As complicated as a Rube Goldberg machine.

This is the third in a series by Jo Silva about Donna (Deadly) Nightshade a Cornish lady of Pirate stock who fancies herself as a private detective. Unfortunately I had not read the previous books so was unfamiliar with her back storey and, more importantly, her extensive family. The most important members of the family are Donna’s sister, Lamorna, her aunts, Kerensa and Donna, and her uncle, Jago.

The story starts with the death of frank Fischer, a local resident, painter, and thought also to have been a retired spy. His death is severally attributed to murder, accident, or the result of a curse Donna has thrown at him.

The tale moves on to a book launch at Tate Gallery, St Ives, where Henry Dubois successful author of young adult fantasy novels has gathered many local residents. He meets an unexpected sticky end and Detective Sergeant Joe Enys is called in to investigate. Now we learn that the DS and Donna have a romantic and investigative history so through the rest of the book, whist we follow the unconventional investigation, there is also the simmering potential of the love match being rekindled.

This is a complicated story with a multitude of characters, it progresses at a good pace with all sorts of twists. It ends with Donna and DS Enys gathering the suspects for the big reveal, which itself is highly complicated and, to me, an unexpected outcome. Whilst I did enjoy the story and the unconventional characters, I suspect I would have benefitted from first reading the earlier books.

I read this book from a pre-publication copy kindly supplied by the publisher, but this is an honest review with no concession to their generosity.

British mystery stories are my favorite, although I usually read historical.

But this was a fun cozy mystery where the main character Donna Nightshade (yes really) finds herself accused of not one but three deaths. What is a girl to do?

With an interesting cast of characters and a great setting, you will be glued until the end!

The first is cursed by a witch, then dies of Novichok; the second is caught between a rock and a hard place; the third’s death is socratic! Three murders in three days is quite a lot, even when they happen in the small part of Cornwall where resides Donna Nightshade, doyen of the “End of the World Detective Agency”. Since Donna found the second and was last to see the third, it is not surprising that she is top of the suspect list, not to mention her previous encounters with the police. With most of the rest of the Nightshade family on the other side of the planet, she and her sister Lamorna will have to solve these cases on their own, until the sudden return of DS Joe Enys, formerly of this parish and nearly boyfriend of Donna’s (it goes without saying that each is in love with the other but somehow doesn’t realise it). As for the three corpses, the first was a Russian double agent, the second the author of a fantastically successful series of science-fantasy childrens’ books, the third a, slightly eccentric, local entrepreneur. It’s a small place so they are all connected, to each other, to Donna, and to almost everyone else. Of the three, the weirdest is the second, since was killed by a Rube Goldberg machine (the type Wile E Coyote favours for the capture of Road Runner). Fitting all of these together into a sensible pattern is just as convoluted as that machine, but to say more would enter into spoiler territory.
This is an amusingly written, cosy crime story, the third in a series (but OK as a standalone). It is a delight to read, but also an intellectual challenge. The characters are all strong, well-constructed and believable – at least believable if you allow that the action is set in Cornwall and that there is a sense of idiosyncrasy about the location. In addition to the main players mentioned above, there are number of supporting characters (some only anecdotally present) who are just as solid. I have reviewed a number of cosy-crime-in-a-singular-setting books and think I have enjoyed this one the most.
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review.

This is the third book in the series about Donna Nightshade set in a lovely coastal town. This book is more mystical than the others with mermaids and witches being more focused. Donna is at a book launch when the author ends up dead, the mystery needs to be so,bed and Donna is there to help with Joe returning to help.

A great mystery that keeps you guessing.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy.

Endearing Cast..
The third outing in the Edge of the World Detective Agency Series of mysteries finds Donna ‘Deadly’ Nightshade with another case to crack. Not only that, as when three suspicious deaths occur and Donna is in the vicinity of them all, she falls under suspicion yet again. Another enjoyable and entertaining instalment in this series, which can happily be read as a standalone, with an endearing cast, a swiftly moving plot and a well imagined backdrop.

