Widowed Liz McLuckie has retired early from her job as an A & E nurse and has moved to Whitby, a fishing community, in Yorkshire where she has bought a couple of shabby and neglected cottages - Kipper Cottage and Gull Cottage - she is renovating. Out walking her dog, Nelson, an English bull terrier Nelson becomes fascinated by a pile of old clothes on the grounds of the town's Abbey, only the soiled garments turn out to be a corpse.

This was a superb beginning to a new series by Jan Durham which captured my attention because of the Whitby setting. I enjoyed being in the pockets of Liz as she puzzled over clues and irritated DI Flint the local detective. Well written and intriguing with some colourful characters and great descriptions of community life and the locale. Now for book two!

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Inkubator Books via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

Death at the Abbey is the first book in the Kipper Cottage Mystery Series. It is a great cosy mystery set in picturesque Whitby on the North Yorkshire Coast. The setting is perfect, the characters are interesting and the storyline had me hooked. I really enjoyed it and look forward to reading further books in this series,

Thank you to NetGalley and Inkubator Books for my ARC.

Death at the abbey by Jan Durham.
A Kipper Cottage Cozy Mystery Book 1.
After the death of her husband, Liz McLuckie has taken early retirement and moved to Whitby, a picturesque fishing town on the North Yorkshire coast. She thinks the renovation of two ramshackle fishing cottages will take her mind off things, but soon discovers Whitby isn’t quite the peaceful retreat she imagined.
When she discovers the body of a local Professor near the medieval Abbey, Liz reluctantly finds herself at the centre of a murder investigation. The post morton reveals death by drowning. So how did he get onto the clifftop? And why did he have a fish in his pocket?Liz follows the trail of the murderer, and many red herrings - both literal and metaphorical - in the company of her friends, including an almost-reformed burglar, a disgraced archaeology student and Nelson the bull terrier - the ugliest (and bravest!) dog in Yorkshire.
This was a very enjoyable read. Great story and characters. I'm looking forward to the next book. 5*.

After the death of her husband, Liz McLuckie has taken early retirement and moved to Whitby She thinks the renovation of two ramshackle fishing cottages will take her mind off things, but soon discovers Whitby isn’t quite the peaceful retreat she imagined. Whilst walking her dog Nelson she discovers the body of a local Professor near the medieval Abbey, Liz reluctantly finds herself at the centre of a murder investigation. The post mortem reveals death by drowning. So how did he get onto the clifftop? And why did he have a fish in his pocket? Then there’s another murder.
The first book I’ve read by the author & the first in a new series – I thoroughly enjoyed it & read it in a sitting finishing at 2am. I really liked Liz who wasn’t in the first blush of youth she was mature, level headed with a very inquisitive streak. We also met some of her friends & I loved the dynamics between them. Then there's the new police inspector who takes an instant dislike to Liz & everyone else. There were plenty of red herrings & twists & turns, I didn’t work out who the murderer was & it came as a surprise. I loved the descriptions of Whitby (one of my favourite places) & look forward to moe books in the series
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

Former nurse and widow Liz McLuckie has moved to Whitby in Yorkshire along the coast. On her morning walk with Nelson, her rescue shelter bull terrier, he leads her to a body of a man. The victim is a professor, who advises local museums, and he had secrets. Liz and her three mah-jong game players, one a young Detective Constable Ossett, get involved in the murder. His superior, Detective Inspector Flint, transferred only 6 weeks ago and takes a dislike to Liz and is not very supportive of those working under her. Perhaps because of these things, Liz becomes rather obsessed with the murder and does some unwise things that could hurt people, but she has many good qualities that make her likeable. The other characters in Whitby also make me hope there is a book two. Author Durham brings a quick reading, present-day mystery that combines Saint Aelffaed, Saint Cuthbert, faith, grief, artifacts and antiques and a brave, hero dog. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read, and review this book.
This is the first in a new series, and is set in Whitby, one of my favourite places to visit. Jan Durham describes the streets and feeling for the town perfectly, and I could imagine myself walking the streets along with the main character of the story, Liz McLuckie, as I was reading along.
Liz has recently lost her husband Mark, and has purchased two run down cottages in old town Whitby. She intends to spend her retirement renovating them so that she can live in one, and rent the other out. However, when walking her dog Nelson up by the abbey, they come across the body of a professor near the church of St. Mary. He was wet through with briny water, and for some odd reason had a fish in his pocket. Had he been in the sea, and his body then dumped at the top of the cliff? As some questions are answered, more are asked, and Liz, Nelson & her Mah Jong playing friends find themselves mixed up in murder, burglary & more mystery.
I was enjoying this book so much that I dowloaded the next in the series before I had even finished this one!
I'm looking forward to reading more of Liz McLuckie & her adventures.

