Another great book from master writer Kerry Wilkinson. I've loved every single one of his books.
This one introduces new character Millie Westlake who after tragic events in her life (and a few bad decisions) meets up with Guy, an ex journalist who ruined her life.
Millie has been volunteering at a local nursing home, and one of the residents, Ingrid tells her about seeing someone pushed from the roof of a nearby house. Millie is intrigued so decides to investigate.
Did Ingrid really see someone fall from the roof? Why is she suspicious of the house holder? Why did Guy turn up on her doorstep?
These and other questions are answered in this cozy mystery.
I enjoyed this book so much that I have now read 3 of the series in quick succession, and am looking forward to reading more.

I read another Kerry Wilkinson's mystery years ago and I remember I liked it. This is the start of a new series and I enoyed it.
As it's the first novel there's the introduction of the characters, the settiing and it's a bit slow at the beginning but it get fast and very entertaining when it starts going.
Whitecliff Bay is a lovely place but it can also be a nightmare as there's no privacy and a lot of gossipgs.
Millie is likeable character, there's some very nast gossips about her, but she lives her life. I also liked Guy and his relationship with Millie.
A solid and entertaining mystery.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

I was very excited to find a new series by Kerry Wilkinson. I love her books and jumped straight into this series and read every book so far.
Millie has had an eventful time in her personal life and has given up her career and now helps out at a nursing home and runs a dog grooming business. She's suffered with gossips in the local area and when one of the old ladies tells her what she saw from her room, she is determined to investigate. She puts herself in danger but finds a new purpose.
I loved her growing friendship with the local news reporter and her bests friends. It was a real page turner.

A promising start to a new series by an author I've enjoyed reading since the Jessica Daniels series. Although the story takes longer to get going than other books by kerry, once it does and the characters start to develop, it had me gripped. It will be interesting to see how the relationship between Millie and Guy develops.
Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

Great job! First time reading this author and I was drawn in right away. Can’t wait to read the second book in the series! Thanks Net Galley for the ARC!

I’ve been a big fan of Kerry Wilkinson for a long time, and I was excited to see that The One Who Fell is the first in a new series. It was a little more mystery/suspense than what I usually read from him, but that’s okay – change is good.
In this case, we get Millie who has a mysterious past. She volunteers at a local nursing home, but we don’t learn much else about her for quite a while. Part of the mystery of the book is figuring out Millie as much as the actual mystery itself.
And therein is my sole issue with this book.
It’s the first in a series. We know how those go. There’s a lot of groundwork to put down, character personalities to build, other characters to introduce, relationships to establish. In short, there’s just a lot going on.
And I found that to be very confusing. Maybe I wasn’t paying close enough attention. But the entire plot seemed to move very slowly. I’m thinking that the author knew it would be at least a trilogy, and figured that the first book could be all set-up.
That’s fine, but it made for a long slog.
I did enjoy trying to figure out the mystery (about someone who fell – obviously. No spoilers here). And how Millie’s background plays into everything does eventually come clear. The author even saves a few twists for the end, which I took as cliffhangers moving into the second book.
Overall, I did enjoy The One Who Fell, although I wish it had moved a little bit faster and really gripped me. As it is, it interested me. And that’s enough to see what happens next.

I really enjoyed this gripping story. I loved the location and the insight into what it was like living in a seaside town and the damage that can be done by people gossiping, Heartbreaking at times and heartwarming in equal measure. I loved the twists and turns and that it kept the reader hooked. I am looking forward to reading the other stories in this series.

What a great series. I guess you’d call them a cozy mystery since the Millie and Guy are amateur sleuths. It took me a little while to like Millie and Guy, but they grew on me. Now Guy’s dog was another matter. The mystery in book one seemed a little off at first. While visiting at a nursing home, residents tell Millie of a girl either falling or being pushed off of a roof. It’s Millies past and all the rumors surrounding her life that forces her to investigate. I had a little bit of hard time understanding why Millie investigated, but good thing she did as there was a mystery to solve.

In books two and three, Millie continues to investigate with her partner Guy. Each book has a stand along mystery and advance Millie’s personal life. As I read each book, the series got better and better. The pace evened out and the stories more intriguing. While Millie grows as a person and an investigator in each book, they can be read as standalones. They all have short chapters and are easy to read.