A neighbourhood watch member dies while chasing a group of witches down a hill, supposedly from a heart attack.
During a party for a book launch, the author is found dead under an art installation and Donna Nightshade, who along with her Uncle Jago, was at the party, thinks something is amiss.
There are strange things going on in Zennor and Joe is summoned back from London by his old boss to look into them on the quiet. But when the investigating DS has a heart attack, Joe is thrust back into the investigation and has to deal with Donna, the love of his life, who he last saw being proposed to by another man.
An entertaining romp around the UK's most southerly point.

Even though this is book three, it’s still a stand alone story. I haven’t actually read the other two, and although it’s probably a good idea to have read them first, I was able to enjoy the book without doing so. It’s written from the perspective of Donna, the main character and Joe her love interest. If you are a fan of cozy murders you are sure to enjoy this. The storyline is strong and the characters are well rounded. Thank you #netgalley

This is the first book I’ve read in this series, so found all the characters confusing at the start. Once I got into it, I enjoyed the story, especially the death in the Tate, which was clever and amusing.

With three suspicious deaths Donna is again investigating these with (or maybe without) the help of her friend DS Joe Enys. With the addition of witches (any story with the line "When shall we three meet again?" is met with "Tinner's Arms, Sunday night?" has already caught me), mermaids and the Wile e Coyote this isn't a straightforward mystery, even a cozy one. With more twists and turns than a twisty turny thing (©Baldrick) every time I thought that I had it figured out there turned up something new to change everything. Add the romantic element with Joe and you end up with a book that I really couldn't put down.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, however this did not influence my review of the book.

Another entertaining story based in Cornwall by Jo Silva. The usual cast of crazy people who cleverly solve a complex murder. I thoroughly enjoy this stories and this ones' conclusion capped them all.

Set in a remote corner of Cornwall, Death Comes to St Ives presents a broad cast of oddball characters involved in a triple murder which ties in a cryptocurrency scheme, the art and publishing industries, and elements of the occult. Amateur sleuth Donna - whose kooky relatives seem to be involved in every nefarious dealing in the area - and her sometimes boyfriend, police investigator Joe, are tasked with solving the crime.

This is the third novel in a series, but I read it as a standalone - maybe not the best choice. The characters were often hard to keep track of, and combined with the unusually complex mystery it felt like there was simply too much happening for me to keep track of. Plus, I wasn't invested in Donna and Joe's romance since I hadn't read about the earlier developments in their relationship. I did still enjoy the story, but without the necessary context it read as more of a silly, madcap romp than a truly engrossing mystery.

Amateur sleuth Donna Nightshade should really be used to being accused of murder by now – after all, she’s found herself the prime suspect in nearly every case she’s investigated in the past year! However when St. Ives sees not one, not two, but three suspicious deaths in quick succession, and Donna finds herself in the wrong place at the wrong time for each one, she’s forced to defend her good name once again.
The third outing for Donna & another well written cosy mystery, it could be read on its own but the relationships between the strong cast of eclectic characters have developed so to fully appreciate it I’d recommend reading in order. I love the mix of characters & thoroughly enjoyed this murder mystery with witches, the dark web & crypto currency, I had to suspend belief a couple of times but that’s all part of the magic of the series. It was fun, entertaining & I thoroughly enjoyed it
My review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

This is the third book in The Edge of the World Detective Agency series. I am enjoying these books so much. The mystery in this one involves multiple murders, crypto currency, witches and more. It is so involved it practically ties itself in knots but I did not mind at all.

Donna Nightshade is the best kind of main character, a little on the shady side but someone who stands up totally for her friends and family. She can defend herself in almost any situation and there are constant references to both her and her family dabbling in the occult. The writing is excellent and often very funny.

I was very happy to see Joe back. The ending was delightful. I sincerely hope there will be a book four.

