This was a book of two halves - the first half constantly hinting at Jem’s wild youth, and some Big Mysterious Incident which led to her leaving the islands for the mainland. Finally, over halfway through the book, it starts explaining it. Maybe this was meant to build tension - but personally, it just led to me seeing Jem and the other characters in a not very flattering light for a long time. Thankfully I persevered and the book improved enough to give it a decent and acceptable 3 stars.

I received a free ARC copy of this via NetGalley and the publishers in return for an unbiased review. Apologies for the long delay in providing this.

I loved the characters they were multi layered and engaging. The story flowed well, making me invested in the storyline. I already want to read the next books in the series. Jem is a brilliant main character and seeing her growth from a very bad experience in her childhood and how she faced her demons, at least some of them, while still keeping her head up high and confident in who she was and the truth as she knew it isn’t always seen to the extent Emma wrote it. I would definitely refer this book to others who like cute and cozy British mysteries.

I appreciate the publisher allowing me to read this book. I really enjoyed this one the plot kept me interested until the end which is not easy, and the characters were engaging and believable. I highly recommend this book.

A lovely read a murder a mystery and believable characters ideal for reading on the sun lounger by the pool , in bed or on a comfy chair will definitely order book two

This is the first book in a new series and I thought it was brilliant. I was immediately drawn into the book and couldn't get enough of it. Revenge, murder and a fabulous setting will keep you captivated. I really enjoyed getting to know the characters as well.

I really wanted to like this book as I loved the premise but it was so cliched it made me laugh out loud.

The love interest and murder was such a characicature of the murder mystery genre.

Thank you for the advanced reader copy.

This started slowly with unlikable characters but midway, it picked and became interesting as the puzzles started joining in. A cozy mystery with a librarian at the helm to help in the investigation was an exciting premise. overall a good, fast read between thrillers.

New author alert! and I just love a new author especially a new mystery series.........A Death at Seascape House by Emma Jameson is the first book in the new A Jemima Jago mystery series. and what a great book this was. I enjoyed the atmospheric mystery set on the fictional St. Morwenna in the Isles of Scilly, Within this new series, you get to meet Jemima Jago or Jem she likes to be called. Jem is an amateur detective. However, she is really a librarian and It's been over twenty years since see has been home and is full of anxiety and vowed never to return to her childhood home. Jem was unsure of her welcome as she left after a tragic events for which she was blamed. Jem, was hoping through time things would be different and it would be forgotten. But, deep down Jem was also excitement to see how much has changed especially as a big opportunity has come up, to catalogue a huge collection of antique shipwreck records stored in the home of one of her childhood best friends and Jem just had to go and do this! and not let this opportunity pass her by.

However, within a very short time of being back home on the island Jem discovers the murdered body of her arch nemesis, Edith Reddy, the old lady who never had a kind word to say about her and plenty of unkind ones.

The Mystery begins.................. and this new series did not disappoint. I loved it.

Big thank to Emma Jameson, NetGalley and Bookouture for an ARC of A Death At Seascape House in exchange for an honest review.

Emma Jameson writes a favorite series I read, Lord and Lady Hetheridge Mystery series, set in London. A Death at Seascape House is the first in Jameson's new Jemima Jago mysteries. The setting is especially appealing, as it introduces me to a new part of England, the Isles of Scilly. The fictional island of St. Morwenna is similar to the real Scilly island of St. Agnes. Jemma's occupation of Special Collections Librarian brings her back to St. Morwenna, where she lived until she was fourteen years old. When she left twenty years ago, she had no intentions of every returning again. The loss of one of her friends and the local residents placing the blame of the death on Jemma led to her departure and has kept her away.

However, the lure of cataloguing a 350 year old family library containing shipping records, history, maps, and papers for the Royal Institute of Cornwall is to tempting to turn down. That the library belongs to the family of one of her best friends growing up on the island, and Jemma is not sure of the reception she will get from Pauley Gwyn. To Jemma's relief Pauley is happy to see her, but not so other locals. Mrs. Edith Reddy, a widow, was the person most vocal about blaming Jemma for the death of a teenager twenty years ago, and when Jemma arrives on St. Morwenna, she decides to take the bull by the horns and go to Edith's house to set things straight. What she finds is Edith murdered and lying on her bed. Jemma thinks she sees someone outside Edith's bedroom window, and it turns out to be her first boyfriend, Rhys Tremayne, who looks like a wild man twenty years later. Rhys will be a part of her past that Jemma needs to deal with in order to exorcise her demons.

