A Death at Seascape House is the first instalment in the Jemima ”Jem” Jago Mystery series, set on the fictional island of St. Morwenna in the Scilly Isles. Librarian and amateur sleuth Jem Jago vowed many years ago never to return to St. Morwenna after a tragedy that occurred in her teen years. It was when Jem was 14 that she persuaded her friends Pauley Gwyn, Rhys Tremayne and Rhys’ younger brother, Cam, to take a trip out on a boat one night. They were unlucky enough to be hit by a huge wave which resulted in Cam’s drowning. The Islanders blamed Jem and she left under a cloud of seething anger and upset causing her to be extremely traumatised. Now 20 years later, as an expert in antique books and local resources of historic importance, Jem has been offered the chance to work for the Royal Institute of Cornwall (RIC) and the Courtney Library. When her former best friend, Pauley, contacted RIC to inform them she wished to donate her three-hundred-and-fifty-year-old library, an undifferentiated mass of books, papers, maps, and Gwyn family ephemera, the institute’s leadership had been over the moon. The collection even included an exceedingly rare find—what appeared to be a lost poem by none other than Oscar Wilde. Their search for a librarian with the training, knowledge, and desire to undertake such a project—not to mention a willingness to live on St. Morwenna for up to a month—had led them to Jem. But it isn't long before she discovers that the rare copy of A Child’s Garden of Verses, the book containing the poem, has been brazenly stolen, but Pauley is already aware of who she believes is the culprit: the ubiquitously hated Mrs Edith Reddy.

Edith was a mean-spirited, self-important battle-axe whose vehicle was the strange ”Big Orange” dune buggy and she would ride around barking orders and criticisms at everyone from fully grown adults to tiny tots. She was known hilariously as the ”secret police”. Jem had been staying on the largest of the Scilly Isles, St Mary's, waiting to meet Pauley there, but after news of the theft, she decides to hitch a ride on Bart the Ferryman’s water taxi straight to St. Morwenna to investigate the pilfered book. 13-year-old Kenzie stated that she had seen Reddy hovering nearby when the precious book vanished, so despite Edith having practically spearheaded the witch hunt of her when the tragedy happened all those years earlier, Jem wants to face her head-on and this is the most opportune time to do so. She makes her way over to Seascape House, but there is no answer when she knocks at the door. She decides to enter and finds Edith dead in the bedroom with her nose and mouth duct-taped shut and she is arrested. Let go the following morning. Jem is still shocked at what she saw and is aware that the people are treating her with suspicion just like all those years ago, but then she finds the body of a young girl murdered in the Ice Cream Hut. Can Jem help solve these two brutal murders and stay both alive and out of jail? This is a compulsive, compelling and promising series opener and a cosy mystery with more grit and nail-biting moments than most. There's plenty of intrigue, action and drama and the settings are vivid and evocative. A slow burn piece of cosy escapism populated with memorable, quirky and eccentric characters. Highly recommended.

This book is the first book in the Jemima Jago series. It's a new cozy series based in the Isles of Scilly.
Jemima, a librarian, returns to the island of St Morwenna, her childhood home. She comes to catalogue a collection of books. But on ther first evening back, a murder is committed and she's the prime suspect...
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read this book

Great Series Introduction
This should be a great series to read. It takes place on the islands of the Cornwall archipelago, which I had never heard of. Our heroine is a specialist librarian with an intriguing past. The whodunit portion of the story was fascinating and a bit twisted. I had my guesses and they all proved to be wrong. There are plenty of characters to enjoy or dislike. The history of the area is also fascinating. This is a well-written book that I enjoyed reading and am looking forward to more of the series. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.

I received this book for an honest review from netgalley #netgalley

What a unique fun cozy. I love the diversity of the characters and the setting.

After repeated attempts to get into both the book and the characters, I found that I just had to put it away and move on to something else. I will not be providing further feedback or posting to any book site.

I wish the author well, but for now, I will have to part ways with this book.

A Death at Seascape House is the start of a new librarian cozy series by Emma Jameson. Due out 27th April 2021, it's 293 pages (ebook version) and will be available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free.

I love library cozies (and libraries, and cozies) and this is the start of a new series, so I hopped in. Main protagonist Jem is back in the area in which she grew up (and left, due to trauma, swearing never to return). She hadn't been in town for 24 hours before she was already suspect #1 in a murder. Although the plot is a little formulaic, it's well written and I was engaged by the setting and descriptions. I'm not personally a fan of slow burn enemies, love triangles, and romance elements in my reads, but fans who like those will enjoy them here.

Warning for cozy mystery fans, this one is slightly more hard edged and a tiny bit more graphic than usual for fluffy library cozies. The language is relatively clearn (PG level) and includes only a scattering of damns and similar level mild curses. I found some of the dialogue unpolished and some of the motivations for Jem's actions a bit muddled (she's a bit of a doormat, to be honest). The denouement and resolution were just a bit melancholy for me.

It's a small-town cozy(ish) setting and the book does have a plethora of small-town oddball eccentric characters. I found most of them funny, but in a creepy kind of way (not entirely sure of the author's actual intent here, but there's a distinctly uncomfortably creepy vibe). The author is unquestionably gifted and prolific and has a firm grasp of the technical aspects of writing. Her descriptive prose is excellent, and as stated, she writes atmosphere very well.

Three and a half stars with the codicil that readers who don't like harder edged mysteries and occasionally unpleasant characters and actions might want to tread carefully. No fluffy kitties here.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

When librarian Jemima Jago is offered the opportunity to catalogue Cornwall’s largest collection of antique shipwreck records it is a dream come true. The collection is housed on the island of St. Morwenna, the childhood home she left years ago and vowed never to return to. Shortly after Jem arrives back in town, island busybody and notorious grump Edith Reddy is found dead. Jem, caught seemingly red-handed at the scene of the crime, mistakenly becomes the police’s number one suspect. The handsome Sergeant Hackman in particular can’t seem to leave Jem alone. Jem must take matters into her own hands if she wants to clear her name. Snooping around Edith’s once-grand home, she is struck by the mess before her. The bedroom is completely ransacked and in the living room all the photographs have been removed from their frames. Was Edith’s death simply a break-in gone wrong, or is there more to the mystery that the police are missing?
The first in a new series, a well written entertaining book but not sure if it is a cosy mystery, the descriptions of the picturesque scenery weren’t cosy & the description was a bit too graphic for a cosy. That said I did enjoy the book, I liked Jem who’s past was gradually revealed & I liked her eye for finding clues. There were twists & turns as well as red herrings. Not all of the characters are likeable but they are well portrayed. An interesting series starter & I look forward to more in the series
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

It's a good start for a new cozy series even if it's not one of those book that makes you fall in love with the characters or the plot since the first pages.
It took a bit to warm up to Jem and be hooked by the plot as I found her a bit too wimpy for my tastes and the plot a bit slow.
But Jem is a character that slowly grows on you and I couldn't put it down as soon as secrets started to revealed.
That said I think the author delivered an entertaining and enjoyable story with a cast of interesting and fleshed out characters and a solid mystery.
I appreciated how the author developed a cast of characters with a story and who had to face a lot of issues as this makes them more realistic and relatable.
The descriptions of the places are great and I loved when it describes the library and the wonderful places.
The love triangle is one of main pet peeves in cozy mysteries so I hope it will be solved soon.
I think there's a lot of potential and this could become a favorite cozy series as I love story that involves librarian.
This book is recommended and I hope to read a new installment soon.
Many thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Jem Jago is a no nonsense former wild child librarian, who I really identified with. There is a lot of humour in this whodunit set in the beautiful Isles of Scilly, making it an enjoyable read. The history of Jem's relationships with other islanders is revealed as the story unfolds, and an unexpected ending leaves you waiting eagerly for the next mystery.

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'A Death At Seascape House' by Emma Jameson.

Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Emma Jameson, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous

Publication date 27th April 2021.

This is the first book I have read by this author. It is also the first book in the 'Jemima Jago' series.