Having read the first two installments of this series, I was eagerly anticipating the opportunity to delve into the third and most recent installment, Death Comes to St. Ives. What I find most compelling about this series is the unique blend of characters. Not only that, the Nightshades are quite deadly, as they are descendants of pirates and witches.

The investigation into the murder was as complex as the Road Runner contraption. Though the resolution appeared straightforward in hindsight, the path to unveiling the truth was peppered with misleading clues and erroneous alibis.

From mermaids to cryptocurrencies to best-selling fantasy novel series and the portrayal of unfortunate events such as murders, Death Comes to St. Ives held my undivided attention until the end. A generous dose of whimsical humor was nothing short of a cherry on top. In conclusion, this latest installment of my favorite series lived up to its expectations.

I read the first two books in the series and enjoyed them. However this one was a little slow and felt very long and drawn out. But....I'm not a big fan of detective type books. I don't have the patience for searching for clues and eliminating suspects etc so this is probably why I found it to be slow. I was hesitant in reading the first book in the series and read it more out of curiosity having read and enjoyed the authors previous work. However I did like the first two.

It still has the same humour as the other two books which I do enjoy but it has a very convoluted plot and by the end I had completely run out of patience for finding out who the murderer was. I've come to the conclusion that I'm just not suited to murder mysteries in general so my lack of enjoyment of this one probably isn't down to the book, its maybe just not my thing. However thank you for the opportunity to try it out.

I haven't read any of the previous series but I didn't feel this distracted from the story for me. Humourous throughout I really enjoyed this book. The plot was entertaining enough to keep you reading and I read the book within a day. Will definitely be picking up the previous books. Great read

The very epitome of page-turner with a chilling storyline that grips from the first and kept me guessing right up to the heart-racing denouement STUNNER ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I was drawn to this book simply because I live in St Ives, so have not read the first two books in the End of the World Detective Agency series.

I would strongly recommend reading the books in order as there is little introduction to the many characters, and I found it difficult keeping up with who was who. I am certain I would have enjoyed it more had I read the first two books and had the backstories to Joe, Donna and her family.

Having said that, it is a nicely paced cozy murder mystery with a quirky bunch of characters, good humour and enough red herrings to keep you guessing until the end.

I particularly enjoyed the fact that it was written about my local town! 4*

ook three in this series, and it is a series that needs to be read in order if only to follow the to-ing and fro-ing of the Donna – Joe relationship, along with the Nightingale family. It’s going to sound dismissive if I refer to this as “more of the same” but that’s quite a good way of summarising things. If you liked The Wrecker’s Curse aka The Cornish Curse and Murder On A Cornish Isle, then you’ll like this one. If they weren’t your cup of tea, then this won’t change your mind – and to be honest, it’s quite odd that you’re still reading a series that you don’t like…

The mystery plot here is nicely complex, with as ever Donna not exactly solving things herself, her family helping out (including Uncle Jago who solves a good deal without even being in the country) and Joe being the general voice of reason while trying to pluck up the courage to have a serious conversation with Donna about their future – the when-will-they relationship (I can’t honestly call it a will-they-won’t-they because they obviously will eventually) takes another step forward here. I thought the author did a good job of hiding a standard central idea in the solution – I didn’t spot it, even though I’ve read a few different versions of it in the past.

What I thought was interesting here was a slight paring back of the Nightingale family, with just Donna’s sister and uncle on the scene this time. I’ll be honest, it would be nice to have a book with just Donna and Joe, but I guess that’s not the format of the series.

Anyway, as I said, if you enjoy the series, you’ll enjoy this one. It’s got a very interesting tone which works for me, so why not give it a go?

Maybe it’s because I hadn’t read any of the other books in this series but I just couldn’t get into it. All the dark web and witchy stuff wasn’t for me I’m afraid and I had to skip to the end just to get it done with. Really sorry, I know I’m in the minority. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the arc.