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Black Rock Bay
A detective returns to her haunted past, with deadly consequences, in an icy novel of psychological suspense by the Washington Post and Amazon Charts bestselling author of Girls of Glass.
Detective Mia Hart never planned to return home. One terrifying summer night, Mia lost two of her closest friends to suicide. Scarred and broken, she fled St. Lucy’s, a small island off the coast of Maine.
Now fifteen years later, when the body of a journalist is fished out of the bay near St. Lucy’s cliffs, Mia is forced to help with the case—and face all she’s been running from. As she approaches the island, the wintery winds of Black Rock Bay usher Mia home again.
When Mia digs into the reporter’s death, she finds he left behind a written It wasn't suicide. Mia soon discovers it’s her own tragic past he was referring to. Now, as she tries to untangle a web of lies, Mia realizes that solving this case means becoming the next pawn in someone’s blood-chilling game of truth or die.
Detective Mia Hart never planned to return home. One terrifying summer night, Mia lost two of her closest friends to suicide. Scarred and broken, she fled St. Lucy’s, a small island off the coast of Maine.
Now fifteen years later, when the body of a journalist is fished out of the bay near St. Lucy’s cliffs, Mia is forced to help with the case—and face all she’s been running from. As she approaches the island, the wintery winds of Black Rock Bay usher Mia home again.
When Mia digs into the reporter’s death, she finds he left behind a written It wasn't suicide. Mia soon discovers it’s her own tragic past he was referring to. Now, as she tries to untangle a web of lies, Mia realizes that solving this case means becoming the next pawn in someone’s blood-chilling game of truth or die.
364 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 29, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 320 reviews
September 18, 2022
2.5 rounded up.
This is my least favourite Brianna Labuskes book. It didn’t help that it took me 3 days to read and I read it in little dribs and drabs because I can’t get comfortable anywhere for long with my shoulder injury. But I did have other problems with it.
Detective Mia Hart grew up on the tiny island of St Lucy off the coast of Maine with a permanent population of only 200. She left the island under a cloud after an incident which left 2 of her friends dead. Now, 15 years later she is sent back to the island, along with her partner Izzy, to investigate the death of a reporter. Not everyone welcomes her return.
The islanders are a strange bunch and are very economical with the truth. Although they are tasked with solving the current death which the islanders are keen to attribute to suicide, the detectives are not convinced. It also becomes apparent that this recent death is probably linked to the tragedy of 15 years ago. Mia still struggles with her demons over this, not helped by the fact that she no memory of that day! Things soon escalate.
What I didn’t like about the book was the running around in circles. The investigation went nowhere for ages and Mia was constantly obsessing and second guessing herself and everyone else. She did not come across as a competent detective. Izzy picked up on a lot of things Mia missed and even started to wonder if Mia had a hand the teenage deaths. Of course it didn’t help that many people were lying through their teeth! My favourite character was the island itself with its dark, brooding gothic vibe.
The book redeemed itself somewhat with a shocking ending but, was it too much? I’m still not sure about that!
This is my least favourite Brianna Labuskes book. It didn’t help that it took me 3 days to read and I read it in little dribs and drabs because I can’t get comfortable anywhere for long with my shoulder injury. But I did have other problems with it.
Detective Mia Hart grew up on the tiny island of St Lucy off the coast of Maine with a permanent population of only 200. She left the island under a cloud after an incident which left 2 of her friends dead. Now, 15 years later she is sent back to the island, along with her partner Izzy, to investigate the death of a reporter. Not everyone welcomes her return.
The islanders are a strange bunch and are very economical with the truth. Although they are tasked with solving the current death which the islanders are keen to attribute to suicide, the detectives are not convinced. It also becomes apparent that this recent death is probably linked to the tragedy of 15 years ago. Mia still struggles with her demons over this, not helped by the fact that she no memory of that day! Things soon escalate.
What I didn’t like about the book was the running around in circles. The investigation went nowhere for ages and Mia was constantly obsessing and second guessing herself and everyone else. She did not come across as a competent detective. Izzy picked up on a lot of things Mia missed and even started to wonder if Mia had a hand the teenage deaths. Of course it didn’t help that many people were lying through their teeth! My favourite character was the island itself with its dark, brooding gothic vibe.
The book redeemed itself somewhat with a shocking ending but, was it too much? I’m still not sure about that!