I was originally drawn to this book by its beautiful eye catching cover and its intriguing synopsis. It also stated in the synopsis 'fans of Agatha Christie, Faith Martin and Betty Rowlands will love A Death at Seascape House.' I am a huge fan of Agatha Christie and Faith Martin so am looking forward to see if it lives up to this. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).

This novel consists of a 35 chapters. The chapters are short to medium in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!

This book is based in Cornwall, England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 UK 🇬🇧. The bonus for me of books that are partly or fully based in the UK is that I live in the UK and have sometimes visited places mentioned in the book which makes it easier to picture. The fact that this book is based in Cornwall is even better as I have been on holiday in Cornwall many times so may even recognise some places Emma has set the book around.

This book is written in third person perspective with the main protagonist being Jemima Jago. The benefits of third person perspective especially with are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything.

Some of the chapters were dedicated to what happened in Jem's past. When books show what has happened in the past and what is happening in the present I find it really helps the reader (if it is well done) understand why things are happening and what has lead to the present activities and decisions. It also shows the bigger picture.

It is always worrying when starting a new series as you have no idea who the characters are. It is very important for me to bond with the main protagonist.

This book was very well written and the vivid descriptions really made me feel that I was in Cornwall with the sea air and sand all around me. It felt like a lovely mini holiday which is just what I needed in this lockdown!! The synopsis and cover worked perfectly with the storyline. I really liked that the chapters all had their own headings that resonated with the events of that chapter and many were direct quotes from the chapter itself.

The storyline kicks off a brand new series with a bang!! The storyline itself is a mix of slow and fast paced, starting off quite slow and picking up speed throughout. I would liken it to to a rollercoaster with the first quarter being the build up as you get to the top and then the rest of the ride being fast paced filled with twists, turns, some suspense, tension and a shock at the end!! One I never expected which I am very pleased to report, not a huge fan of books that I have it all figured out by 50%. I loved that it had so much book talk, which was to be, if not expected then definitely hoped for as our protagonist is a librarian. This is a perfect beach read or one to curl up with in front of a fire. The setting and atmosphere is perfectly portrayed for a cozy mystery.

The characters were an eclectic mix and I must admit I'm not quite sure what to make of Jem. At times I quite enjoyed her strong willed personality and then others she seemed to be a bit of an over the top brat if I'm brutally honest, which I always am when it comes to reviews. However, as the story developed she did start to grow on me. It will be interesting to see how her character develops in the next book which I'm looking forward to read. I also wasn't a big lover of the islanders as their attitude to Jem was disgusting considering how many years had passed since she had left. I can't say I was surprised when nobody seemed bothered by a certain person's demise!! At the same time the islanders attitude is very realistic as in a close knit community (which Emma did a brilliant job portraying) it is very likely that this is how people would react to someone in Jems position. I did bond with Micki immediately who seems like a larger than life character and also Hack. Pauley and Rhys slowly grew on me and it will be interesting to watch all their characters develop and the relationships between them.

Overall an intriguing cosy mystery in an idyllic setting which will keep hooked throughout.

Genres covered in this book include Mystery, Suspense, Murder and Cozy Mystery amongst others.


I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of Faith Martin, Clare Chase, Fliss Chester and Agatha Christie.

293 pages.

This book is just 99p to purchase on kindle via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!

Rated 4 /5 (I enjoyed it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.

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3,5 ⭐️

A death at Seascape House is the first installment in a new cozy mysteries series. I’m always up for a good cozy murder mystery and if the amateur sleuth is a librarian even better! I love where there’s book talk in a story.

I must confess that it took me a while to connect with the story and its characters. At first they were all quite unpleasant and could not understand Jem’s passiveness to all the islanders attacks, especially when all their beef with her was because of something that happened 20 years ago when she was a teen.

With everyone thinking her guilty of her arch nemesis’ murder Jem takes upon herself to find the truth along some old and new friends. For someone who claimed to be quite reserved with strangers she sure was very chatty with people she had just met! 😅 I loved how Micki felt like a closer friend than the ones she knew from her childhood.

The pace picked up halfway through when revelations started coming to light and we’re finally explained what happened during her time in St. Morwenna 20 years before.

