I would like to thank Netgalley and Joffe Books for an advance copy of Murder by the Shore, the fourth novel to feature DI Siv Drummond, set in the fictional town of Berminster on the south coast of England.

Tom Pullman and his granddaughter Lyra are murdered in the hour before her fourth birthday party. Why would anyone want to murder a genial grandfather and his innocent granddaughter? Siv is determined to find out and thinks that the answer lies in all the secrets the family was keeping not just from outsiders but from each other.

I thoroughly enjoyed Murder by the Shore, which is an engrossing read with all sorts of secrets. It is a straightforward police procedural which starts with few clues and no motives and gradually hones in on a suspect and motive.

After the opening prologue the novel is told entirely from the investigative point of view and mostly Siv’s with the odd contribution from the other detectives, so there’s no distraction from shifting perspectives or a whinging killer. I like the mystery of a whodunnit as I can get stuck in to the story and mentally offer my own solution. I’d like to pat myself on the back for guessing correctly, but it took me too long and it was just a possibility until it was confirmed, so no cigar today.
I found myself glued to the pages as the family secrets were gradually revealed. They’re probably not too realistic in terms of in one family, but they’re certainly entertaining and had my jaw dropping at times.

It is nice to see Siv emerging from her prolonged period of grief over the death of her husband. She is a bit more relaxed than in previous novels, but it’s a relative term, and is considering dating again, although there are hints that that might be a can of worms. Otherwise she’s her normal self, solitary and driven. She’s a difficult character to warm to, but I always enjoy spending time with her.

Murder by the Shore is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

We are back with Detective Siv Drummond in book Four with another I didn't see that coming crime thriller.
Tom Pullman is preparing his granddaughters Lyra birthday party while her parents are working everything is ready at their impressive house Seascape, all they need now are the excited little guests. as Meg Sterling and Sim Costa arrive and don't get an answer at the front door Meg goes round the back and finds Mr Pullman lying soaked in blood with birthday cake in his mouth and Lyra who is so still she has been smothered with a pillow. Both have been murdered.
With Siv on her day off spending time with her old school friend she gets the call in, A double murder it's such a dreadful thing to happen and why?
nothing prepares Siv as she go all out to find who would do such a thing?
This is the author at her best showing and unravelling lots of secrets the parents have a strange marriage for a start, this is a brilliant setting, at the seaside shore a brilliant whodunnit once again, from this author. Top stars all round.

DI Siv Drummond #4

Lyra Pullman has been waiting for this day. Her fourth birthday party. But when her guests come knocking, she is nowhere to be found. Little Lyra lies dead in the Wendy house at the bottom of the garden. Her grandad couldn't save her because he's been murdered too. In a mess of blood and rainbow cake.

Lyra and her grandfather had been murdered, then a piece of birthday cake had been placed in the grandfathers mouth. The story is told from multiple points of view DI Siv Drummond and her team are finding it hard to find the culprit. The pace is steady but the tension builds with each turn of the page. Secrets are being held close to the chest and there's lots of suspects to choose from. I was a bit surprised when the culprit was revealed. This is a quick, easy to read, and enjoyable book.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #JoffeBooks and the author #GretaMulrooney for my ARC of #MurderByTheShore in exchange for an honest review.

Compared with previous books in th the series I found this instalment to be a tad dry and lacking in something but I'm not sure what. Overall a decent but not spectacular police procedural

This is Gretta Mulrooney at her best. Its a particularly heartwrenching, grim scene of death at a child's birthday party, resulting in the sad situation of forensics working against a backdrop of birthday celebrations.
I liked the believable characters and how all their secrets slowly unravel. I loved the compassionate style of writing with lots of surprises and an ending which made me gasp outloud!

Suspense - emotion - mystery! It's all here - this series is one of the best procedurals out there - strong female lead with a team you feel you know - and always a complex weave of a storyline! Another winner!

302 pages

5 stars

DI Siv Drummond and her partner DS Ali are called to the scene of a double murder. A seventy-year old grandfather and his four-year old granddaughter are murdered at the elderly man’s home. Tom Pullman and Lyra Turton.

The investigation begins with the interview of Tom’s two daughters. Nell is a rather bohemian woman who cleans houses, but not her own and sells homemade trinkets at a local stall on the weekends. Lyra’s mother, Kay, is married to a cold man named Ryan. There is something wrong there. Both Ali and Siv sense it.

Tom was the president of the local BSS group. It is a senior activity center. They put on various activities for senior citizens. Tom was opinionated and somewhat rude. He was not necessarily well liked within the group.

There are many secrets being held and the police are having a very difficult time trying to ascertain the truth. There are also many suspects.

