I missed the book before this one and it seems a lot has changed - no more Jim which is a shame.

This series has really changed since Sukey is now in the police rather than a soco and it is definitely now more procedural drama than quirky, cosy mystery. They have also got wiite graphic and gory in the deaths. I think the covers are a bit misleading.

The title was also not 100% relevant as most of what occurred had nothing to do with the beach - that was a very short scene at the beginning of Sukey returning from holiday.

Thank you to netgalley for giving me an arc.

Book 10 of the Sukey Reynolds series by Betty Rowlands, and finally Sukey is showing a bit of her earlier spark which seems to of been missing in the last couple of books.

It starts with Sukey and a colleague returning from holiday and seeing a man acting suspiciously by trying to force a package on to a man in a parked car, before they can do anything the men leave, what happens next is a random. series of accidents & coincidences that lead to a massive investigation & in between three is a possible new romance for Sukey.

It’s the 10th book in the Sukey Reynolds’ saga and it’s an unputdownable whodunnit that will make you think as a detective since you will find yourself trying to help Sukey solve the case.

As in her previous books, you will be presented with great descriptions, fast paced narrative and characters that make you feel part of the setting. Looking forward to next in the series!

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

When returning from holiday you don't expect to witness an argument which results in a major investigation that you become an integral part of. This is what happens to Sukey Reynolds and her friend and colleague Vicky Armstrong on their way home from France.

The man Sukey and Vicky saw becomes a major part of one case but a second distressing investigation means all members of the CID are stretched to the max. Gradually the two confusing cases become a little clearer and closer to each other and with the help of a local reporter Sukey and her team begin to discover the intricacies of what happened and why.

The end was a little disappointing, not the actual whodunnit which was inventive and very well done, but there are a couple of chapters which begin with a precis of quite a lot of information which I haven't seen from this author before and seemed to instantly lessen the tension of solving the two cases. I really like the Sukey Reynolds series and this book didn't disappoint but I hope the use of precis in this way doesn't become a regular occurrence as Ms Rowlands is too good a writer to use this easy way out.

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 enjoys a good read which is part of an entertaining murder mystery series.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher., Another great Sukey Reynolds mystery story. I always read these books first and always have a smile on my face when I have finished. More please

Another great mystery in the Sukey Reynolds Series.
Sukey and her friend, Vicky, are on their way home from vacation when they witness a "shady" deal and report it to the local police. They then see the same car in a fatal accident.
Upon returning to work, Sukey is asked to the beach to investigate a dismembered head that has washed ashore. When Sukey starts getting pieces of the crime, she has a few of her "famous hunches" and starts to see that these are not two separate deaths, but are in fact related.
Lots of great twists and turns that truly kept me guessing. One of my favorite of the series so far, although I highly recommend them all.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is the tenth book in the Sukey Reynolds police procedurals by Betty Rowlands and my first read of the series. It is easy to become acquainted with the characters and understand their relationships to one another as the book concentrates more on the case at hand than secondary storylines. The characters are well developed and, while there may be on-going relationship developments, not having read the first books in the series does not interfere with the enjoyment of this novel.
In this book, Sukey and her partner witness a strange encounter on their way back from a vacation while stopped at a motor area restway. After reporting it to the local police, they continue home and the issue seems to be resolved.
Once back at work in their precinct, Sukey and Vicki, her partner, are called to a crime scene on the beach. The severed head of a corpse has washed up on the shore. The investigation begins and work begins on trying to identify the murder victim. Soon all of her body parts are found and Sukey and Vicki receive their orders from DS Rathbone, their immediate supervisor and his boss, Leach.
The strange occurrence they witnessed on the motorway ends in the death of the man they saw in a car crash and Sukey becomes convinced the two instances are related somehow. She has a history of hunches and, according to the superintendent of the unit, going off on her own, and this case includes some of that behavior.
There is a strong police procedural aspect to this novel. Sukey often goes back to her sergeant, DS Rathbone for instructions and follows his requirements. There is a potential threat to a possible witness and conclusions reached by a reporter who has gathered some information on the crime which help round out the tasks Sukey pursues. These stories all build to a somewhat predictable conclusion at a steady pace.
The writing is good and the characters are developed enough to be somewhat unique, although there is room for further development to give them added depth. Some of the solution is reached through good police work, although there is some reliance on “convenient happenings” to help Sukey and her team reach the correct solution.
This is a good book for fans of police procedurals to consider. It should be noted that there is not a great deal of action such as chasing and apprehending criminals, so if that is the primary preference of the reader, they may find this series a little tame for their liking. Thank you to Bookoutour and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced digital read copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Betty does it again with another murder case for Sukey. The characters are very three dimensional. You'll find yourself trying to help solve the crimes. This one has lots of twists that will have you reading until the end.