The setting was lovely and the close knit community very well portrayed. As the story progressed Jem became less bratty so I could finally warm up to her. I also loved how she managed to rekindle her friendship with Pauley and I’m curious to see where that hint about a love triangle will go.

After a bit of a slow start, A death at Seascape House turned out into an enjoyable cozy mystery, with characters that will grow on you and the promise of interesting things to happen in future installments.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This cozy mystery is set on the beautiful Isles of Scilly, off of England. Jem Jago returns to her hometown to work in the library, and she finds out the disliked Mrs. Reddy stole one of her archived books. Jem goes to confront Mrs. Reddy to find out she has been murdered!

Jem and a few of her old friends and new acquaintances work together to find out what happened to Mrs. Reddy, when another death happens shortly after.

This cozy mystery was very enjoyable to read. I felt like I was in the town with Jem and learning all of the gossip a small town elicits.

Thank you Net Galley and Emma Jameson for this advanced copy!

I enjoyed the story, and found the characters well-written and lovingly portrayed, especially Rhys, Pauly and Micki.

Jem herself needs a bit of a talking to, she's rather a brat and while that in itself can be refreshing, in this case, I felt she was a bit overdone as if the author really needed to push the point, which she didn't. A bit of common sense and/or courtesy would have endeared Jem to me a lot more, and she really is a bit of a doormat when it comes to the islanders. Unlike Kenzie, whom I adore.

Rhys is my new favourite character, I hope we get to see much more of him, and Pauly too. I loved the portrayal of the island, and the somewhat unpleasant folk living there, the lighthouse, and the books! Nice touch, that. I look forward to more.

Thanks to Net Galley, the author and the publisher for my ARC.

A Death at Seascape House is the first book in the Jemma Jago series and I really enjoyed it. I found it to be a quick, cozy read with interesting characters set in a beautiful area of the country. I look forward to reading further books in this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC.

I wasn't sure when I chose this book whether it would be my cup of tea perse. The plot intrigued me but I am on the fence when I read British Mysteries.. It is a personal taste or perhaps some of the ones I have previously read were not up to par. I took a chance and I was not disappointed. This is one of those British Mysteries that will hook readers and leave them wanting more.

Jemima Jago is a flawed person having been judged wild and unfit as a teenager. This wild teenager became a librarian and now returns to her hometown to catalogue Cornwal's largest collection of antique shipwreck records. Small communities have long memories and are quick to point fingers when Jemima finds a body of a former nemesis.

A Death at Seascape House has strong characters with a history of heartbreak and friendship which weaves a tale of murder, mystery and human feelings drawing you in and keeping us reading long into the night.. This may be a work of fiction, but the real emotions will touch a readers life reminding us that we are all flawed with pasts that shape who we are, and if we can't escape them, our destinies.

What more could we ask for with our reading pleasure?

I received this ARC via Netgalley and Bookouture, in return for an honest review. Excellent first book in this new series and one I recommend! Librarian Jemma Jago returns to St. Morwenna, Isles of Scilly, to catalogue an old friend’s library as it might contain a rare and never published book. But her past catches up to her when she decides to confront the woman who made her life miserable at 14. Unfortunately, Jemma finds her murdered body instead. Suddenly everyone in St. Morwenna seems convinced that Jemma committed the murder, based on Jemma’s past. How can she both clear her name and find Mrs. Reddy’s murder?
The author weaves lots of possible suspects, with very clear motives, into a strong plot that moves the story forward. Jemma is an interesting woman and a strong female protagonist. I look forward to the next book in this series!

This is the first book in a new series. Jem has gone to the Scilly Isles as a librarian. Jem's mother died, and her father remarried, and she was sent to live with her grandmother on St. Morwenna when she was 6. She left St. Morwenna under a cloud when she was 14. While she was there she had three best friends, her girlfriend Pauley, her boyfriend Rhys, and his younger brother Cam. At 14, she convinced her friends to go out on a boat at night; they were caught by a huge wave; and Cam drowned. Everyone on the island blamed Jem, including the Chief of Police Anderson, who was still there. Jem is now going back to help with Pauley's books which are going to the Courtney Library at the Royal Institute of Cornwall.