Well written and plotted, as are all of Ms. Mulrooney’s books, this was a treat. The police kept moving forward no matter how many setbacks they suffered. Siv has made progress on recovering from her husband Ed’s death. She was kinder and less snippy in this novel. It was a refreshing improvement. I will gladly continue to read her books. I must find out what has Rik so upset!

I want to thank NetGalley and Joffe Books for forwarding to me a copy of this very fine book for me to read, enjoy and review. The opinions expressed here are solely my own.

The fourth in a series, this book finds Detective Siv Drummond and her team investigating the tragic murder of a man and his young granddaughter. I enjoyed learning more about the personalities and history of the crime team, and their interactions. The various suspects are all keeping secrets, it’s up to the detectives to pry them loose. An enjoyable police procedural with several twists and turns, I’m looking forward to reading the first three books.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for introducing me to this author.

This is #4 in the Detective Siv Drummond series but it can easily be read as a standalone. I’ve read the previous three books so was looking forward to the next one, and it didn’t disappoint.

Two little girls, with their parents, arrive at their friend’s house for her 4th birthday party but there’s no answer at the door. The mum of one of them goes around the back of the house, finds the kitchen door unlocked, and a gruesome scene inside. At the same time, the little girls get past her and also see something they shouldn’t.

As always with this author, it was a clever and brilliantly written plot, with a totally unexpected twist at the end. I can’t wait for book #5

Thank you to NetGalley and Joffe Books for an advance reader copy in return for an honest review.

This was a gripping read that was well executed in every way possible. The writing was engaging and left me not wanting to put it down, the storyline was riveting and the characters were well developed and believeable. Twisty and unpredictable all the way through. I loved it.

"She was sick of men disrupting her life, trampling all over her, treating her as if she was disposable."

A grandfather is murdered, left with a piece of his granddaughter's birthday cake in his mouth. The granddaughter is murdered as well, and Ms. Mulrooney throws many red herrings into the mix. Great police procedural. Love the characters of Siv, Ali and Patrick. Appreciate the multiple points of view. I always enjoy when characters are real, and make mistakes, imperfect. I truly was puzzled. Very well done and highly recommend. I'm super excited to read the rest of this series, as well as Ms. Mulrooney's others.

P. S. Thanks so much to #netgalley for the ARC.

MURDER BY THE SHORE by Gretta Mulrooney had interesting characters. Some of the characters were frustrating due to their attitudes and because I wanted them to react or act in a certain way. The story did take a bit to get going for me and who the culprit ended up being. The ending had a good resolution and a surprise ending and culprit, but I felt the reasoning behind the story has been done before. For me, this is a 3.5 rounded up to a 4 as the story got bogged down in the middle. I wanted more action, and it seemed to drag a bit.

I did like the setting, the story was good, and I will check out more books by this author.

#MURDERBYTHESHORE #NetGalley @JoffeBooks

This was a very interesting murder mystery book! I was captivated the entire time. It was very well-written and I liked the twist in the end.

Thank you NetGalley and Joffe Books for the eARC.
The 4th DI Siv Drummond is another excellent addition to the series, I really enjoyed it.
The horrific murders of a grandfather and his 4-year old granddaughter are shocking to Siv and her team and they are frustrated with the lack of success in finding the culprit. The mother and father of the little girl are obviously in a troubled marriage and seem hesitant speaking to the police, making the solving of the case even more difficult.
I really like Siv and I enjoy the fact that we learn much about the lives and thoughts of the characters in the story and that it isn't just a. straight police procedural. And the ending is excellent and unexpected. Really good read that I recommend!

I really enjoyed this book! I was hooked from chapter one, and was on the edge of my seat the whole time! Excellent!

The Whole Truth…?
Seascape House. A stunning seaside home where everything is just perfect. Just blissful. Except that it isn’t. Someone here is hiding a secret. Then, a tragedy. Brutal killings that shock and stun. Who could have done this dreadful thing? Enter, once again, Detective Inspector Siv Drummond. With a plethora of suspects the detective has her work cut out. The trouble is that she’s not convinced that everyone here is telling her the whole truth. A credible and well crafted whodunnit with a well realised cast of characters, a plot that may keep the reader guessing and a detective with her own backstory. The fourth in this series although could happily be read as a standalone.

Good book! This was a great murder mystery! I really enjoyed reading this one! This book had suspense, intrigue, action, and great police work! The storyline was very interesting and flowed nicely! I will definitely recommend reading this book! Its well worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

It was a great mystery. I couldn’t have judged the murderer at all. The writing style was quite unique and I loved how the story was presented. The ending was one of the most satisfying ones I’ve ever read and it’s one of the best books of 2022 for sure

5 stars!!!