I’m pleased to welcome you today to my stop on the blog tour for sublime cosy mystery Murder on the Downs by Julie Wassmer. Thanks to Anne Cater and Little Brown for giving me the opportunity to read and review this lovely summer read.
About the book:
A controversial new property development is planned in Whitstable which will encroach
upon the green open space of the downs, to the dismay of Whitstable residents who view
this as the thin end of the wedge with regard to local wildlife conservation.
A campaign springs into life, spearheaded by a friend of Pearl’s family, Martha Laker. A
committed environmentalist, Martha is no stranger to controversy herself. She has also
managed to divide opinion across town, with the locals viewing her as their fearless
champion while establishment figures seeing only an interfering agitator.
Tensions escalate between the developers and Whitstable residents, straining Pearl’s close relationship with London-born police officer, DCI Mike McGuire, who harbours concerns that the local campaign will spiral out of control. Pearl’s loyalties are torn, but the protest duly goes ahead – and newspaper headlines claim a moral victory for the residents in this David and Goliath battle.
But the victory is short lived when Pearl discovers a dead body on the downs…
About the author:
Julie Wassmer was born in the East End of London, studied at Kingston University and had a variety of different jobs before she finally settled down to become a professional television drama writer.
She worked on several TV series, including ITV’s London’s Burning, C5’s Family Affairs and the popular BBC soap, Eastenders, which she wrote for almost 20 years.
In 2010, her autobiography More Than Just Coincidence was published by Harper Collins/True. The book entered the Sunday Times Best Selling Non Fiction Top Twenty and went on to become Mumsnet Book of the Year.
In 2015, Julie’s debut crime novel, The Whitstable Pearl Mystery, was published by award-winning publisher, Little, Brown Book Group. Six other books have since followed in the series with more on the way, and the television rights to the series have been optioned by the TV production company, Buccaneer, the makers of Marcella, starring Anna Friel.
Julie moved to Whitstable twenty years ago where she shares a home with her husband, Kas, and three cats, Charlie, Lily and Maisie. She also spends a great deal of time campaigning on environmental issues.
Murder on the Downs is the seventh book in the Whitstable Pearl Mystery series.
My Review:
Murder on the Downs is the seventh book in the Whitstable Pearl Mystery series of books by Julie Wassmer, but is the first one I’ve read. It reads very well as a standalone, however, and is a sublime cosy mystery that makes for a perfect summer read.
Set against the backdrop of the seaside town of Whitstable, the story begins as Pearl and DCI Mike McGuire return from a blissful weekend away. But then news of a controversial new property development breaks and a campaign soon springs to life, spearheaded by friend of the family, Martha Laker. Tensions soon begin to escalate between the developers and the residents of Whitstable, causing problems between Pearl and Mike, who fears the local campaign is about to spiral out of control. But the protest eventually goes ahead, with the newspapers soon declaring a win for the people of Whitstable!
However, just as the residents begin to celebrate their victory, Pearl discovers a dead body on the downs…
What follows is a light but suspense filled cosy murder mystery that kept me guessing throughout. Murder on the Downs is a pure delight, the author bringing Whitstable vividly to life, her gorgeous writing instantly transporting me to the sights and sounds of this lovely seaside town. Filled with a cast of colourful characters who I quickly came to care about, this is a book that once started I could not put down, reading the whole thing in one sitting as I was enjoying it so much!
What a sublime read Murder on the Downs is! A gentle, character driven murder mystery tale that I did not want to end, I look forward to spending more time in the company of the residents of this lovely seaside town again very soon!
A light and easy read that I would highly recommend, Julie Wassmer has written the perfect book to lose yourself in this summer.
Murder on the Downs is available to purchase now: Amazon UK
Check out what these other fabulous bloggers have to say about this book:
Cal Turner Reviews 
Hi Cal,
I was thrilled to read your wonderful review of my new book, Murder on the Downs, and I can’t thank you enough for taking the time to read the book and I do hope you enjoy more titles in the series which has been optioned for TV by the makers of Marcella, starring Anna Friel.
Fingers crossed, “Pearl” may be stepping on to the small screen.
Kind regards,
Julie (Wassmer) http://www.juliewassmer.com
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You are so welcome! I’m so pleased you liked my review. I look forward to reading more in the series soon. And how lovely would it be to see Pearl make it on to the small screen! So exciting! 😍 x
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Thanks so much for the blog tour support xx
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It was my pleasure, Anne. xx
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