The Body on the Beach

A Fethering Mystery

By: Simon Brett

Narrated by: Geoffrey Howard

Recently retired, Carole Seddon is residing in Fethering in the cottage she purchased with her ex-husband. There she maintains a quiet and sensible life with the companionship of Gulliver, her Labrador retriever. But everything changes when she and Gulliver, while taking their daily constitutional, find a corpse on the beach. What's more, there are two wounds on its neck. The body mysteriously disappears and the police dismiss Carole as a befuddled middle-aged woman. She almost starts to believe it herself...until a stranger threatens her to keep quiet or else.

Unable to contain her anxiety, Carole confides in her eccentric neighbor, Jude - who suggests that if the police cannot be bothered to catch a killer, maybe they should do it themselves.

©2000 Simon Brett (P)2000 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Simon Brett is one of the wittiest mystery writers around." ( Baltimore Sun)
"Howard's narrative clarity and varied inflection illustrate the story remarkably well." ( Booklist)
"Brett has written yet another mystery with a good central puzzle and intriguing individual touches." ( Chicago Tribune)

I loved it!

Two great characters, one a free spirit, one an uptight and social conservative join together to discover what happened to the body on the beach. A fun, wonderful listen. My only complaint is that the reader could have slowed down a bit, but that didn't spoil the listen for me. Many of the locals are funny without knowing they are and that adds to the enjoyment of the book. I'm definitely going to be listening to more of these Feathering mysteries. A great cozy. Highly recommended.

Delightful contemporary cozy with an edge

How have I never happened on this series before? The narration is wonderful, the characters memorable , quirky yet completely believable, and the mystery compelling. Looking forward to the next in the series.

Easy to listen to

First of all I have already stopped reading a few books simply because the reader turned me right off...not so in this case. Geoffrey Howard does a super job. The story moves along in a very logical and easy to listen to way. Not a lot of jumping back and forth in time and place. I'm about ready to look for my second book by this author.

A Nice Little Cozy

The Body On The Beach was a very pleasant way to spend 7 hours of leisure time. The narrator, Geoffrey Howard, did an excellent job, getting each character just right and adding much to the enjoyment of the book. The plot and characters were interesting enough, and i would like to read other books by Simon Brett. If you are a fan of the British cozy i think you will enjoy this one.

Cozy with substance

Plot kept me intrigued, characters were developed enough to make you care. Fun read. Xxxxxxxxz

Nothing Cozy Here

Because I can't see anything cute and cuddly about murder, I avoid mysteries marketed under the "cozy" rubric. So I was taken aback by another reviewer docketing this story as such. Unless I'm completely misunderstanding the label, I can't see anything cozy here.

Yes, our protagonists are a middle-aged female odd couple (one conventional, one a free spirit) living on the fringe of a comfortable upscale community. But they spend more time drinking white wine at the pub than tea in the drawing room. And the result of their partnership -- besides solving a crime -- is to ease our conventional heroine out of her cozy attitude to life. Realizing real people either have been or are going to get hurt, she even stops thinking about the amateur investigation as a "game". Add a perfectly horrible marriage, a teenage suicide and a rotting corpse and the atmosphere becomes even more un-cozy.

It's a terrific yarn full of vivid characters with a great denouement. And, as always, Geoffrey Howard makes it sound even better.

A Classic Cozy without cats, psychics or recipes

A nice little listen. A little over the top but for those who want a nice little English Village mystery, this is just the ticket.

Fun

I'm excited to find a new British mystery series !! Great story and narrator!! highly recommend

Two for the Winners

A bit slow starting but then a run to the finish! Some interesting twists and turns and great character development (especially Carole). Am chomping at the bit to start the next one!

Great female mystery solvers

1st time reading this author, Excellent plot , good characters and ambiance . Loved the idea of one local older lady and a mystery fellow lady crime solver. The novice approach.