November 16, 2019
It was a wild ride..... young adults.... stupid ideas.... death and secrets... so many secrets. Time and distance memories. Kept me wanting to search for the reasons. Good read!
July 19, 2019
All I can say is wow! This book only took me a day to read because I couldn’t put it down. It’s a murder mystery and just when you think you know who the killer is, bam, you’re wrong because the evidence doesn’t add up. It’s an amazing read! I was so surprised when I found out who the killer is and I usually figure it out before I finish the book. You’ll get through the book fast because you’ll be hooked. 5 stars!
August 5, 2022
Choppy waters
Like a ferry ride to St Lucy in the winter
Not the smoothest ride.
St. Lucy a small island off the coast of Maine with 200 full time residents.
A dead body is found floating in the bay by two local fishermen
Oh, my!
Mia a 5ft Detective returning home for the first time after 15 years and Izzy her 6ft black lesbian partner try to answer the who dunnit
An overabundance of words. Every bit of dialogue is stopped in its tracks with unnecessary description, introspection and memory flashbacks. Add to that contrived convoluted ending makes this a disappointment. Cool book cover.
Like a ferry ride to St Lucy in the winter
Not the smoothest ride.
St. Lucy a small island off the coast of Maine with 200 full time residents.
A dead body is found floating in the bay by two local fishermen
Oh, my!
Mia a 5ft Detective returning home for the first time after 15 years and Izzy her 6ft black lesbian partner try to answer the who dunnit
An overabundance of words. Every bit of dialogue is stopped in its tracks with unnecessary description, introspection and memory flashbacks. Add to that contrived convoluted ending makes this a disappointment. Cool book cover.
September 23, 2019
Okay wow.
I don't know what I was expecting when I saw this on Netgalley and took a chance on it. Maybe I thought it would be a fast read, an easy thriller like what I've usually been reading off the Kindle Unlimited selections (which is where this book will be once it's released, btw).
Black Rock Bay blew me out of the water! It's slow-moving, but atmospheric and sinister throughout. It tells the story of two detectives, Mia and Izzy, stepping out of cold-case-solving to solve the murder of a journalist who was killed in Mia's hometown. They enter this cold (in more ways than one), isolated island town, and battle with the islanders' secrecy and mistrust to see what happened.
Here's the thing: when Mia was a child, something traumatic had happened to her. And she doesn't like to open old wounds, but it becomes increasingly clear that the murder they're trying to solve has something to do with Mia's childhood trauma. So the book is their delving into this old mystery in order to solve a new one. It's dark, atmospheric, and so good.
I don't usually insert trigger warnings, but they must be said here: suicide and self-harm are evident.
If you can get past those, this book is such a compelling mystery. You want to know what's happening so bad, so you keep turning the pages, unwittingly immersing yourself in the black atmosphere of the island. Definitely worth the read. I haven't read any of Brianna Labuske's previous books, but best assured I'll be putting them on my list, and I'll get in line to read anything new she comes out with too!
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a free e-ARC in exchange for a review.
I don't know what I was expecting when I saw this on Netgalley and took a chance on it. Maybe I thought it would be a fast read, an easy thriller like what I've usually been reading off the Kindle Unlimited selections (which is where this book will be once it's released, btw).
Black Rock Bay blew me out of the water! It's slow-moving, but atmospheric and sinister throughout. It tells the story of two detectives, Mia and Izzy, stepping out of cold-case-solving to solve the murder of a journalist who was killed in Mia's hometown. They enter this cold (in more ways than one), isolated island town, and battle with the islanders' secrecy and mistrust to see what happened.
Here's the thing: when Mia was a child, something traumatic had happened to her. And she doesn't like to open old wounds, but it becomes increasingly clear that the murder they're trying to solve has something to do with Mia's childhood trauma. So the book is their delving into this old mystery in order to solve a new one. It's dark, atmospheric, and so good.
I don't usually insert trigger warnings, but they must be said here: suicide and self-harm are evident.
If you can get past those, this book is such a compelling mystery. You want to know what's happening so bad, so you keep turning the pages, unwittingly immersing yourself in the black atmosphere of the island. Definitely worth the read. I haven't read any of Brianna Labuske's previous books, but best assured I'll be putting them on my list, and I'll get in line to read anything new she comes out with too!
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a free e-ARC in exchange for a review.
