My favourite reads from July are:
Pauline Rowson - Death in the Cove
This is a satisfying crime mystery, set in Devon in 1950. Inspector Ryga has been sent from Scotland Yard to lead an investigation on Portland Island (attached to the mainland by a spit of land). A man has been found dead in one of the coves, his identity a mystery. He's dressed in an ill-fitting pinstripe suit, also wearing an expensive shirt and handmade shoes, but he has the rough hands of a labourer. Ryga, still adjusting to civilian life after his wartime naval service culminating as a prisoner of war, is intrigued by the unique setting of the island, with its nearby prison. The local police force treat him warily, being a stranger and from the capital. Soon after arriving he meets two women, both of whom he finds disturbingly attractive. The first, Eva Paisley, who discovered the body, turns out to be a former war photographer. The other is Sonia Shepherd, landlady of the Quarryman's Arms where he takes up lodgings. She was widowed in the war and has a young son, but seems to be hiding something. Ryga's policeman's caution warns him that either or both might be involved in the murder. Despite the doubts of his colleagues, he won't give up on this seemingly impossible investigation. Can Ryga untangle all the clues and reveal the story behind this baffling crime? An interesting plot with intriguing characters that bring the whole story to life.
Ellie Henderson - A Summer Wedding on Arran
This satisfying family story was perfect for one of my holiday reads, especially as I was visiting Scotland! Kirsty, Emma and Amy are still mourning their mother who died two years previously. It's a time of great change in their lives. The three sisters are due to reunite on Arran to celebrate Emma's wedding to Ben. Kirsty and her husband Steve now run the guest house where the girls grew up. The couple's twins are almost eighteen and ready to leave home. Emma has a demanding job as a lawyer in Edinburgh, while Amy has been living in Canada for some time in a relationship with a divorced man. There's an added worry in that their father is showing disturbing signs of memory loss. But all the sisters have underlying concerns that they are keeping to themselves. It looks like the joyful wedding may not go ahead after all, and Kirsty has made a momentous discovery that she hasn't yet felt able to share with her sisters. Amy also has some serious choices to make. As the three unite in the place of their birth, they must all face dramatic changes in their lives, all with the backdrop of a beautiful island. Thoroughly enjoyable.
Ann Cleeves - White Nights (Shetland series Book 2)
Having followed the television adaptation and then read and enjoyed book 1, Raven Black, I found this novel just as gripping. Shetland cop, Inspector Jimmy Perez is at the start of a new romantic relationship with artist Fran. In the long summer Shetland days when the sun barely dips below the horizon, he attends an event where she's exhibiting her works alongside established artist Bella Sinclair. Unexpectedly he witnesses one of the visitors in an emotional meltdown in front of one of Bella's paintings. Next day the man is found dead. But what appears as suicide soon is revealed to be murder, and Perez's first job is to discover the man's identity. Roy Taylor is brought in from Inverness once more to head the investigation. Perez has to try and build on the tentative professional partnership they began during the previous investigation, knowing how uncomfortable his colleague feels in the remote islands. As Perez begins to delve into the lives of the local Shetlanders, he's looking for the dead man's connection to the area, despite everyone claiming he's a stranger. The urgency increases when another body is discovered. Convinced the two are connected, Perez is on a mission to discover the killer before anyone else is murdered. An investigation of many layers, creating an intriguing mystery. Always compelling and keeping the pages turning.
