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
Death at the Deep Dive
by
Josh Lanyon
amateur sleuth, cozy mystery in a Kindle edition that was published by JustJoshin Publishing Inc. on August 14, 2022 and has 222 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, Scandal at the Salty Dog, Body at Buccaneer's Bay, Lament at Loon Landing
Seventh in the Secrets and Scrabble amateur sleuth cozy mystery series and revolving around Ellery Page, a former actor-turned-mystery bookshop owner on Buck Island. It’s been eight months since Ellery moved to the island in February (Murder at Pirate’s Cove, 1).
My Take
You don’t want to miss this one! There are revelations galore and a cold case gets solved in a most unexpected manner.
Meanwhile, Ellery is making great progress on renovating Captain’s Seat thanks to Brandon Abbott, and I am enjoying the changes.
The series is definitely a study in economic contrast between Buck Island’s summertime tourist trade and the doldrums of winter, which makes me wonder how they all manage to survive.
It’s through Lanyon’s use of third person protagonist point-of-view from Ellery’s perspective that we learn of Ellery’s thoughts and feelings on his abilities as an actor, lol.
It’s so sweet to read of the progression of Ellery and Jack’s friendship and romantic relationship. It’s so ideal for laying a good base. Jack’s attitude toward Ellery’s insistence on “meddling” is funny. He’s both worried and accepting. He’s also a fanatic about good police work! But he’s not keen on all the politics that comes with being chief.
I do love Lanyon’s descriptions of Watson’s interactions with the world.
”Watson took off to inform the squirrels he was in residence again.”
The re-discovered treasure raises all sorts of questions ranging from the Law of Finds to the Abandoned Shipwreck Act. It also re-opens Vera’s anger and determination to learn the truth. Another discovery is how Ellery is related to the Shandys!? It was quite interesting to learn of Eudora’s relationship with Vernon.
It’s taken me awhile, but I’d like to know why Ellery keeps re-painting that vintage Beetle he inherited. It started out black, then went lighter, now it’s blue, er, baby-blue . . . Then there’s Douglas Franklin’s death in 1990 and again in 1985. I do wish Lanyon would make up his mind whether it’s Pirate’s Cove or Pirate Cove. Lanyon really needs to pay attention to continuity!
Phew, Sue Lewis claims to want to bury the hatchet — Ellery thinks she wants to bury it in his back. At least we finally learn why she hates him.
I would have liked Aunt Eudora. She was opinionated and independent. Usefully, she kept journals.
I do enjoy Lanyon listing children’s mystery writers. I’ve read the Hardy Boys (my mom’s books!), but I never did read Encyclopedia Brown or heard of The Three Investigators! I must redeem that lack!
It’s all about family history and relationships, all of which influences the action. Most of it is wild, but there is some sweet romance. And there’s always a rogue clan, lol. It seems there’s always a dead body around Ellery as well.
The Story
Bored, Ellery Page decides to clear out that storage closet and discovers a dive bag. One filled with pirate treasure — in the bag of a long-missing local man.
Murder only furthers the chaos.
The Characters
Ellery Page has settled into being the owner and proprietor of the Crow’s Nest, a mystery bookstore in Pirate’s Cove. “Elliot Parker” had been Ellery’s stage name. Watson is his black spaniel-mix puppy, rescued in Murder at Pirate’s Cove. Talia Alexander, Ellery’s mother, is married to George Alexander, his stepfather (Body at Buccaneer’s Bay, 5). Ellery also inherits Skull House.
Jack Carson is the chief of police and Ellery’s boyfriend. Ellery reckons Jack is perfect in so many ways — but he’s a terrible cook. Mac is the desk sergeant. George Lansing is one of Carson’s detectives who’s planning on running for mayor. Ballard, the previous chief of police, did not have a good reputation. Colonel Giordano is with the State Police.
Pirate’s Cove, Buck Island, Rhode Island, is . . .
. . . the village where Captain’s Seat (the mansion built by Captain Horatio Page that Ellery inherited from Great-great-great aunt Eudora Page) and the Crow’s Nest (the mystery bookshop) are located. Founded by the original eight pirates, the Pirate’s Eight, the island is riddled with tunnels.
