Hell's Half Acre is the second book in a series that takes place in the cheerily named Coffin Cove, I have not read the first book, but this gives enough background that it is unnecessary.

Coffin Cove is a tiny town in Canada, rife with the sort of issues that tiny towns have, and where almost everyone knows your business. The number of characters is large, but they are not all dumped on the reader at once.

Coffin Cove has elected a new mayor and ousted the guy who was mayor for what seems like forever - and like Kwame Alexander, seemed to think that in his position he could grift off almost any deal to enlarge his real estate empire.

Meanwhile, the new mayor has plans: revitalize the town to bring in more business and more tourists. Then the former mayor's son goes missing,and Andi Silvers, disgraced big newspaper reporter turned small newspaper reporter in Coffin Cove is assigned to cover the investigation.

There are a number of twists and turns, and quite a deep dive into the town's past - including why there is an area of land within the town called Hell's Half Acre.

The RMCP is called in to assist, and it seems as if the lead investigator has a bit of history with Andi in the last book. Some of that background is provided to ensure the reader has a good picture of their relationship.

When a body turns up in the area of Hell's Half Acre, it's clear that the body belongs to the former mayor.

Meanwhile, a stranger appears in town, presumably a developer looking for projects within Coffin Cove. And, the body count starts rising.

Andi continues to investigate the disappearance just as the police do, and that investigation reveals some very nasty things about the small town - as anyone can tell you, sometimes the most sordid tales come from small towns.

The book reaches a crescendo as the good guys close in on the bad guys.

It's a solid book, with a nice characterization of Andi and her reinvention as a small town reporter. Some of the other characters don't get much more than broad strokes, to let us know of they're nice or not, and (seemingly, to me) how sad or not we should be at their deaths. I also had issues with some of the writing. I think it could have been tightened up just a tad, and there were some redundant or "telling us again, in case we missed it", identifying Summer as the mother of Jade, the new mayor in one chapter, and then in the very next, telling us again "Summer was Jade's mother." Yes, we know,because we're already been told.

The culprit is pretty easy to see, and if the reader pegs the bad guy early, the rest of the book is still good, to watch the net close in.

I'm giving it four out of five stars.

Thanks to Joffe Books and NetGalley for the review copy.

Second in this series and there are more secrets for Andi,the journalist to uncover. Good characters,developing nicely.

I Enjoyed this second book in the series. Lots of twists and turns made for a compelling read. I enjoyed the female lead and setting plays a key role in this murder mystery.

Hells Half Acre by Jackie Elliot is the second book to feature Andi Silvers. Again the book is set on Vancouver Island and I think it is a more than worthy sequel.
Investigative journalist Andi Silvers is recovering from a gunshot wound when she starts getting interested in a cold case. Ricky Havers has been missing for nine months and his mum doesn't believe that he has chosen to leave like everyone else so she asks Andi to look into it, although Andi is officially not working. News comes in that human remains and later bones of two dead bodies are discovered. One of the bodies is ricky, confirming his mums worst fears. Andi begins to investigate and what noone realises is she is about to uncover a murky and dark deeds that will reverberate through this sleepy and supposedly law abiding village in Canada.
An addictive series that is only getting more addictive as it grows. I was reading till I really had to go and do something else. The setting for these books just increases the atmosphere. I mean this is a village where everyone knows everything and everyone. Nothing goes on that no-one doesn't know, or so they say.
An intriguing plot with enough suspects to keep the suspense going with the twists and turns in the investigation. The author has really cracked the characters that all play their part in this immersive story.
Thanks to Jill Burkinshaw of Joffe Books for the copy of the book.

First of all I would like to say thanks to #NetGalley, #JoffeBooks, and author #JackieElliott for the ARC of #HellsHalfAcre.

This was a slow starter and a slow read for me. It's not that the story was good, in fact it is a fabulous story. There are just a lot of characters to get to know.

There is a small little town named Coffin Cove on Vancouver Island. That is where our story takes place.

The people who live in this town are struggling. Some because they don't make enough money, others because they make too much.

When the mayors son, Rickey, goes missing his mother goes to Andi, who is a local reporter. She used to be an investigative reporter in the city but after being shot she ended up in this little town with a tiny little newspaper.

While Andi is trying to gather her courage, everyone else in town seems to look the other way or just doesn't care. Finally when she confides in her boss and they start to dig deep into the history of their little town things start to make more sense. At least for minute.

When another young lady in town finds what appears to be human bones no one can ignore the craziness anymore. The more they dig the deeper in trouble the town seems

If you are looking for a good story Jackie has one to share. You will be able to but this book at your favorite retailer on 5/11/21.

As always the above opinions are all mine. #HappyReading!

My 2nd visit to coffin grove and the townspeople and of course Andi Silvers the town reporter with her determined investative skills.A gripping storyline murders past and present really enjoyable read can’t wait to visit coffin grove again.

