When the body of a young man is discovered at the bottom of a cliff, the police assume he died by suicide. However, his psychotherapist, Dr. Patricia Phillips, who lives nearby, is adamant he wasn't suicidal and sets out to prove he was murdered. Dr. Patricia Phillips was a successful solicitor in London. Dissatisfied with her life, she retrained to become a psychotherapist and now practises from a shepherd's hut attached to her cottage on the South Downs. The death of one of her clients doesn't sit right with Pat, although most of their sessions took place via Zoom, she knows he wasn't suicidal. Along with her close friend and neighbour, Prichard, Pat is determined to prove to the police that it was murder. From the very opening pages, I loved Pat and her "grumpy old woman" persona, particularly the way that she kept shouting at people who were doing things that annoyed her (standing too close to the cliff edge, not keeping their dog on a lead, etc). The list kept getting longer, and I found myself nodding along in agreement. Pat is obviously very empathetic, but she also has just the right mix of self-doubt and stubbornness to make her an interesting character that the reader can sympathise with. She's not a fan of social media either, and her opinions of Instagram in particular rang very true. There is a whole host of eccentric support characters, many of whom are possible suspects. Pat's neighbour, Prichard, is only mildly eccentric, but I can see lots of scope for the character. The pair work well together, with Prichard being the comedic sidekick to Pat's straight man. As Pat digs deeper into the events leading up to her client's death, there are some tender moments, which reflect on the aftermath of a sudden loss. There was one chapter in particular, where Pat is talking to a depressed young man, that was extremely moving, and makes you appreciate the work of those who support individuals in crisis. I did find the ending a little disappointing. In an effort to keep the identity of the killer hidden until the very end, it felt a little abrupt and almost as if the murderer had been plucked out of a magician's hat. It won't, however, stop me from reading any more of what I hope will be a new cosy crime series.

I guess I have just finished my second cosy crime novel. I wasn't too keen on the first but this one was better. A great plot it isn't but that's made up for by some interesting characters. Patricia Phillips a local psychotherapist thought she had a personal appointment with Henry Clayton (her client) until the police came along to tell her he has committed suicide or as she is frequently corrected; died by suicide! To Patricia, Henry didn't seem the type, if there is a type. However, for the police, someone who is seeing a shrink and then is found dead at the foot of a cliff, it's a slam dunk suicide. End of, no questions asked. As you might imagine, this annoys Patricia so with the help of her near neighbour Prichard they set about trying to solve the mystery. It's a fun read, it won't keep you up at night. I will judge it purely on entertainment level. My thanks go to NetGalley and the publishers for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I must admit to being rather disappointed with this much-hyped cosy murder mystery. Perhaps being over-hyped raises unfair expectations. The basic story is ok, although too long- winded to get to the truth of the matter. The characters all seemed over-exaggerated and unreal. The best part is the setting near the Birling Gap area, one of the best places in the south of England. A reasonably enjoyable read, perfect for dipping in and out of during a summer holiday, but probably not one of the greatest reads around.