DI Siv Drummond and her partner DI Ali Carlin investigate an oddly staged murder scene in The Murder in Mallow Cottage, in which the body of a man is placed on the steps of the crematorium with three wreaths placed on it. Then the son of a business woman and vacation rental owner in the town, Henry Kilgore, goes missing while he is in town to celebrate his friend's engagement. Is the motive for these murders based on recent events or do they go back much further in time?

While this is a relatively short and fast-paced novel, just 25 chapters, I struggled to feel invested in the story. I believe this is because I didn't find the main character, Siv Drummond, to be very likeable. She is grieving the loss of her husband and appears to have retreated into a shell, which is understandable. However, I found the descriptions and attitude displayed toward her partner, Ali, to be rather negative and judgmental of his weight and eating habits, verging on fat-shaming. He is supposed to be her colleague and friend, besides being a very engaging character; therefore I don't understand the lack of empathy and kindness toward him. There is also a large number of characters introduced and it became a struggle for me to tell them apart and keep them all straight in my mind.

Ultimately, this just wasn't a satisfying read for me, although a reader who had previously read the first two novels in the series might have a more positive take on it. Thank you to Joffe Books and NetGalley for providing me with the opportunity to read it.