This was a good book. I enjoyed the characters and the storyline. I would definitely recommend this book.

I just love cosy mystery's and this book called Murder by the Seaside
by Jackie Baldwin and narrated by Samara MacLaren, is the first book in the new Detective Grace McKenna Scottish Murder series and was
a completely unputdownable cozy mystery novel and was a brilliant audiobook.

A great start to a promising new series

A great audiobook for when the weather is horrible outside.

Big thank you to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for an advance copy of Murder by the Seaside,

A good start to a mystery series set in Scotland. Grace used to be a cop, but is now running a detective agency. With her two office helpers, and a feisty journalist they are off the investigate whether a supposed suicide was just that or murder. Liked this one, and look forward to more in the series. Good read.

Loved this book and all the red herrings! Think I changed my mind at least once a chapter!! Very well written and easy to read. Look out for more by this author. Characters were very believable as were most of the situations they found themselves in! Good read.
Many thanx to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this book

#murderbytheseaside was an interesting read. at times i tired of grace's insecurities and her inability to move past the death of her son (not judging but even the other characters indicate it's unhealthy, the way she moves into a new place and creates a room for him). i also had trouble with her lack of boundaries - with her soon-to-be ex, with the physic paul gordon, with the reporter tobias - and found it hard to believe she was once a member of the police. however, the plotting is good, i appreciated the seaside setting, and the story is compelling. wouldn't rule out this series just yet.

p.s. thanks to #netgalley for the ARC.

First impression of this book is that it's written in a style that I like. I do feel like I am missing something of the background. This is the first in a series and it did confuse a bit. I am happy to enjoy the ride as it is well written.

Grace is the main character and she seems to be a competent investigator who is all business when it comes to the job.

Many know I am a huge fan of psychic style books in crime but it's hard to sometimes find a good quality one. While this story has a psychic component but it's not in the investigator that has it but the case that has the tinge of that world.

Grace is a skeptic and it shows in how she reacts to the case she is working on. That skepticism you can see as draining on her as well as her past.

I like finding out more about the past of the characters and in some ways it's more compelling than the story that it is about.

I do find that while it is well written it just feels that the story to me is taking a second place to what I really wanted which was the backstory

I really enjoyed this crime book! The beginning was a bit slow , but it picked up quite quickly after describing the main character 's life and tragedy. I love the three women of the detective agency, all different from each other, but all very relatable. A recurring emotional theme is grief realistically dealt with. The plot proves complex and fascinating. Up to the end, I was guessing..... The conclusion reveals another twist which left me impatiently waiting for the second book!
I received a complimentary ARC from NetGalley and Storm Publishing and I am leaving voluntarily an honest review.

I love a good cozy mystery and this definitely hit the spot, which after reading all of MC Beatons’ books this thankfully filled the void.

We follow the main character Grace, who after a traumatic life event finds a new career running her own private detective agent.
From losing her husband and the job she loved , Grace is trying to leave her past behind her and we get to see what life is like after while trying to run a business and keep her sanity together. However things start to unravel when
Grace takes a case that leaves her having to face her own demons, put trust in other people and face things she doesn’t believe in.
Things trust and turn from the start and all my theories but one was blown out of the water.
It was an easy read that wasn’t taxing and the book flew by.
Delving into the physic world we see Grace battle her own beliefs while trying to remain impartial to the various suspects whom Grace starts to see in a different light
I would definitely read more books in the series.
And the ending! Didn’t see that coming
A good book for all mystery lovers who like a light read. It was a perfect Sunday read

I loved Murder by the Seaside, the first novel in the Portobello Detective Agency series. Grace McKenna,, her dog Harvey and two women sidekicks make a fabulous team.

Grace is hired by a local resident to investigate the death of her husband. But all is not as it seems in this quiet seaside town. A young girl is murdered at a golf club and the local Psychic Development College comes under suspicion.