Tom Tulley owns the Salty Dog pub and inn. Libby Tulley is Tom’s daughter and away at college. “Cap” Elijah Murphy writes a column for the Scuttlebutt Weekly, the island newsletter owned and edited by Ellery’s arch-enemy, Sue Lewis. Cap is also the captain of the Fishful Thinking. Dylan Carter owns the Toy Chest next door to the bookshop; runs the Scallywags, an amateur theater guild; hosts the Monday Night Scrabblers (a game to which Ellery is addicted); and, is Ellery’s closest friend on the island. Abel and Bess Crawford are ancient and prone to domestic disturbances. Ezra Christian drives the island’s taxi. Trevor Maples’ Gimcrack Antiques (Murder at Pirate’s Cove) is now a Mexican restaurant.
Felix Jones, the ex-mayor’s son and Libby’s boyfriend, has been helping out at the Crow’s Nest. He’s now at Brown University, majoring in Theater Arts and Performance Studies. Nora Sweeny is the assistant manager. Kingston Peabody is another employee — and in cahoots with Nora. He’s also begun Saturday Storytime to bring in the children.
The Silver Sleuths book club is more of an investigating group of readers — Ellery thinks of them as a flash mob — that includes Stanley Starling, Hermione Nelson, and Mrs Clarence.
The Shandy clan runs a marine salvage business and is one of the original families. Vernon Shandy went missing decades ago in 1963. But his dive bag has shown up, which had originally belonged to Virgil, Vernon and Vera’s father. Tackle Shandy, a sometimes bodyguard and Vernon’s nephew, has a bad reputation. June is Tackle’s long-suffering wife. Vera “Gram” Sutton-Shandy is the matriarch of the clan, Vernon’s sister, and Tackle’s second cousin. Ned Shandy is the thief for whom Ellery spoke up and Tackle’s nephew (Mystery at the Masquerade). The Deep Dive is both the Shandys’ business office and a bar for locals. Originally it had been the Shandy home. Reg, the bartender from the Salty Dog also bartends at the Deep Dive.
The Pages are said to be related to the Shandy family through Oliver, Barry, Violet, Lowell, Sidney, Everett, Virgil (he married Dana Starling and they had Victor, Vernon, and Vera), and Daisy who are all Eudora’s first cousins.
In the 1790s, Molly Shandy married Phineas Page, and they had Alec, Quillan, and Minerva. Somehow there’s a Sabrina Page and Alden Shandy whose children died. Samantha Page (Eudora’s great-aunt or great-cousin) married Hamilton Shandy, and they had eight children.
Thirza Sweeny founded the whole line (I’m guessing that Lanyon means the Sweeneys and maybe they intersect with the Shandys?) Joan Lewis, Sue’s grandmother, had also been hit on by Vernon.
Suspects include the lying Josephine “Joey” Franklin; her husband, Douglas, who worked as a cook at the Blue Galleon; Barry Shandy (Vernon’s uncle); Tony Bernard (Vernon’s navy buddy and Vera’s fiancé); and, Eudora Page. Rocky is Barry’s son and Tackle’s father. Ginny Murphy was married to Rocky. The wary James Franklin is Douglas’ son, who works as a travel agent.
Ronny is Ellery’s agent with an unexpected proposal with the Happy Halloween! You’re Dead franchise in which Ellery starred as Noah Street. Black Palace Entertainment is the studio owned by Vincent Raimi. Dick Waller will direct. Dex Zimmerman is doing the screenplay. Timon Grantham is SFX. Fallon Provost will be Noah Street, Jr. John Nealon will play the grandfather. Billie Watson will be the female lead. All have a rep as being top-notch. Brandon Abbott had been Ellery’s ex in Secret at Skull House. Danny Boyega had coordinated the fight scenes.
Back in the day
The Royale Hotel, built in 1915, was a very grand hotel that fell on hard times. Located on the far side of the Old Harbor, the area had been a thriving part of the village until . . .
The Blood Red Rose, Captain Blood’s ship, is a legendary wreck. The waters off Buck Island are notorious for shipwrecks. The Rhode Island Marine Archeology Project is located in Newport with Dr Judith Shelton its head.
Ballard Hall is an old mansion that burnt down in 1960. The Yardarm had been the previous newspaper. Pittenweem Jo. Carroll Cole. Odette Wallace had been Tristan’s widow in Body at Buccaneer’s Bay, 5. Mr Landy had been Aunt Eudora’s lawyer. Frances Crane is the hardnosed director of Sunset Shores, an expensive retirement home.
The Cover and Title
The cover’s background appears to be a sponged peach. Most of the text is in white with a black shadow starting at the top with the author’s name, The title is below that with the first three words very small. Below that is the graphic — an orange and black box of matches from the old Deep Dive, At the bottom is an aged paper scroll with the series infor in dark brown.
The title is that Death at the Deep Dive, in which the truth will out.
