Murder Down the Shore: A Jersey Shore Mystery [Mass Market Paperback]

Beth Sherman (Author)

Book Description

Series: Jersey Shore Mysteries | Publication Date: April 30, 2002

It seemed like a good idea at the time to Anne Hardaway: a jolly family reunion in the sun and sand of Oceanside Heights on the Jersey Shore. But it turns out to be the last gathering of any kind for wealthy Great-aunt Hannah, who is discovered on the beach viciously stabbed to death...by a knife taken from Anne's own kitchen!

With a $50 million inheritance at stake, any one of her kin could be the culprit, but it's Anne whom the evidence accuses. A killer isn't satisfied yet, however. As the professional ghostwriter/amateur sleuth intensifies her hunt for the blood relative with a taste for blood, Anne realizes her options are growing frighteningly limited. She can spend the rest of her life in prison...or lose it right now!

Editorial Reviews

Review

A perfect beach companion. -- Staten Island Advance

Beth Sherman delivers a solid plot with surprising twists that will fool even veteran mystery readers. -- Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel

Defininitely a beach book. -- New York Times

Ghostwriter Anne Hardaway is a delightful mix of humor, pragmatism, and vulnerability. -- Margaret Maron

One becomes instantly entranced with the players and their surroundings...keeps the reader hanging on to the final pages. -- The Times at the Jersey Shore

About the Author

Beth Sherman is a writer and editor based in New York City. She writes a bi-weekly column, "Design and Decor," for Newsday that gives decorating tips and home-related advice. Her work has also appeared in The New York Times, The New York Post, Cosmopolitan, Ladies' Home Journal, Harper's Bazaar, Martha Stewart Living, Bride's, Fitness, Working Woman, House Beautiful, American Health, Parents, and many other publication. Dead Man's Float is her first mystery. She summers on the New Jersey shore.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Avon (April 30, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380816067
• ISBN-13: 978-0380816064
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,141,396 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars a fun read, May 2, 2002

By 

tregatt (Portland, Oregon) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Murder Down the Shore: A Jersey Shore Mystery (Mass Market Paperback)

I love the Anne Hardaway mystery series. I'm not exactly sure why -- it's not really one of those 'cozy' small town mysteries, nor is it one that's filled with wacky, quirky characters whose antics amuse one no end. Indeed, some of the books in this series have been angst filled and rather stark and dour in tone. So why am I such a fan? As far as I can tell, I like this series mainly because of it's detecting heroine, Anne Hardaway. A struggling ghostwriter (in her late 30s, and a bit of a loner), trying hard to make ends meet and who still lives in the same house she grew up in, Anne is an entirely appealing character, that most readers are bound to find completely engaging. And the mysteries in this series have (so far) been rather compelling and interesting ones as well.

Things are finally beginning to look up for Anne. She's currently working on book of advice for pet owners, and the authour she's currently working with has (so far) turned out to be an absolute joy. And best of all, her relationship with Detective Mark Trasker is going rather well too. So why would Anne want to borrow trouble by deciding to host a family reunion? The death of her grandmother, Betty Hardaway, four months ago has left Anne with the need to reconnect with family. And so, Anne has decided to invite her wealthy Great-aunt Hannah (from her mother's side of the family), along with the cousins she grew up with -- Henry (Great-aunt Hannah's son), Cece, Nora (Anne's favourite cousin), Alex and Millie. In her mind, it seems like a good idea: the family would be reunited again, there'd be lots of fun and laughter, with the sun and beach of Ocean Heights as the backdrop to the whole event. The reality however includes Great-aunt Hannah's new 'boyfriend' whose supercilious behaviour manages to make everyone's teeth grate, and the unpleasant fact that Hannah and her son are not speaking to one another. Things take an especially nasty turn however when Hannah is found stabbed to death on the beach, and the murder weapon turns out to be one of Anne's knives! Because of Trasker's relationship with Anne, he recuses himself from the case, which turns out to be a really bad thing for Anne. Because the detective in charge of the case happens to be small minded bully who is only all too willing to believe that Anne killed Hannah for the money she was to have inherited from her. With her freedom on the line, Anne has no choice but to start looking into Hannah's life as well as those of her cousins'as she tries to figure who set up to take the blame for Hannah's murder. What Anne discovers will both sadden and chill as she tries to figure out which one of her relatives murdered Hannah.

The mystery unfolded at a brisk, swift and smooth pace, and there were enough false trails and red herring suspects to keep most mystery addicts happily glued to the pages. My only compliant was that I wished the novel had been a longer one, so that there could have been even more plot exposition and so that certain characters could have been even more developed. Other than that "Murder Down the Shore" was a really fun read.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Anne plans a family reunion, not quite this way, July 11, 2002

By 

Moe811 (New York USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Murder Down the Shore: A Jersey Shore Mystery (Mass Market Paperback)

Anne Hardaway is nostalgic. Her grandmother has recently died and she wishes to see her mother's side of the family also. She invites them all to a reunion in Oceanside Heights. Not all respond, but she is delighted to hear from some of her favorite cousins. They made her trials with an early onset Alzheimer's afflicted mother a little more bearable. It has been a long time since they all got together. Her overbearing Aunt Hannah also is coming, but they decide to have a good time anyway. On the surface all the cousins seem to be well adjusted and successful, but are they really? Aunt Hannah has picked up a con man for a boyfriend and her son is in trouble again. Aunt Hannah calls Anne asking for help about adoptions. When she arrives at the house, her cousin Kim is running out the door in terror and Aunt Hannah is inside stabbed to death. Anne has to find out who killed her and why.

I really enjoyed this one. Anne has quite a cast of characters in her family and it was interesting to find out exactly who they are. The mystery was really interesting and fairly difficult to solve. I am looking forward to the next one.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Family Reunions Can Be Murder, July 12, 2005

By 

Mark Baker (Santa Clarita, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Murder Down the Shore: A Jersey Shore Mystery (Mass Market Paperback)

Growing up, Anne was always close to her cousins, so the idea of a family reunion to see them again really appeals to her. She can hardly wait until everyone arrives, even if Great-aunt Hannah is coming, too.

Things get off to a rocky start with Hannah's opinions rubbing the cousins the wrong way as usual. And her son's appearance doesn't help. Still, Anne is surprised when she finds Hannah dead the next morning. She even more surprised when the murder weapon turns out to be a knife from her own kitchen. And with Detective Burns looking for a way to get back at Anne's boyfriend, Anne's going to have to figure things out if she wants to stay out of jail. But this makes her cousins the suspects. And a little digging turns up secrets that could give each of them motive. Will Anne be crushed by the solution to this case?

Once again, Beth Sherman has put together a wonderful book full of pieces that feel like they should go together, but don't seem to somehow. Anne becomes her most human in this book, and I really liked how her character and her relationship with Trasker developed. As always, the elements of a resort town with dark edges creates an unsettling feeling that is both inviting and frightening at the same time, creating the perfect mood for the book.

I'm sorry to catch up on this series with what looks like the final book. I've enjoyed vacationing with Anne, even if there was danger is such a friendly setting.