Who Killed Patrick?
Sun, sea and… murder in Fuerteventura!
Boring. Going nowhere. That was Tarah’s life in the UK, before she moved to Fuerteventura to start a new adventure. But things came unstuck quicker than she’d planned. A dead guest on the holiday complex she manages threatens to pull apart her hoped-for dream life.
If she wants to keep her job and save the reputation of the business, she’s got to find out what happened to Patrick. Did he die of natural causes – or was he murdered?
Tarah’s pet guinea pig, Mr Bob, has a knack for sniffing out trouble and he suspects foul play. The mission is on: Who Killed Patrick?
With the assistance of Mr Bob and Diego, a local plumber, Tarah turns amateur sleuth to find out the truth.
Can Tarah and Mr Bob find the murderer before it’s too late? Will they be able to save the business and protect their blissful new life?
Purchase Links
UK –https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08BJ4RPTS/
US – https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08BJ4RPTS/
The Rosie Synopsis
I literally finished this last night and for a change I am writing the review on the day of posting. I know, practically unknown for me, since the posts are usually written days or weeks in advance. There is a good reason for this. I got distracted by crochet. I have some nice projects on the go.
Thanks to Syl for sending me a copy of her novel and to rachel for organising the blog tour.
Tarah throws it all in and moves to Fuerteventura where she becomes the manager of holiday lettings, Jorge’s Place. Things go well until one Thursday night after the weekly games and free food on the terrace. In the early hours of Friday morning, guest Pauline wakes Tarah in distress. Her husband, Patrick is dead in their bed.
The coroner declares it a heart attack but Mr Bob (guinea pig) isn’t happy, Jorge agrees and between them they persuade Tarah to investigate. With the assistance of Diego to plumber, Tarah ‘interviews’ various guests and residents of the island. Things aren’t as simple as they seem.
The Good
This novel has the structure of a ‘Golden Age’ novel/cozy crime, where an amateur sleuth investigates a crime and gets everyone together at the end to uncover the murderer. Being a bit of an Agatha Christie fan, I enjoy these types of crime novel, it’s soothing. The conceit of a crime solving guinea pig is an original take on the sleuth.
I like the relationship between Jorge and Tarah, they move from host and guest, to employer and employee to friends by the end of the book as they go through various struggles and triumphs to keep Jorge’s Place afloat in the competitive holiday accommodation market. I think there’s a hint that Tarah may find love with Diego in future novels.
The plot is good, and actually quite original. Its very modern setting, with an ‘influencer’, a property fraudster, a couple of brickies from Britain, and the dream of getting away from it all to live on a holiday island in the middle of the Atlantic, make it timely, even though we can’t travel at the moment.
The chapters written in third person, following Patrick on his final day, and the final chapter where Tarah reveals the evidence and names the murderer and their reason for killing Patrick, are very good. I enjoyed the tension and gaining the important information.
The dialogue was realistic and flowed well, not clunky at all. It was even humorous at times as Tarah and Diego try to communicate with each other in languages neither of them spoke.
The Not-So-Good
The use of first person for much of the novel was a strain, and the writing could have done with some tightening up.
The Verdict
I like this novel but it needs a little work still.
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Author Bio –
Most people know crazy cat ladies are a ‘thing’, but I’m a proud crazy guinea pig lady! I love fun in the sun and plenty of cocktails. My happy place is flip flops. I write stories to keep me company – my characters ensure I’m never lonely and always smiling (when I’m not tearing my hair out!)
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twitter: @waters_syl
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Everything Is Better With Dragons 