‘A Body at the Beach’ by Ellie Alexander

Published by Storm publishing,
1^st September 2025.
ISBN: 978-1-83700150-7 (PB)
Previously published as 
Silenced in the Surf. 

In this the third book in the series, Meg Reed is now settling into her job at Northwest Extreme magazine. 

Her latest assignment is to cover and report on the King of the Hook windsurfing Competition. For the last month Portland, Oregon had been experiencing a heat wave and the thought of windsurfing sounded appealing. Having found a bungalow to stay in at Hook River, she invites her two best friends Jill and fellow journalist Matt to join her. 

She is hoping for a straightforward assignment involving sun, sand, and fun. And all seems to be going well until she finds herself struggling to stay afloat during a surf lesson. When she loses control trying to right herself, she discovers the lifeless body of a superstar windsurfer Justin Cruise. 

Although in the short time she had been there, she had found Justin rather unpleasant Meg, still wants to find out who had killed him and why? 

Meg is there to interview people for her magazine and uses that as an opportunity to get to talk to as many people she sees as possible suspects in the killing of Justin Cruise. 

Although Meg is away from home in this book, in addition to her two best friends staying with her, Gam, her grandma turns up. Gam has strong New Age beliefs and is a holistic healer who spreads her warmth wherever she goes. She’s a lively character. 

For those who have read the two earlier books, underlying, the current story we are aware that there is still a question mark over the untimely death of Meg’s father, Pops, who was an investigative journalist for ‘The Oregon Newspaper’. Was it an accident or was it murder?  Will anymore evidence come to light? 

A tantalising mystery, with a twist. Recommended.
--------
Reviewer: Lizzie Sirett

Ellie Alexander is the bestselling author of more than forty cozy mystery novels. Her books have been translated into Spanish, Italian, Russian, and Japanese, reaching readers worldwide. She is the founder of the annual Ashland Mystery Festival and a frequent guest at library programs and author events throughout the Pacific Northwest and beyond, including the popular Northwest Authors series and independent bookshops across the region. In addition to her fiction, her essays and articles have appeared in publications such as Mystery Scene Magazine, The Oregonian, and Portland Family Magazine. As a writing teacher and coach, she helps aspiring authors shape their stories and navigate the path to publication with clarity and confidence. A proud Pacific Northwest native, Alexander often sets her mystery series against real backdrops from Portland's hipster neighbourhoods to the charming Shakespearean hamlet of Ashland. She now lives in Sunnyvale, California.