The Norfolk Beach Murders

 

The Norfolk Beach Murders by Judi Daykin - Crime

A body has been found washed ashore. A little investigation has found that a man went overboard not too far away so the team are hoping this is case  solved, especially as it's almost Christmas. DS Sara Hirst and her colleagues are then alerted to another body found on a drifting boat- one which has bullet holes in it. Meanwhile a homeless woman Mu has been seeing men on the beach from her hiding place and in London a wealthy woman whose gains are not legal is organising her business which takes her to Norfolk. What is going on and is Mu safe?

This is a wonderful series (they do stand alone). Its great characterisation and I couldn't help but like Sara and her tenacity and determination whilst remaining calm and sensitive to the cause. Set on the Norfolk coast I could almost feel the breeze - and the sand that comes with it! It's a well thought out and fashioned plot with multiple threads. I especially took to Mu and her dog Roger, my heart was in my mouth at times, willing them on. Memorable characters indeed as is Sara. A very satisfying, well written book and I very much look forward to the next in the series.

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THE NORFOLK BEACH MURDERS (DS Sara Hirst #5) DISCOVER ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING CRIME MYSTERIES YOU’LL READ THIS YEAR. JUDI DAYKIN WAS LONGLISTED FOR THE CWA JOHN CREASEY NEW BLOOD DAGGER 2021! Detective Sara Hirst has moved from London to the Serious Crimes Unit in beautiful Norfolk. SARA FACES HER TOUGHEST AND MOST BIZARRE CASE YET. It’s a stormy December morning when seal-watchers find the body on the beach. His clothes have been torn to shreds on the rocks. The bright-orange life jacket didn’t save him in the end. Detective Sara Hirst gets the call and heads to the scene at Winterton-on-Sea. The washed-up body turns out to be a merchant seaman. He was a deckhand who got swept overboard in a storm. It all seems like a tragic accident. Until another body is found on a pleasure boat drifting out at sea. There are bullet holes in the boat’s hull. This was definitely murder. And it looks like it’s linked to the first body. There are dark dealings going on in this quiet Norfolk coast, and Detective Sara Hirst must get to the bottom of things before anyone else turns up dead. This gripping, character-driven crime thriller is perfect for fans of Joy Ellis, J.M. Dalgliesh, Matt Brolly, Biba Pearce, Rachel McLean, Rachel Lynch and Angela Marsons. READERS CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF DS SARA HIRST:  ‘The very best of this series thus far.’ Ruth  ‘A great way of presenting a mystery story. Surprisingly good, extremely entertaining and with a great slant.’ Leyla  ‘Another really good book, so enjoyable! Highly recommended!’ Hannelore  ‘An excellent example of a police procedural. I read it in one sitting, the narrative flows smoothly and keeps you hooked to the end.’ Carol  ‘A mind-blowing fantastic gripping book right till the end. Loved it.’ Booklover Bev  ‘Daykin created an incredible intriguing page-turner with this book.’ Allie  ‘The tension builds right to the end . . . The final scenes were gripping.’ Janette THE DETECTIVE In her mid-thirties, DS Sara Hirst has left a successful career in London’s Metropolitan Police Force and taken a new post in Norfolk Police’s Serious Crimes Unit. Unfortunately, her welcome on the team is far from warm, and Sara will have to work hard to prove herself when the discovery of a body on her first morning leads to all kinds of difficulties. THE SETTING A patchwork of tiny rural villages, with quaint coastal seaside resorts and peppered by farms, on a bewildering network of small back lanes. There are no motorways here, and sometimes it feels like your nearest neighbour lives in Holland. Bounded on one side by the Norfolk Broads and the Wash on the other, its greatest feature is the boundless skies. The weather changes before your eyes. To many, it seems like a fairy tale, a cherished memory of childhood holidays. In reality, these are small hard-working communities, where people tend to mind their own business, and it’s easy to keep a dark secret. ALSO BY JUDI DAYKIN DS SARA HIRST SERIES Book 1: UNDER VIOLENT SKIES Book 2: INTO DEADLY STORMS Book 3: A BRUTAL SEASON Book 4: AN ARTFUL MURDER Book 5: THE NORFOLK BEACH MURDERS

JUDI DAYKIN Yorkshire born, Judi has lived, worked and made theatre in Norfolk for the last forty years. She completed her MA in Creative Writing (Crime Fiction) at the University of East Anglia (UEA), and her debut novel was shortlisted for the Little, Brown UEA writer's prize in 2019. 'I love the beautiful, vast skies and watery landscapes of Norfolk. Our home in a village on the north coast can feel wonderfully remote, even though the nearest town is only a few miles away. I can't imagine living anywhere better than this.' Judi is also a working actor, and has been known to twiddle the knobs on the sound desk for the variety shows at Cromer Pier. She runs her own theatre company, Broad Horizons, specialising in commissioning new plays recovering and retelling women's stories. BOOKS BY JUDI DAYKIN DETECTIVE SARA HIRST SERIES: UNDER VIOLENT SKIES INTO DEADLY STORMS A BRUTAL SEASON AN ARTFUL MURDER THE NORFOLK BEACH MURDERS NORTH NORFOLK MURDER MYSTERIES BOOKS 1–3 BOX SET FOLLOW JUDI ON AUTHOR WEBSITE FACEBOOK TWITTER