Blog Tour Review: Death at the Caravan Park – Susan Willis
Happy weekend folks and welcome to today’s blog tour review of Death at the Caravan Park by Susan Willis. It’s been a few months since I last took part in a blog tour. I’ve been taking the time to chip away at my ever-growing reading list. However, I’m excited to be back and sharing my thoughts on a book and genre I haven’t picked up for a while!
As always, before I share and discuss details the book, I’d like to take the opportunity to thank both the author Susan and Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for organising the blog tour. I always enjoy the chance to pick up something a little bit new, and to feature new novels and different authors.
Now, let’s find out more about the book!
Death at the Caravan Park – Susan Willis
Genre: Cosy Crime
Pages: 229
Audience: Adult
Publication Date: 20 Jun 2023
Rating: 🌟 🌟 🌟
Clive Thompson heads for Whitley Bay caravan park to finish writing his novel. He’s never had a caravan holiday before and is warmly greeted by the manager, Liz Mathews, who lives on the park.
She is single and cares for her ninety year old mother who has Alzheimer’s Disease. Clive meets the people in neighbouring caravans and has an amazing view from his veranda over the sea to St. Mary’s Lighthouse. However, Audrey goes missing during the night and Liz is beside herself with worry. The police are out looking for her, but disillusioned by their efforts, Clive begins his own investigations.
Purchase Links – Amazon UK Amazon US
My Thoughts…
Plot
Clive Thompson is a writer, looking to get away from the hustle and bustle of every day life in order to finish his second novel. Having never taken a trip to a caravan park, he decides that this is the perfect place to retreat, and finds himself in Whitley Bay.
However, there are plenty of goings on that distract him from his project. From a vast array of interesting characters, to a dark history of the place and events that he cannot help but get sucked into… there is plenty to enjoy about this novel.
Death at the Caravan Park was the perfect length for me. There is more than enough page count in order to explore the genre and events that take place. At the same time, the book is a great length to pick up and make progress with very easily. It’s an approachable read for all abilities and reading stamina.
Setting
I really enjoyed the northern setting of the book. This was very apparent throughout through a lot of the language and dialect integrated into the story. If you’ve ever watched Vera, you’re on the right lines of what to expect in this book.
I haven’t stayed in a caravan for a very long time. In fact, I was a child when I last went to one! However, I still remember the atmosphere and what it was like to stay there. This book and its setting very much reminded me of that holiday! It’s cozy in its quintessential Britishness. Seasides and fish and chips are typical British holiday staples. I’m very fortunate to have these things on my doorstep, and the immersion of setting vs reality is on point.
Characters
As someone who has some experience with a family member having both Alzheimer’s and dementia, I could feel for both Liz and for her mum Audrey. Thankfully, I was never in a position where I had to care for my relative, but I can understand what it would be like to do so. Audrey embodies a very typical case of a sufferer. Good days and bad days keep Liz on her toes – as if she doesn’t have enough to do running the caravan park that Audrey spent her life building from the ground up.
When Audrey goes missing, you cannot help but sympathise with Liz and her concerns for her mother. Given there are days where Audrey doesn’t even know who she is, there is very little chance that she will return home of her own volition. As a mystery writer, Clive cannot help but embroil himself in the investigation to find her. Along this journey, he discovers lots of characters and faces on the caravan park… some better than others.
Summary
If you enjoy cosy crime novels with distinct and intriguing characters, then Death at the Caravan Park is an ideal read. I enjoyed picking up the book as a quick foray into a genre that I haven’t picked up for a little while.
There are some other great reviews that have come out as a result of the blog tour. If you’re interested in reading a bit more about the book, The Book Magnet and Lacy Ace Book Reviews shared similar thoughts.
As of this post, the blog tour is only halfway through its progress. Make sure to keep your eyes peeled for more posts about the book over the coming days!
Author Bio
Susan is a published author of eight novels and six novellas with short stories published in Women’s Weekly magazines. She is now retired from Food Technology and scribbles away in County Durham.
Writing psychological suspense and cosy-crime novels with strong, lovable North East characters, is her passion. Last year, she brought us, Clive’s Christmas Crusades, set in York. Following the Harrogate Crime Writing Festival, Susan wrote six Curious Casefiles which is now published by Northodox Press. She has incorporated up-to-date issues: poor mental health in a kidnap scene, the perils of social media, and an intruder on Skype.
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You can find Susan’s books here: https://amzn.to/2S5UBc8
