Death on Dickens Island

Books on the Beach Mystery, #1

by

Allison Brook

A solid mystery entwined with family drama and a surprising paranormal element.

Death on Dickens Island is the first book in author Allison Brook’s cozy new Books on the Beach Mystery series and is an absorbing mix of mystery and family drama, with a surprising paranormal element. With its multiple compelling storylines and relatable characters, this complex and satisfying tale had me firmly in its clutches from the very start. 

Delia Dickens had returned to Dickens Island to help her father with the family general store and try to build a stronger relationship with Connor, the son who had grown up with her parents while she established her career in the city. Delia felt she had fumbled the ball with Connor, as her demanding job and early, ongoing difficulties finding safe childcare had prevented her from keeping him by her side. Her mother and father had been a godsend, stepping in when childcare had repeatedly failed and soon became the answer to providing a consistent and nurturing environment while Delia earned them a living. Connor, now fifteen, was having a hard time forgiving, forgetting, and just adjusting to living with his mother full-time again. 

Delia and Connor were not the only ones experiencing family drama on Dickens Island. When Delia decided to move back home and into the house left to her by her grandmother, her mother took the opportunity to move into Delia’s Manhattan apartment for a little “Me” self-care time away from her husband and the island community that soon stretched into months, with no firm end date in sight. Additionally, her Uncle Brad and Aunt Reenie, an island councilman and the town manager, were publicly at odds with each other over town council business and the unusually keen attentions of a flirtatious single councilwoman. But when the problem councilwoman is found murdered in her home, the stakes get even higher as both Brad and Reenie suddenly become suspects in her death. 

Delia has her hands full trying to reconnect with her teenage son as a full-time mom, and I didn’t envy her the task of mollifying her dad with his constant requests that she convince her aunt and uncle to reconcile. Awkward. I was glad she was able to fulfill his request without aggressively meddling in something she was aware was none of her business. She had her own struggles, including the reappearance of her old high school sweetheart in her life. 

The plot is complex, to say the least, with multiple storylines, all clamoring for attention. The author does a stellar job establishing each one and entwining them so well. There’s a friendly stray dog who comes into their life at just the right time, Connor’s treasure hunting dreams with his friend, Trevor, who has a bad reputation and a worse homelife rounding out the picture, and a hidden room in Delia’s house with an even more unexpected visitor: her dearly departed Grandmother Helena with questions of her own and, perhaps, the answers to long-held island secrets. 

I liked how Delia finally stood up to her father about her purpose at the store, and he was able to see her side pretty quickly. Of course, her addition of a book nook to the general store was an attractive one to me. Delia is a thoughtful, contemplative woman, and she takes the time to analyze her feelings for Jack and the best approaches to take with her wayward family members. I enjoyed how the storylines converged, some leading to clues that solved several mysteries and to the resolution of both a decades-old disappearance and the present-day murder. 

I recommend DEATH ON DICKENS ISLAND to cozy mystery readers, especially those who enjoy stories full of family drama, New York/Long Island-ish settings, and paranormal elements. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours.