Death at Hide Tide by Hannah Dennison is the first book in the NEW “Island Sisters” cozy mystery series, coming August 18, 2020.

Death at High Tide is the delightful first installment in the Island Sisters series by Hannah Dennison, featuring two sisters who inherit an old hotel in the remote Isles of Scilly off the coast of Cornwall and find it full of intrigue, danger, and romance.

When Evie Mead’s husband, Robert, suddenly drops dead of a heart attack, a mysterious note is found among his possessions. It indicates that Evie may own the rights to an old hotel on Tregarrick Rock, one of the Isles of Scilly.

Still grieving, Evie is inclined to leave the matter to the accountant to sort out. Her sister Margot, however, flown in from her glamorous career in LA, has other plans. Envisioning a luxurious weekend getaway, she goes right ahead and buys two tickets—one way—to Tregarrick.

Once at the hotel—used in its heyday to house detective novelists, and more fixer-upper than spa resort, after all—Evie and Margot attempt to get to the bottom of things. But the foul-tempered hotel owner claims he’s never met the late Robert, even after Evie finds framed photos of them—alongside Robert’s first wife—in his office. The rest of the island inhabitants, ranging from an ex-con receptionist to a vicar who communicates with cats, aren’t any easier to read.

But when a murder occurs at the hotel, and then another soon follows, frustration turns to desperation. There’s no getting off the island at high tide. And Evie and Margot, the only current visitors to Tregarrick, are suspects one and two. It falls to them to unravel secrets spanning generations—and several of their own—if they want to make it back alive.

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Dru’s Musing:
I like it. When two sisters discover that they may own a hotel, they check into the place only to find themselves stuck on an island with nowhere to go but be with hotel residents who don’t want them there. What happened next is an intriguing tale or two of deception which leads to murder. As they are the newcomers to the island, the two sisters are the obvious suspects and it will be up to them to solve the murder investigation.

This was an enjoyable read and I liked how the author skillfully told this light drama that kept me immersed in all aspect. From the initial setup of the protagonist being a widow, to the arrival of her sister to traveling to the hotel to the indifferent hotel residents to the murder. Who wanted him dead? Several people had stronger motives than Evie and her sister, but it was uncovering the secrets and the clues that would prevail. The narrative was visually descriptive and I felt like I was on that isolated island along with them as the author intended. There were plenty of red herrings that kept me entangled in what was going on and I was more or less surprised when the killer’s identity was revealed. Again, this was a fun read and I enjoyed the sisters and their role in this terrific new series that I hope is here to stay for a few more adventures.

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FTC Full Disclosure – I received a digital ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.