#SocialMediaBlast Death Awaits in Durham by Helen Cox

 

It's a pleasure to take part in the Social Media Blast for the fourth book in the Kitt Hartley series, Death Awaits in Durham by Helen Cox.

About the Author

Helen Cox is a Yorkshire-born novelist and poet. After completing her MA in creative writing at the University of York St. John. Helen wrote for a range of magazines and websites as well as for TV and radio news. Helen has edited her own independent film magazine and penned three non-fiction books. her first two novels were published by HarperCollins in2016. She currently hosts The Poetrygram podcast and works for City Lit. She lives in Sunderland.

Follow @Helenography on Twitter, on Goodreads, on Amazon, Visit helencoxbooks.com, Buy Death Awaits in Durham

About the book

When librarian and budding private investigator Kitt Hartley visits her ex-assistant Grace Edwards in Durham, she soon learns of an unsolved murder.

A year ago Jodie Perkins, a Mechanics student, disappeared after her student-radio broadcast was cut short with a deafening scream. the police suspect Jodie was murdered although her body was never found.

Keen to be on the front line of one of Kitt's investigations, Grace convinces Kitt to use her recent private investigator training to solve the mystery. Can Kitt and Grace uncover the truth?

Review

This is the fourth book in the Kitt Hartley series, however all books can be read as standalone novels. The characters do evolve as the series progresses, especially in this book, which is why I would definitely recommend reading the other books.

This time Kitt is roped into the mysterious disappearance of a young woman, then again perhaps roped isn't the right word. She really needs to be convinced to use her powers of observation and deduction. Not even the mysterious tape of the young girl screaming with fear is enough to get her on board entirely. 

The solution was a wee bit of a rabbit drawn out of a top hat with feathers and a unicorn, perhaps too much packed into the last quarter instead of delivered equally bit by bit. Kitt and Grace seem to be at opposite sides of the sleuthing spectrum, or no spectrum at all, at the very beginning. The ending however implies that their paths are heading in a similar direction again.

Cox delivers an entertaining cosy mystery with great scenery, and if you happen to know the area, a very realistic vibe goes with the quirky and often obstinate characters. I would enjoy seeing a visual representation of the sleuths and seeing them solve mysteries in such great surroundings.

Buy Death Awaits in Durham at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Quercus Books, pub date 18 February 2021 - Paperback Original £8.99. Buy at Amazon com. Hive. Bookshop org. Waterstones.