Death at Porthcurno Cove is the fifth book in Sally Rigby’s spin-off series set in Cornwall, U.K. One of the main characters originally appeared in her Cavendish & Walker series, before leaving that police department to return to his roots in Cornwall.

Detective Inspector Lauren Pengelly is walking her dogs on the beach one morning when she stumbles across two dead bodies on a blanket. What looks like a murder/suicide at first troubles her. The only “note” is a single word written on a piece of paper: Sorry. The newly-engaged couple had everything going for them, with no signs of mental illness or depression. Also, the ring box was present at the scene, but the ring itself is missing.

When the medical examiner rules the deaths a murder, Lauren and Detective Sergeant Matt Price have their work cut out for them. With little to go on, they begin interviewing friends of the couple and begin unravelling what seemed to be their perfect world. Jasmine and Finley seemed to have it all, but Finley was hiding a gambling problem, and Jasmine was dealing with a potential stalker.

The mystery in Death at Porthcurno Cove was really good. The twists and turns had me guessing all the way through. As usual, Sally Rigby has given readers a great police procedural that will keep readers turning the pages. Rigby’s style isn’t for everyone, but I enjoy it. She has a very matter-of-fact way of writing that conveys facts rather than coaxing the reader into thinking for themselves. I find the style works well for a police procedural fictional book.

The one thing I felt Death at Porthcurno Cove did right was the slow character advancement of the recurring characters. There’s a deep friendship between Matt and Lauren, but is that all? Matt has helped Lauren become a better boss and not micro-manage the great team she has. Lauren still maintains a separation between herself and her team, but it’s eased a bit since the start of the series. Lauren also has a great fondness for Matt’s daughter, and Matt is a widower. However, the two seem too caught up in the rules to take a chance on a relationship while they are colleagues. I’m not sure if it would work, but it would be interesting. I’m not sure if that’s the direction Rigby is headed with the series.

One of their team members is Ellie, whom Matt worked with back in Lenchester. She’s been filling in while another officer was injured, but it’s almost time for her to return. There’s been a bit of a romance between her and one of the investigators, but they have remained professional. That seems to be about to change. Matt is starting to think about moving out of his parents’ home so that he and his daughter have some time without them, and it will give his parents a bit of a break as well. Is this a slow move towards him eventually having a relationship with someone? Only time will tell. Rigby has me invested in the characters and rooting for them.

The audiobook is read by Clare Corbett, who also read the previous book in the series. She doesn’t really try to act out the story, but just gives a slightly different voice to different characters and infuses emotion here and there. It helps with Rigby’s matter-of-fact style to have just a touch of emotion.

Death at Porthcurno Cove is a great entry in the Cornwall Murder Mystery series. It might be a little hard for people to grasp some of the British terminology and the differences in investigation style from what we’re used to in the States, but I believe anyone can get used to it. I can’t wait to see where the series goes next!

Previous book in the series: