This is the last book in the series and it's hard to say goodbye to Sukey. I have followed her through a big part of her life and she has become a friend. I have witnessed how she changed in her personal life as well as in her professional one. She has climbed the career ladder and is thinking about even moving up another step. There were also evolutions in her private life where she saw her son growing up and finding a great new partner. 

I enjoyed this complex story where the team had a hard time in uncovering the culprit. Sukey would not be Sukey of course if she would not be able to unmask the baddie and put them behind bars.

The series ends on a very positive note. I was a bit disappointed that Fergus did not play a role in this book. I always liked his input and the banter with his mom.

I also like the friendship between Sukey and Vicky, but now Vicky was not the same person anymore either. 

Anyways the author takes a down a path that is filled with twists and turns before she reveals the name of the killer.  I really enjoyed this series and as the saying goes: beautiful songs don't last forever. 4 stars

Thank you

Sukey Reynolds is my mystery/crime series. This is book 13 and it doesn't lose a thing to longevity. This book was previously released under the title, Scent of Death in 2014. Sukey is called to Dallington Manor with her Sargent Vicky to investigate a suspicious death. A guest is found floating in the lake who was attending a music show. There are several suspects and the more they investigate the more suspects they find. More of the great interaction between characters and romance is blooming. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Reading a Sukey Reynolds book is like visiting with an old friend who has had an adventure you will not believe. Betty Rowlands is a well known cozy mystery writer who keeps her readers coming back for more. Sukey has had some hair raising investigations but this is a new one for her. An excellent read by a well loved author means your reading time is well spent with Sukey.

Another pleasing murder mystery solved by Sukey Reynolds. An easy read with a satisfying ending, as expected from this author.

This is one of my favorite series and in this installment, Sukey is following her hunches again. This is a great police procedural.
Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I was given this book in exchange for an honest review.

I didn't read the other books in this series before receiving this installment.

Even though I now know how the series ends, I can't wait to go back to the beginning to see how Sukey began.

The plot has many twist and reminds me of a traditional Englush mystery - if you love Agatha Christie, you're probably going to be addicted to this strong, spunky, sassy woman and her cohorts.

It took me a while to get into the book - I found Sukey and Vicky (Vicky especially) to be a little abrupt and a little rude at first. The plot was interesting with many different side plots. I originally guessed the real culprit but good writing and plot helped divert me away so that when the reveal came, I was surprised.

I did feel the reveal and the ending of the book was a little too quick - it seemed wrapped up far too quickly after they finally got information to crack the case.

I will definitely be checking out more of the author's work.

In this episode Sukey Reynolds and her team are called out to investigate a death by drowning in nearby Dallington Manor, an upscale country hotel.
This was the third book I read in the series and just as I was warming to the series, I found Death at Sycamore house better than Death at Ivy house, I was rather disappointed in this book.

What struck me in the first place was the sudden change in the team, with Rathbone suddenly promoted to Inspector and with a totally different attitude towards his colleagues, and the attitude of the team towards him as well. The change was so sudden that I checked if there had not been another book in between, but that turned out not to be the case.
I found the plot less interesting, the unravelling of the plot quite sudden and a bit lacking in suspense.
That's not to say the book isn't a good read but after the last one I had just hoped for more.
Therefore 3 stars for this one.

My sincere thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC e-book they provided in exchange for my honest review,

A beautiful setting of the countryside and a stylish manor hotel. A musical weekend of like minded spirits gathering together. Something they do frequently. When Lance Rainbird is found dead in the lake, not an accident but murder the focus shifts to someone within their intimate group. It also puts paid to Sukey's planned romantic weekend.

With all eyes focused on only one suspect, Sukey thinks they are all barking up the wrong tree and an innocent man is going to be the second victim here.

The interest in this story is not just the murder mystery but the intrinsic character of Sukey who with her quiet intelligent detection and with male chauvinists aplenty has to work in an environment where her instincts and intuition are not taken much note of. This is very much part of the Betty Rowlands stories.

Very good mystery series, invariably in glorious settings.

Death at Sandy Bay by Betty Rowlands is the thirteenth book of the Sukey Reynolds Mystery series.

In this book it has a number of suspicious deaths and Sukey Reynolds is there to offer help and advice.
It's full of twists and turns throughout.........Do they catch the killer before they strike again?

Well, You will have to read this latest book by Betty.

This is the last book in the Sukey Reynolds series and I just loved them all.
If you love a cosy mystery series this is a series for you. All Betty's books are quick reads with a good story line with likeable characters.

Also published as "The Scent of Death"

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for a copy of the book. This review is my own opinion

Over all rating for this series is 4.5, each story always pulls me in to them . With that said I want to thank Netgalley for letting me read it.

Enjoyed it although it didn't keep me glued. Struggled to finish it but I'm glad I did finish it.
Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy!

This is the 13th in series and previously published as "The Scent of Death." I have read the entire series as Sukey Reynolds is a favorite of mine. I highly recommend the entire series .
Thank you for the ARC. My review opinions are my own.

In this next in series our beloved detective Sukey is enjoying the beautiful spring in Bristol . She loves her new job as a detective and her village life. She has a romance and is planning a weekend away with her boyfriend when she is called to a murder scene before she can leave. Dallington Manor, is a elegant country house hotel on the coast. Lance Rainbird the victim found drowned was a guest .

Soon Sukey is diving into the investigation with her savvy skills and close to finding the real killer much to the chagrin once again of her superiors who are sure they have the right suspect . Sukey is as always the better investigator and soon has her suspect in her sights.

