Book Review: A Coastal Corpse (Seffi Wardwell Mystery, #1) by Rebecca M. Douglass

A Coastal Corpse by Rebecca M. Douglass
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A great start to this cozy mystery series featuring retired science teacher Seffi Wardwell.

A Coastal Corpse is the first book in veteran author Rebecca M. Douglass’s coastal Maine-set cozy Seffi Wardwell Mystery series, which launched in August of 2023. This smart senior sleuth from California is a retired science teacher who has relocated to the village of Smelt Point to recuperate from lingering COVID at the urging of a former student who is now the local police officer. However, rather than finding the rest and comfort of small-town living she anticipated, she finds herself embroiled in a murder investigation and surrounded by the unfriendly and suspicious faces of her new neighbors.

I liked Seffi from the start and sympathized with her physical limitations brought on by her struggles recuperating from COVID. She was so relatable as she encountered the many challenges that the illness had left her with on top of those presented by the aging process. Seffi is 72 years old, however, her mind and attitude are still sharp, clear, and healthy, and she quickly decides to help solve the murder of the town’s pariah – Al Conkin, a local man the residents blamed for a death and injuries that occurred years earlier at his family’s fish plant.

The depiction of life during the pandemic is somewhat unique in that most mysteries seem to avoid the timeframe, choosing to begin their story well after quarantines, masking, and vaccines are history or skip mentioning it entirely. In the story, vaccines have already been made available, but the precautions of that time are still fresh. Seffi’s debilitated physical condition was sad and hard to watch but realistic. The unfriendly attitude of Smelt Point’s residents toward newcomers was appalling, and I hope it was an exaggeration of a reputation for being unwelcoming. While Seffi makes some headway in gaining friends in her new hometown, it isn’t easy, and she herself is reticent to open up and reveal her past life. The plot is compelling, offering complexity and a welcome freshness, despite sounding a bit like a Bizarro episode of Murder, She Wrote.

I highly recommend A COASTAL CORPSE to cozy mystery fans, especially those who would enjoy a Maine setting or LGBT representation.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours.

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