Secrets in the Water

by Alice Fitzpatrick

Emma Galway's suicide has haunted the Meredith Island for fifty years. Back on the island to lay her grandmother to rest, Kate can't avoid reflecting on the death of her aunt. Learning that her late mother had believed Emma was murdered and had conducted her own investigation, she decides to track down her aunt's killer. With the help of her neighbour, impetuous and hedonistic sculptor Siobhan Fitzgerald, Kate picks up where her mother had left off. When the two women become the subject of threatening notes and violent incidents, it's clear that one of their fellow islanders is warning them off. As they begin to look into Emma's connection to the Sutherlands, a prominent Meredith Island family, another islander dies under suspicious circumstances, forcing Kate and Siobhan to confront the likelihood that Emma's killer is still on the island.

Genres: Book Club

340 pages, Paperback

Published June 1, 2024

Reviews

[Carolyn Dawson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read this one for book club for Canadian authors! It took me a while to decide how I felt about this book, but here is the run down:

Cons:
- Way too many characters to keep track of, and we didn't get enough diversification between some of them and it was exhausting trying to keep up with what was happening.
- It didn't feel like "everything came together." I didn't feel satisfied by the conclusion, I felt like there were so many details and things shared with the audience that did not matter in the end.
- The pacing was so incredibly slow, and by 75% in I didn't really care about finding out the ending anymore.

Pros:
- I liked the setting, I thought it was very unique.
- I enjoyed some of the side characters, including the 3 sisters. I thought they were interesting and added a cool dynamic to the story.

[Priya · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has a typical island town setting with all its pluses and minuses. There is the comfort of community and traditions and the camaraderie built up over years of knowing one another and there are also the secrets that are often buried deep down.

These secrets are what Kate Galway wants to unearth in her quest to finally lay to rest the mystery behind her beloved aunt Emma's death nearly 50 years ago. Back on Meredith island for her grandmother's funeral, Kate discovers that her own mother had tried to investigate the truth and is determined to finish the task with the help of enthusiastic local sculptor Siobhan. When they start receiving not so subtle threats to let the past be, both women realise that someone on the island doesn't want the truth coming out even after so many years.

Since this is focused on a small group of people, I wondered about the extent of the mystery the plot would be able to build up but the author managed to keep it interesting even if it was a slow burn. Kate's own memories and her interactions with people she knew as a child as well as the personalities and stories of the island town inhabitants make for an enjoyable read. It is more of a traditional approach involving conversations and gradual reveals rather than a twist a page so it has that cosy mystery feel that the setting evokes too.

It feels like this could develop into a series.

I received an ARC from River Street Writing and these are my honest thoughts about the book.

[Myka James · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first half of the book was a bit hard to get through. Chapters seemed to end on these “mic drop” sentences that came across as a bit corny and overdone. The plot moved fairly slowly and was hard to get through at times. I was impartial to the “twist” of the ending as I felt that there were so many suspects and characters in general, the author did not have a chance to foster a background/motive for every single one of them. I enjoyed the descriptiveness of the author that immersed you in the setting of the island, and thought the book itself (setting, plot, characters) was quite unique.

[Anthony Bidulka · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fifty-year-old death comes to vivid life in Fitzpatrick’s first Meredith island mystery, the beginning of what promises to be an atmospheric, irreverent, humorous series loaded with colourful characters you'll want to spend time with.

[Sarah Butland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review to come on miriamichireader.ca

[Terri (BooklyMatters) · Rating 5 out of 5]

If living (vicariously) on a small island community, ensconced with colorful neighbors, your local pub, a whole lot of baking, tea, and of course, whiskey, calls out to you — consider now adding a spirited mystery, an intricate and engaging plot, and a cast of characters you will want to revisit again and again, all encompassed in this first (but certainly not the last) charming edition of the Meredith Island Mystery series.

Written by a talented first-time Canadian author, this is a story to sink into, with the coziest of vibes and an instantly comfortable feel — not to mention a plot just twisty enough to keep you guessing.

