A cozy set in Cornwall! This is the third in a series and to be honest, you will appreciate this much more if you've read at least one of the earlier installments because there's a large cast of characters and some of it will be more meaningful if you know the backstory. Whew! Now, Donna has once again found herself at the center of a murder investigation, this time centered around an artist. And her ex DS Joe Eyns is sent down to investigate. It's nicely twisty and atmospheric. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

It took me a little while to get into this story, perhaps because I didn't already know the characters. But I did enjoy it once I started to get a feel for who was who. I wasn't exactly sure I liked Donna...she did grow on me, by the end, but I wanted her to be a bit cleverer about figuring things out.
I'm also not totally sure what happened at the end! The whole Poirot reveal seemed to be going well, but then more & more was revealed and there were a LOT of things to try & keep hold of.

I did like Joe though, and I was probably most interested in his love story with Donna.

Edge of the World Detective Agency Book 3

When Donna attends prominent TV anthropologist Gerald Dubois's book launch at the Tate St. Ives art gallery, the last thing she expects to find among the paintings is a brutally artistic murder. With only a select group of attendees at the exclusive after-party lock-in, Donna must investigate each of the seven guests' motives. As Donna delves deeper into the investigation, she discovers Gerald's extensive research of the mysteries of Cornwall's Bronze Age stone circles, and before long, she's unexpectedly embroiled in secret societies, witchcraft, and the occult.

There were a mixed bunch of characters in this book, varying from practising witches to artists. This time Donna is the main suspect, three murders have taken place, and Donna has to prove that she is innocent. DS Joe Eyns has been sent from London's Home Office to head the investigation.

I really like this cosy murder mystery series. There are plenty of twists and red herrings. We are also kept guessing whether Donna and Joe will finally get together.

Published 19th April

I would like to thank #NetGalley #HarperCollinsUK #OneMoreChapter and the author #JoSilva for my ARC of DeathComestoStIves in exchange for an honest review.

Death Comes to St. Ives is the third novel in the fun and madcap series, The End of the World Detective Agency series, by Jo Silva.
This is the first book from the series thar I've read and I would recommend starting with the first book if you are interested in the series, as the action begins on the first page, and there is a long list of characters, so it did take me quite a while to determine just who was who and how they all fitted together.
The characters are an eclectic mix with practicing witches, a private detective, (police) detectives, artists and well, I'm not sure how to describe the remaining characters.
Our protagonist is one (Bella) Donna Nightshade, local detective and supplier of vegetables and floral boxes. She works with her family and has a habit of finding herself in the middle of investigations. This time around, she is accused of multiple murders. So, the Nightshades decide to run their own investigation, with the assistance of Donna's former boyfriend Joe. And Joe has his own reasons for returning to Cornwall.
As I mentioned, there are multiple characters in the novel and I did find myself scanning back through the pages to check just when a particular person was introduced/their links to the investigation. I do not normally face this issue, so perhaps it was a lack of interest in the storyline that caused me to struggle?
I enjoyed the premise at the start, but then the storyline meanders into the world of cryptocurrrency, and the Dark Web. I would have preferred to stay with the more entertaining (in my opinion) witchy aspects of the storyline, especially as this seems central to the life of the Nightshade family.
I can imagine this book being popular with many readers who will enjoy the complexity of the mystery and the range of characters.
I will say that I did enjoy the elements of humour throughout the novel.

I love this series! Donna and Joe and her crazy family are like old friends. I’m always anxious to see what new escapades this crew will get into. There’s a fabulous Rube Goldberg machine that plays a prominent role in the story. I think this series is best read in order for maximum enjoyment.

Thank you to One More Chapter Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

5* Absolute escapism, I loved it!

I jumped at the chance of reading an eARC of Jo Silva's latest End of the World Detective Agency series, this is the third book, and I think the best. To fully enjoy these books it's best to read them in order. Ideally read Death Comes to St Ives without interruptions - I didn’t want to put this book down, and didn't.

Donna Nightshade finds herself once more up to her ears in crime. Three murders occur and according to the local blinkered plod, Donna is the main person of interest. In a bid to prove her innocence (she's also bored and incredibly nosy) Donna embarks upon her own investigation. Detective Sergeant Joe Enys, Donna's one time almost boyfriend, is despatched from the Home Office in London to head the police investigation in Cornwall. He can't believe his luck when he's assigned to work with (or watch as she's the chief suspect) Donna.

A word of caution for non British readers, I doubt that even Google will be able to explain some of the British expressions and sayings. Don't be put off, just guess.

Will there be another book about Donna and the End of the World Detective Agency, maybe not after such a dramatic ending. But never say never. Recommended reading.

eARC generously supplied by One More Chapter and NetGalley, this review is my personal, unbiased opinion.

Sadly I only got a quarter of the way through this book before I gave up. The characters were not well drawn and distinct from each other so I had to keep referring back to know who was who and I couldn't feel invested in any of them . The style of writing felt self conscious and florid and would have benefitted from some judicious editing. Sorry but this one was not for me .

series, situational-humor, verbal-humor, poisons, romantic, family, family-dynamics, family-history, famous-author, family-business, local-law-enforcement, local-gossip, multiple-deaths, allergy, sly-humor, small-town, small-business, investigations, friendship, snarky, witches, contemporary, framed, writers, wrong-victim, Cornish-coast, cozy-mystery*****

This is not a citified, somewhat intense/grim, suspenseful, detective procedural, but an investigation of peculiar proportions with fascinating characters, sneaky twists, and amazing red herrings. Great cozy read! There is no way that any reader cannot laugh sox off! This is not as obvious as a farce, but a hilarious meeting with the quixotic Nightshade family and the Edge of the World Detective agency and the interworking with law enforcement. The world building is fairly current, but it still is a fantastic escape from the news media. The hilarity does not depend upon having read the earlier books, but they are so much fun!
I requested and received a temporary EARC from HarperCollins UK/One More Chapter via NetGalley. Thank you!
#EdgeOfTheWorldDetectiveAgency#3 Available 19 Apr 2024

Poor Donna, this time not only is she a suspect in a murder, she is now a suspect in three murders. Was she really just in the wrong place at the wrong time? The police don’t believe so, but Donna is determined to clear her name, and prove them wrong. even when they assign a detective to join her in her own soothing, she will not stop until she figures out who the murderer is.

As always, Donna is one of the best protagonists in Cozy mysteries. Jo Silva certainly knows her way around a cozy mystery. She builds the excitement and suspense, then throw in plenty of red herrings to distract you up until the final reveal.

Every time I see a new entry in this series I get excited for the chance to read it and spend some time on Donna’s next case. If you haven’t read one in this series yet, what are you waiting for? Each one reads fine as a standalone, but but you’ll want to read the others as well.

Another entertaining romp around Cornwall. Murder and mermaids, what more could you ask for?
I love the character development; Donna and Lamorna are a wonderful sibling act, and the “will they, won’t they” romance between Donna and Joe is perfect. Also we meet a host of new people, all of whom make up a great pool of suspects.
There’s some beautiful snapshots of the glorious Cornish landscape and makes me very grateful to live so close to such gorgeous place.

A cozy Cornish read. Full of humour and red herrings. A delightful and warm read.
Many thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my copy.

Another fabulous murder mystery from Jo Silva, it was great to be back in the company of the crazy, funny and entertaining Knightshade family it’s like visiting old friends. The story takes many twists and turns and as usual is humorous and heartwarming. The perfect read to escape from everyday life and imagine you are racing around Cornwall solving a murder with Donna and co. It was very hard to put down as I wanted to know what was going to happen next, A really great read, not to be missed, the whole trilogy is fabulous.