Murder at the Seaview Hotel by Glenda Young follows recently widowed Helen Dexter as she comes to terms with the death of her husband, Tom.
Returning to the Seaview Hotel in Scarborough, Helen is struggling with grief. Without her Elvis obsessed husband she’s lost. Can she face running it on her own, especially with an appealing (if pushy) offer to sell?
However, a plea from ‘Twelvis’, a twelve strong Elvis tribute group, changes all that. They are appearing at the sell-out Elvis convention and desperately need somewhere to stay. With a renewed sense of purpose Helen refuses to sell, reopens and tentatively plans for the future.
But then a member of Twelvis is found dead, face down in the lake of Peasholm Park. And when the hotel buyer turns nasty Helen must fight for her livelihood.
Murder at the Seaview Hotel is a great tale of treachery and skullduggery in Scarborough. Young seamlessly blends the themes of grief, friendship, hope and second chances with humour. There is a great deal of sensitivity and empathy which I believe would comfort those grieving the death of a partner. There’s a real affection for the Yorkshire seaside town running through the novel. I sense Young must have a soft spot for this iconic holiday destination.
With a wonderful cast of characters (some love rubbing people up the wrong way) this is an engaging and extremely well written novel. If you love cosy crime, I can certainly recommend Murder at the Seaview Hotel by Glenda Young. This is the first in the Helen Dexter series and I’ll certainly be catching up on more adventures from this Yorkshire landlady and her greyhound Suki.