Acquired Book By: Interestingly, I was first contacted in November, 2021 by Mr Wygal’s publicist about his Myrtle Beach Mysteries – however, I was a bit delayed in responding until March, 2022. It took a bit of time to receive the first two books in the series by Mr Wygal and then, I had a few delays of my own this Summer, 2022. He also sent me a copy of “Death Washes Ashore” the second book in the series which is when I realised I needed a copy of the prequel “The Brass Key” in order to better understand the sequencing of the series itself.
I had fully planned to read all the stories shortly thereafter in Autumn of 2022 however, my migraines returned in September and from October 2022 – February 2023 my family and I had gone through over 90+ days of loss (two cats) and medical emergencies with my father who had multiple hospitalisations and stays until he was finally able to be released into a 24/7 nursing care home where he could receive rehab and recovery. Ergo, my readings of this series were delayed due to circumstances rather than anything else which would have delayed me from reviewing the series. I posted my review last year for Death on the Boardwalk and The Brass Key (February, 2023). Whilst Spring 2023 involved an unplanned relocation and a search for a second job – you could say it has been an incredible ride since then juggling two jobs and life outside of work. My blog hasn’t been as updated as regularly as it used to be due to all these different circumstances, but I am coming back strong this Summer, 2024. Whilst I took a short hiatus from reading this series, two more installments have released and a third (book eight) will be releasing October, 2024.
This is another prime example of how publicists and authors alike read through my Review Policy and note the kind of stories I love to seek out to read. Quite a few of the requests I receive are a bit of a miss for me as a reader as they fall outside the realms of what I will accept as a reader or outside my review policy altogether. This is why I left the tweet in my sidebar to alert those seeking reviewers to know this is why we write those pages on our blogs – to help authors, publishers and publicists know our reading sensibilities and preferences. I am celebrating the authors, publishers and publicists today who kindly read those pages and offer us a story we can accept for review consideration.
I received a complimentary copy of “Death Washes Ashore” direct from the author Caleb Wygal in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.
What I am enjoying about The Myrtle Beach Mysteries:
First off: I would definitely recommend reading the prequel The Brass Key ahead of Death on the Boardwalk because it sets such a lovely tone of entrance into the expanding series as much as Peggy and Mark are the kind of characters which endear you to them quite immediately and leave a mark of joy on your heart.
Wygal set a delightful tone of entrance into this Myrtle Berach Mysteries within his prequel of The Brass Key which also laid out the towne itself and gave us a warm entrance of place and setting. However, moreso than even that, I appreciated the chance to get to know Peggy and Mark, as through their own adventure in the towne, it opened the door to meet Clark ahead of his own purposeful position within the series, as well. Wygal has a dry wit about him and writes humour into the backbone of his Cosy series in a way that feels both modern and contemporary at the same time. He isn’t overly comedic either – which gives his series a refreshing voice and style.
The pacing of the series is wonderfully slow-brewing – to where you can settle into the atmosphere of the setting and appreciate where Wygal leads you to traverse through his version of Myrtle Beach. I had to smirk though a bit about the ‘golf car lifestyle’ images because that was something I had previously become familiar with in other stories as well as through travelling to different areas which have far more carts than cars! Laughs. Wygal gently touches on the background of his series setting whilst keeping the focus shifting forward through Clark (his main character) and the persons who interact with Clark as well. From their vantage points, we retreat closer to what is suspending itself behind the evolving mystery whilst gaining a bit more traction into getting our bearings about the community, too.
There is a light-heartedness to this series as much as there is just enough drama percolating in the background to draw your attention forward, too. I found myself delighted in reading the series – from the prequel into the first installment due to how light of a read they were and how enjoyable they were to read, too. Sometimes you want lighter fare in your readerly life and these fit that category brilliant for me. They also were a great transition back into reading after months of non-reading due to personal circumstances affecting my family, too.
I believe this would be a wicked Cosy series for the Cosy Mystery reader who wants to soak into the beachy atmosphere whilst endeavouring to walk alongside Clark and perhaps pick up on the clues as he does whilst potentially connect the dots just ahead of Clark, too! It was a lovely reprieve from reading harder hitting Cosy Crime dramas and I am eager to dive into Death Washes Ashore!
On being delightfully Cosy for Cosy:
For readers who are worried about descriptive scenes within Cosy Mysteries, this series is delightfully cosy for cosy – meaning, you don’t have to worry about descriptive crime scenes. The very first crime scene experience happens in the opening chapter(s) and Wygal shares less depiction of that scene than other Cosy Mystery authors which makes this a very gently told Cosy and a new spin on how you can lead a hearty Mystery without depicting violence.
Death Washes Ashore
Subtitle: A Myrtle Beach Mystery
by Caleb Wygal
Source: Direct from Author
Minutes after solving his first murder, Clark Thomas receives life-changing information about his past. But time waits for no one.
He receives a late-night message from Detective Moody soon after the body of a locally famous entertainer washes up on the Myrtle Beach shore. The department is under enormous pressure to solve the high-profile case quickly. They call upon Clark to help investigate, but to do it quietly.
Clark soon learns there was more to this entertainer than met the eye. He goes behind the curtain of the popular Gladiator Games Dinner Show and meets the performers and the victim's coworkers. He learns that the entertainer with a sparkling public persona was not as squeaky clean as he appeared.
Clark lends his unique ability to tie seemingly unrelated clues together as he races to solve the case. Along the way, he learns more about his wife's death. What he learns shatters his perception of the woman he once loved.
Places to find the book:
ISBN: 9781735437385
Also by this author: Death on the Boardwalk, The Brass Key
Published by Franklin Kerr Press
Format: Paperback Edition
Pages: 281
The Myrtle Beach Mysteries:
The Brass Key (A Prequel, 0.5) (see also Review)
Death on the Boardwalk (Book One) (see also Review)
Death Washes Ashore (Book Two)
Death on the Golden Mile (Book Three)
Death on the Causeway (Book Four)
Death at Tidal Creek (Book Five) *released, October 2023
Death on the Back Nine (Book Six) *released, 23rd April 2024
Myrtle Beach Burns (Book Seven) *forthcoming release October, 2024
Published By: Franklin/Kerr Press (@thefranklinkerr)
Converse via: #ContemporaryMystery or #CosyMystery
as well as #MyrtleBeachMysteries
Available Formats: Trade paperback and Ebook
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