Sophie Sayers, the budding writer working in the quaint Cotswold village’s bookstore, run by her boyfriend Hector, feels slightly out of place when she arrives at a writer retreat on a small Greek island. She didn’t plan on attending such a workshop, but Hector secretly entered her into a writing competition – which she won – and the prize was attending the retreat. Suddenly Sophie is in the company of other writers! And there is a famous although not very likable Marina Milanese, an author of romantic novels which can be found on an airport bookstand, as Sophie discovers about the same time she realizes she’ll be sitting next to Marina on the plane. Soon, on the island, Sophie is the first person on the scene of Marina’s fall from the cliff.
As the storm envelops the island, and the police can’t reach the retreat, the writers decide to launch their investigation. The search party is formed, and the possible motives for getting rid of Marina are discussed, some rather far-fetched, thanks to the group’s lively imagination.
The author of this lively, cozy mystery novel, Debbie Young’s style, is warm and witty, full of light humor, and the book is a refreshing read. Sophie is energetic and funny. Away from her boyfriend (who supplied her before the departure with the useful Greek phrase “I have a boyfriend”), she has time to think about the nature of their relationship and her choice of future writing. There is some practical advice on how one can approach their writing goals.
Ultimately, the mystery is solved, and Sophie is set up to start her writing career. The novel is the sixth in the series, but it can also be seen as the first, establishing Sophie as a witty writer and an intelligent, warm woman.
MURDER AT THE MILL, by Debbie Young, Saga Egmont Audio 2023
Infinite Books 
Leave a comment