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 … 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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Death at High Tide by Hannah Dennison is the debut of An Island Sisters Mystery series. It is November in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England where Evie Mead just lost her husband, Robert to a heart attack. She is learning that her financial status is shaky, and Evie is glad to have her sister, Margot there with her. It turns out that Evie might be the owner of Tregarrick Rock which is part of the Isles of Scilly off the Cornish coast. Margot believes Evie needs to get away and they head off Tregarrick Rock. Evie Mead and Margot Chandler are as different as two sisters can be. Evie likes to wear comfortable clothing and is a homebody while Margot is a film producer who lives in Los Angeles and likes to wear designer clothes plus name drop. Margot is loud and outspoken. She does not hesitate to interfere in Evie’s personal affairs. However, Margot does not like Evie asking about her life. The characters lacked development. I would have liked more information on the sisters and the secondary characters fleshed out a bit more. I did feel that Death at High Tide was a slow starter with the death of Jago Ferris not occurring until the second half of the book. After Detective Sergeant Patty Williamson arrives on the island, the action begins to pick up. The police force may be small, but they are thorough. DS Patty Williamson has here eye on the two sisters and she is not about to let them head home. Evie takes matters into her own hands and begins searching for clues. She is new to the sleuthing game and makes some rookie mistakes. Evie and Margot discuss the evidence and come up with various theories. Those readers who devour mysteries will be able to solve this whodunit easily. I loved the descriptions of the Isles of Scilly and Tregarrick Rock. It sounds like a beautiful place to live despite the challenges getting there. The Art Deco hotel sounds like a gem despite the garish décor (rip out the 70s tacky and restore it to its former glory). Death at High Tide transports reader to the Isles of Scilly with pirate picture propaganda, a condescending curmudgeon, a prying patron, a secretive sister, an erratic employee, fatal fog, and temperamental tides.
Absolutely loved this book. So witty and fun. The location is so easy to picture. I want to go there. Breezy plot, packed with twists and turns. Evie is a wonderful protagonist with a lot of room for personal growth. Her relationship with her sister is complex and fun. Nicely done.
A fun and crazy start to a new series!
Please note the book description if you want a summary.
The first in Dennison’s new “Island Sisters Mystery series”, “Death at High Tide” is a bit of an homage to Agatha Christie’s “And Then There Were None”. This story leans more toward the Traditional Mystery with certain cozy elements rather than being strictly a Cozy mystery. The only cozy element I felt truly present was how Evie and Margot, the two lead character sisters, were written…both are a bit light on detail. This is pretty common within the Cozy genre for the first installment. It’s like meeting a new friend…you learn a little about them at a time, more each time you meet them. Evie is a bit meek and Margot is overly bold and both have secrets they are withholding from the other. Their personalities must be allowed to develop throughout the series, they can’t be complete in the first book. If they were, why read any subsequent installments?
Dennison does a great job using the closed-door subgenre to its best effect. The setting is atmospheric, and rather haunting in how Dennison chooses to reveal it with the reader, yet there are allusions to how bright and beautiful the island could be in a different season or under different circumstances. It felt like the author was leading the reader toward the fact that this series will turn into more of a cozy series after this first book. All of the characters have some unlikable traits, some are completely unlikable, which is a very traditional element and works well to set up that truly any of them could be the culprit. That said, I felt it was fairly evident from the start who the criminal was and why the crimes were committed. Don’t get me wrong, it didn’t diminish my reading experience at all. This is my first time reading anything by Dennison but it will not be my last. I really enjoyed her fluid and lovely writing style, her clear knowledge of Golden Age mysteries and those authors, her detail of description without it becoming overwhelming or distracting to the story. I will definitely be reading her other books and can’t wait to read the next installment of the Island Sisters mysteries!
Thank you to Cozy Mystery Review for providing me with an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.
Death at High Tide An Island Sisters Mystery by Hannah Dennison is a highly intriguing mystery chocked full of suspense, secrets, and intense edge of your seat plot.
Evie’s husband has died and seems to have left her with nothing except a mysterious island hotel. Her sister Margot talks her into going there for the weekend to check it out but who knew they would be dropping right into such a mysterious past that will wrap them up in the middle of secrets and murder.
