Meeting Point: A Novel

by Roisin McAuley

From the dazzling coastline of the French Riv-iera to the haunting beauty of Fairhead Rock in County Antrim, Ireland—Roisin McAuley delivers a page-turning tale of romance and suspense in Meeting Point , her gripping novel about a CSI investigator who comes face-to-face with a cold-case murder suspect in the South of France and finds herself falling in love with him. . . . When Claire Watson meets John Rock on holiday, the attraction is instant—but so is the feeling they have met before. Now uneasy mem-ories from a decade earlier are beginning to surface for Claire—especially those of a woman whose body was found at the bottom of a cliff in Northern Ireland. It had looked like suicide, but clues suggested it might have been murder. And if it was murder, then the woman's enigmatic husband was likely to blame. But try as they might, Claire and her colleagues could not pin the murder on him. Flash forward ten years and, on holiday in the South of France, Claire runs into a man she has not seen for a the elusive murder suspect. But did his wife really die at his hands? And if he is a murderer, why is Claire so violently attracted to him?

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Novels

320 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Roisin McAuley grew up in Northern Ireland and is a graduate from Queen’s University, Belfast. She has been a journalist and has written documentaries and features for BBC Radio.

Roisin McAuley also writes under the pen name R.I. Olufsen.

Reviews

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a perfectly fine story, it was missing something, they were in the French Riviera basically all the description we got was that it was hot, in Northern Ireland it was damp and rainey(groundbreaking that is) and in England it was cool and rainey. There wasn't a very complicated mystery, also covered was the breakdown of the the main characters marriage ten years earlier. I wish there was more physical descriptions of everything but otherwise a solid 3 star rating.

[Lauravalstar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Storyline: standard, characters: basic, plot: predictable. But I still give this book three stars. Not because the book was good, but purely because I enjoyed reading it. It was a great read and that's why I can't bring myself to give less than 3 stars ;)

[Tricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was just ok for me. It was a bit predictable.

[Irene · Rating 2 out of 5]

What a waste of time. She's called the new Maeve Binchey? Shame on you. Storyline is predictable and bizarre at the same time. The end is messy and the leaves me unsatisfied. Do not want to waste more words on this one.

[Justine at BookSirens (A Community of ARC Readers) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really excited about reading this book after knowing its plot. Unfortunately, it’s a little too predictable for me. Still, there are a few thrill elements and some romance for good measure. I just wish there was more depth to it all. Sadly a missed opportunity!

[K Braz · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first few chapters and then again later in the book, I found the writing choppy and hard to follow...no flow. The last few chapters redeemed all of this with some amazing plot twists. This is not a book I will remember enough to tell others that they have to read it, but it was OK.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Implausible, clunky and passed the time

[Caitlyn · Rating 1 out of 5]

Personally found this very boring, definitely not the one for me

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

This must be 10 years on my book shelf. Nice easy read nothing too exciting. Nice to see my home town mentioned

[Philip · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book came to my attention because someone thought I had written it. It’s set around the North Coast of Ireland (where I live and all my books are set) and I wasn’t aware that anyone else had given any more than a passing reference to the North Coast in their novels, but then I heard about Roisin McAuley.

The story focuses on a woman who used to be a detective in Ballymoney, but has now left that behind and become a solicitor. While on holiday in France she comes across a man who may or may not be the prime suspect in a case she investigated many years ago. A romantic involvement with the man only serves to complicate matters further and pretty soon our heroine has to choose between her heart and her duty.

I think this book has been mis-marketed. The cover on my copy shows a cup of coffee sitting on a newspaper and a postcard with Wish You Were Here written on it. To me, it suggested some kind of holiday romance story, and to be fair, for the first couple of chapters, you might think that’s what it is, but then a lengthy flashback sequence gets you right into the nitty-gritty of a possible murder investigation and from that point it becomes very much a detective story.

I now see what a thrill it is to have your home town and even streets you walk every day, mentioned in a novel. This book visits many places in my local area and I did smile every time one was mentioned. I do this in my books too, but of course I am then robbed of the surprise when reading.

I enjoyed this book and felt compelled to keep reading. The only minor criticism I would make is that it takes some of its twists and turns a little too quickly; for example when her romantic desires switch from one man to another without much explanation of why.