I really enjoy this series of books set in Canada. They are easy to read but real page turners. Look forward to the next one.

I enjoyed this murder mystery set on the east side of Vancouver Island, B.C. It is the second in a series but reads very well on its own. I was pleased with how Elliott wove backstory from the first novel into the second one. I read the first one but I appreciate refreshing my memory.

Andi, a disgraced newspaper reporter who found a job in rural Coffin Cove is our heroine. Rather than being the sole lead, however, a number of the town's residents figure in solving the mystery of a murder, the body only recently found. Inspector Vega of the RCMP is back too. I appreciate the bit of romantic tension between the meddling Andi and the investigating Vega.

This novel delves into the past of Coffin Cove, once a bustling lumber and fishing town. The relationships and events from the past help Andi and others piece together a motive for the initial murder and the ones that follow. The mystery is not so cleverly constructed that readers cannot guess the culprit before revealed in the novel. The strength of this book is the depiction of the characters and the flavor of the town. There is a good amount of action too. Overall, it was a enjoyable novel.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

This is the sequel to Jackie Elliot's first in this series, set in the atmospheric location of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, and the declining old fishing town of Coffin Cove, there are returning and new characters. It features Andrea 'Andi' Silvers, an investigative journalist working at the Coffin Cove Gazette, under her boss, Jim Peters. Traumatised by events from the previous book, Andi begins to look into the missing Ricky Havers, the son of the former corrupt mayor, Dennis., he is a pretty unlikeable person, mixing in questionable company. His mother, Sandra is worried, and the police are not interested, thinking he will turn up when he wants, he is, after all, an adult. Clara and Kate discover the remains of two bodies in an abandoned chapel, one of which turns out to be Ricky. This is a complicated, entertaining and enjoyable mystery, fast paced, with more death,, a number of suspects and plenty of intrigue, and twists and turns.

Hell’s Half Acre’ is the second book in the Coffin Cove series,
One for betrayal.
Two for revenge.
Three for murder.
Andi agrees to investigate the disappearance of the former mayor’s son, Ricky Havers. And leaps at the chance to interview the new mayor.
The police haven't even tried looking for him?!
While interviewing the mayor she learns that two dead bodies have been discovered, discarded in an abandoned chapel.
One of them is Ricky’s.
As she digs more... More and more shocking things come to light!
The mayor is hiding something!

This is the best crime novel I've read in 2020!
I !over the characters.... And this writing is absolutely amazing! It had me hanging on the edge of my seat!
Looking forward to reading more from this author

Andi, investigative journalist is recovering from her first harrowing job on the local paper in Coffin Cove when she's asked to investigate the disappearance of the former mayor's son. Then his body turns up as does another one (and more) and clearly something, again, is afoot in this sleepy Vancouver Island fishing town. There are a lot of suspects, there are a lot of secrets and there's a lot of story but there's a lot left unexplained at the end. Still, a good way to spend a few hours. Thanks to NetGalley and Joffe Books for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

There’s a lot of change coming to Coffin Cove. Former corrupt mayor, Dennis Havers, who thought he pretty much had the job for life, has been ousted by Jade Thompson and she is trying to bring new business and much needed regeneration to the area, now that the fishing and forestry industries are almost defunct. Jade grew up in the area, daughter of Summer, an artist, and an unknown father, and after university and a successful business career, has returned home. One of her first projects is the Heritage Festival. Andi Silvers, journalist at the Coffin Cove Gazette, has been struggling with nightmares since getting shot last year uncovering the truth behind a cold case disappearance and a murder. With counselling, the bad dreams are receding and she knows that she really needs to get her teeth into something juicy. Fortunately along came Sandra Havers begging Andi to investigate the disappearance of her 42 year old son, Ricky, since the RCMP pretty much gave up looking for a grown man who could leave if he chose. Andi believes there is a connection to Jade Thompson. Sandra believes her husband was involved. When Andi eventually confides all this in boss Jim, he agrees to help her investigate. Another person who has returned home is Katie Dagg, daughter of electrician Lee and mother Nadine. Nadine is completely absorbed in her looks and money, and has little time for her family. Hardly surprising since she has been carrying on with the former mayor for years, although still retaining her office manager job at City Hall working for Jade now. She is organizing a belly dancing night at the Fat Chicken pub to kick off the festival. Katie has taken over running the museum and, keen to find more interesting spots for tourists, seeks out the old chapel rumoured to be near her house on land where Art Whilley was believed killed when his home, known as Hell’s Half Acre, burned down. Together with her old history teacher and Clara Bell, the old museum curator, they hit the trail but find more than they bargained for. A decomposed body lies in the ruins, soon to be identified as Ricky when DI Andrew Vega returns to the island to conduct a murder investigation. As the body count rises, things begin to look very sinister indeed and the detectives struggle to piece all the evidence together.
What are the secrets held by the old all-women commune, the Knights and Hell’s Half Acre itself? Can Vega, with help from Andi, Jim, Clara and Harry, get to the truths that have been buried in this small town?
As in book one, there is loads going on in this story, lots of history to unravel in this insular little town and many great suspicious characters all with their own stories to tell which gradually get knitted together to lead to a shocking and explosive ending. It was nice to see many of the characters from the first story who needed no introduction although this does still work as a standalone. It is much more pacey than book one and was hard to put down once I started reading. Recommended to all. 5*

