It’s the 8th book in the Sukey Reynolds’ saga, which I have read after finishing the 9th (Death at the Library). It was good to learn a little bit more about its main character, Sukey, and her promotion to DC.

Great descriptions and characters that make you feel part of the setting. Fast paced narrative that makes it an unputdownable whodunnit. Hope there will be more books to come!

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for a copy of this book to read and review.

Book number 8 in the Sukey Reynolds series and I hate to say it but I didn't I really enjoy it, Sukey is now a police woman and has moved to Bristol on her own, her on off lover DI Castle is rarely mention and Fergus her son is now at uni, the problem I found was the whole idea of the previous books was that Sukey whlst working as SOCO was an amatuer sleuth and always managed to pick up on things that the other detectives missed but now she has become a detective she is just towing the line and it all seemed a bit boring, The book is stilll quaintly written but I think I liked her previous books Mellissa Craig better.

Another Great Sukey Reynolds Story With a New Outlook
This book begins a new stage in our heroine, Sukey's life. It lends a new atmosphere to the series. I love the British terms for certain things. In this book, I have learned a new phrase; 'Identity Parade', which I assume is like the American 'line-up'. The action is exciting in this story and the plot is intricate. This is much more of a police procedural mystery than prior episodes. I liked this book as well or better than the prior books. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.

I really wanted to like this book- Sukey is finally a detective... buuuut I just didnt. It felt like something was missing and it lost its cosiness.

At time it was obvious what was going to happen and it all felt a little cliched but not in a predictable, cosy murder mystery kind of way.

It was also a shame that the main characters were fleeting and replaced by some not very nice, negative characters.

This is a series of books but to be honest could be read as a stand alone as the vibe is completely different.

The new approach just wasn't for me.

Thank you to netgalley for providing ne with an arc.

In the eighth outing for Betty Rowlands' character Sukey Reynolds major changes have taken place. Now her son Fergus is at university Sukey has been able to consider a career change and this is the first book with her working as a detective constable with the CID in Bristol.

When an archaeologist is found seriously injured in his hotel room, and the historical artifacts he was known to have with him missing, Sukey finds herself working her first serious crime case as a detective alongside her new colleague DS Rathbone. Although everything seems pretty cut and dried with regard to whodunnit everything has to be double checked and gradually other angles and possibilities come to light which make things far less obvious than everyone had first thought.

I enjoyed this book very much, the new cast of secondary characters seemed instantly familiar and, after their initial introduction, everything worked as successfully as before. Although I hadn't realised until I began reading about Sukey's new role as a police officer her looking into cases while a crime scene investigator had probably run its natural course and these changes have given the series a new impetus. Hopefully this career change will give new focus to the remainder of this series all of which I have my fingers crossed will be rereleased in very short order.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an unbiased review and would recommend it to anyone who has enjoyed this series so far or wants to jump in halfway through as this would be a very good place to start.

Description
At the stately Mariners Hotel, a breathless man rushes into the lobby and dashes upstairs to see a dapper guest. But moments later he discovers that his friend has been murdered…

Sukey Reynolds has finally realised her ambition to become a fully-fledged detective, earning her stripes and joining the police force. After years as an amateur sleuth, she is now a proper investigator. But will she do it by the book? Can she resist a bit of extra snooping?

When Sukey receives news of her first murder case at the elegant Mariners Hotel, she is intrigued. Who could possibly have wanted to hurt Dr Whistler, a shy and retiring archaeology professor? The dusty documents he was carrying couldn’t possibly be of value, could they?

You would never expect this sophisticated establishment to be home to murder. What secrets are hiding inside the charming Mariners Hotel?

Sukey’s superiors are convinced that Dr Whistler’s visitor is his killer, but Sukey isn’t so sure and decides to do a little side-sleuthing. Someone in the hotel has a secret, but who is it? The bewildered bellboy, the meddlesome manager or the reclusive receptionist?

A mysterious phone call leads Sukey to the truth, but as a rookie detective, will anyone believe she has what it takes to solve this baffling mystery?

Do you love cozy mysteries by Agatha Christie, Faith Martin and Joy Ellis? If so, make this twisty and absolutely page-turning whodunnit your next read!

This book was previously published as Alpha, Beta, Gamma… Dead.



My thoughts
Rating:5
This series keeps getting better and better with each book ,one of the things I love is how much her main character comes to live and seems to grew , and the story never lets me down , with that said I want to thank Netgalley for letting me read and review it exchange for my honest opinion.

As Sukey Reynolds has now achieved her ambition and training to move to CID as a DC which also means moving from Gloucester to Bristol she is looking forward to being part of the team. An archaeologist's body has been found at The Mariners Hotel and Sukey is helping with her sergeant with the investigation. This leads to involvement with other criminals which at times get quite dangerous for Sukey as she puts herself and her job on the line to help catch the people involved.
This is a great way to move the characters on and is well worth a read.

I've been loving these Sukey Reynolds' mysteries. I have to admit though, that it took me a little while to warm to this one. I'm sure that this was in large part, due to the sudden change in Sukey's life. When we last joined her she was working as a scene of crime officer and getting involved with investigating a little bit more than she should have done. She did want to rejoin the police force though and although I expected that she might eventually manage it, I wasn't expecting her to have achieved that in this book. In fact, things had moved on quite a bit, with Sukey now living in Bristol and having completed her probationary period for a different police force than the one she worked for.
Fortunately, once I got into the swing of the story and the change that had taken place, I really enjoyed it and reading about Sukey's new role. I have to admit that this time I didn't really solve the mystery, but this book was less of a puzzle than some of the previous ones.
I am really enjoying this series. I'm not sure where it's going to go next, with the change in Sukey's role and her relationship with Jim. I had assumed that over time that might become more permanent, but he played such a minor role in this one that I think he might be on his way out. I suppose that time will tell where Sukey will end up... I'll be looking forward to finding out.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

3 stars

Sukey Reynolds is now a police detective. She is partnered with Detective Sergeant Rathbone. They make a good pair. They respond to an assault in a local hotel. A visiting professor has an appointment to see archeology professor Dr. Whistler. When the visitor gets to his room, he cannot raise him. The manager lets him in the room and they discover the wounded man on the floor. Later, the man dies. It is now a murder inquiry.

