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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
Probably the best of hers I’ve read. This was an Audible book. The narrator was good.
This was a slow burn for sure, especially when comparing it with the other novels by the author, which are also slow burn. That’s not to say that I wasn’t entertained or that the novel dragged or that I had a hard time reading it; it just was unexpected for me.
I think that the one reason that this novel works, even when the plot advances at such slow pace, especially at the beginning, is that the atmosphere of the novel and the characters are so well written. I could picture myself in that small coastal village; I could imagine the tiniest detail of every corner and wave. In the same fashion, the characters were very fleshed out. And the funny thing is that they weren’t complex because of the traits of personality they showed, but because their backstories gave them so many dimensions.
The case in itself was interesting. I have to admit I was more enthralled by the accident that happened in the past, and that I didn’t give much thought to Bronte’s death. I suppose I expected to be right about Gabby’s disappearance and therefore also “catch” Bronte’s murderer. My biggest disappointment is that this novel didn’t give us much to get by until the end, or at least I got the feeling that we got more cues in other novels by the author; and yet I kept guessing and forming theories. At some point I suspected everyone and built all kind of crazy stories, which made the reading much more interesting. In the end I was wrong but I enjoyed the resolution of both crimes because I could have never gotten there. In a way it was simple, but sometimes simple is what works best.
Another thing I really liked about this novel is how it dealt with grief, which was a big theme through the entire story. The grief, and also guilt, of Kieran, Verity, Sean, Trish, etc. Every character was touched in a way by the tragedy and that gave us so many points of view of what grief and guilt does to a person. I think that it was very well written, especially in Kieran’s case and regarding how it affected the dynamic with his own family. I also liked the inclusion of Brian’s dementia, since it offered the possibility of grieving for a person that was still there. What I really loved after the big reveal is how Kieran’s and Sean’s stories were the two sides of the same coin. Parallel but with such different results. It was interesting reflecting about it after I finished reading, how Kieran seemed to carry all the guilt and be the one in need of forgiveness, when that role should have been Sean’s. In the same way how Kieran’s and Sean’s moment of inflection during the storm came as a result of a similar story, one of romance, and how it was Kieran the one who did the right thing while Sean took a wrong turn and yet Kieran was the one to pay. I could go on and on, but definitely I liked how both stories mirrored each other.
On a negative note I missed some telling at the end of what happened to Sean (if his corpse was ever recovered), how did the real story reach the village and how those closer to Gabby and Sean reacted, which actions were taken and so on. I suppose my biggest complaint is that some subplots were left open; I wanted Trish to finally be free knowing that her daughter was dead for sure, I wanted Olivia to move on and with Ash, I wanted Verity to fully realize that Kieran wasn’t at fault, I wanted Liam to be absolve and start a new life far away from the sea… And yeah before the ending we got glimpses of that, of Verity and Kieran making amends, same with George and Ash; but again, I wanted a bit more, especially after such a slow start.
All in all I enjoyed this story but like a said, I wish we have gotten a bit more out of it.
I think that the one reason that this novel works, even when the plot advances at such slow pace, especially at the beginning, is that the atmosphere of the novel and the characters are so well written. I could picture myself in that small coastal village; I could imagine the tiniest detail of every corner and wave. In the same fashion, the characters were very fleshed out. And the funny thing is that they weren’t complex because of the traits of personality they showed, but because their backstories gave them so many dimensions.
The case in itself was interesting. I have to admit I was more enthralled by the accident that happened in the past, and that I didn’t give much thought to Bronte’s death. I suppose I expected to be right about Gabby’s disappearance and therefore also “catch” Bronte’s murderer. My biggest disappointment is that this novel didn’t give us much to get by until the end, or at least I got the feeling that we got more cues in other novels by the author; and yet I kept guessing and forming theories. At some point I suspected everyone and built all kind of crazy stories, which made the reading much more interesting. In the end I was wrong but I enjoyed the resolution of both crimes because I could have never gotten there. In a way it was simple, but sometimes simple is what works best.
Another thing I really liked about this novel is how it dealt with grief, which was a big theme through the entire story. The grief, and also guilt, of Kieran, Verity, Sean, Trish, etc. Every character was touched in a way by the tragedy and that gave us so many points of view of what grief and guilt does to a person. I think that it was very well written, especially in Kieran’s case and regarding how it affected the dynamic with his own family. I also liked the inclusion of Brian’s dementia, since it offered the possibility of grieving for a person that was still there. What I really loved after the big reveal is how Kieran’s and Sean’s stories were the two sides of the same coin. Parallel but with such different results. It was interesting reflecting about it after I finished reading, how Kieran seemed to carry all the guilt and be the one in need of forgiveness, when that role should have been Sean’s. In the same way how Kieran’s and Sean’s moment of inflection during the storm came as a result of a similar story, one of romance, and how it was Kieran the one who did the right thing while Sean took a wrong turn and yet Kieran was the one to pay. I could go on and on, but definitely I liked how both stories mirrored each other.
On a negative note I missed some telling at the end of what happened to Sean (if his corpse was ever recovered), how did the real story reach the village and how those closer to Gabby and Sean reacted, which actions were taken and so on. I suppose my biggest complaint is that some subplots were left open; I wanted Trish to finally be free knowing that her daughter was dead for sure, I wanted Olivia to move on and with Ash, I wanted Verity to fully realize that Kieran wasn’t at fault, I wanted Liam to be absolve and start a new life far away from the sea… And yeah before the ending we got glimpses of that, of Verity and Kieran making amends, same with George and Ash; but again, I wanted a bit more, especially after such a slow start.
All in all I enjoyed this story but like a said, I wish we have gotten a bit more out of it.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
Not my normal realm of reading, but still interesting.
My biggest thing against mysteries is that I don't always understand how things happened. When the final clue is revealed, or the mask is removed from the bad persons head, I don't make the connections.
I will say that I fell in love with how this author described her setting. I feel like I grew up on this island, can navigate the caves or judge the tide as well as any local, it was a treat to experience.
My biggest thing against mysteries is that I don't always understand how things happened. When the final clue is revealed, or the mask is removed from the bad persons head, I don't make the connections.
I will say that I fell in love with how this author described her setting. I feel like I grew up on this island, can navigate the caves or judge the tide as well as any local, it was a treat to experience.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Suicide, Grief, Murder
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Chronic illness, Mental illness, Dementia
Minor: Abortion
3.5. I like Harper's writing, I love the Aussie narrator, I love the seaside setting, but whoa, this one was so sad. I'd give it 4 stars if it weren't so sad.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
I read this because I saw it was going to be a TV show and I liked thrillers. it was fine. some good twists and turns. I will watch the show when it comes out.
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
the mystery couldn't be solved with the tools in the story...