On arrival in Hightown on St. Mary, she meets the bartender, Micki, and they soon become good friends. Pauley was supposed to meet her, but didn't show because her mother was very ill. Pauley also told Jem that some of her books were stolen, including probably the most valuable one. Pauley thinks it was Mrs. Reddy, who was an officious woman who road around the island on an orange dune buggy and made life miserable for kids as well as most of the islanders.

When Bart, the Ferry Man comes into the pub, Jem decides to hook a ride to St. Morwenna and face off with Mrs. Reddy. They find a good looking man, Buck, who is also looking for a ferry ride that evening.
Jem gets off the ferry, and walks to Mrs. Reddy's home. She knocks and when no one answers, she goes in and finds Mrs. Reddy in her bedroom, dead, with her face wrapped in duct tape. She sees Rhys and a dog outside. Jem calls 911, and Anderson arrives and soon arrests her for the murder. He lets her out in the wee hours.

The next day, Jem goes back to Morwenna where she meets Kenzie (who saw Mrs. Reddy take the book). She has lunch at Pauley's with Dahlia Reddy, who accuses Jem of murdering her mother. She meets the man on the boat with her the first night again after he has a boat accident near Snoggy Harbor and she tells him about her past and calls Rhys to help him fix the boat.

When Jem finds another young girl murdered in the Ice Cream Hut, she also finds out that Buck is the new police chief! Jem finally figures out the connection between the two murders, and she is very good at discovering clues. However, the more she finds out, the more danger she is in from the real killer, who is definitely not one of the original suspects!

I can't wait for the next book in the series.

I quite enjoyed this mystery. Jem is a librarian which I think would be a super cool job.. She is on her way back to her hometown for a job cataloging a childhood friends extensive library.. Jem is reluctant to go back, when she left all those years ago she was known as a wild child and had gotten her self into a bit of a situation.. Which we learn about as the story progresses. Jem ends up going to confront the towns mean old lady who is always in everyones buisness.. and of course as this is a mystery that lady is dead, and because she caused some trouble as a child the sheriff thinks Jemma is suspect #1.. Jem is a strong woman, she has had to become one with everything that she went through as a child, and how most of the town treats her when she returns.. She ends up running into her childhood sweetheart who is acting like a total tool.. but we find out he sort of has a reason why..

They mystery was quite good, I did suspect who the killer ended up being, but there were alot of good suspects so I wasn't 100 percent sure until it was revealed.. The isolated nature of the island means that there are a set number of suspects, and everyone knows everybody and their buisness. So there are know end to who the killer could be.

I loved the setting of the island of St. Morwenna. It was described really well and sounded like a place I would love to visit. I really liked this story and look forward to reading the next book in the series.

This was a new-to-me author and I immediately liked her writing style. I found it to be a fun and fast-paced read!

I really enjoyed this book. It's the first in a new series featuring Jem (jemima) Jago who has returned to St. Morwenna in the Isles of Scilly to catalogue a collection of books and manuscripts being donated to the library. When Jem was growing up on the island, she was known as "that Jago girl" who was always causing trouble or bucking the system. Now, all grown up and returning, she is having to battle the resentment the islanders have toward her for a tragedy that occured when she was a teenager.
One of Jem's primary detractors in the past was Mrs. Reddy, who Jem sets out to confront over the possibility she stole a valuable manuscript before Jem's arrival. Jem arrives at Mrs. Reddy's house just in time to hear some sort of commotion inside and rushes in to discover Mrs. Reddy's body in her bedroom. The Chief of Police immediately assumes Jem is the killer, and sets about to prove it while Jem decides she needs to solve the case herself if she doesn't want to be jailed for something she didn't do.
There are some interesting, fun secondary characters that fill out the book and make it that much more entertaining. Jem is an interesting protagonist who is mostly reformed into a respectable young woman but who still has enough fire to challenge anyone being unfair.
Old secrets come back to be resolved and new friendships are forged. There are numerous directions open for the series to take in the next novel and I'm looking forward to where they go next. Full review to be published in Mystery and Suspense on April 21st.