Title: The Cost of Living
Author: Rachel Ward
Publisher: Sandstone Press
Release Date: 21st September 2017
Source: NetGalley
Buy: Amazon UK
Author: Rachel Ward
Publisher: Sandstone Press
Release Date: 21st September 2017
Source: NetGalley
Buy: Amazon UK
After a young woman is brutally attacked on her way home from the local supermarket, checkout girl Bea is determined to find out who’s responsible. She enlists the help of Ant, the seemingly gormless new trainee – but can she really trust him?
Customers and colleagues become suspects, secrets are uncovered, and while fear stalks the town, Bea risks losing the people she loves most.
Imagine a warm snuggly hug in book form and you get The Cost of Living. A book that will have me looking at the Tesco checkout ladies in a different light, a book that was not only a good cosy crime but was also funny, sad and a little creepy in places. Yes, can you tell I enjoyed it a lot? I’d better tell you what it is about.
Supermarket checkout girl Bea loves her job, she loves talking to her customers, and she loves (most of) the people she works with. Recent start Ant does not share the same view, he hates the job and seems to make a mess of everything he does but something about him endears Bea, and she takes him under her wing.
The small town they live is unremarkable in every way until reports of someone stalking women start to come in and when someone Bea knows is brutally attacked, she takes is personally. Using her daily observations at work she starts to make a list of possible suspects and with the help of Ant and her friend Dot they do a little digging. Can they succeed where the police have failed?
I’m not going to tell you if they do! This is a unique read also in the fact these are proper working class characters, there aren’t any fancy cars, designer clothes, expensive bottles of wine and posh food. There are numerous mugs of tea, lots of chocolate and looking out for one another especially those nearest and dearest.
This is a gem of a book, it kept me guessing till the end and it has made me add the next two books in the series to my list of books to read.
Thanks to Net Galley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Lovely review! I think I would enjoy this, I love a good cozy mystery!
ReplyDeleteIt’s fab, I’m looking forward to the rest of the series.
DeleteI’m intrigued, thanks for sharing your thoughts
ReplyDeleteYou are welcome!
DeleteThis sounds like fun and I like the cover! I am going to add it to my TBR. Please don't tell Elza...
ReplyDeleteElza Reads
Your secret is safe with me!
DeleteThank you for the review. Sounds intriguing.
ReplyDeleteIt’s a great read!
DeleteThis sounds so good! I need to start reading cozy mysteries😁
ReplyDeleteThey are good for breaking up the scarier stuff!
DeleteI couldn't find the comment box on your last post...the Murderbot swoony one? Not sure if it's a glitch your end, mine or Bloglovin or something! So I'll say it here...Murderbot is my ideal 'man'! Endless nights in front of the TV with no need for emotional and physical issues to deal with!!!
ReplyDeleteI’ve had a couple of problems! He is the full package and we are not the only ones, there may be a queue!
DeleteYou found a great one, it seems. I like the idea that the characters are working class.
ReplyDeleteIt makes a change doesn’t it, it’s nice to read from a different POV.
DeleteIt looks like a good cosy mystery series, and the working class background - that we read so little about - is a bonus :)
ReplyDeleteIt was good, there are two more in the series after this which I’ll hopefully get to soon!
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