Sailing in a Sea of Words

Book: Murder at the Brightwell

Author: Ashley Weaver

Genre: Fiction/Mystery/Historical

Summary: Amory Ames, a wealthy young woman questioning her marriage to her notoriously charming playboy husband, Milo, is looking for a change. When she accepts a request from her former fiance, Gil Trent, she does not know that she'll soon become embroiled in a murder investigation that will not only test her friendship with Gil, but will also upset the status quo with her husband. Amory accompanies Gil to the luxurious Brightwell Hotel on the south coast of England in an attempt to prevent the marriage of his sister, Emmeline, to Rupert Howe, a disreputable ladies' man. However, it soon becomes clear there is more than her happiness at stake, when Rupert is murdered and Gil is arrested for the crime. Matters are further complicated by Milo's unexpected arrival, and as the line between friend and foe becomes increasingly blurred, Amory must decide where her heart lies and catch the killer before she, too, becomes a victim. -St. Martin's Press, 2014.

I got this book from a friend. She knows I like mysteries so she wanted to get me this one and see how I liked it. 

This book - its plot and characters - are very Agatha Christie-esque. Taking place in the 1930s, Amory Ames is an affluent young woman who is married to a playboy. When her ex-fiance suddenly arrives, asking for help with his sister's engagement, Amory decides she'll join him and cause a little stir of her own. What awaits here is more than the possibility of romance - murder.

The plot is a classic whodunit in a classic location - finding a body at a seaside hotel. While the time period, location, and character dynamics are, again, very reminiscent of Agatha Christie, Amory herself reminds me more of a Nancy Drew-type detective: very hands-on and determined, if a little naive.

I enjoyed her a lot as a character and her relationship with Milo is very bittersweet. For all of their marital troubles, you can't help but enjoy their banter. The mystery itself was pretty good for a first time novel - I was intrigued from start to finish and had fun solving the various problems that came up.

This is the first book in a series and I can fairly say that I am excited to continue reading the series.

I give Murder at the Brightwell an A+.

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