Newly widowed Liz McLuckie looking for peace and quiet, has taken early retirement from her job as an ER nurse and decides to move to Whitby, a small fishing community, where she buys a couple of dilapidated cottages to renovate them. What she didn't count on was discovering a corpse on the grounds of the town's Abbey.
An excellent start to a new series by Jan Durham, an author I haven't read until now, but who has managed to attract my attention.
Very well written, with well-developed characters and a story set in a real town on the North Yorkshire coast, Death at the Abbey manages to captivate the reader. I recommend it to readers of any age.

Book 1 in a new cozy mystery series set in Whitby, England. Interesting place, that has the ruins that inspired the book Dracula. Liz was nurse, but after the death of her husband 5 years ago, she has quit and is now renovating two cottages with plans on renting them out. Love her dog, who makes me laugh. While taking him out for a morning run, she finds a body of a murdered professor. Making the mistake of mentioning thoughts to a new DI, who takes an instant dislike to her, she still cant resist asking questions, and does help solve the case. With her friends, and of course her dog, this was a fun mystery and one I had trouble putting down. Highly recommend and look forward to reading the next in the series.

Great cozy mystery!!
When Liz's husband dies, she retires, moves to Whitby, and buys two run down cottages to renovate. While walking her adorable, if ugly, dog on his favorite trail to the abby, she discovers the body of a local professor. She some how becomes drawn into the middle of the investigation by a detective that doesn't seem to like her very much. Liz decides she will do a little sleuthing herself, and stumbles into a bit of a mess.
The characters were great, love the banter and friendships that are developing. Plot was intriguing, had a surprise ending.
Loved the book and am looking forward to reading the next in the series.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

When widow Liz McLuckie decided to leave her nursing job, she moved to Whitby and bought two small adjacent fixer-up cottages, the Kipper and the Gull , along with a bull terrier, named Nelson.
On an early morning dog walk around St. Mary's Church and Abbey, Nelson finds a man's body in the graveyard. He is a visiting professor helping to catalog artifacts at the Abbey. Since Liz found the body she felt that maybe she could help in finding out what happened. Along with her friend Tilly, DC Kevin Ossett, whose father was also her friend, as she starts putting the pieces together, another murder occurs.
This first in a series is a quick and enjoyable British cozy mystery with local characters and charming village life.
Thank you NetGalley and Inkubator Books for this e-galley of "Death at the Abbey".

A man is dead. Murdered. Main character Liz McLuckie finds the body. Why was the body wet with briny water, not to mention why was there a fish in his pocket? How did a drowned person wind up being found high above the nearest body of water? What was his connection to the other town citizens? What secrets lurk behind the closed doors of picturesque Whitby?

I found the story line, the hook, if you will, intriguing. How does a missing religious relic play into the whole? Liz is beginning to feel open to people and new experiences five years after her husband's death, Although of retirement age, Liz is definitely energetic and even handy with tools. Her friend's personalities didn't seem fully characterized, normal in a first book in a series, but intriguing. Liz's constant companion, however, is Nelson, a brave, and protective bull terrier she adopted. Nelson was the star of the book as far as I was concerned but, well, I'm a sucker for dog characters anyway.

Bottom line, although I found it slow paced at first, once I caught on to the rhythm of the story line, I began to enjoy the book more and more. The pace definitely picks up as Liz begins to encounter more and more clues, which seems to irritate the local detective, DI Flint, putting herself in danger. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

Thanks to NetGalley and Inkubator Books for introducing me to Liz and Nelson. I'm looking forward to spending some more time with them as I get to know Whitby.

This is the first in a new cosy mystery series featuring Liz McLuckie, a 50-something widow who has moved to Whitby five years after the death of her husband. She has purchased two run down cottages—Kipper Cottage and Gull Cottage—with the intention of living in one and fixing up the other to offer as a short term let to tourists. She lives with her wonderful dog, Nelson. One morning, while walking in Nelson’s favourite area atop the cliff, they stumble across a body. Liz and her friends end up in the middle of the investigation.

I quite enjoyed this book. It was a good read—very entertaining with a unique storyline and a quirky cast of characters with interesting backstories. The people in the town are part of the joy of the book, along with the descriptions of the area. I am looking forward to reading future books in the series.

