Thank you Poisoned Pen Press, #partner, for the finished copy of The Cove in exchange for my honest review.
Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press
Published: May 5, 2026 (originally published in 2021)
Summary:
THE PERFECT ESCAPE…
Gabrielle Adams has it all – brains, beauty, a handsome fiancé, and a dream job in publishing. Until, one day, everything changes.
The ‘Underground Killer’ takes his victims when they least expect it: standing on the edge of a busy Tube platform, as they wait for a train to arrive through the murky underground tunnels of London.
Gabrielle soon learns that being a survivor is harder than being a victim, and she struggles to return to her old life. Desperate to break free from the endless nightmares, she snatches up an opportunity to run a tiny bookshop in a picturesque cove in rural Cornwall.
She thinks she’s found the perfect escape, but has she swapped one nightmare for another?
Suspense and mystery are peppered with romance and humour in this fast-paced thriller, set amidst the spectacular Cornish landscape.
My thoughts:
This is the first book in another series by my new favorite author, L.J. Ross. This series, The Summer Suspense Mystery series, is probably the lightest, coziest of Ross’s three series, but still involves murder, so of course I’m in.
One thing I’ve come to love about all of Ross’s books is just how atmospheric they tend to be. This one is set in the West Country, in the Cornwall area, and while I have never been there myself, the writing is vivid enough that I can easily picture it. But while this seems to be a beautiful area, I loved how the author shows how the sea and the changing weather can quickly turn dangerous.
Having the book set around the world of publishing and bookselling quickly sold me and I loved seeing that angle play out. Taking the story from the business of London to the quieter pace of smalltown rural Cornwall lulls the reader into a sense of calm until things take a turn for the worse again. With plenty of twists and turns, and lots of characters to be suspicious of, this book kept me guessing all the way through.
This author has quickly become a must-read for me and I am quite eager to continue on not only with this series but also with her other two!
Books in this series:
- The Cove
- The Creek
- The Bay
- The Haven
- The Lizard
Purchasing from the link below supports independent bookstores and my blog!
