her teenage son. Her relationship with her son was the big thing that bothered me: She basically turned him over to her parents to raise and only saw him occasionally although they lived just hours apart and now she wonders why he acts like she abandoned him. She offers some explanations over the course of the book but nothing that really explains why she decided to let someone else parent him.

She also is carrying a lot of baggage about a teenage relationship -- at least 20 years ago. One wonders why she hasn't grown up and moved on. And lastly, there is a paranormal element to the story that never to me blended very well.

The mystery itself involves local families with intertwined histories and lots of secrets and island politics, the push between progress and tradition. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Death on Dickens Island was a fun easy read. A suspenseful cosy mystery with an interesting cast of characters. The writing style was pleasant to read. A good debut, not super enthralling, but promising nonetheless. I'll most likely pick up the next installment to see where the author is taking this new world.

Death on Dickens Island is the debut book in a new series by Allison Brook. It is similar to her The Haunted Library Mystery series. Delia Dickens returns to Dickens Island to reunite with her 15 year old son Connor and help update the family store. It took me some time to get into the story and none of the characters started off as likable, however it eventually improves. Delia explained why she left Connor with her parents and the arrival of Riley the dog brings them together. A local lady ends up dead after having dinner with Delia's family and Uncle Brad takes her home. He becomes a suspect along with a couple of other people. A big farm is planning to be sold and the leaders of Dickens Island are planning to buy it but there is conflict over its development. This is a big topic in the story and it was a bit tiresome. Delia's Grandmother Helena's ghost appears to her and provides some backstory. Delia reconnects with Jack who is the local Veterinarian and he broke Delia's heart when she was a teenager. It adds a little drama to the story. Connor finds a log possibly written by Captain Kidd and a treasure map which adds some excitement to their lives. Overall, this book was good once the story got going. By the end the characters were likable and there was enough going on that kept it interesting. #DeathOnDickensIsland #TheBooksOnTheBeachMysteries #CrookedLaneBooks #NetGalley

Death on Dickens Island, the first in the new Books on the Beach Mysteries by Allison Brook, is a comprehensive introduction to a new beach based cozy series.
It's always great to get in on the ground floor of a new mystery series, and this one shows plenty of promise. If anything, the author seems to try to fit all of the background information into this one book. There's a rekindled romance, family tensions, town council tensions, teenage/parent difficulties, an adorable dog, a likeable detective, and the list goes on. The mysteries of the murdered young council member and of other less serious crimes are intriguing and keep the reader turning the pages. However, the repeated debates, either inner or amongst various characters, tend to get a tad bit repetitive.
Overall, the book is proficiently written and full of promise for the following books in the series. The characters are interesting, and the setting is indeed a cozy one.
Thank you for the ARC of #DeathonDickensIsland to #CrookedLaneBooks and #NetGalley.

I enjoyed this cozy mystery. I'm a sucker for a book with a heroine in her 30s who returns to her hometown. But only if it's a mystery. And I enjoy the fact that the heroine got involved in solving the murder for a different reasons and not saving her own skin.

This is book 1 in the Books on the Beach series. It has a little of everything I like in a cozy. A community that is small and close knit, A family that loves each other and a ghost to help solve the murders. Delia returns to Dickens Island to help her Dad revitalize his store and keep it from closing. He's been in New York for 12 years and is happy to return to peace and quiet. But when a murder stirs up the population she finds herself between the two factions. Looking forward to book 2.

This book has some beat ideas but there were too many clunky expository conversations. Also it was unsatisfying to have the mystery resolve through simply overhearing a weirdly detailed conversation in a public place. And there was no need for the incestuous relationship between Helena and Gloria.

Tradition vrs. progress? Old vrs. new? Change vrs., well, "we've always done it that way". Those might be the main themes of this one aside from the murder mystery. The fictional Dickens Island sounds like a volatile mix of emotions as the book opens, both for main character Delia Dickens at home and throughout the community overall. And that's before the murder happens. Delia finds herself caught in the middle of it all, between feuding family members and outspoken residents who want to have a say in what happens in the community. Although shocked by the murder, the first known murder in the area, the residents don't let go of their concerns about the use of certain properties or the idea of a ferry line to connect the island better to the mainland. Was the murder the product of all these emotions or, uh-oh, a secret affair or some other family angst?

To be honest, I didn't particularly care for Delia as the story opened. I was dubious about her thinking of why she abandoned Conner, her son, with her parents for nearly a dozen years. She seemed to have some real, sensible reasons behind it but, well, that's a long time. I did warm up to her eventually but it took quite a bit given the initial slow pace of the plot. That's normal for any new series, of course, but toss in the community angst and family drama going on and it was all bit hard to take in. I'm not sure we didn't spend as much time on those issues as we did the murder, not to mention the side story involving, no lie, Captain Kidd's supposed journal and an also supposed treasure map. Oh, boy, does that ever get Conner, Delia's son, into trouble. Oh, and there's a ghost, too. I actually rather liked Hannah the grandmother ghost but felt she was a bit extraneous. Perhaps she'll play a bigger role later but for this installment the role she played could have just as easily been conveyed via a surprise diary or some hidden letters. That said, she was a highlight for me and I found myself perking up whenever Delia and she connected. Given the other characters general turmoil, it was hard to connect with any of them aside from Jack the vet who treated the stray that Delia called Riley.