Seek it out, especially if you live around the North Coast, and I think you’ll be engaged from the get-go. I’ll be looking into the rest of this author’s books.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Roisin McAuley's writing has been compared to Maeve Binchy, I do see some similarities, maybe it's because they are both Irish? They certainly do have some things in common, the main thing being the ease at which the reader is drawn into the story.

Meeting Point is a romantic suspense story. Solicitor and single mum Claire is holidaying in France with her best friend and their two sons. The story opens as Claire is forced to dive into a ditch to avoid being knocked down by a sports car on a quiet country lane in France. The driver is most apologetic, and he also charming, very attractive and English. Dr John Rock or 'Rocky' as he is known insists on driving them back to the camp site and invites them all to visit his music bar in nearby Nice. It's clear that there is a spart of attraction between Rocky and Claire, but Claire also feels that she has meet him before. The story goes back 8 or so years, to the time when Claire's marriage was crumbling, when she was still a serving officer in the RUC, back in Northern Ireland. Yes, Claire and Rocky's paths have crossed before; when she was investigating the mysterious death of his wife.
This is real comfort reading, not heavy or in depth, but a great plot that rattles along nicely. The characters are likeable, if sometimes a little predictable and there are a couple of huge coincidences along the way. On the whole, a nice easy read.

[Bronwyn Rykiert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Claire Watson is on a two week vacation to the south of France with her 12 year old son, Sam, his cousin David and her best friend Isabel and an old police colleague and good friend George, who she has not seen in a long time. While walking one day she is run off the road by a car, the driver John Rock offers his assistance; Claire is instantly attracted to him. She recognizes his name from a murder investigation she was involved in 10 years ago in Ireland but as he does not look the same she is not sure, but with a little investigation and she confirms he is the same person – she takes her time telling him that she has met him before. The story goes back in time to tell about the instance 10 years earlier when she met John Rock in what happened to be one of the worst weeks of her life.

I really enjoyed this story from start to finish and I loved the accent of Caroline Lennon. I highly recommend this book

[Carinya Kappler · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel is a pleasant mix of detective and romance themes. The heroine Claire, is unsettled after her marriage breakup and her change of career from the police force to solicitor. She is obviously an attractive 40 year old woman looking for peace and answers both personally for herself and her son, and professionally. She finds the answers only to lose them again as she lurches on making quick unfounded assumptions only some of which turn out to be correct.
I enjoyed the book, found it interesting to the last page, and would recommend it as a good holiday read.
Carinya

[Corinne Rode · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this novel, there were times I was super frustrated with the main character with not being daring enough but the twist ending was pretty shocking to me. I didn't ever feel the need to look ahead, and it was nice to see a single mother in a story that involved murder mystery. The lead character is both strong and vulnerable which was very interesting.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, as an avid Agatha Christie reader, I often annoyed by modern mysteries. This one didn't feel like a mystery as much as an unhappy woman with problem. Never fear though, she figures out who did and manages to find a happily ever after.

[Deane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book....an interesting mix of romance and a murder mystery with no gory details of either. An easy read with several twists and turns in the plot....even my hoped-for conclusion had an unexpected twist.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun ride. It took place in places where I have not yet been but would like to go so was fun to read the descriptions of the scenery, etc. If you like love stories and mysteries, this is a smashing combination of both.

[Tania · Rating 2 out of 5]

randomly chosen from my pile of library books. I never know what I will read from one book to the next - ah the joys of life!

[Miette · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the type of book it is, I found it an enjoyable read without too many annoying scenes where I was thinking, "Only an idiot would do that!"

[Jayne]

It's a mystery or crime thriller. Worth a read.

[Bambola · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hmm, wavering between 3 and 4 stars here, but this was a clever story with lots of threads nicely tied up at the end. Perhaps some of the characters a bit cliched, hence not a whole-hearted 4 stars.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great suspense read. Did he or didn't he? Will she or won't she? Kept me hooked to the end. (I started it on Feb. 6th.)

[Godelieve · Rating 1 out of 5]

Niet het beste boek van deze schrijfster. Komt traag op gang, personages niet al te goed uitgewerkt, wordt saai om te lezen.
Heb andere boeken van haar gelezen die veel beter waren.

[Firas Idris · Rating 4 out of 5]

captivating.... filled with suspense

[Ramya JS DRozario · Rating 2 out of 5]

A quick read, Meeting Point is the perfect book to unwind with on a rainy weekend. Though the mystery was not convoluted, the writing style was simple.