It’s Summer Reading Time and what better way to enjoy a hot, humid, buggy day in July (in the A/C, of course!) than by reading the first book in Simon Brett’s Fethering series, The Body on the Beach. Carole Seddon and her new friend, Jude Nichol, find themselves embroiled in a series of deaths.
It begins with Carole Seddon discovering a dead body on the beach while she was walking her dog. While Carole is retired, her skills from her many years of working in the Government kicks in and she finds some clues that lead…to a second body. Carole’s new neighbor, Jude, sees the series of bodies in a different light. Between the two approaches, the women discover the motive behind the deaths.
I’m a big fan of Simon Brett’s Charles Paris mysteries, but the Fethering series is almost as fun! GRADE: B+
Fethering Series:
Fethering is a fictitious village on England’s south coast (adjacent to Tarring). It is the place of residence of amateur sleuths Carole Seddon, a retired civil servant, and her neighbour, Jude Nichol, whose origins are obscure. Twenty-one Fethering mysteries have been published so far:
The Body on the Beach (2000)
Death on the Downs (2001)
The Torso in the Town (2002)
Murder in the Museum (2003)
The Hanging in the Hotel (2004)
The Witness at the Wedding (2005)
The Stabbing in the Stables (2006)
Death Under the Dryer (2007)
Blood at the Bookies (2008)
The Poisoning at the Pub (2009)
The Shooting in the Shop (2010)
Bones Under the Beach Hut (2011)
Guns in the Gallery (2011)
Corpse on the Court (2012)
The Strangling on the Stage (2013)
The Tomb in Turkey (2014)
The Killing in the Cafe (2015)
The Liar in the Library (2017)
The Killer in the Choir (2019)
Guilt at the Garage (2020)
Death and the Decorator (2022)
Death in the Dressing Room (2025)
I really do need to try this. I like Brett’s Charles Paris and Mrs. Pargeter series.
Jeff, I like the retirement community where most of this series takes place. Like Cabot Cove, this little town has an amazing amount of murders!
Love the cover. Have never read him at all.
You might enjoy the Charles Paris series, Patti, in the right mood. He’s an alcoholic actor and there is a lot of backstage stuff about the theater and television.
Jeff, well said! Charles Paris tells it like it is in the British theater, TV, and movie productions.
Patti, if you like clever, snarky mysteries, Simon Brett is your man. I started reading his Charles Paris mysteries about a down-and-out actor back in the mid-1970s. Charle Paris makes some sly criticisms of British Theater (and TV and movie production) that all ring true. Plus, there’s a murder to solve…
Gripping Cozies…it’s an interesting claim. I might give these novels a try, perhaps with the British drama series first.
Todd, you’ll appreciate the snarky conversations in all of Simon Brett’s mysteries.