Loved Riley, especially his relationship with Conner. Conner perhaps shows the most growth throughout, in fact, and shows great responsibility where Riley is concerned. Toss in a blooming relationship for Delia with Jack and there's progress. Bottom line, didn't love this installment but also didn't hate it. There's a lot of promise there. 3.5 rounded up. Thanks #CrookedLaneBooks for the early intro to this new set of characters and the intriguing setting of Dickens Island.

This book was about 3 stars for me. The MC's choices were hard for me to relate to and accept and there was a rather over-reliance, in my opinion, on her grandmother's ghost to solve the crimes. I also felt the story was unrealistic at times because typically law enforcement officials do not freely share the details of their investigations with the general public, whether they are friends or not.
Overall, I don't know that I'd read another book by this author.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for providing an ARC at my request. All opinions are my own.

The cozy mystery is my favorite genre. I like engaging mysteries and fascinating characters. I will read more books by this author.

Delia is back on Dickens Island helping her father with the family business and to connect with her
son who has been raised by her parents. Both her parents’ marriage, as well as her aunt ‘s and uncle’s
marriage are dealing with the inability to make changes on the island. The island residents are also
divided between bringing in more development and tourism or keeping it as a quiet residential place.
When a person on the council is killed and family members are suspects, Delia looks into the dead
woman’s past and a possible connection to the sale of island property. Good introduction to the series
#DeathonDickensIsland #CrookedLaneBooks #NetGalley

A new series by Allisson Brook and it's entertaining and full of potential. liked the setting and the FMC.
Solid mystery, hope to read the next soon
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Dickens Island, in spite of its recent crime wave, seems like a delightful place. The book features likable characters, a ghost, and an intriguing mystery with roots in the past. The characters span multiple generations, which means everyone can relate to someone in the story. I enjoyed this book and can't wait to return to Dickens Island.

This is the first in a new cosy crime series. It was OK. I did find the first 25% of the book rather slow. As with any new series the characters are all introduced as well as decriptions of Dickens Island. Not sure if I would continue this series. Thank you to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for ARC.

A new mystery by Allison Brook. I enjoyed visiting Dickens Island, where we meet Cordelia (Delia) Dickens, the Great Great Granddaughter of the islands name sake. She has just returned after time away, and is living in her recently passed grandmothers home with her son Connor. While things are hard for her on the island, with many relationship issues, like feuding family members, island residents divided over the future and a teenage son, the thing that really shocks Delia is the death of a dinner guest shortly after they parted company. As the past secrets of the island come to light, we see a lot of old hurts reveled, a possible buried treasure and a ghost. I enjoyed visiting Dickens island and learning all about the residents. I am looking forward to what comes next.

I was excited to see that Allison Brooks had a new series out, but I was also a little concerned about whether or not I would enjoy it as much as love A Haunted Library Mystery. I was happy to discover that I love Death on Dickens Island at least a much, maybe more! Not only are the characters just as wonderful, but there is also a ghost to guide Delia which is great because her efforts to convince her father to let her update her parent's store are meeting no more successful that her efforts to reconnect with her son who pretty much has been raise by her parents. There is enough progress in both cases to keep me interested; I need to see at least some positives in a series book. As if the pressure in both cases is not enough, her much loved aunt and uncle are suspects in a murder that she feels compelled to check out and they can't seem to stop making things worse.

My thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane for allowing me to read and review and ARC of the delightful read. I can't wait to spend more time on Dickens Island with a crew of people that I have already come to love. Allison Brooks knows who to create plots and characters that quickly draw me in.

#NetGalley #CrookedLane #AllisonBrooks #DeathonDickensIsland #BooksontheBeach

A new series for this author. I enjoyed the story and the interactions of the characters. I'm not so sure of the romance angle in the book, but the mystery was well conceived and led to many suspects. Overall it was a good read and a good start to the series.

Death on Dickens Island is the first book in Allison Brook’s Books on the Beach Mysteries series. Delia Dickens returns to her hometown to help her father save the struggling family general store. The small island that is named after her family feels both isolated and cozy, with a strong sense of community despite its being close to New York. Things take a dark turn when a woman who attended a family dinner is found murdered, and Delia’s aunt and uncle become prime suspects. At the same time, Delia’s son and his friend are on the hunt for the legendary treasure of Captain Kidd, adding a fun and adventurous layer to the mystery.

What makes this cozy mystery stand out is Delia herself. She’s not an amateur sleuth by design. She is a mother trying to juggle work, family, and a recent return home. Her son was raised by her parents due to childcare challenges, adding depth and realism to her character. Delia isn’t actively trying to solve the case, but as she goes about her life, the things she observes and uncovers end up being helpful to the investigation. The island setting, rich with local lore and complicated family dynamics, provides a strong foundation for what promises to be an engaging new series.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

*4 Stars*

Copy kindly received via NetGalley for an honest review.

This book had mystery and intrigue with who was related to who, and who the killer was. I found it to be interesting to read and the characters themselves were interesting as well.

Death on Dickens Island is a cozy little mystery that's set in a small town where the community is rocked by the first murder to take place in over 30 years.
On an island like this, everyone is either your neighbour or family member so the community gather together to try and solve this local crime.

The concept of the story was intriguing and it was well written, the characters had good development. However, I feel it fell just a little flat for me personally. I like my mysteries to keep me on my toes and I unfortunately found myself skimming a few pages where the dialogue was slow and repetitive.
The supernatural element also threw me off a little as I don't feel it quite fit with the rest of the story.

I would still read more from this author in the future as I appreciate the direction they were trying to take with this one.