June 13, 2024
I wanted to like this one, but there were way too many characters they interviewed, and it got confusing. After ALL the people they talked to it wasn’t a surprise at all who it actually was. Thank goodness for Izzy’s perspective, since Mia was not a great character.
dnf
June 15, 2025DNFed at the 35%. Enough said.
October 29, 2019
Atmospheric and at times brooding, this mystery is unique in how it draws the reader into understanding how different life on an isolated island located off the coast of Maine can truly be.
Thoughts:
There was something a little different in this detective story than some of others I’ve recently read. First, it takes place on a remote island off of Maine. Winter is setting in and opportunities to leave the island for the mainland are not always available. To make matters even more difficult, wifi availability is sketchy and hinders communication for the detectives when they need information from the mainland. Second, the islanders are deeply impacted and probably even a bit scarred by the island’s remoteness. Not only are Individuals in the town required to play multiple roles to keep the island running, but the remoteness has taught them not to look down on those from the mainland and not be open up to new people – it is as if the mainlanders are beneath contempt. This makes for a very unusual inquiry process for the detectives as they try to get answers for their many questions.
The story opens with Detective Mia Hart and Detective Izzy Santiago arriving by a ferry in Black Rock Bay. The body of a man had been found in the water. Mia grew up on the island, but her time there ended in tragedy – suicide of two fellow teenagers, but to make matters worse she was the third individual in this potential suicide pact, but is the only one who made it out that night alive. Part of the issue for her is that her memory of the event is severely limited. The doctors said it was probably repressed memory, but there’s always the question of whether that it correct.
For about 75% of the book, you watch as Mia and Izzy try and try again to get the answers they need or try to figure out the questions they truly need to ask. The islanders only want to talk so much and even then they only really communicate with Mia since she is ‘one of them’ and not Izzy. The whole process goes slower than they’d like. However, every question they ask keeps them going in circles – is the potential suicide/murder they are investigating a stand alone and how is it related to the double suicide of the past – if it does at all.
The ending scenes (last 25%) were different than I had anticipated. I wasn’t surprised by the culprit(s?), but I was surprised at the change of pace or tone of the book in those last parts and how it all came together. It is probably no surprise that the past eventually gets learned. But as we learn the truth behind the past suicide pact event, all I could think of was how incredibly sad it really was that these lives were cut so short and so many had been hurt.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading this story. I loved the atmosphere and the difficulties they had on the island as Mia and Izzy investigated. So, if you enjoy mysteries and thrillers that have a closed-in feel where the potential suspects are all stuck together (in a sense), then you may want to give this book a try.
Rating: 4 stars
Thanks to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for the advanced reader copy and opportunity to provide an honest review.
Thoughts:
There was something a little different in this detective story than some of others I’ve recently read. First, it takes place on a remote island off of Maine. Winter is setting in and opportunities to leave the island for the mainland are not always available. To make matters even more difficult, wifi availability is sketchy and hinders communication for the detectives when they need information from the mainland. Second, the islanders are deeply impacted and probably even a bit scarred by the island’s remoteness. Not only are Individuals in the town required to play multiple roles to keep the island running, but the remoteness has taught them not to look down on those from the mainland and not be open up to new people – it is as if the mainlanders are beneath contempt. This makes for a very unusual inquiry process for the detectives as they try to get answers for their many questions.
The story opens with Detective Mia Hart and Detective Izzy Santiago arriving by a ferry in Black Rock Bay. The body of a man had been found in the water. Mia grew up on the island, but her time there ended in tragedy – suicide of two fellow teenagers, but to make matters worse she was the third individual in this potential suicide pact, but is the only one who made it out that night alive. Part of the issue for her is that her memory of the event is severely limited. The doctors said it was probably repressed memory, but there’s always the question of whether that it correct.
For about 75% of the book, you watch as Mia and Izzy try and try again to get the answers they need or try to figure out the questions they truly need to ask. The islanders only want to talk so much and even then they only really communicate with Mia since she is ‘one of them’ and not Izzy. The whole process goes slower than they’d like. However, every question they ask keeps them going in circles – is the potential suicide/murder they are investigating a stand alone and how is it related to the double suicide of the past – if it does at all.