I switched back and forth between the book and audio of book one and enjoyed both equally. Helen Keeley narrates the book and really draws you into the story and makes Millie come to life.

Cosy mystery lovers will want to find out more about Millie and like this series.

Millie's past has made her infamous in the coastal town of Whitecliff Bay. Still, she likes it there and spends time developing her grooming business and volunteering at the local care home where the mystery begins. Millie is complex but inherently good, and this invests readers in her future. The world-building is detailed, and consequently, the novel is gently paced, but it immerses you in the setting, its inhabitants, and the mystery of the One Who Fell.
I like the amateur sleuthing team of Millie and Guy, the suspense and the chilling atmosphere created.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

This was a great start to a new series. This was a really interesting small-town mystery which I found really enjoyable to read. This book takes the reader on a journey with Millie to discover the truth.

It did take me a little to get into it but once I was in I was deeply invested in the characters. It is both a fast-paced read while still being easy reading, I look forward to the next in the

The One Who Fell (A Whitecliff Bay Mystery Book 1) by Kerry Wilkinson
Publisher: Bookouture
Genre: General Fiction (Adult), Mystery & Thrillers
Published: April 17, 2023

The One Who Fell is the first book A Whitecliff Bay Mystery Book series by Kerry Wilkinson. This was the first book I've read by the author and I wasn't sure what to expect.

I struggled to get into this book, but by the end I was glad I kept reading. This book told an interesting story that took some time to build.

The characters were interesting and I feel like there's something there, so I think I'll continue reading this series.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this ebook.
This book was a fun read. The pacing was a little inconsistent however the mystery kept me hooked. Lots of red herrings trying to distract you from the twists and a lot of them worked! Cozies are not normally my genre but I’m glad I took the chance on this one and will continue with the rest of the series

It took me a good 20/30% to really get into this story. It was ok up till that point & I wasn’t sure if I would end up liking this. Then suddenly it became interesting. I liked the setting of this small town with its nosy inhabitants & the secrets that people were keeping. Most importantly, I came to like Millie. If I was her I’m not sure I could have been strong enough with all the scrutiny that surrounds her. Tough girl. I think I’m going to enjoy reading more about her & what goes on in Whitecliff Bay.

Millie Westlake is not popular in the town of Whitecliff. She has a notorious past, a ruined marriage and yet she is determined to find her place in the community. The local nursing home, where she volunteers, is the one place where she feels welcome, her one escape from the questions about the fate of her parents, but when Ingrid, an elderly resident, tells her of the day she saw a girl pushed from a nearby roof, Millie is the only one who believes her.
Finding an unlikely ally in a local journalist, Millie is determined to find the truth in Ingrid’s story. But with a broken tile the only thing resembling evidence, is the only result of Millie’s investigations to make a new enemy in the shape of the owner of the aforementioned roof? And what is the mysterious creature stalking the shadows?
Well, this is a an interesting one, not least in the publishing schedule. The One Who Fell is the first of four books in the series so far, released on 17th April this year, followed by The One Who Was Taken and The Ones Who Were Buried, both also released on the same day, and they will be followed by The Ones Who Are Hidden… um, a month later. I guess someone has been busy over lockdown.
I read a lot of Kerry’s Jessica Daniel mystery/thrillers early on in the life of the blog and then read a couple more after a break – I always enjoyed them and I’ve no reason why I ever took a long break from the series. Pretty sure that… yep… I wrote at the end of the last review that I’d be back to the series soon, three and a bit years ago. Oops.
Anyway, when I saw this on Netgalley, I thought I’d take a look. And it fits fairly neatly into a theme from this month’s read. Just with Death Under A Little Sky, Vera Wong and Murder Under A Tuscan Sun, this is just as concerned about the trials and tribulations of the lead character as it is about the mystery at the centre of the tale.
And I’m going to be honest here, I think this one swings too much towards the mysteries of Millie’s past, as while the story of the girl on the roof is remarkably effective and something I haven’t seen before, there isn’t an awful lot of complexity to it. This feels like a scene-setter for the overarching arc concerning Millie’s past and, apologies for vague spoilers here, not everything about it is revealed here. It even ends with a “will we find out about… - read the next book.” So I suppose the most important question is, will I read the next book to find out?
And the answer is… maybe. Maybe I will. Maybe I’ll finally go back to the next Jessica Daniel book (as that had something of a cliffhanger too, iirc). But I’m not a fan of that sort of thing, I like things to be completely self-contained. So it’s a definite maybe.
The One Who Fell is out from Bookoutre on ebook (currently free, btw) and paperback, as are the sequels.

