Set in a remote corner of Cornwall, Death Comes to St Ives presents a broad cast of oddball characters involved in a triple murder which ties in a cryptocurrency scheme, the art and publishing industries, and elements of the occult. Amateur sleuth Donna - whose kooky relatives seem to be involved in every nefarious dealing in the area - and her sometimes boyfriend, police investigator Joe, are tasked with solving the crime.

This is the third novel in a series, but I read it as a standalone - maybe not the best choice. The characters were often hard to keep track of, and combined with the unusually complex mystery it felt like there was simply too much happening for me to keep track of. Plus, I wasn't invested in Donna and Joe's romance since I hadn't read about the earlier developments in their relationship. I did still enjoy the story, but without the necessary context it read as more of a silly, madcap romp than a truly engrossing mystery.

Amateur sleuth Donna Nightshade should really be used to being accused of murder by now – after all, she’s found herself the prime suspect in nearly every case she’s investigated in the past year! However when St. Ives sees not one, not two, but three suspicious deaths in quick succession, and Donna finds herself in the wrong place at the wrong time for each one, she’s forced to defend her good name once again.
The third outing for Donna & another well written cosy mystery, it could be read on its own but the relationships between the strong cast of eclectic characters have developed so to fully appreciate it I’d recommend reading in order. I love the mix of characters & thoroughly enjoyed this murder mystery with witches, the dark web & crypto currency, I had to suspend belief a couple of times but that’s all part of the magic of the series. It was fun, entertaining & I thoroughly enjoyed it
My review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

This is the third book in The Edge of the World Detective Agency series. I am enjoying these books so much. The mystery in this one involves multiple murders, crypto currency, witches and more. It is so involved it practically ties itself in knots but I did not mind at all.

Donna Nightshade is the best kind of main character, a little on the shady side but someone who stands up totally for her friends and family. She can defend herself in almost any situation and there are constant references to both her and her family dabbling in the occult. The writing is excellent and often very funny.

I was very happy to see Joe back. The ending was delightful. I sincerely hope there will be a book four.

Having read the first two installments of this series, I was eagerly anticipating the opportunity to delve into the third and most recent installment, Death Comes to St. Ives. What I find most compelling about this series is the unique blend of characters. Not only that, the Nightshades are quite deadly, as they are descendants of pirates and witches.

The investigation into the murder was as complex as the Road Runner contraption. Though the resolution appeared straightforward in hindsight, the path to unveiling the truth was peppered with misleading clues and erroneous alibis.

From mermaids to cryptocurrencies to best-selling fantasy novel series and the portrayal of unfortunate events such as murders, Death Comes to St. Ives held my undivided attention until the end. A generous dose of whimsical humor was nothing short of a cherry on top. In conclusion, this latest installment of my favorite series lived up to its expectations.

I read the first two books in the series and enjoyed them. However this one was a little slow and felt very long and drawn out. But....I'm not a big fan of detective type books. I don't have the patience for searching for clues and eliminating suspects etc so this is probably why I found it to be slow. I was hesitant in reading the first book in the series and read it more out of curiosity having read and enjoyed the authors previous work. However I did like the first two.

It still has the same humour as the other two books which I do enjoy but it has a very convoluted plot and by the end I had completely run out of patience for finding out who the murderer was. I've come to the conclusion that I'm just not suited to murder mysteries in general so my lack of enjoyment of this one probably isn't down to the book, its maybe just not my thing. However thank you for the opportunity to try it out.

I haven't read any of the previous series but I didn't feel this distracted from the story for me. Humourous throughout I really enjoyed this book. The plot was entertaining enough to keep you reading and I read the book within a day. Will definitely be picking up the previous books. Great read

The very epitome of page-turner with a chilling storyline that grips from the first and kept me guessing right up to the heart-racing denouement STUNNER ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I was drawn to this book simply because I live in St Ives, so have not read the first two books in the End of the World Detective Agency series.

I would strongly recommend reading the books in order as there is little introduction to the many characters, and I found it difficult keeping up with who was who. I am certain I would have enjoyed it more had I read the first two books and had the backstories to Joe, Donna and her family.

Having said that, it is a nicely paced cozy murder mystery with a quirky bunch of characters, good humour and enough red herrings to keep you guessing until the end.

