Murder at Wintertide

Murder at Wintertide, a gripping festive thriller, takes the reader on a murder mystery adventure, gathering clues that are fringed with danger.  George is going to spend Christmas with his grandpa by the sea. He loves his grandpa and is especially looking forward to the festive activities on the Lyme Regis coast because it means he gets to spend quality time with his dad away from Tina, his stepmom.

This year, the family have decided to take an extended break and rent a house on the seafront so everybody can be together.  However, whilst fetching the Christmas decorations from the car, George notices something unusual - it looks like a light falls into the sea.  Little does George know that he has just witnessed a murder at WinterTide!

Later that evening, a body washes up on the shore and when they read about it the paper the next day, George realises that he has seen some of the evidence before, during their journey to the coast.  George can't stop thinking about how everything is connected.

Lyme Regis is a coastline full of history and folk in the town have for many generations believed that its earth is rich with undiscovered jewels that link back to the island's past.  But when George and Isla start to look for clues about the murder, they do not realise the danger they are putting themselves in; someone is desperate to stop them finding out the truth.

Murder at Wintertide is a brilliant murder mystery story and has plenty of page-turning tension and gripping festive thrills. Children in KS2 will love the characters and be intrigued by the themes. This book would be a great resource for teaching children how to build tension within writing lessons and would make an excellent end of day story.

304 pages / Reviewed by Hayley Summerfield, teacher

Suggested Reading Age 11+

This gripping crime thriller set against a seasonally snowy backdrop is just the ticket for a page-turning Christmas read. In Murder at Wintertide, George is excited about a cosy, wintry, family holiday by the sea - especially spending time with his dad and grandad and seeing his favourite uncle who will be visiting from New York. As they settle into their rented house, his main concerns are his step-aunt's vegan cooking and how to manage his terrifyingly clever but odd step-cousin, Isla.

Then a body washes up on the beach. Could it have anything to do with the strange lights George saw dropping from the cliff?  All the adults dismiss his concerns but, surprisingly, Isla seems to be on his wavelength.  Together they are drawn to investigate.  The more they find out, the more they want to unravel the puzzle … but the more the danger mounts.

Taking a classic plot device of children's stories (observant children who notice what adults miss but whose resourcefulness and honest hearts help them dodge the gravest of perils), Fleur Hitchcock makes it her own. Her confident voice adapts a junior 'whodunnit?' narrative to explore the tensions (and fun) of blended families and weaves it into the romantic landscape of the Jurassic Coast.

Use it as a pacy read aloud in the run up to Christmas - so much the better if the weather outside is icy!

304 pages / Reviewed by Louisa Farrow, teacher

Suggested Reading Age 9+