‘Hell’s Half Acre’ is the second book in the Coffin Cove series, with Andi Silver being the lead character in both books. I read and loved the first book in the series called ‘Coffin Cove’. I couldn’t wait to read the next instalment so I grabbed a copy as soon as I could and settled down for an interesting afternoon of reading. I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘Hell’s Half Acre’ but more about that in a bit.
I was drawn into this book from the very first word on the very first page. It was as if the book had developed a hold over me and it was a hold that I wasn’t willing to break. To say that reading ‘Hell’s Half Acre’ became addictive is a huge understatement. I would pick the book up only intending to read a couple of chapters but I would become so wrapped up in the story that I would still be sat there reading over half a dozen chapters and an hour later. I soon got through the story and I had to bid farewell to the residents of Coffin Cove for a second time. I found ‘Hell’s Half Acre’ to be a gripping read, which held my attention from start to finish and which kept me on the edge of my seat.
‘Hell’s Half Acre’ is extremely well written but then I thought that to be true of the first book in the series. Jackie has one of those writing styles that is easy to get used to and easy to get along with. Jackie describes her characters so vividly and realistically that they seem just as real as you and I. I love the way in which Jackie makes the reader feel as though they are part of the story themselves and at the heart of the action. Reading ‘Hell’s Half Acre’ felt like being on an times scary rollercoaster ride with several twists and turns along the way.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘Hell’s Half Acre’ and I would definitely recommend this book to other readers. I will certainly be reading more of Jackie’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

3 stars

This is a good follow up to the first book in this series. I enjoyed spending more time with the characters introduced in book one, as well as meeting new ones. There is plenty of action, but it fizzled towards the end unfortunately.

[What I liked:]

•I liked the first book & enjoyed coming back to this series to get to know the characters better, especially Harry, Hephzibah, & Jim. This sequel built on the established characters & the town setting, but also introduced new characters & a new mystery to solve. A satisfying second installment. I’ll be reading the next one.

•I appreciate that one of the characters, Jade, had a learning challenge (dyslexia) that wasn’t diagnosed til adulthood. I had a very similar experience in school struggling with undiagnosed & unsupported learning challenges. It’s always nice to see differently abled characters in fiction who are portrayed as smart & capable.

•I do like the setting of the town of Coffin Cove, with its citizens banding together against economic decline & shady outside developers. Clara Bell was an interesting character in her own right, & also served to extend the town’s mystique & back history by sharing her wealth of stories.


[What I didn’t like as much:]

•At the beginning of the book, the previous book’s plot is summarized, which then leads straight into a summary of the current mystery’s outline & key players. It would have more impact if the current story/mystery was introduced in action/dialogue scenes & not just more summary.

•Why on earth would Vega’s team not search the fish plant right away when they found out a missing person might be there? That was a major plot hole, imo.

•The ending really fizzled. I mean we have four murders, & all these hints about a dark & mysterious past, but then the person who is key to explaining the motivations (why commit murder now, & not 20 years earlier? why kill some targets’ extended families but not others’?) never gets the chance to. That totally ruined the build up for me.

CW: murder, assault, suicide, sexual assault, substance abuse, infidelity

[I received an ARC ebook copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Thank you for the book!]

I received a free electronic ARC of this excellent mystery on May 4, 2021, from Netgalley, author Jackie Elliott, and publisher Joffe Books. I have read this novel of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. I am pleased to add Jackie Elliott among my favorite authors. She writes a tightly wound mystery with personable characters in a setting in eastern Victoria Island, Canada.

I love reading about Canada's Island communities, both on the cold Atlantic coast and the temperate Pacific isles. I am pleased to have found the Coffin Cove Mystery series - thank you Netgalley and Joffe books. I am ready for more of Andie Silvers and the characters who call Coffin Cove home.

Deep Consternation....
The second in the Coffin Cove series of mysteries and a worthy follow on from the first. The discovery of two bodies in an abandoned chapel causes deep consternation within the closed community. With a multitude of suspects and motives not to mention countless secrets and lies what has Coffin Cove to hide? Compelling and engaging reading with a solid character cast and a fast moving storyline.

