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  • The Shell House Detectives

  • A Shell House Detectives Mystery, Book 1
  • By: Emylia Hall
  • Narrated by: Kate Rawson
  • Length: 12 hrs and 14 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (44 ratings)

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The Shell House Detectives

By: Emylia Hall
Narrated by: Kate Rawson
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Summary

"A cleverly plotted and thoroughly enjoyable book about dark deeds in beautiful places."—Elly Griffiths

Welcome to the coastal paradise of Porthpella, where murder lurks among the dunes…

Late one night, a distraught young man knocks on the door of retired and recently widowed Ally Bright’s remote home on the Cornish coast. But before she can make sense of his confused words, he’s gone—not to be seen again until he’s found the next morning at the foot of the nearby cliffs.

In an instant, the peace of Ally’s beachcombing life is shattered. Feeling responsible for the young man’s fate, she wants to help find answers—as does ex-cop Jayden Weston, whom Ally meets at the scene. He shares her certainty that there’s more to the story than attempted suicide. When it emerges that the man is newly released ex-offender Lewis Pascoe, and that Helena, the wealthy new owner of his grandmother’s home, has subsequently disappeared, the tight-knit community of Porthpella is thrown into turmoil.

Driven by their need to know more, the duo decide to investigate the mystery together. Is there a connection between the Pascoe family’s tragic history and Helena’s disappearance? And if there is a killer stalking Porthpella, do Ally and Jayden have what it takes to catch them?

©2023 Emylia Hall. (P)2023 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.
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Critic reviews

“Kate Rawson's warm, flexible tones are perfect for introducing a new cozy mystery series featuring an unlikely pair of bighearted investigators.… Rawson's expressive voice wonderfully portrays the varied locals, creating the sense of a close-knit community. Listeners will find themselves increasingly caught up in the suspense of discovering what happened in the two incidents, as well as some unsettling earlier ones. An enjoyable start to a new mystery series.”AudioFile Magazine

“With a very special appeal and attraction for fans of Cozy Mysteries and Private Investigation murder mysteries, this…is brilliantly narrated by the verbal narrative talents of Kate Rawson. …a fun listening experience.”Midwest Book Review

“A cleverly plotted and thoroughly enjoyable book about dark deeds in beautiful places.”—Elly Griffiths, author of the Ruth Galloway series

What listeners say about The Shell House Detectives

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

not really for me

The plot was clever and well thought through, though personally I found some things a bit too simplistic, deciding a person was (pretty much) a "baddie" by the way their smile didn't meet their eyes etc
I also found the narrator just too slow - whereas normally I enjoy the speed.of a narration, I ran this one on 1.5 to get through it
So this will definitely suit some, but happened to not really be my cup of tea

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Northwest listener

It was a nice story with some intrigue but lacked an element of umph and finality

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Great cosy mystery

I enjoyed the first in this series. Great characters and good plot but not a fan of this narrator. Sounded a bit too ‘country bumpkin’ at times.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A new good author

I really enjoyed this book, the characters and the setting was just right. The author brought the place alive, a quiet seaside setting I loved it.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Enjoyable

I found this book really enjoyable. Read it in two sessions and it was better than a lot of books I’ve come across lately.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A cosy crime that leaves you wanting more

A delightful combination of location and principle characters that drew me in and made me care from the start.
As the supporting characters entered the story there was enough to keep me guessing, enough to help me feel the characters were real, and enough red herrings to lead me astray… I’m glad I only have to say au revoir and not goodbye.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

good plot

The plot was great with some good twists and turns. Please change the narrator for more in the series. Along with others, i felt the narrator had a 'talking down to children' voice, sugar sweet, which was off putting

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Good listen

Enjoyed listening whilst on a long drive however the reader did get a bit annoying at times felt like she was reading to children! Loved the story though and will probably get the next one too.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Enjoyable story

Enjoyable story to pass the time. However found the narration to be almost unbearable. Had to increase the speed to get through it.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Loved it

Loved this story. Wholesome and lovely. Couldn’t get used to the narration at first but got over it and went on to enjoy it immensely.

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