A Dark Death by Alice Fitzpatrick
Reviewed by Heather McBriarty
Retired teacher-turned-novelist Kate Galway enjoys life on her tranquil little island off the Welsh coast. The arrival of a psychic conman investigating the island’s long-abandoned manor house, and an archaeological dig that could be the Roman find of the century, adds a hint of spice to an otherwise quiet summer. The discovery of a body, laid out in a horrifyingly ritualistic manner at the dig site, soon turns the sleepy island into a hotbed of “whodunnit?”. With Kate’s godson a prime suspect, she has no choice but to get involved.
“A Dark Death by Canadian writer Alice Fitzpatrick is an absolute gem of a story, intricate, twisty, and satisfying, and the second instalment of her Meredith Islands Mystery series.”
A Dark Death by Canadian writer Alice Fitzpatrick is an absolute gem of a story, intricate, twisty, and satisfying, and the second instalment of her Meredith Islands Mystery series. Peopled by a varied cast - an eccentric artist, a delightfully batty spinster, a vicar having a crisis of faith, an archaeology professor and his troublesome ex-wife, argumentative student excavators, and a psychic’s assistant who is more than she appears to be. Just who did do it is a complex web to unpick for both the much-put-on-upon Detective Inspector Tom Warwick and amateur sleuth Kate Galway. But no one must tread the tightrope more carefully than island-native and newly promoted Detective Constable Bryon Finch, who tries to impress his new boss while keeping his former teacher Kate out of Warwick’s way.
A Dark Death is as cozy as murder mysteries get. Fitzpatrick brings murder, humour, intrigue and a touch of the mystic together with a deft touch. Her setting is authentically Welsh, courtesy of Fitzpatrick’s years visiting her Welsh family. Where else would everyone gather to discuss an island murder than over a pint at the pub or over a steaming cup of tea? The writing is tight, the pace brisk, and the suspects numerous. But the end is not quite the end as the surprises keep coming, so hang on to your hat for a fun ride.
This book will delight fans of Grantchester — the TV series or the short-story mysteries by James Runcie — and Agatha Christie. Kate Galway is a thoroughly modern Miss Marple. Pour yourself a cuppa, set out a plate of biscuits and curl up in your favourite chair; you’re not going to want to put this one down until the murder is solved!
About the Author
Alice Fitzpatrick is a fearless champion of singing, cats, all things Welsh, and the Oxford comma. Her summers spent with her Welsh family in Pembrokeshire inspired the creation of the Meredith Island Mysteries series. The traditional mystery appeals to her keen interest in psychology as she is intrigued by what makes seemingly ordinary people commit murder. Alice lives in Canada but dreams of a cottage on the Welsh coast.
About the Reviewer
Heather McBriarty is the author of the non-fiction account of the First World War, Somewhere in Flanders: Letters from the Front and a novel of the “Great War” Amid the Splintered Trees. She is a blogger, reviewer and served as a juror for the 2023 Atlantic Book Awards. By day, she is a Medical Radiation Technologist, doting grandmother, and avid sailor. She lives by the sea in historic Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada.
Book Details
Publisher : Stonehouse Publishing
Publication date : June 1 2025
Language : English
Print length : 300 pages
ISBN-10 : 1988754623
ISBN-13 : 978-1988754628