Liz McLuckie has taken early retirement and moved to Whitby following the death of her husband. She has bought two neighbouring fisherman's cottages to renovate.
However, life in Whitby isn't that peaceful and on an early morning walk with Nelson, the ugliest dog in Yorkshire!, they find the body of a local Professor.
Liz is soon on the trail of the murderer along with her friends, much to the annoyance of the Police.
Book 1

Liz McLuckie looks forward to a simple life in historic seaside Whitby. A widow, she’s taken an early retirement and bought two dilapidated fishermen’s cottages with plans to live in one and rent the other. But nothing is simple. On an early morning walk, her bull terrier Nelson leads her to a body lying in the old clifftop Abbey cemetery. The man, a professor and museum curator, drowned. So how did he get from the sea to the graveyard, high above? Even though DI Flint does not want locals involved, Liz and her mah-jong friends begin their own investigation. They’re soon mixed up with missing antiquities, break-ins, health cures and legends. It’s a race to see who will find the murderer first - the police or Liz. Or will he find her?

Death at the Abbey is the first in a promising new series by Jan Durham. More than a cozy mystery, it has an atmospheric setting, historical information, a strong female lead and…an endearing dog. The plot is strong and peppered with false clues. I look forward to the next in the Kipper Cottage series, 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Inkubator Books and Jen Durham for this ARC.

What a fantastic series debut! I absolutely enjoyed reading every bit of this book.

I loved the setting, the character portrayals and the mystery behind the murder. A dash of historical artifact made the story even more interesting. I am in awe of Jan Durham's storytelling. I am looking forward to reading more of Liz McLuckie's sleuthing adventures.

Highly recommended for all cozy mystery fans!

A medieval religious artifact. A budding romance.  A middled-age widow and amateur sleuth wonders who was connected to two murders and why? And who might benefit from a religious relic with healing properties?

Liz McLuckie’s husband died five years ago. Working through her grief, she's neck-deep in renovating two dilapidated old cottages in Whitby on the North Yorkshire Coast. Out walking her faithful bull terrier, Nelson, at a cliffside Benedictine Abbey one morning, Liz stumbles upon a dead body. She later discovers that a break-in occurred at the church the same night as the body showed up. Coincidence or not?

The plot thickens when Liz is convinced that a medieval artifact, a “girdle,” is connected to murder. But can she prove it? And what happened to the girdle? If the murderer doesn’t have the relic, who does? And what’s up with the long blonde hair on the hairbrush in the dead man’s cottage?

As suspects wander in and out of Whitby, so do Liz’s doubts and suspicions. Did a professor really steal a priceless museum artifact and get killed for it? Or is something else going on? What? Can she unravel the clues before she becomes the murderer’s next victim?

Solid writing undergirds a supple storyline salted with surprise twists and sturdy characters. These include Detective Inspector Flint, who radiates all the charm and warmth of an iceberg. Prickly Dora Spackle, a museum staffer who acts just like her name. Also cheapskate Chapel Antiques proprietor Wally Duguid and his waspish wife, Myrtle. There’s also an ex-thief turned-barista. But it’s Nelson the dog who steals the show.

Some of the British lingo may be a bit confusing for non-British readers. “Kirtle”? “Agas”? “Tagine?” “Cladding”? And isn’t “inglenook” a winery in Napa? But this isn’t a major problem, as meanings can be easily deduced by context.

Fraught with loss, love, resilience, and a touch of wry wit, this cozy mystery will do nicely with a hot cuppa or another game of mah jong. 

Death at the Abbey is Book 1 in the Kipper Cottage Mystery Series. Book 2 in the series, Death at Neptune Yard, is now available.

After the death of her husband, Liz McLuckie has taken early retirement and moved to Whitby, a picturesque fishing town on the North Yorkshire coast. She thinks the renovation of two ramshackle fishing cottages will take her mind off things, but soon discovers Whitby isn’t quite the peaceful retreat she imagined.
This was an okay mystery however it was very slow paced. The characters were hard to relate to.
#DeathattheAbbey #NetGalley

This book moved at a snail's pace. I was bored to tears. It nearly put me to sleep. The characters were not well developed. The story line would have been good if the story moved, but it didn't. I read 7 chapters and just couldn't go on. I would not recommend this book to anyone.

Thank you Netgalley for the advance reader copy of Death at the Abbey by Jan Durham in exchange for an honest review. Liz McLuckie retires early when her husband dies and moves to the coast. Liz talks walks with Nelson, a bull terrier, who likes to hunt rabbits at the Abbey. Unfortunately, on one walk, he finds a dead man, and Liz calls the police. I had a bit of a hard time getting into this book, but once I did I really enjoyed it. I am looking forward to the next in the series.

I really enjoyed this mystery and look forward to the next book in the series! There are multiple intriguing characters with varied backstories and the mystery was hard to figure out, but not in a way that felt unfair or impossible like the author was hiding clues from you. The setting is a small town in the UK and that also felt fun, but believable. The main character felt like a real person with genuine emotions and reactions to others, which made the story more compelling.