I received this book for free from my own shelves in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Source: my own shelves
Scandal at the Salty Dog
by
Josh Lanyon
LGBT, amateur sleuth, cozy mystery in a Kindle edition that was published by JustJoshin Publishing Inc. on May 31, 2021 and has 248 pages.
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Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Fatal Shadows, Death of a Pirate King, A Dangerous Thing, The Hell You Say, Dark Tide, Somebody Killed His Editor, Fair Play, Fair Chance, "So This is Christmas", Murder at Pirate's Cove, Secret at Skull House, Footsteps in the Dark, Mystery at the Masquerade, The Dark Farewell, “A Funny Thing Happened . . .”, Murder Takes the High Road, Fair Game, Corpse at Captain's Seat, Body at Buccaneer's Bay, Lament at Loon Landing, Death at the Deep Dive
Fourth in the Secrets and Scrabble LGBTQ cozy mystery series revolving around Ellery Page, an amateur sleuth who owns a mystery-oriented bookstore on an island off Rhode Island.
My Take
A bookstore. A house that needs revamping. Sounds like fun!
Ooh, Dr Mane wants to date Ellery. As far as Jack is concerned he doesn’t want Ellery to go on that date, but he also realizes it’s not fair to make demands . . . at this point.
Oh, oh. Jack can’t cook. Hey, I sympathize. I hate to cook!
Ellery discovers his need for more employees — that “vacation” he had to take showed him how much he needed help! And those interviews are a crack-up. Seems someone needs a new adventure.
”Honestly . . . to get unemployment, you have to go on interviews . . .”
Poor Ellery. He really doesn’t plan on sleuthing, but he keeps being pulled in, especially by the Silver Sleuths, will he, nill he. Of course it doesn’t help that Ellery has a need to help others and a curiosity that could kill a dog. That need provides the opportunity to add more tension by ticking Jack off. Which is not always fair. Then again, as Jack notes, this is the fourth time in four months.
I do love that Ellery is comfortable calling Sue out on her crap.
Bit of foreshadowing here through stairway encounters and the upcoming visit from Ellery’s parents. There’s also the usual back history on the founding of Pirate’s Cove with a history on the fabulous Blackwell sisters with mentions of the family’s descent (and curse) by the pirate brothers. It seems as if the sixty-something Juliet Blackwell still had it as of 20 years ago with that 20-year-old Don Juan.
Hmm, I thought the gates at Miss Blackwell’s were locked? However did the ambulance get to the house? Ah, never mind. That question was answered later. I do wish, though, that Lanyon would choose one or the other. It’s either Pirate Cove or Pirate’s Cove. Make up your mind!
I’m not too thrilled with Lanyon’s telling us about Miss Blackwell’s confusion. There’s no tension here. There’s more drama when it comes to Dr Mane being interested in Ellery, which does make me tense up, especially when Ellery begins to suspect him.
The characters are an odd assortment with “tortured” teens, the day-drinking Miss Blackwell with her fear of anyone coming into her house, the breaking-and-entering, and those sneaky Silver Sleuths. Of course, the solid Jack and the twitchy Ellery with his Watson provide that solid ground with a good bit of action.
Lanyon uses third person protagonist point-of-view from Ellery’s perspective, which is how we learn so much of what Ellery thinks, feels, and experiences. And I gotta say, what?? Just how does Ellery come to that conclusion about that character’s death?? There are no hints anywhere. Although Lanyon does include some outlandish red herrings.
It’s an easy read with background on more of the island’s inhabitants as well as some of their futures. If you’re following the series and enjoying the characters’ progressions and future plans, you’ll want to read it.
The Story
What it is for a guy to get a reputation for solving crime. Libby Tulley knows that Ellery is the man to solve her break-in issues.
Now if only Ellery can solve Miss Blackwell’s ghostly break-ins . . .
The Characters
The Scrabble-obsessed Ellery Page, a former actor (the Happy Halloween! You’re Dead! franchise), current playwright, and bookstore owner, a man who isn’t really interested in mysteries and yet gets pulled in to them. Captain’s Seat, built by Captain Horatio Page, a pirate-hunter, is the decrepit mansion Ellery inherited from Great-great-great-aunt Eudora. Watson is Ellery’s sixish-month-old black spaniel mix. The Crow’s Nest is the bookstore Ellery inherited; it had been the Sea Horse tavern back in the day. Rupert is a skeleton in the shop. Nora Sweeney, a retiree, works for Ellery at the store — and is a very useful source of information on the island. Felix Jones, the son of the former mayor (Secret at Skull House, 2) who wants to be an actor, is helping out at the Crow’s nest. Talia Alexander, Ellery’s mother, is a very good actor. George is Ellery’s stepfather and a director.