The ending scenes (last 25%) were different than I had anticipated. I wasn’t surprised by the culprit(s?), but I was surprised at the change of pace or tone of the book in those last parts and how it all came together. It is probably no surprise that the past eventually gets learned. But as we learn the truth behind the past suicide pact event, all I could think of was how incredibly sad it really was that these lives were cut so short and so many had been hurt.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading this story. I loved the atmosphere and the difficulties they had on the island as Mia and Izzy investigated. So, if you enjoy mysteries and thrillers that have a closed-in feel where the potential suspects are all stuck together (in a sense), then you may want to give this book a try.
Rating: 4 stars
Thanks to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for the advanced reader copy and opportunity to provide an honest review.
August 16, 2019
I enjoyed this read due to the mystery being well thought out and my being unable to put the puzzle together until the very end. I did feel; however, that the story was a bit stale here and there making it seem a bit too long. I do so very much love Brianna Labuskes' other novels and will continue to read anything she publishes. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy in turn for an honest review.
January 11, 2024
Definitely kept me engaged and interested in what would happen next. I found it hard to put down some nights. I liked the way the story was told via Mia, the islander and Izzy, the outsider or outlander. Mia was able to communicate with the islanders while Izzy was pretty much ignored. It kept me guessing til the very end. Good detective mystery.
September 24, 2020
I enjoy Labuskes as a writer but this just wasn’t my cup of tea. The characters did not draw me in and I kept forgetting who was who. This had nothing to do with the slow burn element of the book, but that the characters were just dull. The storyline was interesting until it just became too far-fetched. I’m still a fan but this one just wasn’t for me.
October 16, 2019
What happens when you are working an homicide case in an isolated area and your partner starts to suspect you of a decades old crime? Especially when you start to suspect the same thing even though you have no memory of the incident. A psychological thriller that will keep you entranced from the first page all the way to the end that is wrought with twists, turns and no one to trust but the main character and even that is questionable! The author does an excellent job of setting up an isolated location where the locals don't trust each other, let alone outsiders making it even harder for the detectives to work the case and just when you think you have it figured out a twist in the story comes along that sets everything on its side again so you have to start rethinking your suspect pool. I am absolutely thrilled to have stumbled over this author and can't wait to see what else they have written!
March 18, 2020
What A Letdown
I looked forward to reading this book thinking it would be really good. Unfortunately, not so. Not even close. I almost gave it up several times but thought maybe it would get more interesting so I kept reading. Instead it continued to be long, drawn out and just plain boring. About 80 pages before the ending it got a little better and then it didn't. After putting in so much time reading this book and hoping it would end sooner rather then later I read it till the end just to see who the killer was. Even that didn't surprise me. I can't recommend this book and for that I am truly sorry.
I looked forward to reading this book thinking it would be really good. Unfortunately, not so. Not even close. I almost gave it up several times but thought maybe it would get more interesting so I kept reading. Instead it continued to be long, drawn out and just plain boring. About 80 pages before the ending it got a little better and then it didn't. After putting in so much time reading this book and hoping it would end sooner rather then later I read it till the end just to see who the killer was. Even that didn't surprise me. I can't recommend this book and for that I am truly sorry.
August 7, 2022
Ok ...
I wanted yo love this bc I love the authors other series but in the end this book was downright confusing. I felt I needed notes.
The murder that brings Mia home is twisted but then it is connected to a suicide pact she survived as a teen.
The big reveal just felt .... Too unbelievable.
There were a lot of characters, which isn't unusual with this sort of book but slot were close a main and in the end, I was skimming chapters.
I wanted yo love this bc I love the authors other series but in the end this book was downright confusing. I felt I needed notes.
The murder that brings Mia home is twisted but then it is connected to a suicide pact she survived as a teen.
The big reveal just felt .... Too unbelievable.
There were a lot of characters, which isn't unusual with this sort of book but slot were close a main and in the end, I was skimming chapters.
December 20, 2019
1.5 stars. I didn't much care for this book. It is dark, depressing, unbelievable and drags on to the point of becoming so boring in places, I kept setting it down as I was losing interest. There is no way one person would have that kind of control over the actions of so many different people. Not unless they were some kind of witch or demon...and this is just not that kind of a novel. Not my cuppa.
December 2, 2019
Sorry, could not believe in the story, too many holes...
Just found the whole story unbelievable, the characters unlikable and roughly sketched. The isolated island with the congenital lying culture, the friends she knew so well turned into liars? No, amazed I made it to the end. Would not recommend.