Sukey and her friend Vicky are returning from their trip when they see a strange transaction in a car park that later turns out to be something more going on.

When they are on the road they see the same car at the car park involve in serious accident that prove to be much of a coincidence when it's the man they saw doing a strange transaction.

Then you also have a corpse that found on the beach and you don't if who she is or if she was murder and Sukey believe it's time up with drugs and mysterious gang.

This was another great cozy mystery. I'm kerping saying that someone should pitch this series to the hallmark movie mystery channel.

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

When Sukey Reynolds and friend Vicky are on their way back from holiday they watched what appeared to be a suspicious meeting in a motorway services carpark they then alerted their colleagues from a neighbouring police force to what they had seen. Shortly after one of the men was involved in a road traffic accident which would turn out to be more to it than first appeared. Ten on returning to work the following week a woman's head was found washed up on Clevedon beach and DS Rathbone and Sukey was sent to investigate.
This is another in the Sukey Reynolds mysteries and is more involved with lots of twists and turns. Definitely one to be enjoyed and it will keep you guessing right to the end.

Tenth in the series Sukey Reynolds never fails to engage draw me in to the mystery into the investigation .Im already looking forward to next in the series.#netgalley#bookoture.

DC Sukey Reynolds is freshly back from vacation and is quickly on not one, but two cases involving deaths. One is a woman who was cut up and her body parts disposed of and found over the course of time. The second a former military member who died in a car accident. Call her crazy, but Sukey believe they might be connected, though her superiors don’t seem to think so.

If you know Sukey, you know that her hunches often have merit and she will likely be proven correct in time. But the question is whether Sukey has enough time to help solve the murders before her time runs out.

Betty Rowlands is one of the mistresses of British mysteries and I adore her strong female characters. The writing is superb, as are her whodunits. You can’t go wrong with any of the books in this or the Melissa Craig series.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I liked this book need a teensy bit less than #9 but i can't really put my finger on why.

Sukey and Vicky see a suspicious man passing off an envelope and then he dies in a car crash that seems very suspicious.

A head found on the beach is connected and our friends s and V are on the case .

I don't know, this one just seemed a lot more slow going for me.

I like it a lot, though!

England, law enforcement, murder investigation, egoist, suspense, crime thriller, procedural,

The first incident seems like a nonstarter but turns into a complex investigation with ties to the drug trade. In the course of due diligence Sukey meets some interesting folks as well as some rather wispy clues. Then there are the tattoos. The other case is that of a dismembered corpse found here and there on the beach with no indication of identity or when she was murdered. The clues in this case are found serendipitously and the first questions are at least partially answered by investigating a gruesome clue found by another innocent. Personal danger seems to follow Sukey even as she takes leaps of disconnected logic to come too close to the truth.
I loved this book and this addictive series!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Bookouture via NetGalley. Thank you!

A gory discovery on a beach, a chance observation in a car park, drugs and a mysterious gang... Sukey Reynolds is kept busy in this murder mystery! Enjoyable as always. A great series.

This series just gets better.... while returning from a week in France, Sukey and her colleague Vicky witness a strange transaction taking place in the car park at the services, later in the journey home they see the same car involved in a serious rtc. Little do they know upon their return to work these incidents link to something far more gruesome than they thought