Sukey's new position is in Bristol. So there is very little of DI Jim Castle and the charming Fergus in this book. They have more like cameo appearances. I miss them both. The story just doesn't have the same interest for me. In a word, I was disappointed and found the book to be somewhat boring.

I want to thank NetGalley and Bookouture for forwarding to me a copy of this book for me to read and review.

After five years of investigating crime scenes, Sukey Reynolds has completed training and is now sworn staff but has had to relocate to another district. No problem for her college student son, but moving house was interesting and she is away from friends and long term romantic interest.
In the first case she is called to a hotel where a guest was stabbed, a historical artifact stolen, and there are odd circumstances as well especially involving a professor. Many other oddities surface, there are problems with her immediate superior, the professor's sister is somewhat fragile and believes that her brother is a murderer. And then things really get complicated! The publisher's blurb gives a good intro, and no spoilers here. I enjoyed it!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Bookouture via NetGalley. Thank you!

Another great Sukey Reynolds Mystery with all the clever twists and turns I have come to expect.
In Book 8 Sukey has finally done what she always wanted and become a detective. After her training, she finally gets to work on a case. A man is found dead in a hotel room, stabbed and his safe emptied. All evidence points to one man, Lamont, but in typical Sukey fashion she has her doubts. Following her instincts has always proved successful, and dangerous, in the past and this time is no exception. Can Sukey beat the clock to finding the killer /thief before more people die?
Great easy read. Recommend this book and series to any lover of a light mystery.

In the eight installment, Sukey Reynolds has completed her probationary training and is now a detective. Having moved to Bristol her love life has taken a back seat and her career is front and center. When Sukey and her Sargent respond to an incident at a hotel, the case turns from robbery to murder and things take a fast track that leads the team to suspect the case is part of a much larger one.

At first her new superior doesn’t seem to like Sukey’s opinion and eventually has her taken off the case. As she teams up with another DS on a case, this one too leads back to the murder and before she knows it, Sukey is back on the case! Not that she is always right, but her gut instinct is one that should be listened to.

Another fantastic entry in the series and it’s absolutely fabulous to see Sukey finally becoming a detective now that her son has moved out and is in college. Even better to see Jim is still interested and in contact, hoping life manages to bring them back together again in the future. Adore this series and can’t wait for the next book. I highly recommend this series!

Sukey has moved on, both personally and professionally. She is now a fully fledged detective constable and is attached to the police in Bristol, where she has purchased a flat. Sukey no longer lives near Jim Castle, or Fergus, but she has developed new colleagues and friends. I found this story to drag a bit, the focus much more on police procedure and I missed the SOCO perspective, that said, I am sure things will pick up as Sukey gains more confidence as a DC. She’s already established her standing as a “loose cannon” to her new boss. This is not one of the best in the series, but still an enjoyable read.
Thank you to netgalley and Bookouture for the advance review copy.

Death At The Mariner Hotel is the next book in Betty's series about Sukey's life as a SOCO. She has finally found her way into becoming a police detective. This is her first murder and she has to deal with being a rookie. You'll find she soon has a handle on handling what becomes a lot bigger crime. You will not be able to put this one down until all the twists have been solved.

When archaeologist Dr Whistler's friend visits him at the Mariners Hotel, he finds his friend lying dead in his room.

Sukey Reynolds is no longer a photographer - she's now a fully fledged DC, and this is her first official case.

However, I feel that her elevation to the ranks has taken away what made her interesting and different. This is the least interesting of the Sukey tales anyway, and there are better CID procedurals anyway

I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.

Another great cozy mystery.

Sukey finally got her dream now she is full-fledged proper investigator.

When she get her first case the murder of Dr Whistler who she starts to wonder if it had to do with the document he was carrying also if it ties to recents break in. As collects evidence for her new colleagues she has a theories about what coulda happen ad she voices these her colleagues doesn't want to hear it.

I like Sukey and happy she finally living her dream but I kinda wish she became a private investigator because it seems no-one listen to her and when she decide to investigate on her own they get piss even when she right about something and if they listen she wouldn't put herself in danger most of the time.

I really think someone should pitch this series and Melissa Craig series to the hallmark movie mystery channel.

Book 8 in the Sukey Reynolds series I devour each one of theses mysteries as they come out.Always an intriguing story involving characters.Highly recommend this wonderful series ready for number nine.#netgalley #bookoutture

Death at the Mariners Hotel is a good mystery and the eighth in this series. I will have to go back and read the other books. Great characters and storyline.

I’m a fan of Betty Rowlands’ cozy mysteries, and always enjoy reading tales of Sukey Reynolds. In Mariners’ Hotel, Sukey has completed her training to be a DC and has moved to Bristol. This means introducing lots of new smaller characters and I missed the familiar sidekicks! In particular, Jim and Fergus have very small roles compared to previous novels. However, I’m sure i’ll get used to the change of setting and I have a feeling we’ll be seeing more of DCI Castle...
As always, an enjoyable read and I look forward to the next in the series!

Another adventure for Sukey albeit this time she is no longer Soco but has finally become a member of CID. When a friend of a neighbour is accused of murdering a professor little does Suki know a whole can of worms is to be exposed