57. Little Eve – Catriona Ward

This was the kind of gothic story that does feel quite chilly most of the way through. The children of Altnaharra are in a cult that is based around returning to the sea from whence they supposedly came and also the Adder, who sees. “Uncle,” who is clearly no one in the cult’s actual uncle, is creepy as all hell and doesn’t deserve to be in charge of anything at all, let alone children, in that respect he is like all cult leaders. The community of true believing and manipulated all to hell children is quite dark and the goings on of their small community cult seem just as brutal as the weather. If you’ve ever been in a group where you know you are not the leader’s favorite and how being the chosen scapegoat feels, it’s skin crawlingly familiar here.

Anyway, one day the poor dear who delivers their grocery orders with a pony finds seven dead bodies on the island, which is only accessible based around the low tide, and one of the girls known to be living there since she goes to school occasionally is missing and clearly the murderer as stated by Dinah, the one survivor. Evelyn and Dinah and an inspector, who is still investigating long after the case is supposedly closed, are the perspectives we see the events leading up to the murders through and the aftermath as well. It can be a bit merciless at times and I felt sorry quite often for Evelyn and her unfailing belief in the Adder and wanting to inherit its powers.

Snuffy only knows what it’s like to be a favorite and also have powers.