I don't know if this book can be classified as cozy mystery but i don't care to be honest. It's poignant, emotionally charged and heartbreaking at times.
I'm used to think of Simon Brett's book as humorous but this one is totally different as it deals with depression, women abuse, gaslighting, dysfunctional families.
It's the second in a new series and I loved it even if it was quite unexpected.
Ellen is a great characters, she's the one telling the story and her voice is always matter of fact and there's no pietism or sentimentalism in this story.
There are some lighter moments and there's a mystery even if it often takes the backseat.
It's an excellent book and I loved the empathy of the author toward the victims and how he deals with the social issues.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine