This seaside town holds more secrets than you could ever imagine.
Grace and Dick Thomas are the proud owners of the Sandybank Guest House, a pristine establishment set in a prime location overlooking the beach. Tourists come and go all year round, enjoying the beautiful setting and their host’s wonderful culinary skills.
However, the permanent residents of this pretty coastal town cause net … skills.
However, the permanent residents of this pretty coastal town cause net curtains to flutter and tongues to wag with their myriad of secrets and tales to be told.
Caught up in their midst, the Thomases live their lives regardless, checking guests in and checking guests out. But who holds the biggest secret of all?
Praise from readers:
★★★★★ – “If you like surprises, you’ll love reading The Seasiders.”
★★★★★ – “Lovely characters, a twisted end. This was fun.”
★★★★★ – “The author weaved a funny, interesting, and surprising story. Superbly written.”
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The Seasiders is a light mystery novel written by A. J. Griffiths-Jones in 2016 and published by Creativia, the same press where I’m published. I like to sample different authors’ books throughout the year to see what everyone’s styles are like. I always end up enjoying the books and this was no exception.
At first, the story is very simple. A husband and wife, Dick and Grace, own and operate a small b&b in the UK. Grace’s family originally ran the place, but once they retired the business transferred to their daughter. Dick does very little to help out. He does his best to build the foundation for an outdoor patio, but he breaks the cement all the time. He can’t use the booking system, and he is possibly afraid of the washing machine. Grace loves him, but part of her wants an escape. We meet a few of their guests and neighbors all the while knowing something weird is going on, just never quite certain what it is. By the end, the truth comes out in quite a twist and we are left wondering what really happened along the way. I’m being purposely vague so readers won’t feel any spoils nor try to guess for themselves. It’s a very different kind of mystery book, but still a good one to experience.
Griffiths-Jones relies on typical encounters between a husband and wife, neighbors, and guests at a hotel to tell this story. Through preparing a meal, checking in/out, running errands, or overhearing conversations, the plot unfolds and thickens. A guest goes missing. Money has been stolen. Police are investigating but they won’t say for what. It’s in the hidden details that readers must find the actual events that have occurred. It’s a careful and deliberate writing style to balance facts and missing facts. When a writer can do this and achieve a wonderful ending, it’s a sign of talent.
On the shorter side, probably more of a novella, it’s easy to digest in a couple of hours. Grab a cup of tea, perhaps a tasty snack, and sit by a fire this winter. Immerse yourself in each new character and try to figure out the connection to the plot. Sometimes it’s clear, others it’s not until the end. The author drops several red herrings, but there’s also a few solid clues you might miss. I enjoyed the descriptions as it painted a mostly clear picture of the setting, scenery and characters, but left enough for me to fill in the blanks as I saw fit in my connections to the book. That’s always my favorite style — not too detailed, but not too vague.
A lovely story, a few surprises, a good afternoon read to get familiar with the author’s styles and talents. I’m definitely glad I took this one and look forward to checking out her other books in the upcoming year.
Thank you A.J. Griffith-Jones for taking me back, albeit virtually, to a lovely memory of a short visit to The Queen’s Hotel in Portsmouth, England. Though my stay was in the midst of a frosty winter, I still managed to walk along the shore savoring the views of the Isle of Wight. The Seasiders transports readers to a fictional beach hotel called The Sandybank Guest House where families and single travelers go to unwind while enjoying the hospitality of Grace and Dick Thomas. The rapport between the husband and wife landlords is stellar. He’s off for a pint and she needs help because it’s Thursday and the beautician Maureen is waiting to style Grace’s hair at the salon. There’s a plot device used here I rarely see, where the reader is pulled along a somewhat mundane daily routine only to end up in a whirlpool. The characters are charming and the language artistic and brilliant. The author uses words like twaddle and phrases such as “Jolly smart cravat too,” or chiller and cold store instead of refrigerator. Delightfully British in a Fawlty Towers meets Rosemary and Thyme sort of way. There are fantastic characters with side issues such as Elliot Moss, Hilda Price and Oscar Renfrew that I still haven’t figured out. But I don’t want to spoil anything by giving away too much, because there are subtle clues all the way through that I never picked up while enjoying the creative narrative, which eventually led gullible me over an unexpected cliff. When I had finished reading this novel, it reminded me of the short cartoon called Bambi meets Godzilla where Bambi is out walking on a lovely spring day, enjoying the flowers and the butterflies. A classic piece of music by Grieg is playing in the background to draw us further into a false sense of security. That’s when Godzilla shows up to flatten Bambi and the audience is completely flabbergasted. If you like surprises, you’ll love reading The Seasiders.
The Seasiders is the best of this author’s small tales. Such normal people and then the problems just keep compounding. Grace and Dick are vacation hosts with Grace doing most of the work. They’ve become comfortable with each other over the years. Then one guest disappears after he checks out. Dick does find one the man’s books and keeps it in the hopes Grace will appreciate he attempts to read. He has a patio project going, but loves to walk downtown to get his paper and bet on the horses. At night he will go to the pub. When the second elderly man disappear after checking out. The police investigate, but leave. Grace discovers some of the neighbors and shopkeepers aren’t what she thought. One elderly woman has someone visiting her for more than the candy she sells. Another neighbor has lots of gentlemen callers, and when her best friend of yesteryear moves back and gives her the cold shoulder, she is puzzled. Then the third elderly gentleman disappears and Dick is able to finish the patio. Grace will make a discovery that turns her world upside down. Oh, and I didn’t mention the skeleton. Find out for yourselves. Then the police are back and this time they mean business.
The Seasiders tells a story of a sleepy little British resort, from a bygone era. Grace and Dick run a small guesthouse, with life ambling on around them in 1960’s England. The story unfolds gently, with a gentle innocence that is long since forgotten. It’s not until I was a good way into the book that I realised that things are not quite as they seem. As the pages turn, you realise that something is brewing, and not just from Grace’s teapot. The ending is superbly done, with the reader sat there, bedazzled and befuddled.
I loved the author’s writing style. She really captured the feeling of the story, taking you back into the past. Told with skill and sincerity, Jones brings a host of characters to life, making each one as pivotal as the other.
I especially liked Dick, the bumbling husband, prone to long walks and secret pints. Grace too, was an endearing character, who you really connected with. I could imagine her, sleeves rolled up, baking an apple crumble as seagulls hopped around her patio. A patio that her loving husband has been laying for a long time………
I would recommend this book to any reader. This is not my usual genre, but captivated me from page one.
I will be reading more books from this talented author very soon……..A.J. Griffiths-Jones
Twists and turns and stand by!
It really surprised me— I thought I had it figured out, but… would read others in this clever series.