Death on Dickens Island by Allison Brook

Item: Death on Dickens Island
Rating: 5
Author: karenbaron

Posted October 21, 2025 by karenbaron in #BookishRecipe, Mystery, Review, Series / 1 Comment

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Death on Dickens Island

by Allison Brook

Series: Books on the Beach Mysteries #1
Series Rating:

Published by Minotaur Books on October 21, 2025
Setting: Dickens Island, New York
Genres: Cozy Paranormal Animal Mystery
Pages: 320
Format: Kindle
Source: NetGalley
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Get Your Copy at: Amazon

A divorced sleuth in her thirties must bring peace back to her small town after a murder tears neighbors and family members apart in this series debut from Agatha Award-nominee Allison Brook, perfect for fans of Cynthia Riggs and Eva Gates.

Delia Dickens has come home to Dickens Island, a small island in the Long Island Sound, after a twelve year stint in Manhattan. She’s looking forward to helping her father revitalize the general store that the family owns as well as curating a small book nook. Most importantly, she wants to reunite with her 15 year old son. But Dickens Island isn’t the peaceful town Delia remembers–and she might be in more danger here than she ever was in the big city.

Delia’s Aunt Reenie and Uncle Brad, both prominent community leaders, are at odds over the sale of a farm and its future use. This has created friction, not only in their marriage, but amongst the citizens of the town. When a young woman, new to the town council and friendly with Brad, is found murdered, everything escalates and reaches a new boiling point.

With Reenie and Brad both suspects in the case and at each other’s throats, the townspeople start to take sides. When the ghost of her grandmother visits her, Delia learns how past events have impacted the present and it is up to her to expose the farm’s sordid secrets, in order to catch a murderer and restore peace to her beloved island.

Death on Dickens Island by Allison Brook is the start of a new series for this fantastic writer. Cordelia has her hands full.

Can Delia restore the peace to Dickens Island?

Cordelia “Delia” Dickens

Delia Dickens hasn’t been back on Dickens Island for quite a while. Since she feels it’s time to move back home, and be there for her son. She, much like her Aunt Reenie and some of the other islanders, wants to see the island come forward in time and allow them to grow. Delia is definitely trying to bring the General Store into the present.

I have to say that I like Delia and the fact that she is a mother who wants to be there for her son, even if she has no clue how. Another thing I like is how very different Delia is from Ms. Brooks’ first sleuth, yet they share some similarities I noticed. Delia is an intelligent lady who needs to trust her gut.

The Mystery

Delia Dickens hears through a grapevine about how a new town council member was found deceased in her home and gets sucked into an investigation. She starts investigating to clear her aunt and uncle’s names as suspects. I have to say, this mystery was a rollercoaster ride with many moving parts. Okay, I do admit I fell for a red herring, but mostly because I get weird vibes from said character. Ms. Brook is fantastic at creating characters that intrigue me with their secrets and unseen actions.

Five Stars

My rating for Death on Dickens Island by Allison Brook is five stars. I am already in love with the community on Dickens Island, and I can’t wait to see what else Ms. Brooks does in this small town with Delia and her family. I have a good feeling that Ms. Brook will have another great series on her hands with this one.

Books on the Beach Mysteries

Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Death on Dickens Island by Allison Brook.

Until the next time,

Happy Reading!

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About Allison Brook

Allison Brook is the pseudonym for Marilyn Levinson, who writes mysteries, romantic suspense, and novels for kids. She lives on Long Island and enjoys traveling, reading, watching foreign films, doing Sudoku and dining out. She especially loves to visit with her grandchildren on FaceTime.

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