‘Masterpiece’ crime book set in English seaside town is ‘best ever’ | Books | Entertainment
Over the past few decades, thousands of incredible crime novels have been written. Many have become bestsellers or turned into gripping TV dramas. But some remain under the radar, despite being called “masterpieces” by readers.
One of those lesser-known books is set in a quiet British seaside town, where a woman is brutally murdered one October night. There are no clear suspects, and the crime itself is never solved. But this isn’t a typical whodunit, it’s something far more emotional and haunting.
The story follows Tess, a close friend of the victim, as her world begins to unravel. As police investigate, the focus shifts to how grief, guilt, and fear tear through a small community.
Everyday routines become unbearable, familiar places suddenly feel unsafe, and Tess slowly begins to lose herself.
The book is Something Might Happen, written by Julie Myerson. It’s set in an unnamed Suffolk seaside town, which many readers believe is based on Southwold or Aldeburgh.
The beach huts, lighthouse, and nearby marshes are all described in vivid detail. One reviewer called it “a stunning masterpiece,” adding: “I couldn’t put it down once I started.”
Another said: “This is probably the best book I’ve ever read. In my opinion, it’s the best thing that has ever been written.”
A third commented: “Something Might Happen is not for the faint of heart, no pun intended. This book swept me away. As a woman, a friend and a mother, it made me contemplate situations no one wants to deal with.”
A fourth wrote: “This is my first reading of the author Julie Myerson. And I will read more now that I have found her.
“Something Might Happen is so much more than a crime novel. This is true life with real families and tough feelings. I went into the start of this book expecting one thing and ended up somewhere else.”
Another reader added: “Excellent book with a marvellous description and characters who are affected by a brutal murder. Very insightful and couldn’t put it down.”
When the book was first released, The Guardian branded it as “a tour de force and the best novel Julie Myerson has written”.
The review said the book lifts readers “into a nightmare so convincing that they have to put everything on hold to finish it”.
Julie Myerson doesn’t name the town where the story takes place, but the clues point to Suffolk’s Southwold or a mix of nearby locations like Aldeburgh and Westleton.
One scene even features the second-hand bookshop in Westleton, which is a real place. Myerson also writes about the area like someone who knows it intimately.
Although the novel can be read quickly, many say it lingers long after it ends.
One reviewer summed it up perfectly: “Several novels later, I still feel haunted by this one, by the sense that everything in it could have happened yesterday and might happen tomorrow.”
