Thursday, April 21, 2011

Book Review: High Tide

 High Tide is a cozy mystery by Ann Summerville. Summerville is a Texan. She wasn’t always a Texan, though. She was born in England then moved to the States, eventually settling in the great country, uh, state of Texas. She started out British but we now lay claim to her, I have to admit the woman knows her roots. High Tide is set in the English west country village of Lowenna. I swear, reading the book made me cold. It also made me wish I lived in a little country village where everybody knows everybody’s business. Wait a minute, I don’t wish that. I would, however, like a town where there’s lots going on and the people care and look out for each other, and where there are quaint, interesting shops to visit, and a nice bar to pop into and have a drink with friends, and Italy is only a train ride away.

I could probably do without the body floating in with the high tide. Gia (Giovanna Matthews) is the kind of friend you’d want to have. She has her suspicions and doesn’t think the death was an accident. She has no proof, but sets about trying to solve the murder. The body’s not the only thing on her mind, though. There’s another little thing like her boyfriend’s apparent fiancée showing up.

High Tide has some great characters. Gia, of course. Then there’s Rose. I liked her spunk. She’s the kind of lady who’ll put a leather jacket over her dress and hop on Bob the Biker’s motorcycle and roar off with him. Old, smold.

When you read High Tide, pay attention to the details. Gia does. And in the end she does more than just solve the case of the washed up body. She saves a life.

High Tide
Amazon
Kindle

Since this is the first book by Ann Summerville that I’ve read, although it’s not the first she’s written, I give High Tide a rating of Hel-O!
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FTC Disclaimer: High Tide was sent to me by the author. That did not influence my review. If you read my review (and I suspect some of you are skipping to the Disclaimer), then you know what I liked about the book. Let me address one item in my review. Gia and her friend Holly got on a train and went to Italy. They rode a gondola. They stayed at a fabulous hotel. They zipped off to Italy, people. If I got on a train, I could go to Mineola. I’m sure it’s lovely, but it’s not Italy. When Gia steps out her door, she sees the water. Unfortunately, she’s scared to death of seaweed. When I step out my door, I see cedar trees and hills and deer and roadrunners and armadillos. Okay, that’s not bad. But it’s not Italy. I need Bob the Biker to zip by my house so we could roar off to Italy. Of course, there’s no bridge from Texas to Italy, so we’d probably end up in Italy, Texas, which I’m sure is a nice place. But I have no leather jacket. And he’d probably take a curve too fast just to dump me ‘cause I’d be screaming in his ear.

22 comments:

  1. Not sure where, but I read a snippet of this book last week. I enjoyed it, and will purchase the book.

    I enjoyed your review. I have been to Italy, and enjoyed what I saw. I was fifteen, so it was probably mostly Italian boys. LOL

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  2. ha ha ha...you do crack me up! This sounds like just my sort of mystery and I so know what you mean about zipping off to Italy. Oh man do I. Of course if we lived in England I couldn't afford to zip off to Italy because the cost of living is insane but there you go...
    keep disclaiming - what about a book of disclaimers?

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  3. Glynis, I'm older than 15 and I would still probably enjoy the same thing, only a bit older.

    Jan, that's been suggested to me, but I always doubt anyone would want a book of disclaimers. On the other hand, I've been wrong before. Once. Okay, once in the last hour.

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  4. I'd like to step out of my door and see Italy, too! Lowenna sounds a little on the chilly side so Italy would make a nice escape. :)

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  5. I did read the review and it scores just as many points as your disclaimer!

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  6. Enjoyed your review. I agree this is a fun book with some delightful characters you will want to revisit again and again.

    Mason
    Thoughts in Progress

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  7. I'd like to see Italy - great review, Helen.

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  8. I'm sure the temps in Lowenna are quite pleasant. None of the characters seemed to mind. But I'm used to the Texas heat, so...

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  9. Thanks for the review. You never know what the tide will wash up. And best wishes to Ann for her success with Hight Tide.

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  10. That's true, Stephen. I went to Florida not long ago and found a beautiful seashell (brought it home).

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  11. I paced myself and did NOT jump to the disclaimer first, instead saving it for dessert. Both review and disclaimer were fabulous!

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  12. Hi Helen .. I love the sound of Ann's book .. and of course describes little old England .. with our cozy villages, and gossips .. but equally our train ride away from a Summer Paris, or a tour of Italy .. the real places .. not those transported to that ginormous nation of yours ...

    Great fun read .. many thanks and I'd love to follow the details through to see if I can catch the perpetrator before they're revealed ..

    Cheers - Hilary

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  13. Enjoyed the review and the disclaimer. Mineola is a pretty little East Texas town, but you could come a few miles further to Winnsboro. We have a great Italian restaurant.

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  14. I've always wanted to take a train ride, Maryann. I did take one eons ago from Austin to Dallas. Had a good time since my sister went with me. But I'd like to take a long ride where you have to sleep on the train.

    Maybe some mystery author should do a train mystery instead of a cruise mystery.

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  15. I can never quite work out why this genre is called cozy mystery. They're anything but cozy but usually make a riviting read. Thanks for the review.

    Denise<3

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  16. I believe, L'Aussie, cozy means the murder doesn't occur on-screen or on-page, in this case. And, you're right, they can be just as riveting an any other mystery!

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  17. Helen thanks for the hilarious review. I'm glad you enjoyed it. As a child I always wanted to go for a long road trip like those in American movies. In England you can't drive for more than a few hours before you get to the sea and then another country.
    Ann

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  18. Rose is my favorite too, Helen.
    Ann

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  19. This one sounds good, Helen. I like the idea of the tide washing up a mystery.

    Um, if you see Bob the Biker let him know I wouldn't mind a ride.

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  20. I'm coming for my flamingo. Be afraid. Be very, very afraid :)

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  21. Flamingo? Did you say flamingo, Carol? Perhaps you mean the cute one on your blog Monday that I coveted? Hmm. (http://underthetikihut.blogspot.com/2011/04/unplugged.html)

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  22. I think I'll have to look out for this. And thank you for the introduction to an British ex-pat writer.

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