I particularly enjoyed the fact that it was written about my local town! 4*

ook three in this series, and it is a series that needs to be read in order if only to follow the to-ing and fro-ing of the Donna – Joe relationship, along with the Nightingale family. It’s going to sound dismissive if I refer to this as “more of the same” but that’s quite a good way of summarising things. If you liked The Wrecker’s Curse aka The Cornish Curse and Murder On A Cornish Isle, then you’ll like this one. If they weren’t your cup of tea, then this won’t change your mind – and to be honest, it’s quite odd that you’re still reading a series that you don’t like…

The mystery plot here is nicely complex, with as ever Donna not exactly solving things herself, her family helping out (including Uncle Jago who solves a good deal without even being in the country) and Joe being the general voice of reason while trying to pluck up the courage to have a serious conversation with Donna about their future – the when-will-they relationship (I can’t honestly call it a will-they-won’t-they because they obviously will eventually) takes another step forward here. I thought the author did a good job of hiding a standard central idea in the solution – I didn’t spot it, even though I’ve read a few different versions of it in the past.

What I thought was interesting here was a slight paring back of the Nightingale family, with just Donna’s sister and uncle on the scene this time. I’ll be honest, it would be nice to have a book with just Donna and Joe, but I guess that’s not the format of the series.

Anyway, as I said, if you enjoy the series, you’ll enjoy this one. It’s got a very interesting tone which works for me, so why not give it a go?

Maybe it’s because I hadn’t read any of the other books in this series but I just couldn’t get into it. All the dark web and witchy stuff wasn’t for me I’m afraid and I had to skip to the end just to get it done with. Really sorry, I know I’m in the minority. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the arc.

A cozy set in Cornwall! This is the third in a series and to be honest, you will appreciate this much more if you've read at least one of the earlier installments because there's a large cast of characters and some of it will be more meaningful if you know the backstory. Whew! Now, Donna has once again found herself at the center of a murder investigation, this time centered around an artist. And her ex DS Joe Eyns is sent down to investigate. It's nicely twisty and atmospheric. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

It took me a little while to get into this story, perhaps because I didn't already know the characters. But I did enjoy it once I started to get a feel for who was who. I wasn't exactly sure I liked Donna...she did grow on me, by the end, but I wanted her to be a bit cleverer about figuring things out.
I'm also not totally sure what happened at the end! The whole Poirot reveal seemed to be going well, but then more & more was revealed and there were a LOT of things to try & keep hold of.

I did like Joe though, and I was probably most interested in his love story with Donna.

Edge of the World Detective Agency Book 3

When Donna attends prominent TV anthropologist Gerald Dubois's book launch at the Tate St. Ives art gallery, the last thing she expects to find among the paintings is a brutally artistic murder. With only a select group of attendees at the exclusive after-party lock-in, Donna must investigate each of the seven guests' motives. As Donna delves deeper into the investigation, she discovers Gerald's extensive research of the mysteries of Cornwall's Bronze Age stone circles, and before long, she's unexpectedly embroiled in secret societies, witchcraft, and the occult.

There were a mixed bunch of characters in this book, varying from practising witches to artists. This time Donna is the main suspect, three murders have taken place, and Donna has to prove that she is innocent. DS Joe Eyns has been sent from London's Home Office to head the investigation.

I really like this cosy murder mystery series. There are plenty of twists and red herrings. We are also kept guessing whether Donna and Joe will finally get together.

Published 19th April

I would like to thank #NetGalley #HarperCollinsUK #OneMoreChapter and the author #JoSilva for my ARC of DeathComestoStIves in exchange for an honest review.

Death Comes to St. Ives is the third novel in the fun and madcap series, The End of the World Detective Agency series, by Jo Silva.
This is the first book from the series thar I've read and I would recommend starting with the first book if you are interested in the series, as the action begins on the first page, and there is a long list of characters, so it did take me quite a while to determine just who was who and how they all fitted together.
The characters are an eclectic mix with practicing witches, a private detective, (police) detectives, artists and well, I'm not sure how to describe the remaining characters.
Our protagonist is one (Bella) Donna Nightshade, local detective and supplier of vegetables and floral boxes. She works with her family and has a habit of finding herself in the middle of investigations. This time around, she is accused of multiple murders. So, the Nightshades decide to run their own investigation, with the assistance of Donna's former boyfriend Joe. And Joe has his own reasons for returning to Cornwall.
As I mentioned, there are multiple characters in the novel and I did find myself scanning back through the pages to check just when a particular person was introduced/their links to the investigation. I do not normally face this issue, so perhaps it was a lack of interest in the storyline that caused me to struggle?
I enjoyed the premise at the start, but then the storyline meanders into the world of cryptocurrrency, and the Dark Web. I would have preferred to stay with the more entertaining (in my opinion) witchy aspects of the storyline, especially as this seems central to the life of the Nightshade family.
I can imagine this book being popular with many readers who will enjoy the complexity of the mystery and the range of characters.
I will say that I did enjoy the elements of humour throughout the novel.

