About the Book
Two baffling murders. A hotel full of suspects. One secretive sleuth.
The guests at The Orange Tree Hotel arrive looking forward to a holiday filled with sun, fun, and sangria. But when Russell Aspell, the hotel’s owner, is found dead inside a locked room, any hopes of a relaxing break under the Spanish sun are ruined. Soon, each of the guests will become suspects as their lies and secrets are uncovered.
Then, when a guest is murdered in plain view of everyone else, it’s clear the murderer is not only ingenious but utterly ruthless too.
In order to catch a killer, some perplexing questions will first need to be answered… How did the killer get in and out of a locked room? What is the significance of the mysterious notes found in Russell’s office? What happened to the money in the hotel safe? And why is someone stealing guests’ mobile phones?
Only a special type of investigator with a unique skillset will be able to piece together the clues to stop the killer before they strike again…
Enter Penny Haylestone.
My Review:
Sun, Sea, & Murder by J.S. Savage
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book is told from multiple POVs: from each of the guests staying at the hotel.
I love a good locked room mystery, and this one really delivers. It’s like a classic Agatha Christie, full of secrets and clues that help put together the full picture of the murders. Then comes the big reveal, and POW, you’re hit with the solution, in a Poirot-like fashion, full of twists and turns, all leading to the satisfying conclusion. I absolutely loved it!
The mystery itself really is quite the read, and I greatly enjoyed digging in and trying to figure out what was going on. (Spoiler alert: I did not.) There were many red herrings, plenty of interesting details and lots of secrets that the guests were hiding from each other. It was very interesting.
I’ve read J.S. Savage before, so I knew this book would be good, but this book exceeded my expectations. I highly recommend it, along with the rest of Savage’s work!
About the Author
J.S. Savage is a London based writer who hails from Northern Ireland. His love of detective fiction originated one hot, dusty day in Kandahar when he was serving with the R.A.F. From a bookcase, he picked up Agatha Christie’s The Mystery of the Blue Train, and though she cited it as her worst work, J.S. Savage became enthralled by the deceptions, red herrings, and mastery at work. This fascination with the genre eventually led him to try his hand at his own novel, and so, The Mystery of Treefall Manor was published in September 2023. His latest novel Sun, Sea, and Murder was published in April 2024. Both of these novels were chosen as Book of the Month by the Crime blog In Search of the Classic Mystery Novel.
J.S. Savage has been shortlisted in several short story competitions and is a member of the Crime Writers’ Association.
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