Blog Tour & Book Review: DEATH AT THE GATES by Katie Gayle

 

Blog Tour

for

DEATH AT THE GATES

by

Katie Gayle

Author: Katie Gayle

Book: Death At The Gates

Series: Epiphany Bloom Mysteries (Book 3)

Publication Day: 02 August 2021 

Hurlingham House school is a high-achiever’s heaven, full of happy, hard-working pupils. There’s just the small matter of the dead body on the field… Sounds like a case for Epiphany Bloom!

When Epiphany Bloom’s best friend’s sister Claire is accused of trading exam papers for money, Epiphany agrees to see Ms Peters, the headteacher of Claire’s fiercely competitive school, to provide moral support. Claire has always been a model student and is loudly protesting her innocence: surely it’s all just a misunderstanding.

But when Ms Peters hears about Epiphany’s previous sleuthing exploits, she enlists her help to track down the true culprit!

Taking a job as a PE teacher, Epiphany soon realises she has plenty of suspects for the exam scam mastermind. The broke young teacher with a shady past? The father willing to buy his daughter anything – including grades? The school governor desperate to keep Hurlingham House at the top of the ranks?

Then Epiphany finds one of them dead at the school fair, and it becomes clear someone is taking the cut-throat culture of the school too literally – and when mysterious accidents start happening around her too, it seems the killer knows she’s onto them.

Can Epiphany solve the murder as well as clearing Claire’s name, before she becomes the next victim? This is one test she can’t afford to fail…

A charming and totally addictive cosy mystery with a hilarious and warm-hearted heroine. A must-read for fans of M.C. Beaton, Lee Strauss and Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series.

Purchase

Amazon: https://bit.ly/3BK4h1u

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My Thoughts

On page one, I was so excited that Epiphany Bloom had managed to hold onto a job from one book to the next . . . only to flip over to page two to discover she was once again unemployed. Oh, dear. I think I would feel sorrier for her if not for the fact I find her escapades highly entertaining.

In DEATH AT THE GATES, Epiphany’s hunky flatmate, Tim, convinces her to help investigate an exam cheating scandal at the private school that Tim’s sister, Claire, attends. Epiphany somehow finds herself going undercover as a substitute sports teacher, and given her innate clumsiness and lack of sports knowledge, there are many funny moments as Epiphany brings her own special brand of physical education to the school . . . like musical chairs!

With each new book, the Epiphany Bloom cosy mystery series is getting better. The two authors that co-write under the Katie Gayle name have definitely found their stride with these characters and this series. The plots are interesting, the writing is well-paced, and the humour is ever-present.

Who knows what’s in store in the next book? Whatever it is, I am ready for it!

 

Review copy courtesy of Netgalley and Bookouture

About the Authors

Katie Gayle is the writing partnership of best-selling South African writers, Kate Sidley and Gail Schimmel. Kate and Gail have, between them, written over ten books of various genres, but with Katie Gayle, they both make their debut in the coSy mystery genre. Both Gail and Kate live in Johannesburg, with husbands, children, dogs and cats. Unlike their sleuth Epiphany Bloom, neither of them have ever stolen a cat from the vet.

https://www.facebook.com/KatieGayleWriter

https://twitter.com/KatieGayleBooks

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