Just found the whole story unbelievable, the characters unlikable and roughly sketched. The isolated island with the congenital lying culture, the friends she knew so well turned into liars? No, amazed I made it to the end. Would not recommend.
December 6, 2019
Awful
I rarely give books a 1 Star rating but this is a don’t-read. Slow, boring, and confusing. I skipped ahead and couldn’t even finish it.
I rarely give books a 1 Star rating but this is a don’t-read. Slow, boring, and confusing. I skipped ahead and couldn’t even finish it.
February 8, 2022
Dragged on for too long. Very boring,
March 8, 2023
i didn't really care for this story . it was confusing to me. I've read other books by this author and just had trouble getting into the story
August 23, 2019
This was a such a hypnotizing mystery! Secrets of the past and secrets of the present mixing together creating a tangled web of lies and deception. There was such an eerie feel to this town that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up during certain scenes that really rounded out the story!
Black Rock Bay is a town built on layer upon layer of secrets and lies. This is a story of how two detectives work to unravel the truth in a town that doesn't want to be seen. Mia, now a detective but once a resident of this isolated island, has returned to investigate a body of a reporter that was found by some local fisherman. She hasn't returned home since she left years ago when 2 of her friends took their own lives. As Mia and her partner continue to work the case, they realize that they may be working the case of Mia's past as well, and it may put them in danger.
Brianna Labuskes created fabulous imagery that made me feel like I was stuck on this forsaken island in the middle of a snow storm, when in reality I was sitting here in south east Texas dying in the 110 degree heat. As someone who reads a multitude of thrillers and mysteries I often see a lot of twists/endings coming. However, I was completely blind the entire time I read this captivating story. Sometimes I felt a bit confused with all of the possible story lines, but it definitely kept it interesting and it kept my mind working, which I like!
The end of this story gets really, really good. And really, really dark. It wasn't something I was really expecting and I think it was done really well! This book kept me on the edge of my seat and I definitely recommend it!!
Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
Black Rock Bay is a town built on layer upon layer of secrets and lies. This is a story of how two detectives work to unravel the truth in a town that doesn't want to be seen. Mia, now a detective but once a resident of this isolated island, has returned to investigate a body of a reporter that was found by some local fisherman. She hasn't returned home since she left years ago when 2 of her friends took their own lives. As Mia and her partner continue to work the case, they realize that they may be working the case of Mia's past as well, and it may put them in danger.
Brianna Labuskes created fabulous imagery that made me feel like I was stuck on this forsaken island in the middle of a snow storm, when in reality I was sitting here in south east Texas dying in the 110 degree heat. As someone who reads a multitude of thrillers and mysteries I often see a lot of twists/endings coming. However, I was completely blind the entire time I read this captivating story. Sometimes I felt a bit confused with all of the possible story lines, but it definitely kept it interesting and it kept my mind working, which I like!
The end of this story gets really, really good. And really, really dark. It wasn't something I was really expecting and I think it was done really well! This book kept me on the edge of my seat and I definitely recommend it!!
Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
October 20, 2019
I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads.
St Lucy’s, a small island of the coast of Maine is a cold place to live. The weather is cold and the people are cold if you are not one of them. When the body of a reporter is fished out of the water in St Lucy’s, Cold Case Detectives Mia Hart and her partner Izzy Santiago are sent to investigate.
There is a real bleakness to St Lucy’s. From the time of Mia and Izzy's arrival it is clear that there is far more going on than meets the eye and that the current case is somehow linked to the events that saw Mia leave the island at 16 years old without a backward glance.
The connection between then and now make for an intriguing mystery and kept me turning the pages in the beginning which starts off slowly. It takes time to meet the locals and potential suspects and many are not willing to talk. But it was worth being patient. Half way through I was fully immersed and hanging to find out who the killer was and what it all had to do with Mia. The action and tension really ramps up in the second half and moves at a much quicker pace. I felt like I was racing to get to the end, reading faster and faster, although I probably wasn't. When I got the end I was satisfied, surprised and even a little unsettled. Black Rock Bay is an excellent mystery and if you like a good “who done it” this book is worth your time.
St Lucy’s, a small island of the coast of Maine is a cold place to live. The weather is cold and the people are cold if you are not one of them. When the body of a reporter is fished out of the water in St Lucy’s, Cold Case Detectives Mia Hart and her partner Izzy Santiago are sent to investigate.
