Dead in the Water by Chris McDonald #TheStonebridgeMysteries2

I’m thrilled to be taking part in the blog tour for the second book in the Stonebridge Mysteries series, published on 27th March 2021. I recently read and reviewed the first book in the series on this blog (https://mentoringmumof2bookreviews.home.blog/2021/01/19/the-curious-dispatch-of-daniel-costello-by-chris-mcdonald-thestonebridgemysteries/). Thank you to Meggy of Red Dog Press for the invitation and digital proof copy.

Synopsis: 

The Stonebridge Regatta is looming. The town’s annual face-off against neighbouring Meadowfield is usually a weekend filled with sunshine, laughter and camaraderie. 

This year is different.

A week before the race, the body of Stonebridge team captain Matthew Henderson is found dead in the water. The police file his passing as a tragic accident however, his grieving widow disagrees and suspects foul play is involved. She enlists the help of Adam and Colin, the town’s amateur (self-proclaimed) private detectives to unearth the truth.

Did Matthew simply slip and fall into the water, or is there more to his death below the surface?

Buy Links: 

Amazon: mybook.to/DITW

The Red Dog Shop: https://www.reddogpress.co.uk/product-page/dead-in-the-water

My thoughts:

Thank you to Meggy for the opportunity to read and review this book ahead of publication day. An email arrived on Friday evening to invite me to download a digital copy and by Saturday afternoon I was curled up with the book on my Kindle.

I enjoyed catching up with Adam and Colin, in a story set a few weeks after the conclusion of The Curious Dispatch of Daniel Costello. I don’t believe you would need to have read book one first to enjoy this one (but I enjoyed it and I’m happy to recommend it). Life has moved on for Adam, he has set himself up in business. However that doesn’t stop him being interested when the widow of Matthew asks him to investigate the ‘accidental’ death.

I grew up reading the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew books, and have enjoyed reading ‘amateur detective’ books ever since. I’m enjoying this series, with the friendship between Adam and Colin at the centre. There were plenty of suspects in this book and I enjoyed how the story progressed. Both Adam and Colin found themselves in some tricky situations. Was it murder or an accident? Did they solve the mystery? You will need to buy the book to find out…

Author Bio:

Originally hailing from the north coast of Northern Ireland and now residing in South Manchester, Chris McDonald has always been a reader. At primary school, The Hardy Boys inspired his love of adventure before his reading world was opened up by Chuck Palahniuk and the gritty world of crime. A Wash of Black is his first attempt at writing a book. He came up with the initial idea whilst feeding his baby in the middle of the night, which may not be the best thing to admit, considering the content. He is a fan of 5-a-side football, heavy metal and dogs. Whispers in the Dark is the second installment in the DI Erika Piper series, and Chris is currently working on his latest series, The Stonebridge Mysteries, published by Red Dog Press in 2021.