Murder At Wrightsville Beach

by Ellen Elizabeth Hunter

Book Overview

With temperatures in the nineties, Ashley Wilkes, historic preservationist, heads for Wrightsville Beach where sister Melanie has rented an oceanfront sleeps-14 "cottage." But murder never takes a... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0373266677
• ISBN13: 9780373266678
• Release Date: January 2009
• Publisher: Worldwide Library
• Length: 250 Pages
• Weight: 0.30 lbs.

Customer Reviews

The real center of this mystery is the location: Wrightsville Beach in North Carolina and the nearby

I read this book quickly -- it was engaging and well-plotted. I like the beach so I particularly enjoyed the setting. The main character, Ashley Wilkes (it gets worse, her sister's name is Melanie), is a likeable character. She's staying at her sister's beach house, sharing space with Melanie's unlikeable bad-boy boyfriend and an old friend of the sisters (now a well-known model). Ashley is desperately trying to reach her incommunicado husband, who works for Homeland Security and who isn't answering his cell phone. The book begins with the discovery of a murder victim in an art gallery; all the paintings have been stolen. The victim apparently knew her killer, which limits the search. Ashley is not looking for the killer, as in so many of these cozy mysteries. She's simply staying on the beach and knew the victim. She also knows several people who might have done it, but is leaving the detective work to the police. She finds herself pulled into events and eventually in a climactic scene near the end of the book, discovers who the killer is. I had mixed feelings about the book. The quality of the writing was OK but lacked a certain polish -- a bit amateurish. I imagine her books will continue to improve with experience, but based on this book, this isn't an author whose books I'll run out to get. It's an enjoyable way to spend a rainy day, or better yet, read on the beach. Although I had a hunch early on who the killer was (which turned out to be correct), that hunch couldn't be blamed on the plotting but just my experience as a reader of many, many mysteries. I think most readers of the book who AREN'T readers of many, many mysteries will be surprised by the conclusion.

A Fictional Mystery that takes place in a historical town

I live in the Wilmington, NC area and this book is filled with - knowledged and interesting facts about present day Wilmington - history of the Wilmington during WW2 - a great selection of characters - and a mysterious death with a questionable motive Ashley Wilkes world right now is upside down. Her friend Val was shot and robbed in her own art gallery, she is staying at a beach cottage with two or more questionable characters, and her husband (away on business) is not returning her phone calls. Ashley finds out in the worst way possible who the murderer is and later pieces together their motive by learning some history about the house she is restoring. What a great mystery, I could not put it down, had to finish it in one day. I can't wait to read more. I recommend it for any one who likes mysteries and learning about the southeastern coast of nc!

I Love The Beach

This makes you seem like you are living in Wilmington. The descriptions and characters are great. You become a part of the book.