There is a real bleakness to St Lucy’s. From the time of Mia and Izzy's arrival it is clear that there is far more going on than meets the eye and that the current case is somehow linked to the events that saw Mia leave the island at 16 years old without a backward glance.
The connection between then and now make for an intriguing mystery and kept me turning the pages in the beginning which starts off slowly. It takes time to meet the locals and potential suspects and many are not willing to talk. But it was worth being patient. Half way through I was fully immersed and hanging to find out who the killer was and what it all had to do with Mia. The action and tension really ramps up in the second half and moves at a much quicker pace. I felt like I was racing to get to the end, reading faster and faster, although I probably wasn't. When I got the end I was satisfied, surprised and even a little unsettled. Black Rock Bay is an excellent mystery and if you like a good “who done it” this book is worth your time.
October 16, 2019
Black Rock Bay by Brianna Labuskes
4 stars
M/F Psychological Thriller
Triggers: Murder and suicide
I was given this book for an honest review by Wicked Reads.
Mia is back to where it all began. She hates where she grew up, but with a murder on the island, her boss knows that she is probably the only person who will be told what truths might be out there.
Izzy is Mia's new partner and while they are still figuring out whether or not they can trust, they are thrust onto the island where Mia grew up. While Izzy tries to figure out who can be trusted, she also knows that they don't really have time for everyone to be lying.
This was an interesting psychological thriller with a lot of people involved. I really liked watching the clues come through. While I was able to figure out the bad character, it was a challenge up to the end. The twists and turns this story takes are exciting and unpredictable. I truly enjoyed watching this story unfold.
4 stars
M/F Psychological Thriller
Triggers: Murder and suicide
I was given this book for an honest review by Wicked Reads.
Mia is back to where it all began. She hates where she grew up, but with a murder on the island, her boss knows that she is probably the only person who will be told what truths might be out there.
Izzy is Mia's new partner and while they are still figuring out whether or not they can trust, they are thrust onto the island where Mia grew up. While Izzy tries to figure out who can be trusted, she also knows that they don't really have time for everyone to be lying.
This was an interesting psychological thriller with a lot of people involved. I really liked watching the clues come through. While I was able to figure out the bad character, it was a challenge up to the end. The twists and turns this story takes are exciting and unpredictable. I truly enjoyed watching this story unfold.
November 24, 2020
I can't say I cared overmuch for this book. The cover looked amazing, but what was inside was not as captivating. The best I can say about it is that it was a really easy read. I had to finish it for my book club so that propelled me to read faster than I probably would have. There were times when I felt the story was just dragging on; several pages, and probably, even chapters could have been left out and we wouldn't have missed much. I figured out who was the mastermind behind the events fairly early in the book, despite all the efforts by the author to throw us off. Everyone was made suspicious, but that kind of made it easy to pick the person on whom there was not much light shed. I do not want to spoil the story for anyone so I am not going to name names, but this book is certainly not on the top of my recommended reads. If someone likes a quick read with twist and turns, they might appreciate it more than I did.
July 26, 2021
Kindle insists on giving me 3 months free trial, so I trailed, again.
This just didn't click with me.
Part of the issue is my senility - throw too many characters and/or too many options at me, I lose track.
Spoiler:
Having spent time in Maine, the tight knit community, the 'ignoring' of non-locals is a very real situation. And I thought the beginning, kids being kids, even with the horrible ending of that part worked.
Again, we have flawed heroine(s), to the point one of them never should have been there.
An okay read, good story line, some interesting side characters. I had no idea whodunit, but, thankfully it was a quick read, in the end I didn't care.
This just didn't click with me.
Part of the issue is my senility - throw too many characters and/or too many options at me, I lose track.
Spoiler:
Having spent time in Maine, the tight knit community, the 'ignoring' of non-locals is a very real situation. And I thought the beginning, kids being kids, even with the horrible ending of that part worked.
Again, we have flawed heroine(s), to the point one of them never should have been there.
An okay read, good story line, some interesting side characters. I had no idea whodunit, but, thankfully it was a quick read, in the end I didn't care.
March 30, 2023
First thought: strong women police from detectives and up through the chain of command. Chapters alternating between detectives Mia and Izzy. Mia coming back to her old town to investigate a murder that hits a little too close to “home” after being gone 15 years. Izzy not trusted in the town tries to get as many answers from her new partner and the townspeople to solve the murder.