A girl fell from a roof. Did she jump or was she pushed? Did she survive? Where is she? Did this really happen or did somebody imagine it? This is one of the great mysteries of this book and there were many more to discover. This book was entertaining and interesting. The best part is, it all started when a hopeless young woman believed a lonely woman when no one else would. The story was full of twists and surprises that I enjoyed a lot.

I love this author and will read anything by him. And this book! Wow! What an incredibly brilliant start to a new series! Loved it, loved it!

In the small seaside town of Whitecliff everyone knows everyone else. Something Millie Westlake wishes wasn't the case! After a well publicised affair with a local MP & the death of her parents (they committed suicide but Millie got the house so...) She tried to keep her head down, develop her dog grooming & training business whilst volunteering at the local care home. When Ingrid, one of the residents says that she saw a young woman jump/was pushed from the roof opposite Millie thinks she may be imagining things but something nags at her & when she looks at the likely landing spot she she wonders if Ingrid was right. The owner of the house is most unpleasant & Millie's curiosity is aroused. She gets in touch with Guy, a retired reporter who now writes a local blog & together they set out to investigate.

This is not a fast paced crime story. The reader gets to know the place & the people around Millie. It gradually draws you in. The setting & the characters draw you in. I loved it! Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read this book.

Whitecliff Bay is a bit dreary as a setting. That was my first impression. But like
all small towns there is gossip, secrets which unravel slowly in the strangest ways.

Millie has a colorful past. By innuendo accused (and believed by many) to have murdered
her parents, subsequently accused by public shaming of an affair with a married MP,
divorced by hercondescending, know it all husband, deprived custody of her only son,
Millie is stoic and resigned. This can get irritating when we get to the bottom of her story.

Working as a volunteer at an old peoples home, Ingrid one of the inmates discloses that she
saw a young woman on the roof of a very tall house directly in front of the home. Whether
to brush this off as imagination or not is Millie's dilemma. The story picks up from
there and slowly unravels in a sequence.

The setting was drab, millie herself colorless for the most part, her own house characterless
so that drawing a good story out of dullness was clever. The story was precise, cleverly
put together.

Ive read many of Kerry Wilkinson's back library and enjoyed them immensely. THE ONE WHO FELL is the 1st book in the Whitecliff Bay series. The first book in a series must set up the characters, the community and the back story. Readers MUST receive a general mind picture to keep them interested. Mr Wilkinson does an excellent job of skillfully building this picture. You will have definite feelings about these characters within the first few chapters. Good or bad, you'll recognize them.
In the small community of Whitecliff, there are no secrets. When the rumors start that Millie is responsible for her parents' death, she will find it difficult to face the many who would believe them true. To step outside the drama, Millie volunteers at a seniors' home. When one of the residents repeats a story of a girl who was pushed off a roof, not fell as the story is told, Millie will investiagte. If she could prove this rumor wrong, maybe the others would stop too.
This was a very good read. It falls somewhere in between a cozy mystery and a thriller. I love both genre and this satisfied both story cravings. For the first in a series, it has given us enough information to build the next books into ones that we must read.

Finally another book finished! It took me a while to read again, but I'm in a flow again. This time it was The One Who Felly by Kerry Wilkinson and it was published on the 17th of April. I received it from Bookouture via Netgalley.

We follow Millie who volunteers at an age care home. One of the residents claims to have seen something from her window. Millie is rather curious and starts to look into this and that turns I to a full investigation with lots of people involved. And, of course, this all leads to a thrilling conclusion.

The characters were developed well and their backstories were just just briefly described to keep you interested in the character development. I guess this will be described in more detail in the other books. The story was also a fun one - the premise was interesting and an investigation carried out by a 'normal' (non police) person is always a fun idea. I found the pace of the story to be a bit slow at times and the descriptions sometimes a bit too much, too many details that weren't necessary.

All in all a decent 3/5⭐