Book 1 in The Chief Inspector Barclay Mysteries

The Voice of the Sea

The British Seaside can be Murder.

Burridge by Sea had a troubling day before the murder, there was a burglary from Miss Johnson’s grand house on the seafront relieving her of a clock worth £40,000 and a homeless veteran had been beaten up by the Seafront Defence Trust, the thuggish security group set up by the local Yacht Club to protect their Festival of the Sea. The community is riven with tensions as many are wondering what sort of town they are going to be left with if the Council and the Yacht Club have their way.

When John Sikorski’s battered body is found in his house behind the promenade Chief Inspector Barclay and Sgt Penrose are called in to investigate. There is speculation as to whether the incidents are linked. Pressure is brought to bear to get a quick result. Barclay is frustrated by obstruction from members of Sikorski’s family and indifference from the local hipster/arty community some of whom knew the victim.

The Voice of the Sea is the first book in a new series by Simon Magorian. It’s a traditional British mystery, with some tart humour and a satirical edge.

Released on April 30, 2023

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

"Great plot and characters. Loved this book. Read it over a wet camping weekend. Burridge-by-Sea is full of interesting characters with hidden motives. Simon Magorian gives them great dialogue, often pithy and acerbic. The plot has an Agatha Christie flavour, brought up to date and with astute political, social and class awareness. Great read. I look forward to more from DCI Barclay."

~ Jon Woods

"Accomplished debut. I so enjoyed this book. The story is well paced and the characters nuanced and skilfully drawn. It evokes the claustrophobia of a small seaside town and the tensions between different social groups. I felt the author managed something pretty clever - he exposed some unpleasant traits and prejudices in his characters without completely demonising them. An intelligent and atmospheric whodunnit. Recommended."

~ Sonnythecat

"Entertaining and witty whodunnit. This is a well written whodunnit. I thoroughly enjoyed it and never guessed the murderer’s identity until the end. The conversations in particular were very well expressed and observed. I can highly recommend this book."

~ Teresa