Death on Dickens Island

 

Death on Dickens Island: A Books on the Beach Mystery by Allison Brook

About Death on Dickens Island

Death on Dickens Island: A Books on the Beach Mystery Cozy Mystery 1st in Series Setting - On Dickens Island, a fictional island in the Long Island Sound between Long Island and CT. Publisher ‏ : ‎ Crooked Lane Books Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 21, 2025 Hardcover Print length ‏ : ‎ 320 pages ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8892420488 Paperback ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8892422536 Digital ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8892420495 ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0DTNMGQTK Audiobook ASIN: B0DT4WXPWL

A divorced sleuth in her thirties must bring peace back to her small town after a murder tears neighbors and family members apart in this series debut from Agatha Award nominee Allison Brook, perfect for fans of Cynthia Riggs and Eva Gates.

Delia Dickens has come home to Dickens Island, a small island in the Long Island Sound, after a twelve-year stint in Manhattan. She’s looking forward to helping her father revitalize the general store that the family owns as well as curating a small book nook. Most importantly, she wants to reunite with her fifteen-year-old son. But Dickens Island isn’t the peaceful town Delia remembers–and she might be in more danger here than she ever was in the big city.

Delia’s Aunt Reenie and Uncle Brad, both prominent community leaders, are at odds over the sale of a farm and its future use. This has created friction, not only in their marriage, but amongst the citizens of the town. When a young woman, new to the town council and friendly with Brad, is found murdered, everything escalates and reaches a new boiling point.

With Reenie and Brad both suspects in the case and at each other’s throats, the townspeople start to take sides. When the ghost of her grandmother visits her, Delia learns how past events have impacted the present, and it is up to her to expose the farm’s sordid secrets in order to catch a murderer and restore peace to her beloved island.

What I Thought:

This is a new series by Allison Brook, Books on the Beach Mysteries. Once I started this book I almost could not put it down it was that enthralling. Delia has moved back home to the Island named after her family, the Dickens, and gets embroiled in murder mystery, plus a search for possible pirate treasure, and ultimately a murder mystery from decades ago. I loved the setting of this book which is an island off the coast of Long Island and Connecticut. Delia was a great protagonist and very likable. As were other supporting characters in this book. The plot was well thought out and believable and the story flowed very well. Of course it kept my attention from the very beginning until the reveal at the end. There were twists and turns and side mysteries and a little romance that kept this very interesting. I will definitely be reading more in this series and am anxiously awaiting the next installment. 

I received a complimentary copy of this book.  

About Allison Brook

A former Spanish teacher, Marilyn Levinson writes mysteries, novels of suspense, and books for kids. Her books have received many accolades. As Allison Brook she writes the Haunted Library series. Death Overdue, the first in the series, was an Agatha nominee for Best Contemporary Novel in 2018. Other mysteries include the Golden Age of Mystery Book Club series, the Twin Lakes series, and Giving Up the Ghost. Her suspense, Come Home to Death, was released in April 2024, and her suspense, Dangerous Relations, will be republished in 2025. Death on Dickens Island is the first book in her Books on the Beach series.

Marilyn's juvenile novel, Rufus and Magic Run Amok, was an International Reading Association-Children's Book Council Children's Choice and has recently come out in a new edition. Rufus and the Witch's Drudge, the second book in the series, has been released, and the third, Rufus and the Dark Side of Magic, will be out later this year. And Don't Bring Jeremy was a nominee for six state awards. Her YA horror, The Devil's Pawn, came out in a new edition in January 2024.

Marilyn lives on Long Island, where many of her books take place. She loves traveling, reading, doing crossword puzzles and Sudoku, chatting on FaceTime with her grandkids, and playing with her kittens, Romeo and Juliet.

Author Links Website/Newsletter Sign Up: http://www.marilynlevinson.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marilyn.levinson.10 Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/161602.Marilyn_Levinson X: https://twitter.com/MarilynLevinson BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/marilyn-levinson BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/allison-brook Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marilynlevinsonauthor/ Purchase Links: Amazon B&N Bookshop.org PenguinRandomHouse

Grave Words

Grave Words: A Deadly Deadlines Mystery

by Gerri Lewis

About Grave Words

Grave Words: A Deadly Deadlines Mystery

Cozy Mystery

2nd in Series

Setting - Connecticut

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Crooked Lane Books

Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 10, 2025

Print length ‏ : ‎ 336 pages

Hardcover ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8892421133

Paperback  ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8892422482

Kindle ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0DGPF9R8P

Audiobook ASIN B0F97G3PP3

Winter Snow has had it! With her business in a death drought, her best friend Scoop implicated

in a string of arsons, and an obituary listing Winter herself as deceased, her life is heating up. But

just as she’s trying to cool things down, she receives her newest assignment: an obituary for

Chester, a homeless man found in a burning building.

Promising the local funeral home manager that she will have the obituary by the deadline, Winter

is stonewalled at every turn, failing to discover Chester’s last name, or where he came from.

When it is discovered that Chester was murdered and that the fire was set to cover it up, all

fingers immediately point to Scoop. Not only is Scoop a person of interest in the arsons, he was

also the last person to see Chester alive.

As more nails are pounded into Scoop’s coffin, Winter’s uncle Richard hopes to help by inviting

the notorious town gossips, The Nosy Parkers, to a neighborhood food fest. Unfortunately, the

breadcrumbs they toss set murder in motion.

More determined than ever, Winter must figure out the twists and turns of the case to clear

Scoop’s name, putting her on a deadly deadline to solve the murder and avoid meeting the same

grave consequences.

What I Thought:

This is the first book in the Deadly Deadlines Series that I have read. I thought a series about a professional obituary writer would be interesting, and I was not wrong. In this one, it starts out with Winter finding out her client submitted an obituary she wrote but with her name and picture in it. This progress into and arson and murder investigation in which Winter's best friend, and reporter. Scoop is the main suspect. Winter is dating a local police officer and he warns her not to get involved. Her uncle and neighbor also try to keep Winter out of trouble, but it does not always work.

I enjoyed the setting of this book and as I said, I thought the premise of a professional obituary writer was unique. I did not really know that was a career choice. The plot was well thought out and believable and the story flowed well and kept my attention from the very beginning. There were several twist that kept me guessing. I will definitely be reading more in this series. 

About Gerri Lewis

GERRI LEWIS is the author of The Last Word (2024) and Grave Words (June 10, 2025), the

first two books in her Deadly Deadlines Mystery series published by Crooked Lane Books.  Set

in her Hallmark-worthy hometown of Ridgefield, Connecticut, this cozy mystery is about

obituary writer Winter Snow, who solves murders along with a cast of lovable

characters.  During her career as an award-winning reporter, columnist, and feature writer, Gerri

has become a go-to person in her community for obituaries. When she is not helping her

protagonist solve mysteries, she writes magazine features and is the Public Information Officer

for the Ridgefield Office of Emergency Management.  She lives with her husband in Ridgefield,

Connecticut, the picture-perfect setting for her books.