Beyond Belief (Emily Castles Mysteries)

When famous psychic Perspicacious Peg predicts that someone will drown at the Belief and Beyond conference in the seaside town of Torquay, twenty-six-year-old amateur sleuth Emily Castles is recruited to investigate.The potential victim of this “future crime” is celebrated magician Edmund Zenon. He provokes outrage and excitement by offering £50,000 to anyone who can prove the existence of the paranormal, then announces he will stage a daring walking-on-water stunt the same weekend.Potential suspects include local fortune-teller Madame Nova; kindly Bobby Blue Suit and his three psychic dachshunds; grieving parents Sarah and Tim Taylor; and religious cult members Hilary, Trina, and the Colonel.Edmund Zenon doesn’t believe he’s in danger. If he’s right, Emily will enjoy a weekend of séances and positivity circles, puzzling over nothing more troubling than the fish supper menu at the Poisson d’Avril restaurant.But if he’s wrong, Emily will have to use good old-fashioned detective skills to solve the case. Fortunately Emily's best friend, eccentric philosophy professor Dr. Muriel, is on hand to assist.

From Library Journal

In the second entry in Smith’s cozy series (after Invitation to Die), Emily Castles leaves her part-time job in London to travel to the seaside town of Torquay to be a “future crimes investigator.” Emily’s neighbor, philosophy professor Dr. Muriel, persuades her to attend the Belief and Beyond conference to help prevent a premonition that someone will drown at the conference. The suspected victim, magician Edmund Zenon, has offered £50,000 to anyone who can prove the existence of the paranormal. Emily encounters a wide variety of believers and nonbelievers during her investigation, including an aging actress-turned-fortune-teller, three psychic dachshunds, and several religious fanatics. When people start dying and Emily herself is attacked, she must use earthly detective skills to find the killer. VERDICT Don’t expect a fast-paced plot here. Rather, the book’s strong points are its atmospheric setting and the well-developed characters. Despite the contemporary setting, Smith’s mystery has the feel of an earlier time period. Recommended for those who like clean mysteries with a touch of humor, especially fans of Jill Churchill, Joan Hess, Leslie Meier, or Carolyn Hart.

From Kirkus Reviews

When a psychic foresees death at a seaside convention, even the most cynical learn that they’d better pay attention. Bored with her office job in London, Emily Castles happily accepts an all-expenses-paid trip to the resort town of Torquay, the site of Belief and Beyond, a convention for paranormal research. Her friends at the Royal Society for the Exploration of Science and Culture are also willing to pay for her services as a future-crimes investigator, particularly since Emily’s neighbor, Perspicacious Peg, has had premonitions that someone will drown at the convention. The highlight of Belief and Beyond is notable magician Edmund Zenon’s offer of £50,000 to anyone who can prove the existence of the paranormal. Emily is as skeptical as Zenon himself that anyone will collect the money, especially after she meets some of the conventioneers: the leader of an obscure religious cult, a couple who’ve brought along the psychic who’s communicating with their dead son, and a fortuneteller who owns a costume store to help with dry spells in her vocation. The foreboding visions, after much arch humor at the expense of the daffy characters’ antics, finally start to come true—and then don’t stop.Emily (Invitation to Die, 2013, etc.) returns in an equal opportunity satire of those who believe in the paranormal and those who exploit the believers. It’s an enjoyable tale with a leisurely buildup, though readers in search of a fast moving mystery will be fidgeting long before the first murder.

Suspense Magazine

“This wonderful plot makes for a very unusual mystery, and readers will be enthralled by the cast of characters presented.”

Criminal Element

“I love a mystery with a spunky amateur sleuth, and Helen Smith has created a great little cozy series with the charming Emily Castles…Like most of Helen’s books, there’s shades of Agatha Christie and hints of Mary Higgins Clark…I enjoyed this book immensely. It’s intriguing and entertaining. I think it’ll spice up a long winter night now that we’ve passed the holiday season and are into the dreary months. Skip the dreary and enjoy a cozy little mystery!”

Crime Fiction Lover

“All crime fiction readers will find this a quick and fun read. Fans of MC Beaton’s Agatha Raisin or Simon Brett’s Mrs. Pargeter series will enjoy the humour and slightly surreal quality of this novel.”

The Geekery Book Review

“This was the first Helen Smith book I had read, and while it’s reminiscent of an old-school Agatha Christie novel, it comes with the author’s own unique spin on it. Beyond Belief is light-hearted, quirky, and extremely British.

About the Author

British novelist Helen Smith’s previous titles include Alison Wonderland, Being Light, and The Miracle Inspector, as well as the Emily Castles mystery series. She resides in London.

Reviews

News