It’s a super cosy mystery, best read on a Sunday afternoon with tea and biscuits. The setting, Portobello, could become the next Midsomer.. The characters, particularly Grace and her sleuthing team, shine off the page. It will keep you guessing to the very last page. There’s a real shock there too! I’m already looking forward to reading the next book.

‘Murder by the Seaside’ is the start of a brand new Scottish crime series set in Portobello, Edinburgh! I have been reading more and more of what is termed ‘cosy’ crime this year and I absolutely loved this one. I haven’t read any of Jackie’s books before picking up this one but I was thoroughly impressed.

Grace has had the toughest year of her life. Her son went missing presumed drowned and she fell to pieces. Her marriage has crumbled under the strain and she also left her job as a detective in the police. She has now started up a private detective business in Portobello and she is slowly picking up the pieces. When a client comes in asking Grace to investigate her husband’s death, who was the infamous psychic Paul Gordon, she gets pulled into a world that quickly overwhelms her. She joins forces with Tobias Sloan, a investigative journalist who is determined to prove that Paul’s business partner and the Merchiston College of Psychic Studies is all fake and taking advantage of people. When the body of a young woman, who has links to the College, is found at the local golf club Grace realises there is a killer who won’t stop!

It is the characters that make this book so great! Grace is slowly coming to terms with the death of her son and the end of her marriage. I think the author has portrayed her brilliantly - her grief is palpable but she has an inner core of steel which is getting her through each day! The other two members of the detective agency are young Hannah who comes from a troubled home life and it determined to prove to herself that she can handle this job. Then there is Jean who has recently left her useless husband and needs a bit more excitement in her life. She is the mother of the agency looking after them all! Also of course there is a dog - the gentle Harvey! The combination of them all together made for a great team and I am looking forward to finding about more about them and how they develop in the series.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can't recommend it enough! It has the right blend of seriousness with playfulness. Brilliant characters and the plot was an entertaining read.

Let me know if you pick this one up!

I am so happy I have been able to start a series from book one and I am so happy it was this one as it is such an exciting, suspenseful read and I just couldn't put it down.

This is a murder mystery that reels you in from page one and just keeps on tugging you to keep reading. The characters are fantastic and the story flowed with such ease for such a strong and intense book. Detective Grace McKenna is a strong and smart woman and Hannah just brought that element of adventure to the story.

Not predictable by any means I just wanted to know who did it and that is what made this such a great read. I didn't know! With so many twists and turns it had my brain turning over and over and I love a book that can do that.

Intense, thrilling mysterious and all altogether great book. I highly recommend it.

Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Murder by the Seaside by Jackie Baldwin is an new series. I found the story compelling and the characters, who I assume will be the regulars, interesting. The cliffhanger at the end, clinched it for me and I will be looking forward to the 2nd book. The slight hint of the paranormal also added a bit of extra interest, since I do like those touches to some stories. I recommend this for those who like mystery and suspense and will be recommending it to my library readers.

I’ve just finished reading Jackie Baldwin’s first book in her new cozy crime series - and wow, what a read! It’s definitely a 5* from me. The story follows Grace McKenna, who runs a new private investigation business, along with employees Hannah and Jean, all of whom have their own intriguing backgrounds. Added to that is the fascinating world of psychic mediums (whatever your view is), and a stonker of an ending! I loved the very real sense of longing in the main character to believe in a link to the afterlife, and the issues that creates. Don’t miss out - get your copy asap.

An interesting story with several strands of investigation. Grace, an ex police detective, is now a private detective. She is approached to investigate the supposed suicide of a psychic man, whose wife believes that he was murdered. Grace's own past is also quite complicated as her own son drowned after which her marriage broke up. The plot seemed all over the place in the first part of the book, but it started to make more sense and the different strands came together more as it moved on.
The setting, in the Edinburgh suburb of Portobello, provided the seaside location. Grace and her staff were well described and hopefully in future episodes we will get to know them better. Parts seemed repetitive and did not add much to the story for me ( the repeated conversations with the dog, for example) . I did enjoy the book on the whole though.
Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. I will look out for more from this author

Really good first book in this series, strong main character with lots of twists and turns to keep you totally interested. Thank you netgalley for the advanced copy

I enjoyed the first entry in this series by author Jackie Baldwin. The main character, Grace McKenna is a complicated woman and you can’t help but feel for the tragedy she has had in her life. As a former policewoman, she is well qualified to run her own private detective agency and her first big case is a test of every aspect of her life. Great characters, including the canine kind, and a twisty plot make this a great read!