The people that Evie finds at the hotel are strange and secretive you might even say mean and vile especially Jago and his wife Tegan. Lily is eccentric but knows the secrets it seems of the people and island. They all weave such a mysterious story that it is hard to put down.
I recommend this book and look forward to the next one
I received this book for my honest opinion and review
Death at High Tide is a great beginning to a new series by Hannah Dennison that takes place in the wonderful and atmospheric setting of the Scilly Isles off the coast of Cornwall. I enjoy mysteries set in the British Isles, and this book does not disappoint. It follows sisters Evie and Margot who journey to Tregarrick Rock to investigate a hotel Evie may or may not have inherited. The sisters are great foils for each other as they end up investigating a murder in which they are the main suspects. The mystery is complex with several twists that kept me guessing , sprinkled with bits of humor that I enjoyed, and a page-turner. I highly recommend this book, and I am eagerly awaiting the next installment in this series.
I received an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are solely my own.
What a wonderful introduction to the Island Sisters Mysteries by gifted author Hannah Dennison with a great cast of quirky characters and a descriptive story that immediately captivated me and made me feel like I was right in the middle of all that was happening on this isolated island. I liked Evie Mead and her dynamic with her sister Margot and look forward to learning more about them in future adventures. If you enjoy page-turning, can’t-put-down twisty mysteries and need an escape to the remote Isles of Scilly, don’t miss “Death at High Tide”. I received an advance reader copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving my review.
The cover blurb of DEATH AT HIGH TIDE sounded like the perfect read for me, and I did like it overall…just not as much as I thought I would. The remote island setting with its rundown hotel is the perfect backdrop for an atmospheric murder mystery, but the first murder does not take place until 150 pages into the story. There is some buildup to the murder, but it took too long to get there. This and characters that are not very likable left me struggling to stay engaged with the story.
Evie is thirty-four and left in a precarious financial situation when her much older husband dies suddenly. She claims to dearly, deeply love him, but I never felt her grief. Her older sister is a stereotype of everything I dislike – rich/thin/entitled/name-dropping/pop culture obsessed. After she finally opens up to Evie, she becomes slightly more tolerable. The other characters include an adulteress, a cruel, potentially abusive husband, an unstable ex-con, a gossip, a thief, and (obviously) a murderer. The only decent fellow is the hotelier’s son.
Once the murders finally occur, the story picks up and is much more interesting. The clues are all there, but I did not figure out whodunit until shortly before they were revealed, hence my three star rating instead of two. The book is a quick read with a steady pace.
I still think the premise has great potential so I will probably give the next book in the series a go before passing final judgment on the series. I have enjoyed author Dennison’s other books. Recommended to readers who enjoy a traditional mystery format and a remote English setting.
I received an advance copy of this title from the author and Minotaur Books and voluntarily shared my thoughts here.
Death at High Tide by Hannah Dennison is the first in a new Island Sisters Mystery series in which newly widowed Margot has just discovered that her deceased husband was deeply in debt and she may walk away without even a place to live. The only thing that may be salvageable is a hotel on an island off Cornwall. She and her sister, Evie go to explore the possibilities and run into a nest of problems so convoluted as to be almost beyond repair. There they discover secrets long hidden that they are almost undiscoverable. Peoples’ lives are at stake as well as Margot’s livelihood. This is an amazing mystery and interesting story.
Dennison always presents a good novel. This one is so far out of most peoples’ purviews that it is interesting simply for the descriptions of the settings, more natural and man-made. She was written excellent characters that absolutely feel like someone the reader knows. It is not really a cozy mystery but it has elements of that genre. It is lovingly honed into a novel of such depth that one is almost able to forget that they are not there in the middle of it. Interesting plot, interesting characters, wonderful setting, fully described. This is an excellent introduction to these two sisters and what they plan to do with their loves. Excellent. I recommend it.
Classic Cozy Mystery on a Small British Coastal Isle
This is a modern mystery written in the classic British style. A group of people is stuck on a small British coastal isle when a murder occurs. The author does an excellent job of disguising facts and muddying the waters. She is also great at putting the reader in the middle of the cold and wet and desolate winter on this tiny rock in the sea. This is a fantastic mystery to read and I can’t wait too read the next in the series. I received this ARC book for free from the author and the Cozy Mystery Review Crew and this is my honest review
DEATH AT HIGH TIDE by Hannah Dennison
The First Island Sisters Mystery
Evie Meade is coming to grips with the sudden death of her husband. Then her accountant tells her she’s pretty much broke and could very well even lose her house. Upon discovering Evie may be the owner of a remote hotel due to an unpaid debt, her sister, Margot, decides they should visit for a weekend. The sisters soon discover the residents of Scilly are unique, to say the least. From the animal communicating vicar to the elderly social media junkie, the stalker, and the inhospitable hosts, Tregarrick Rock isn’t the most welcoming place. When Evie stumbles upon a dead body, she soon becomes a suspect. However, almost everyone on the island had a motive. Will Evie be able to prove her innocence or die trying?
Although promoted as a cozy mystery I consider DEATH AT HIGH TIDE to be a traditional mystery, and a very atmospheric one at that. The characters are unique, many of whom are quite mercurial in nature…and quite unpleasant. Tregarrick Island is more threatening as a location than comforting. It’s intriguing, unique, and has its own mysterious ambience. I love the hotel’s Art Deco design…although the 1970s decor can probably go!
The first Island Sisters mystery is full of secrets, love, and betrayal. It starts off slowly, seeming less like a mystery and more like contemporary fiction. While there was a vibe early on that things weren’t quite right, the book was half way over before Evie discovered the body. And while danger lurked in the first part of the book, there wasn’t true cause for alarm until almost the end. At which point there was a thrilling rush to stay alive.
DEATH AT HIGH TIDE is an atmospheric mystery that looks at relationships, loyalty, and betrayal. With a compelling setting and unusual characters it offers a wealth of possibilities for future books in the series.
FTC Disclosure – The publisher sent me a copy of this book in the hopes I would review it.
I was excited to learn than author Hannah Dennison has a new series coming out, and the first book, “Death at High Tide”, did not disappoint. The premise is simple: two sisters go to visit an island hotel that one of them may or may not have inherited. What ensues is much more complicated as the inheritance is questionable and the body count rises.
I loved the concept of setting this series on an isolated island that can only be accessed at certain times of day due to the tides. The whole isolation aspect gave the story a slight Gothic air, which I very much enjoy and seldom (if ever before) see in cozies. The descriptions, of both the landscape and the hotel itself, were just detailed enough to enable me to “see” everything, without bogging down the narrative at all.
I also enjoyed getting to know main characters Evie and Margot. Evie was likable and intelligent, with just the right touch of vulnerability in keeping with a new widow. Margot initially came across as pushy and entitled, but I gave her the benefit of the doubt, as I’ve read other books by Ms. Dennison and trusted her not to offer up an irredeemable major character. Sure enough, as I got to know Margot better and understood what her life had been like up to this point, I liked her more. I imagine we’ll see lots of character growth from her in future installments. One other note: I appreciated her traditional morality and strong views about the sanctity of marriage. It’s rare to find this in any genre these days, so kudos to the author!
The mystery itself was interesting, and was made even more so by the limited suspect pool provided by the island. Despite the relatively small number of people involved, there was plenty of room for doubt, suspicion, and clue-hunting. The author did a fabulous job of expanding on the old “closed-room mystery” sub-genre, and doing so in a unique and fascinating way. Early on, I suspected that the villain was up to something, but it didn’t cross my mind that this person could be the killer until near the end. I love a mystery that keeps me guessing, and this one did just that.
Honestly, I loved everything about this story, and can’t wait until the next book comes out.
Five out of five chunks of perfect sharp cheddar!
Death At High Tide is the first in the new “An island Sisters Mystery” series by Hannah Dennison. I was excited to read this new book because I really enjoy the Honeychurch Hall series written by this same author. I absolutely loved the setting of this book in the Scilly Isles off from the coast of Cornwall, England…unique, remote, and a great back drop for a cozy series about a woman who inherits an old hotel from her recently deceased husband. So much promise, but, unfortunately, I just could not get into this book. I felt that the characters were not developed in a way where I could relate to them, and I found myself disliking one of the two sisters, who are the main characters, which has never happened for me before. The murder itself did not happen until the second half of the book, and by that time, I was really just reading to finish the book rather than being invested or engaged in the mystery. The motive behind the murder and the killer’s actions were believable, so perhaps with more action on the front end of the story along with more character development, I would have enjoyed this book more. All of that said, I do believe that this series has promise and also that first books in a new series can have difficulty fleshing out characters in a way that helps ME relate to them. So, I’ll definitely give this series another go and read the second book when it is released. Finally, because this is simply my humble opinion, I would encourage anyone who enjoys stories written by Hannah Dennison to give this new series a try.
I received an Advanced Readers’ Edition of this book and volunteered to provide an honest review. Therefore, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
I really enjoyed this book! It was well written with an interesting group of characters. I loved that the setting is on a small island. It added mystery and ambiance to the story. I look forward to reading more in this series.
I received a digital arc from Netgalley, Minotaur Books, and Hannah Dennison in exchange of an honest review. Thank you.
“Death at High Tide” by Hannah Dennison the first instalment in the “An Island Sisters Mystery” series. I thought this was a great start to a new series. I found myself engrossed in the story and reading it in one sitting. It’s starts of a little slow in the beginning but when they get to the island it really picks up.
The characters of Evie and Margot couldn’t be more different but at the end you start to see that Margot isn’t so bad. I loved Mister Tig the tuxedo cat! There were a bunch of other quirky characters on the island too.
It was entertaining, full of twists and turns as well as a few surprises. I didn’t suspect the killer till almost the end just before Evie did.
I highly recommend this series to all my cozy loving friends.
I requested and received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Minotaur Books and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my OWN.
Great cozy mystery! Looking forward to the second!
When Evie’s husband dies unexpectedly of a heart attack, she discovers she may own the rights to a crumbling hotel on one of the Isles of Scilly, off Cornwall. Having sublimated her life to her husband’s for years, it’s a big step outside Evie’s comfort zone to check out the possible inheritance, which is why she accepts her ebullient sister’s offer to go with her. There they discover secrets upon secrets, lies, and subterfuge, beginning with the hotel owner claiming he’d never met the late Robert.
A series of murders at the hotel leave Evie and Margot as prime suspects in this modern-day story with a strong Agatha Christie vibe. Evie and Margot (who has secret issues of her own) are the perfect pair to prove their innocence. Definitely a fun, enjoyable read.
I really wanted to like this book more than I did. I’m not a huge fan on really descriptive details but with the island setting and the hotel I did feel like it was necessary. Parts of the book bored me and I didn’t like most of the characters. I kept putting the book down to read others. I will however give the second book a try and have hope to like it more since the introduction to the island is done.
I don’t know why there is so much vitriol lobbed at this book. It does have all the marks of a cozy; a young woman who has to leave her home because of money problems, the new environment, a mystery that doesn’t have too intricate a plot, several characters with their own personal mysteries. No one should be surprised that the sister who lived in Hollywood had the ability to lie without pause. After all, the movie business is all about appearances and making up your own “interesting” backstory. More a weakness to peer pressure than sociopathic. Dark, yes. An island does have fog you know. The setting was just an old hotel that needed repairs, not a haunted Stephen King building.
Yes, you know who the first villain is right off the bat. Don’t know if the author did that deliberately or not. There’s still plenty of mystery to solve on a beautiful island setting. I really liked the sisters and the vicar who communicates with animals (if you forget the nanny cam). Looking forward to the next book in the series. This is a very good cozy and I do recommend it.
The remote setting off the coast of Cornwall, the Isles of Scilly, almost made this seem like a period piece with lots of mist and crumbling buildings. After the death of Evie’s husband, she and her sister Margot head to the isles to check out a possible inheritance, a hotel on Scilly Island. There, a gothic-y set of characters populate the story and a murder sets off another chain of events. This was a well done story.