Friday, April 1, 2011

High Tide, A Cozy Mystery by Ann Summerville

One of the wonderful things about books is their ability to transform you to other places, both real and imaginary. HIGH TIDE takes the reader to the quaint English village of Lowenna where a cast of quirky characters are introduced and the apparent drowning of a local man leads to suspense and intrigue.

Lowenna has been hit by a storm. Between the rising river and the ocean’s high tide, shop keepers sandbagged their businesses to keep the water out. At Lowenna Antiques owners Giovanna “Gia” Mathews, Rose Lanner and Susan Brea watch the rising water as boats navigate the street. The trio are shocked as a lifeless body is pulled from the raging water.

They soon learn the body was Joe Newlyn, a man most of the villagers dislike for many reasons. Gia has doubts Joe’s death was an accident and begins to dig a little deeper into the man’s background.

Gia is also having to deal with several personal issues. It seems her boyfriend’s fiancĂ©e decides to show up, she believes her best friend is being scammed by a sexy German, and now her mother wants to move to Lowenna after finding an alligator in her swimming pool.

Author Ann Summerville has created a village of unique and lovable characters. Her vivid descriptions of the area will have you hearing the waves lap against the rocks and almost feel the cool ocean breeze on your face.

As Gia searches for clues she will encounter a mix of suspects and victims. You’ll find yourself laughing one minute and holding your breath the next. HIGH TIDE is the second installment in the Lowenna Series, but is a stand alone book. The residents of this quaint little village will warm your heart while keeping you guessing was Joe murdered or not.

Author Ann Summerville’s website is www.annsummerville.com. She also blogs at Cozy in Texas.

High Tide, A Cozy Mystery by Ann Summerville, The Lowenna Series, CreateSpace, @2011, ISBN: 9781456447076, Paperback, 236 pages


FTC Full Disclosure - This book was sent to me by the author in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review.

13 comments:

  1. This sounds like a wonderful book. I love English villages. Great review.

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  2. Looks like a good one. And I love how you met the "A" requirement of the A to Z challenge.

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  3. Hi Mason .. sounds like an interesting tale - high tides, rising waters .. mixing the locals up - must remember the name Lowenna - and Ann Sumerville .. thanks - Hilary

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  4. Thanks for the review, Mason! Looks like a great cozy with an engaging setting.

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  5. Mason - Thanks for this review :-). A well-written cosy mystery can be a real pleasure to read, and this one sounds intriguing.

    Thanks also for including Ann Summerville's blog link; I'll have to check that out.

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  6. Great review, Mason. I love the location and the fact that the sleuth has her own problems to solve too.

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  7. A perfect example of setting being so important to a story. This cozy setting draws me right in.

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  8. Howdy!

    Starting a new feature at my blog called The MicroFiction Muse! Please pop in and take a look and hope to see you next week! :O)

    http://dianeestrella.com/?p=5099

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  9. I added this title to the list of books I'd like to read. Sounds like a great summer escape!

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  10. Thanks for the review, Mason. I see Ann is another Texan. Finally :)

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  11. Such a gorgeous cover! I love it. I'll be on the lookout. I think I have the first book in this series packed away (with all my books right now). Maybe later this year. LOL

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  12. I stumbled on Ann´s Cozy in Texas blog recently so I already have one of her books waiting for me in my Kindle. Not sure it was this one, but you have made me very curious to read her stories.

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  13. Thanks for inviting me Mason. You summed High Tide up perfectly in your review.
    Ann

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