Final thoughts: a little annoying how the novel is written, the wording and thoughts between characters, excessive repetition for example “ why lie?, I thought to myself, why lie, why lie?” “Did you kill them? I never heard those words before, did you kill them, did you kill them? Author intending to drive a feeling home too much, the reader gets it. Story kind of goes off the rails. It seems everyone in town is a suspect and questioned. It’s a lot of people to keep straight and I still don’t really understand why. A very generous 3 rating.
Final thoughts: a little annoying how the novel is written, the wording and thoughts between characters, excessive repetition for example “ why lie?, I thought to myself, why lie, why lie?” “Did you kill them? I never heard those words before, did you kill them, did you kill them? Author intending to drive a feeling home too much, the reader gets it. Story kind of goes off the rails. It seems everyone in town is a suspect and questioned. It’s a lot of people to keep straight and I still don’t really understand why. A very generous 3 rating.
December 8, 2020
Two (too) stupid detectives on an island.
This is supposed to be a locked room mystery with the island serving as the locked room, but the contrivances to keep the island isolated break suspension of disbelief. No radio, no Coast Guard com presence is unbelievable. But even given this, the protagonist has no business being assigned to the case despite her familiarity because she is a suspect herself. As for the plot, mistake after mistake piles up, and the antagonist could have trivially gotten with murder if stupidity was not inbred on the island. The atmosphere is outstanding but the mystery could have been avoided.
This is supposed to be a locked room mystery with the island serving as the locked room, but the contrivances to keep the island isolated break suspension of disbelief. No radio, no Coast Guard com presence is unbelievable. But even given this, the protagonist has no business being assigned to the case despite her familiarity because she is a suspect herself. As for the plot, mistake after mistake piles up, and the antagonist could have trivially gotten with murder if stupidity was not inbred on the island. The atmosphere is outstanding but the mystery could have been avoided.
September 27, 2021
A Master of Psychopathy
Labuskes has a frightening grasp of darkness, the darkness that most of us manage to keep at bay, or at least, experience slightly as contrast to the light in our lives.
The characters crafted in each novel are nuanced, intriguing, and just flawed enough to raise the possibility that they are the key to each mystery.
Her plots are masterful, full of twists and partial, often misleading, revelations. The resolution is ultimately satisfying in its cleverness, its tidiness, and its acknowledgement of human frailties.
Labuskes has a frightening grasp of darkness, the darkness that most of us manage to keep at bay, or at least, experience slightly as contrast to the light in our lives.
The characters crafted in each novel are nuanced, intriguing, and just flawed enough to raise the possibility that they are the key to each mystery.
Her plots are masterful, full of twists and partial, often misleading, revelations. The resolution is ultimately satisfying in its cleverness, its tidiness, and its acknowledgement of human frailties.
September 24, 2021
This sounded like something I'd love. And it was okay. While I sort of liked Mia and Izzy, I also wanted a deeper dive into their burgeoning friendship. The plot slogged for me, but the most disappointing aspect was the ending. There were opportunities for this story to shine a light on patriarchal power systems as well as explore class differences, but instead, the seemingly battered woman turned out to be a manipulative psychopath. It was a twist for the sake of a twist, in my opinion.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 25, 2023
Started great then became meh
This story is nothing but twists and turns which normally I enjoy. In this case however, all those twists became knots that even when “revealed”, didn’t truly untangle.
My biggest question after it’s all said and done is what in the name of all that’s holy was Cash doing at the end? Did he just sit back on his thumbs with no cares about what was happening? I give this a rounded up 2.75 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
This story is nothing but twists and turns which normally I enjoy. In this case however, all those twists became knots that even when “revealed”, didn’t truly untangle.
My biggest question after it’s all said and done is what in the name of all that’s holy was Cash doing at the end? Did he just sit back on his thumbs with no cares about what was happening? I give this a rounded up 2.75 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
November 7, 2019
Confusing mess
Somewhere in the overabundance of words, unnecessary storm reports, lack of cell signals, mumble jumble of back and forth there might have been a decent story. I spent half the time trying to figure out who was with who and the other half rereading to understand what was happening. Sorry.
Somewhere in the overabundance of words, unnecessary storm reports, lack of cell signals, mumble jumble of back and forth there might have been a decent story. I spent half the time trying to figure out who was with who and the other half rereading to understand what was happening. Sorry.
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