So, it's not an auspicious start to Jemma's return to the island. Being the one to find Edith Reddy has fingers pointing again at Jemma as the cause of someone's death, but this time it's murder. Now Jemma not only has the cataloguing job to do, but she must uncover who killed Edith in order to remove herself from suspicion. When another murder occurs on the island, Jemma realizes it's connected to the first murder. She has her work cut out for her in this return to St. Morwenna as she attempts to solve the murders, reconcile with old friends, and organize the centuries old library collection

A very intriguing mystery with a great cast of characters. I definitely want to read the rest of the series as it becomes available. I loved the scenes where Jem meets the new police sergeant and is completely unaware that he is a police officer. Their interactions with each other are humorous and entertaining. I'm looking forward to reading how that friendship develops throughout the series.
The mystery kept me guessing and I didn't feel like I had it figured out at all. I felt sorry for Jem as her friends and the other islanders treated her very unfairly when she was a young teen and things aren't much better for her on her return home. It will be interesting to watch the islanders mend their ways with her and accept her back into the community.
I'm hoping the next in the series will be out soon!

Jemima "Jem" Jago is a special collections librarian. When she is offered an incredible job opportunity she gets very excited. The only problem is that the job location is back in her hometown. Jem left 20 years ago after a tragic accident that everyone blamed her for, so you can see why she is hesitant to go back. But she decides to face her fears and accepts the job offer. On the day that she arrives though she finds a body of her old nemesis. And, naturally, due to her bad reputation, everyone is happy to blame Jem for the murder. She will have to find the killer, clear her reputation, deal with local police, residents and a childhood crush.
This book is described as a cozy mystery but I am not so sure about it. In my opinion it gets pretty dark and depressing for the genre. It was actually hard to read at times. Jem has to deal with a lot of hostility because of who she was 20 years ago and because of something that was clearly a tragic accident. It drove me nuts that people blamed a child instead of processing their grief and they still blamed her in the present. Worst of all, she blamed herself. Jem wasn't my favorite character but she was a solid protagonist and I was interested in her so I kept reading. The mystery was very predictable, especially if you are a lover of the genre, so that part was a bit disappointing.
Overall I really enjoyed the first installment in this series and I will keep reading it. Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed the first book in this new series. Although I felt that it started a bit slow, the story gained momentum and kept me reading. There is an interesting cast of characters that I think will develop into to people that feel like friends.

The mystery was well-written and nicely paced. I'm already looking forward to the next one in the series!

I was interested in the coast of Cornwall setting but I couldn't really connect with the book. It wasn't really a cozy because it got pretty dark but then it was sort of light and fluffy at the same time? The main character just didn't seem too bright or realistic. I don't know how they are going to eke out more books in this series. Maybe they can pivot to someone else?

I am always excited to read a new cozy mystery series, and I really enjoyed this one. Jem Jago is a Special Collections librarian, returning to the Isle of Scillies to work on a family’s library. Once on the island, Jem’s wild past brings her nasty looks from the islanders. When Jem tries to talk to one of her past nemesis, she finds a dead body, which immediately plunges her into the investigation. I look forward to hearing more about Rhys, Pauly and Micki, her friends on the island, and their adventures. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Death At Seascape House’ is set on the beautiful Scilly Isles. That in itself was a bonus for me. I love it when authors take us to wonderful places, and let us see them through their eyes. Jem Jago returns to the islands after many years away. She left under a giant cloud, and going back was never going to be easy. Now a librarian, she has been tasked with the job of cataloguing her childhood friend’s vast collection of books and papers. No sooner has she arrived on St Morwenna, when her arch nemesis, the nasty Mrs Edith Reddy is found dead. And who do all the fingers point at? Yes, you’ve got it, Jem Jago. In a bid to clear her name, Jem must find out who the real culprit is, and battle the prejudices of her former neighbours.

This story worked because it had a very likeable main character in Jem Jago and a cracking mystery that kept me glued to the page. There were plenty of suspects and secrets galore. I liked how we found out about Jem’s years there as a child and teenager, and found out where the animosities came from originally. We saw growth in her character, and saw how easy it is to blame, but much harder to rethink and forgive. I enjoyed being with Jem and her fellow islanders and look forward to more in this series.

I was given this ARC to review.

A Death at Seascape House by Emma Jameson is the first book in A Jemima Jago Mystery series set on the lovely island.

