Last Orders by PJ Skinner
Local sleuth, Tanya Bowe, attends the long-awaited opening of the Surfusion restaurant. The unexpected arrival of a famous food critic raises the stakes for the owners and increases the buzz of excitement. The evening takes a dark turn when he collapses into his coffee, hours after a scathing review goes live on his blog. The owners are prime suspects for his murder, but Tanya is convinced of their innocence and vows to clear their names.
As Tanya digs deeper, what at first seems like an open-and-shut case unravels into a web of intrigue. Is the famous critic even the intended victim of the crime? Tanya Bowe has her work cut out for her as hidden motives lead to simmering tensions among her friends.
With time running out and Surfusion’s future on the line, can Tanya unmask the culprit before it’s too late?
Perfect for fans of cozy mysteries, this gripping tale of deception, friendship, and culinary intrigue will keep you guessing until the very end.
About the author
I have been writing in various genres and under various pen names for nearly ten years. In 2020, I moved to a small town on the south coast of England where I spent lockdown during the Covid pandemic. During that time, I published a sci-fi mystery, Mortal Mission under the name of Pip Skinner and realised I had a great idea for a series of Cozy/Cosy Mysteries set at the English seaside. I have always been a massive fan of crime and mystery and I guess it was inevitable I would turn my hand to a mystery series eventually. I planned the Seacastle Mysteries with half an eye on the classic mysteries of Agatha Christie, so they are classic whodunnits, but I have set up modern scenarios and twists.
Before I wrote novels, I spent 30 years working as an exploration geologist, managing remote sites and doing due diligence on projects in over thirty countries. During this time, I worked in many countries in South America and Africa in remote, strange, and often dangerous places where I collected the tall tales and real-life experiences. These inspired the Sam Harris Adventure Series, chronicling the adventures of a female geologist as a pioneer in a hitherto exclusively male world.
Review
‘Last Orders’ is a deliciously detailed cozy mystery that really tickles the readers taste buds! This is the sixth book in the ‘Seacastle Mysteries’ but can easily be read as a stand-alone. I do recommend reading this whole series though as they are brilliant reads and Tanya is a fantastic protagonist - feisty, clever, loyal and at the centre of everything!
Surfusion is finally about to open and the whole gang will be at the opening! Very excitingly a famous food critic will also be attending - he is a bit like Banksy as no one really knows his identity. However, he sweeps into the restaurant in a dramatic cloak making it clear who he is. He soon posts a scathing review and then collapses into his coffee! The owners are the prime suspects and all three are good friends of Tanya. She starts to investigate and soon finds herself in a web of intrigue. Will she be able to figure it out before her friends are charged and lose their business?
Tanya is a brilliant character and I have grown to love her, Mouse and Harry! It is really like returning to learn more about a friend's life when I pick up these books now. But I love that we are getting to know more about the side characters as the series progresses and it was Kieron and Rohan’s turn along with the great Ghita. Although to some their family setup might seem weird, I think it is great that PJ is representing different circumstances from the norm. Life is messy and this is reflected in the series both in Ghita and Tanya’s lives. Anyway, being normal is dull and there is nothing dull about the ‘Seacastle Mysteries’!
PJ’s writing draws in the reader and I flew through this in one day! It was so engaging and I was hooked from start as you just knew something horrible was going to happen at the restaurant. As usual this was packed full of twists and turns and I didn't guess who the bad guy was at all! It was a brilliant reader and I'm already looking forward to book seven!
Let me know if you pick this one up!
