Note: Thank you to NetGalley, Storm Publishing, and author Sally Rigby for the advanced reader copy of this book. This review will also be posted on NetGalley. What follows is my unbiased review of the book.

The Marazion Murders is the sixth book in author Sally Rigby’s Cornwall Murder Mystery series. I think these books stand pretty well on their own. Although there is a bit of an ongoing story in the personal lives of some of the characters, it’s not like you need a lot of background to be able to pick up this story and read it. I do recommend the series as they have all been quite well-written, although Rigby’s style is not for everyone.

In the town of Marazion lies Silver Fern House, a care home that mainly houses elderly people who were once performers. Given the age of its residents, deaths there aren’t all that uncommon. However, DS Matt Price is called in by the coroner after examining the body of Dawn Cross, a late resident from Silver Fern House. What seemed like a death by natural causes was actually a poisoning.

Matt calls his boss, Detective Laura Pengelly, away from the murder trial of her aunt, where she’s waiting to give evidence. Laura has always had issues with control of the investigations, although since Matt came to work with them, she has gotten much better. Still, she’s reluctant to let Matt start the investigation without her. Dawn was part of a group of residents performing Arsenic and Old Lace. As they begin to dig into the backgrounds of the residents, secrets from long ago begin to surface. When another resident is found strangled, the race is on to find the killer before more victims can be claimed.

When I say Rigby’s style isn’t for everyone, it’s that she’s more of a matter-of-fact writer. I enjoy reading about the investigation as it develops. As Matt and Laura investigate, the clues that are revealed point in a variety of different directions. What may initially seem to be a promising lead might end up going nowhere. There are many storylines that are started and never returned to, as the subsequent investigation uncovered more promising leads. It’s kind of strange to watch a whole angle develop about a potential culprit, only to not have a conclusion. That is the case with one promising lead about Dawn’s death involving what might be a stalker. However, once the investigation goes in a different direction, the potential stalker is never spoken of again. Although as a reader, I might have liked the closure of understanding what was really happening with this person, once the story goes in a different direction, it’s likely that in real life, once this person was discounted, that would be the end of their involvement in the investigation. While unresolved threads might not make for the best read, it feels more authentic.

I really enjoyed The Marazion Murders and read it in just two days, listening to the audiobook. Clare Corbett has narrated other audiobooks in this series, and I have gotten used to the different voices she has for the characters. I recognize who is speaking even before she tells me. That is the good part about having a consistent narrator in a series.

Reading about all of the different towns in the Cornwall area has definitely made me want to visit, although I could do without the murders. Rigby isn’t terribly descriptive, but she makes the area sound so pleasant that I can’t help but be intrigued. This was definitely one of my favorites in this series so far. The elderly residents of Silver Fern House are interesting and fun in many ways. The mystery unraveled quite naturally, and I like how the characters advance in it.

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