I found this book to be very atmospheric, both in beautiful setting and the fact that I could really feel the storm of emotions going on inside Jemima's head and her heart as she comes back to her childhood island after many years in order to complete a very important job.
The way we get to meet her and find out about our main character was done very cleverly in my opinion, through a conversation with a bar maid. It took a while for murder to happen but it didn't lessen my interest.
There are several things going on, as we meet other protagonists who show us Jemima's past and something horrible that happened years ago.
Some of the things I didn't really find very credible but but nothing was over the top. Some things were predictable but all in all it was a good start to a new series.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ -- Enjoyable "who done it"

<b>PROS</b>
-- Love the cover.
-- Well written.
-- Relatively quick read.
-- A plot that kept me turning the pages.
-- Unique (in my opinion) setting.
-- Interesting characters.
-- Satisfying ending.

<b>CONS</b>
-- I am not overly a fan of groups of people or communities that vilify a person (especially a kid) for something that was obviously an accident. The fact that an entire island of people (bar two) was still treating Jem so horribly 20 years on, was a little eye roll worthy.
-- Jem frustrated me at times. I wanted her to stand up for herself and tell people off!

**ARC Via NetGalley**

Jem Jago returns to her home town on the Isles of Scilly. She left under a cloud after a devastating accident which the islanders have never forgotten. On the night of her arrival home, she discovers a body and the local animosity towards her sees her as the prime suspect...
A Death at Seascape House is a darker than usual cosy murder mystery. The setting is beautiful and the narrative clearly evokes the island landscape.
Jem is an interesting character, a librarian with passion and an edginess. This sharpness puts her at odds with many other characters and I struggled to warm to her at first. However, she is haunted by her past so I think she is brave to face her mistakes and gradually becomes more likeable as we find out more about her.
There is a frisson of romantic tension between Jem and her old flame Rhys as well as the newly arrived police sergeant. This adds an extra dimension to the plot as well as making Jem a more rounded and believable character.
The murder happens quite early on in the book so we are thrown straight into the mystery. Being an island community, there are differences to usual police procedures. We do not get much forensic detail but there are some brutal descriptions.
There is a strong emotional thread running through the book as Jem faces her childhood ghosts. The incident which forced her away from the islands was not unexpected when finally revealed but the unfairness towards Jem really gained her my sympathy.
A Death at Seascape House was an intriguing start to a new series and I look forward to seeing what awaits Jem next.

A great deal of this book dealt with Jem’s backstory and the reasons why her return to her childhood town was not a welcome one.

When she goes to face a local nasty busybody to try and get back a valuable missing book from a local collection, she finds a body and becomes a murder suspect.

It took a little getting into, some of the characters were somewhat unpleasant, however Jem and her friends keep you interested as they fight to find out the truth. There also are hints at a possible love triangle, with unresolved feelings for her teenage boyfriend Rhys and the new detective Hack, so I would be interested to see where the next books take Jem on a personal level.

3.5 rounded up to 4

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my review.

The cover of this book drew me in with it's colors and sea theme. Everything about the description appealed to me. A librarian solving a mystery on an island in the UK with possible love interests. I had high hopes and this fell a little short but was still pretty good. Who knew I'd like all the other characters better than the librarian?

This book was much more a long set-up of the main character, Jemima Jago's backstory and a few other people on the island's stories as well. The murder mystery seemed secondary to the drama of her personal turmoil. I was kind of bored with all the rehashing of the accident and flashbacks. The main confrontation, heart-to-heart I wanted to see between Jem and her old beau Rhys didn't even happen in this book, so I must read more. I'm interested enough in HIS character to read more. Jem came off kind of whiny and not too smart at times (contaminating a crime scene! Ugh I almost stopped reading right there.) I kind of wanted to shake her.

The murderer was pretty easy to guess. I'm not sure how many more people can get murdered on this little island so maybe the series will change locales, but I like a good vacation spot as a setting.

I hope the next book has more interaction between Jem & Rhys, especially the romantic kind. It seems the author set up Hack as another possible angle in a love-triangle, I'm not a fan of that. Personally, I would love to see Rhys get a break with the woman he seems to have always loved. I mean, he shaved and cut his hair for her! Give him a chance! Yep, I'm definitely more interested in reading his story arc. He's a good, damaged, sympathetic, romantic lead.

Grab your coffee, this book and curl up for a cozy night in.