Publication: 29th April 2025 – Kensington
Minnie Harper isn’t used to putting herself first. Not after she moved away from England only to be left raising two children alone on the Greek Island of Corfu following her husband’s unexpected death. But with her daughter begging to be sent to school abroad and her son grasping at his own independence, Minnie realizes she must prepare for the next stage of her life.
When famous mystery author Stephen Dorian settles into a neighboring villa to escape writer’s block and hidden scandals, she is intrigued at first by the handsome Londoner—until he proves to be nothing more than a boorish grump. Determined to avoid the man as much as possible, Minnie is shocked when he offers her a well-paid job as his typist. She isn’t in a position to turn down work, even from a man she has sworn to hate.
But before Minnie can fully regret her decision to take the job, she makes a horrifying discovery that changes everything. A young maid has been murdered, and local authorities aren’t moving fast enough to bring justice to the terrible crime. Unwilling to allow the death to fade into obscurity like the stories of so many other women deemed unworthy by society, Minnie launches an investigation of her own—and reluctantly accepts Stephen’s help. As she embarks on a dangerous search for answers that reveals another side of Corfu, unsettling questions take shape about her employer-turned-confidant and the culprit who just might do whatever it takes to strike again . . .
Death on Corfu is my first Emily Sullivan’s novel and it certainly won’t be my last. I loved her writing and the setting is beautiful and atmospheric. The characters are well-developed and the story kept me completely engrossed.
It’s the turn of the new century, 1898, and the English expats on Corfu are a closed community. The protagonist, Minnie Harper, has been widowed for four years and she’s been raising on her own her two children, fifteen-year-old Cleo, who loves to read and sometimes seems already a grown-up, and eight-year-old Tommy, who loves to collect any kind of animals. Although her husband has left her a little money to live on, their house is in constant need of repairs so she’s accepted a few jobs as a typist, including for her new neighbour, arrogant bestselling mystery author Stephen Dorian. Minnie and Stephen don’t exactly hit it off, but when a maid is found murdered, they decide to investigate together to find the killer.
I really liked the character of Minnie and how she develops throughout the novel. Even though she stood up to her family when she was younger to get an education, she then always relayed to her husband, even promising him to stay in Corfu and never return to England. And even as she now struggles with her own daughter’s desire for an education in England, we see her coming to her own and fighting to find justice for a young woman who no one seems to really care about. I also liked the chemistry between her and Stephen and I am really hoping for a second book to explore it more.
Death on Corfu is a wonderful read: there is mystery, intrigue, lots of historical details, and compelling characters. And while I am keeping my fingers crossed for a follow-up, I am going to get started on the author’s Regency novels!
A huge thank you to Kensington and NetGalley for a proof of this fantastic novel.
Emily Sullivan is the author of multiple critically-acclaimed historical romances, including A Rogue to Remember and Duchess Material. She lives in New England with her family where she enjoys reading about history and writing about rebellious women. A Death on Corfu is her first mystery. She can be found online at EmilySullivanBooks.com.
Book After Book 
Nice post 🙏🎸
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