I love this series! Donna and Joe and her crazy family are like old friends. I’m always anxious to see what new escapades this crew will get into. There’s a fabulous Rube Goldberg machine that plays a prominent role in the story. I think this series is best read in order for maximum enjoyment.

Thank you to One More Chapter Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

5* Absolute escapism, I loved it!

I jumped at the chance of reading an eARC of Jo Silva's latest End of the World Detective Agency series, this is the third book, and I think the best. To fully enjoy these books it's best to read them in order. Ideally read Death Comes to St Ives without interruptions - I didn’t want to put this book down, and didn't.

Donna Nightshade finds herself once more up to her ears in crime. Three murders occur and according to the local blinkered plod, Donna is the main person of interest. In a bid to prove her innocence (she's also bored and incredibly nosy) Donna embarks upon her own investigation. Detective Sergeant Joe Enys, Donna's one time almost boyfriend, is despatched from the Home Office in London to head the police investigation in Cornwall. He can't believe his luck when he's assigned to work with (or watch as she's the chief suspect) Donna.

A word of caution for non British readers, I doubt that even Google will be able to explain some of the British expressions and sayings. Don't be put off, just guess.

Will there be another book about Donna and the End of the World Detective Agency, maybe not after such a dramatic ending. But never say never. Recommended reading.

eARC generously supplied by One More Chapter and NetGalley, this review is my personal, unbiased opinion.

Sadly I only got a quarter of the way through this book before I gave up. The characters were not well drawn and distinct from each other so I had to keep referring back to know who was who and I couldn't feel invested in any of them . The style of writing felt self conscious and florid and would have benefitted from some judicious editing. Sorry but this one was not for me .

series, situational-humor, verbal-humor, poisons, romantic, family, family-dynamics, family-history, famous-author, family-business, local-law-enforcement, local-gossip, multiple-deaths, allergy, sly-humor, small-town, small-business, investigations, friendship, snarky, witches, contemporary, framed, writers, wrong-victim, Cornish-coast, cozy-mystery*****

This is not a citified, somewhat intense/grim, suspenseful, detective procedural, but an investigation of peculiar proportions with fascinating characters, sneaky twists, and amazing red herrings. Great cozy read! There is no way that any reader cannot laugh sox off! This is not as obvious as a farce, but a hilarious meeting with the quixotic Nightshade family and the Edge of the World Detective agency and the interworking with law enforcement. The world building is fairly current, but it still is a fantastic escape from the news media. The hilarity does not depend upon having read the earlier books, but they are so much fun!
I requested and received a temporary EARC from HarperCollins UK/One More Chapter via NetGalley. Thank you!
#EdgeOfTheWorldDetectiveAgency#3 Available 19 Apr 2024

Poor Donna, this time not only is she a suspect in a murder, she is now a suspect in three murders. Was she really just in the wrong place at the wrong time? The police don’t believe so, but Donna is determined to clear her name, and prove them wrong. even when they assign a detective to join her in her own soothing, she will not stop until she figures out who the murderer is.

As always, Donna is one of the best protagonists in Cozy mysteries. Jo Silva certainly knows her way around a cozy mystery. She builds the excitement and suspense, then throw in plenty of red herrings to distract you up until the final reveal.

Every time I see a new entry in this series I get excited for the chance to read it and spend some time on Donna’s next case. If you haven’t read one in this series yet, what are you waiting for? Each one reads fine as a standalone, but but you’ll want to read the others as well.

Another entertaining romp around Cornwall. Murder and mermaids, what more could you ask for?
I love the character development; Donna and Lamorna are a wonderful sibling act, and the “will they, won’t they” romance between Donna and Joe is perfect. Also we meet a host of new people, all of whom make up a great pool of suspects.
There’s some beautiful snapshots of the glorious Cornish landscape and makes me very grateful to live so close to such gorgeous place.