A Dark Death by Alice Fitzpatrick (Stonehouse Publishing, 2025)
reviewed by Kim Maxwell
When I was given the opportunity to review the second book in the Meredith Island Mystery series, I admit to being a bit daunted by the request. I hadn’t read the first book of the series, Secrets in the Water, and wondered if I could read this book as a standalone mystery. It can be annoying when you must read a “series” book in sequence in order to get the gist of the characters. I am happy to report that this book does the task as a standalone mystery.
Whenever I am at a loss as to what book to read next, I often turn to mysteries. This genre offers a good exercise for the brain. By questioning “what, why, where, when, who and how”, the reader puts together the clues provided by the author and tries to solve the mystery. I emphasize “tries”.
A Dark Death takes place on a small island off the Welsh coast. The village is charming and the community is tight-knit. Long time residents know the history of the island and their neighbours. Due to its idyllic setting, the community often attracts many visitors from the mainland. This situation can often be an irritant for some of the inhabitants. Kate Galloway has returned to the island where she was raised and plans to spend a quiet summer working on her latest novel. The local pub is presently overrun by students from the mainland who are participating in an architectural dig. Under the direction of their professor, Dr. Simon Penhaligon, they believe that they may have discovered evidence that an ancient Roman temple existed on the island.
A flamboyant visitor arrives at the pub and announces “Drinks for everyone!” thus, initially endearing himself to punters. Later, he invites prominent residents of Meredith Island to the local historical mansion, Faraday Manor, where he will hold a séance and scientifically prove the presence of spirit persons. He plans to clandestinely film the experience and then sell the film to a television network. He is confident that this film will turn into a network series, thus ensuring his fame and fortune. Kate is invited along with a few others including the local vicar, Reverend Imogene Larkin and the grand dame of the island, Sophie Sutherland.
The following day, the students discover a body laid out in their trench in a seemingly ritualistic position. And so, the mystery begins. At first, Kate decides to not get involved in the investigation, even though she has had previous experience in sleuthing (described in the first book, Secrets in the Water). However, when a local island mechanic and an architectural student who is her friend’s son become prime suspects, she is forced to get find evidence to prove their innocence and find the true murderer. Of course, her eccentric lustful artist friend, Siobhan is keen to help in her investigation. More clues are provided as the story unfolds. At this point, I hesitated for fear that there may be too many suspects being introduced with subsequent plot twists. This tactic can often cause confusion and error on the silly side. Thankfully, my fear was unfounded and the mystery proceeded to a surprising and satisfactory conclusion.
Now I am curious to find out more about the main character, Kate Galloway and her intuitive crime solving. I found the islanders to be an interesting and complex bunch of characters and look forward to their past and future experiences. The prose was written in such a way that it is easy to imagine what life could be like in a small picturesque community on an island just off the coast of Wales.
In conclusion, A Dark Death can be read on its own but it has piqued my interest to go back and read Secrets in the Water. I recommend this series for any mystery fans who are intrigued by everyday life that seems idyllic but underneath this desired setting lurks the potential motive for murder and criminal intent.