Jack Carson, Pirate’s Cove’s police chief, is Ellery’s boyfriend. Detective George Lansing is planning on running for mayor; Maggie is his wife and Gail’s niece. Mac is the desk sergeant. Martin is a police officer. Hannah is Jack’s wife who died.
Pirate’s Cove on Buck Island, Rhode Island, is . . .
. . . the village — with its underground tunnels from the 1600s, where Ellery’s bookstore and house is located.
The Salty Dog (once known as the Black Dog and owned by Magnus MacGilroy) is a pub owned by Tom Tulley. Libby Tulley is his daughter and Felix’s ex-girlfriend. Reg is the barman, and Carla and Frankie are waitresses. Janet Maples, Trevor’s ex-wife, is dating Tom. The Fish and Chippies are a band that sings at the Salty Dog. Guests include the Klines and the night walking birder, Pepper Owen who’s against bed checks.
Nan Sweeney, Nora’s niece, the assistant mayor, and the owner of the Seacrest Inn, has stepped in for Cyrus Jones. The Buck Island Med Center is where Dr Robert Mane — he loves Scrabble; Ione Jay, the senior nurse practitioner; and, Daisy, another nurse, work. Terry owns a shop next door to the Crow’s Nest. The Blue Galleon has breakfast specials. Long Johns and Jelly Rolls is a bakery. Zeb Young, a former air-raid warden has a key to the tunnels.
Dylan Carter is a friend of Ellery’s and runs the Toy Chest and the Scallywags, Pirate’s Cove’s local amateur theater group. Dylan has been seeing September St Simmons, a newcomer. The duplicitous Sue Lewis is the owner/editor of the Scuttlebutt Weekly. Wine and Rosés is a wine bar.
Applicants for a job at the Crow’s Nest include Shirley Schreiber; Jane Smith, who’s a regular customer who experiences difficulties in parting with money and sometime member of the Silver Sleuths; Addison; the colorful, middle-aged Betty Ewing; the opinionated Naomi Puckett; Ken Dahl; the bookish Dorrance; Kingston Peabody; and, Dick Dix.
Imelda Appleby and the eccentric (and notorious) Juliet Blackwell — she encourages Watson to drink rum — are customers. Cressida had been Juliet’s sister. Edgar Blackwell had been their father, who’d been running out of money — the Black House is now thought to be worth millions. Lásló Jeles had been Juliet’s wealthy fiancé. Robin Mann was a summer visitor twenty years ago with whom Juliet had been infatuated. Mann was also involved with Peggy London, Genieve Finley, and Martha Mott. Wendy Parrish is Juliet’s niece. Rufus Blackwell had been a pirate, a friend of the governor, and sailed the Golden Vanity. He was also Juliet’s ancestor along with his younger brother, Philip, who turned King’s evidence. A fellow pirate had been Thomas Swann of the Bachelor’s Delight.
The Silver Sleuths is a book club that includes Mrs Ferris, Stanley Starling, Hermione Nelson, Mrs Clarence, and Mrs Smith / Miss Smith. Maria McGillicuddy cleans house for Miss Blackwell while Patty Bourbon of the Bourbon Street Salon visits for shampoos and manicures — Miss Blackwell hasn’t left her house in 20 years. Julian and Marguerite Bloodworth are unlikely to come back to Pirate’s Cove (Mystery at the Masquerade, 3). Gail McGillicuddy was the Bloodworth cook. The Deep Dive is a locals-only hangout owned by the Shandy family. Ellery belongs to the Monday Night Scrabblers. Ned got arrested.
Todd is Ellery’s ex (Murder at Pirate’s Cove, 1). Brandon Abbot is another ex (Secret at Skull House). The Barbys featured in Mystery at the Masquerade. Pirates of New England is the bible for the Pirate’s Eight with Tom Blood as one of its topics.
The Cover and Title
The cover has a hunter green background with a huge aged wooden sign of boards with the head of a dog balancing a mug of beer framed by a laurel of leaves and a scroll wrapping around it at the bottom proclaiming this the Salty Dog. At the top is the author’s name in a deep yellow. The title is immediately below it in white. Below the sign is a distressed, vintage paper scroll with the series information on it in brown.
The title does include a Scandal at the Salty Dog but there’s more drama at the Black House.