An interesting and evocative book, the story is driven by the concerns of our main narrator, Kate Galway, a middle-aged retired teacher, amicably divorced from her Chief Inspector ex-husband James, and mother to the lovely barrister Alex. Kate is all you could ask for in a heroine - gutsy, intelligent, sensible and a little lonely, as she visits the island of her youth after the sudden death of her grandmother Lilian.

It’s not long before the grieving Kate finds herself embroiled in a fifty-year murder mystery - one which will have her opening doors and looking into boxes containing secrets, layered and dusty, that will bring danger, drama and even some heartache for both Kate and her island community.

A terrific read in a brand new series which promises a whole lot more of the same.

This reader, for one, couldn’t be happier.

A great big thank you to @river_street_writes , the author, and the publisher for an ARC of this lovely book. All thoughts presented are my own.

[Gail Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable introduction to an engaging group of characters. I was eager to see how the situation would be resolved. Now I am awaiting the next book in the series.

[Juliet Bookliterati · Rating 4 out of 5]

Secrets in the Water is the first book in Alice Fitzpatrick’s A Meredith Island Mystery series. Meredith Island is a fictional Island off the Welsh Coast, a place with a small community, but a large heart. At the centre if the community is the pub, a hub for people coming together, have a drink and a chat. The majority of the citizens are from families who have lived on the Island for generations, so it’s not a place where you would expect to find a murderer, especially of a popular and bright young women fifty years ago. But for Kate, who returns to her family home after the death of grandmother, this has been a tragedy she has lived through for fifty years and now it is time for answers.

After reading Secrets in the Water one of the things that stood out to me was the strength of the female characters Alice Fitzpatrick has created. Kate is mourning the death of her grandmother, a grandmother who tried to find out who killed her daughter Emma, a job Kate takes on. Kate soon realises her memories of her aunt are idealised, and that the truth can be hard to accept, especially when the murderer could be someone she knows. What I admired about her character is that she didn’t shy away from the truth, but ran straight towards it, with her friend and fellow islander Siobhan. Alice Fitzpatrick certainly created some memorable characters, including the ‘Weird Sisters’ all spinsters who dedicated their lives to their younger brother, and Feebles, Gooley and Smee, three older men who have been friends since childhood.

I’m guessing that Secrets in the Water could be classed as a cosy mystery. The plot flows with ease as those around fifty years ago relive their memories of that summer on Meredith Island. There are plenty of secrets and lies revealed, that seem to add more suspects to the plot, than finding the culprit. The beautiful setting of the Island, with its close community seems at odds with the murder of a young woman at the heart of the community, and Alice Fitzpatrick keeps this idea of friendship and comradeship at the heart of this book.

Secrets in the Water is a beautiful book to read. There is a warmth to the characters, how they were all effected by Emma’s death, but want to protect Kate from the truth. The clues and details to the crime are slowly dropped into the plot so your attention is kept to the end of the book. I found this to be an engaging and immersive read that was a joy to read. I am looking forward to the next book in the series, to find out what Kate and her fiends get up to.

[Davina · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cozy mystery with low stakes and a milder plot is what I need sometimes and Secrets in the Water was it. However, I wanted more story to it for it to be a great mystery read.


Right from the start, Alice captured this tight-knit town of Meredith Island with some lovely characters. It was a strong opening and got me in the mood for this mystery novel. The characters in this book is the highlight for me and I really liked their interactions with one another. The protectiveness the Islanders had for their own was beautiful and it felt like I was engulfed in family. I also really liked Kate and Siobhan's friendship. It felt very natural and I love how they contrast each other so well.


While I loved the characters and the atmosphere, the story is on the weaker side. There wasn’t much of it and I found the events and information to be repetitive. For the information discovered, it felt too loose and there wasn't a lot. I wasn't a fan of how things were tied together essentially. I think the storyline was just missing more depth to it and if that was improved this would have been a solid read.


One thing I did like about how the story was told is it reminded me of the old Cold Case TV show where it gives flashback to the younger days of the Islanders. With this, the descriptive nature given to Meredith Island and the atmosphere were excellent.