This is the second book in the series it can be read alone but reading the first book does help with the overall character profile and storyline. I throughly enjoyed this follow up book and am looking forward to reading the third book in the series! This book had intrigue, suspense, plenty of action and heart pounding moments! In the beginning I wasn't to sure if it would be as good as the first but I'm so glad I stuck with it! This book ended up being really great!! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with

Protagonist Andrea “Andi” Silvers works as a journalist and assistant editor at the Coffin Cove Gazette. She is looking into the cold case of the disappearance of the son of the former mayor. Ricky’s body is found on private property in the process of finding interesting locations for a museum historical walk, one of the new mayor’s ideas for revitalization.

In the plans to regenerate the town, they will repair, rebuild, and modernize, but Coffin Cove has a dark past that includes biker gangs, drugs, and murder. There are stories, unfortunate and sad, that haunt the village, unsolved. Ricky’s body isn’t the first to be found but it does seem to have set off a spate of retributions.

Andi is dealing with her explicable attraction to RCMP Inspector Andrew Vega while she also has another interest, his more so than hers. I liked the characters of her editor, Jim Peters new recruit PC Matt Beaufort, and Clara Bell, the retired museum curator living off the grid. The storyline gets complex, expands on characters, and introduces clues and twists that continues to leave the reader in confusion, although there is a dawning of suspicion.

I enjoyed the historical aspects of the location, the descriptions of the area, and the immersive characters and I can see this series doing well. The conclusion settles most of the dust, exposes the perp (correctly guessed), and suggests possible scenarios for the next installment although this as Book 2 can be read as a standalone.

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. These are my honest thoughts.

Andrea (Andi) is still working for the Coffin Cove Gazette, even though mentally she's still trying to avoid what she went through previously in order to get a story.

She has agreed to investigate the disappearance of Ricky Havers, the former mayor's son. Ricky was well-known if not well-liked. The police have declined to look for him. He's been associating with some rough characters, and they think he's gone on a drug binge and will be back in a few days. His mother feels differently.

While interviewing the new mayor, she learns that two bodies have been found. One of them is Ricky.

Book Blurb: The more Andi digs, the more she’s sure she’s on to something. The new mayor is covering something up, while the old mayor’s corrupt dealings are coming back to haunt him.

Set on the coast of Western Canada, it's hard to image a place more unsuited for murder. This one seems to have it all... murder, intrigue, mystery, a little humor, a little romance. It's a fast-paced mystery with than one body falling. The clever plot is filled with skillfully drawn characters .. but beware .. there are a lot of twists and turns that lead to an explosive conclusion.

Many thanks to the author / Joffe Books / Books n All Book Promotions / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

Hell’s Half Acre is the second instalment in the Coffin Cove series of mysteries and is another twisty-turny whodunit with a unique atmosphere set in the fictional small town of Coffin Cove, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, off Canada’s Pacific Coast, known for its mild climate and thriving arts community. Investigative journalist Andrea ‘Andi’ Silvers’ nose for news gets her into all manner of bother and as she recovers from a gunshot wound she becomes invested in an interesting cold case. The disappearance of the former town mayor, Dennis Havers’ son, Ricky Havers, piques Andi’s interest and his mother, Sandra, asks Andi to investigate even though she is not strictly back at work. He has been missing for the past nine months, but his mother doesn't believe he left on his own accord like many people assume. Unfortunately, as he's an adult the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) cannot do that much especially with people speculating it was his choice to leave and is building a new life elsewhere. As Andi is in the middle of interviewing Coffin Cove’s new Mayor, Jade Thompson, news comes through that two young women, Clara Bell and Katie Dagg, out looking for intriguing local historical sites to offer tours to during The Heritage Festival, which is imminent, discover human remains.

They were searching for an old, abandoned chapel, built by a priest in the middle of the dense woodland, when they come upon a skull buried nearby and the bones of two dead bodies are later uncovered at the site by police teams. One of them is Ricky, confirming Sandra’s doubts. As Andi digs deeper, she is about to uncover dirty deeds aplenty in her supposedly sleepy and law-abiding corner of Western Canada. Often the places that fight hard to keep a clean image have the furthest to fall or the most to hide, and Coffin Cove has a murky past that is about to be revealed to the detriment of everyone in the area. Let the crime wave begin! This is a compulsive addition to the series set in the remote fishing village with a multitude of dirty secrets lurking just below the surface. It's an atmospheric locale with a close-knit community with everyone knowing everyone else’s business, gossip and wariness of outsiders, which all influence the compelling and enthralling plot. There is a decent suspect pool, plenty of action and drama, brutal violence, tension, twists, red herrings, complex plotting, eccentric characters and great characterisation, this is a thriller packed with drug activity, bullying, intrigue, drama, revenge, envy, love/hatred and dark secrets. Recommended.