I adore this series for the smart detective Sukey and the charming village settings. I find the author creates a well crafted sleuth that is always pleasing to conclusion. Another winning mystery in the series !

Life is never quiet for DS Sukey Reynolds and she is summoned to the charming Dallington Manor, a country house hotel nestled on the coast in Sandy Bay. She arrives at the starlit grounds to find that Lance Rainbird, a guest at a weekend musical gathering, has been discovered in the lake. Then there’s a traffic accident in which someone dies & then a waiter is found strangled. The police have suspects but no concrete evidence.
Harry, Sukey’s reporter boyfriend, invites her to London for the weekend & whilst there they search Rainbird’s house and finds an address book that might just be the golden ticket to clearing an innocent man and nailing the true villain. Then Sukey finds a name in the address book that shouldn’t be there.
Another page turning read with lots of twists, turns & red herrings. I loved it but saddened that it's the last outing for Sukey, it did end of a lovely note though. Well written with a story that flows effortlessly. There have been promotions & even Rathbone is having doubts as to his ability. I've loved the whole series, I wish there had been some mention of Fergus apart from him having got his degree.
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

I'm going to miss reading more of Betty Rowland's Sukey Reynolds series! This entry was perhaps not the best of the series, as it seemed a little slow moving. The story was entertaining nevertheless, and comes to a satisfactory conclusion.

🎼Music obviously did not soothe the savage animosity turned deadly!👮

🔍 I've liked every book in the Sukey Reynolds series I've read thus far, particularly because of Sukey herself and her quiet, polite intelligence and strength in the face of bullying superiors, witnesses and suspects. This book, however, seemed less focused on those elements I so appreciated. I can't say I liked it to the same degree as the others, though the writing style remained easy to read and the culprit really was a surprise; in fact, I am still not sure if the character convicted did it!🙄

Sukey's 🌟star qualities, like her knack at getting 🔑key information that her police colleagues miss, are not as prominent here. I really liked her close relationship with Fergus, her son, in earlier books in the series and Fergus is not even mentioned here. And, other than the jibes Vicky, Sukey's newly-promoted friend, throws at DI Rathbone behind his back, all of the drama is reserved for the investigation, not Sukey and her colleagues. Sukey's relationship with neighboring journalist Harry does make some headway, but their love is lowkey and romantic interludes fade to black after only a line or two.

With three sudden deaths to investigate during an extended weekend classical music festival and a whole hotel's staff and its guests as potential suspects or key witnesses, the story had plenty of surprises and twists as Sukey & Co. dig for the truth. I just did not feel as invested in this mystery as the half dozen plus stories I previously enjoyed in the series.

Thanks to publisher Bookouture and NetGalley for providing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.

This is the last book in the popular Sukey Reynolds series featuring DC Sukey Reynolds of the Avon and Somerset CID and her colleagues, family and friends.
When Sukey is called out one weekend to investigate the drowning death of a guest at the nearby Dallingron Manor, she soon gets caught up in a complex web of deception, secrets and lies.
As the stakes increase with two more suspicious deaths linked to the Manor this quickly becomes one of the most complex cases Sukey has to deal with.
The pace of this police procedural slowed down in many places and the investigation did seem responsive as to proactive, with flimsy evidence and a lot of lucky contacts and informants. Sukey's relationship with her boyfriend Harry or her colleague Vicky did not seem realistic to me, or credible.
Sorry. Not a page turner.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. Another great story from Betty. How I look forward to the next story with Sukey Reynolds. Roll on book 14

DC Sukey Reynolds of the Avon and Somerset CID is called out to investigate the drowning death of a guest at the nearby Dallingron Manor on Sandy Bay. She and the rest of the team are meant to determine if this was an accident or murder. Subsequently, there are two more deaths that may or may not be connected. Why would someone want Lance Rainbird dead? After all, he was just an introverted accountant who happened to be very interested in music and was simply attending an event when he ended up in the lake. It's a very frustrating and perplexing case and requires many hours to get to the bottom of it all. NO SPOILERS.

It's a very sad day indeed to come to the end of this series. I've enjoyed reading all the books from the beginning and feel that it is probably time to bring it all to a close. I've watched Sukey go from scene of crime investigator to detective, noticed her move to Bristol and the changing romantic relationships she's had now ending up with the journalist, Harry Matthews. I missed her son, Fergus, in this book as he was completely absent, and I felt the lack of finding out any news about him. This mystery wasn't quite as compelling as I'd hoped, but solve it she did and I can wave goodbye to this cozy crime series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-book ARC to read, review and recommend. It's a good police procedural and mystery collection and I'm glad I had the chance to read them all now as I'd missed out when they were all previously published.

This book had a slightly different feel to it than some of the previous books. Sukey seems at odds with her supervisor and friend, Vicky. Likewise, Vicky seems rather antagonistic towards the newly promoted DI Rathbone. That this was never resolved is the one big disappointment in an otherwise very good book! With what starts out as a questionable death turns in to 2 or 3 murders, DI Rathbone is nervous on his first case and seems to call upon the spirit of Hercule Poirot. I couldn't help but hear it when he was questioning/accusing the suspects. Whether intended or not, it was endearing to think this is how he expressed his nervousness. I was also very surprised that Sukey's son, Fergus, did not make a single appearance. At the beginning of the series he was in the forefront so his absence was rather obvious. It highlights Sukey's transformation from the dependent public employee who waited on her son and boyfriend like a 50s housewife to an independent detective constable.