Overall, the characters in Secrets in the Water won me over but I wanted more story. I'd recommend this to anyone who's looking for a cozy and lighter read. I do think if you're looking into starting reading mystery, this would be a grear place to start as well.

[Peter Pontsa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Secrets in the Water is a beautifully written fictional story. Characters come to life through Fitzpatick’s descriptive writing style. I felt that appreciating the story from my own imagination was less engaging because of it. However, the book overall is a delightful read filled with quirky characters that have warts and flaws. But some are loveable and are downright funny at times. My favourite is Siobhan, a free spirited, middle-age beauty who still likes to charm the men.

Kate, our main protagonist befriends Siobhan, and they try to unravel the fifty-year-old mysterious death of Emma, Kate’s late aunt. I noted the action was sparse, and the suspense was a little vague. However, dialogue and storytelling are strong with symbols and metaphors enough to engage the active reader.

The pub where all the characters congregate is a hub of libations and gossip. There are plenty of characters to follow as Alice Fitzpatrick unfolds her tale of riddles and murder. The busy islanders are often sharing an Irish whiskey or baked goods while Kate interviews the possible perpetrator. In the book’s final pages Kate’s future hinges on whether she can swim to live another day on Meredith Island; an exciting ending to wrap up a literary journey.

Although Secrects in the Water is a well though out yarn, I usually appreciate a thriller action novel like Ken Bruen’s private investigator Jack Taylor, the Irish whiskey drinking, tough as nails detective.

But reading an occasional cosy can be a wonderful way to spend some quality time. Alice Fitzpatrick deserves praise for her wonderful effort and her tenacity that I have come to appreciate.

[Sandy S · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars-SECRETS IN THE WATER by Alice Fitzpatrick is a contemporary, murder-mystery story line focusing on a fifty year old murder on Meredith Island.

Told from several omniscient third person perspectives including fifty-three year old Kate Galway, SECRETS IN THE WATER follows Kate in the wake of her grandmother’ Lilian’s death and funeral on the Welsh Island of Meredith. Still struggling with the secrets behind the presumed suicide of her Aunt Emma more than fifty years earlier, author Kate Galway begins an investigation of her own only to discover the secrets buried with her aunt refuse to go quietly. Having always believed Emma’s death was a murder, the family kept track of the people on Meredith Island, and Kate, with the help of neighbor Siobhan Fitzgerald were about to upset a hornet’s nest of secrets and lies.

SECRETS IN THE WATERS is a story of power and control, betrayal and vengeance, secrets and lies, jealousy and murder, seduction and love. The three Sutherland spinsters, along with their artist brother David have long held court over the people and residents of Meredith Island, and in this, Kate begins to unravel a family history that hits too close to home. But as murder seems to follow in the wake of Kate’s investigation, her own daughter becomes victim to a someone desperate enough to keep the past in the past. Everyone becomes suspect as Kate digs deeper into the lives of the people on Meredith Island

An intriguing and entertaining story, SECRETS IN THE WATER is a dark, dramatic, edgy and thought provoking story of jealousy and murder.

copy supplied for review

[Justine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you so much to Stonehouse Publishing and River Street Writes for seeing me a copy of this book to read and review.

I always enjoy a good mystery, and I’d classify this one as a cozy mystery even though it had murder it wasn’t a heart racing read but still had quite the impact. I really liked the small town feel and how everyone knew each other and all the implications it came with. It was all cool that there was a multigenerational aspect. I liked all of the characters but wasn’t really that connected to any of them. There were quite a few to keep track of, basically the whole town ahahha. I didn’t think that the reveal was really too shocking or that people wouldn’t be able to guess it because it made sense. I think the overall story is very readable for all book lovers.
I’d recommend this read to most people.

[Mirjam Dikken · Rating 5 out of 5]

An endearing read, with characters you have to love! Meredith Island is a fun, quirky island community, so I’m glad this is the first in a series. The humour and self-assessment of some of the characters made me laugh out loud and I’m looking forward to see the developments in the next book!

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love a book about hidden secrets and there are plenty in this novel.

If you would like to read my full review please visit my blog at:

https://leftontheshelfbookblog.blogsp...

[Mary-Esther Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very satisfying.