Murder by the Seaside is a very well written romantic suspense. I enjoyed the plot, and the setting. I recommend this book. My thanks to Netgalley for my advance ebook.

After the toughest year of her life, Detective Grace McKenna leaves the police force & opens the Portobello Detective Agency with her assistants Jean & Hannah. When the glamorous widow of renowned psychic Paul Gordon entreats her to investigate his suspicious death, Grace sees a unique opportunity to make a name for the agency. Joining forces with Tobias Sloan – a dapper investigative reporter seeking answers about his wife's tragic passing – their search takes a dark turn when the body of a beautiful young woman is found at a nearby elite golf club. The evidence leads them straight to Merchiston College of Psychic Studies – the very place where Paul Gordon met his grisly end. Uncovering a shocking secret linking the two murders, Grace finds her professional and personal boundaries are beginning to blur.
An interesting start to the series I really liked Grace who is at rock bottom, thank goodness she has Harvey, this case is just what she needs to begin to lift her. The characters have depth whether you love them or hate them, the pace is good & there are plenty of twists & turns which kept me turning the pages & I read this entertaining read in a sitting & I look forward to the next book
My review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

I was drawn into this book from the very first page, as we find Detective Grace McKenna swimming in the ocean, feeling the pull of it luring her on, until common sense makes her turn back for the shore. We can sense the sadness and unease in her, and it's not long before we discover the burden she's carrying. The pain from her past that can't be resolved immediately draws the reader to her, making her a sympathetic protagonist from the beginning.
Grace has left the police force and has set up the Portobello Detective Agency. The office overlooks the sea, and she lives in the flat above it. Being divorced from her ex-husband, Brodie - another policeman who used to be her sergeant - she now shares her home with her dog, Harvey, who is a wonderful character in his own right, and really comes to life in the pages.
Working alongside Grace are Jean and Hannah, who are keen to take on some serious cases and go undercover. Jean is an older woman while Hannah is still a teenager, which works well in this story as they both take on appropriate roles to help in the investigation. .
When Grace is asked to look into the apparent suicide of a well-known psychic, Paul Gordon, it brings her into contact with investigative journalist Tobias Sloan. Like Grace, he's suffered a terrible personal loss, and the investigation brings up issues for both of them. As Grace tries to find out more about Paul Gordon's personal and professional life, and about his business associates, she is forced to confront her own demons, and struggles to retain control of her emotions at times.
When a second, particularly heartbreaking, murder occurs, events take another, darker turn. Soon Grace finds herself in danger. Who exactly can she trust?
I was gripped by this book, and found the cast of characters interesting and well-rounded. I liked that the story unfolded not only from the viewpoint of Grace, but of Jean and Hannah.
I'll admit I've never heard of Portobello, but was intrigued enough to look it up and was pleasantly surprised. I had no idea! I loved the location, and envied Grace her seafront flat, while having every sympathy for her and the terrible trauma she's gone through. Edinburgh is a brilliant location for a cosy crime series, and I did find the setting one of the major positives of the book.
I kept changing my mind about the murders and who was responsible, and found the mystery aspect well written and suitably puzzling.
Five stars from me, and I would definitely like to read the next in this series.

This series could become a favorite as I thoroughly enjoy this story.
There's elements of mystery and cozy mystery, a strong main character, and a solid mystery.
Grace is a clever woman who's trying to move on. I felt for her and appreciated how the author wrote about her grief.
The mystery is full of twists and turn and kept me guessing.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine