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Death of a Mermaid
Freddy left her childhood home in Newhaven twenty-two years ago and swore never to return. But now her parents are dead, and she's back in her hometown to help her brothers manage the family fishmonger. Nothing here has changed: the stink of fish coming up from the marshes; the shopping trolleys half-buried by muddy tides; the neighbors sniffing for a new piece of gossip.
It's not what Freddy would have chosen, but at least while she's here she'll get to see her childhood best friends, Toni and Mags. At school, the three of them were inseparable. The teachers called them the Mermaids for their obsession with the sea, and with each other.
Then Mags goes missing, and Freddy must decide. Go back home to her new life, or stay in Newhaven and find her friend?
RUNNING TIME ⇒ 16hrs. and 15mins.
©2020 Lesley Thomson (P)2020 Head of Zeus
Audible Audio
First published April 2, 2020
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About the author
Lesley Thomson
30 books174 followersLesley Thomson was born in 1958 and grew up in London. She went to Holland Park Comprehensive and the Universities of Brighton and Sussex. Her novel A Kind of Vanishing won The People's Book Prize in 2010. Lesley combines writing with teaching creative writing. She lives in Lewes with her partner.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
May 7, 2020
The Mermaids are a small gang of young girls who have two things in common. The first and the reason for the title, is their love of the Disney film The Little Mermaid and the second is that they’re all convent girls in Newhaven, Sussex. The leader is Mags McKee, very devout and as she grows up her guiding light is Julian of Norwich’s ‘Revelations of Divine Love’, there’s Freddy (Frederica) Power whose father has a fish business and Toni Kemp. The outlier who they all fear and dislike is Karen Munday. At 18 Freddy is thrown out of the family home by her father, her brothers Andy and Ricky don’t know the reasons why. Fast forward many years and Freddy is working on the fish counter in Waitrose in Liverpool, living with Sarah but wants out, when she gets a text from Mags, who she hasn’t heard from in many years, to say that her mother is dying and she should come home....... The story is told in varying timelines from the perspectives of Freddy, Mags and Toni who is now a Detective Inspector with the Sussex force and based in Newhaven.
The story is mostly really interesting, with a good plot and it’s an enjoyable read. There’s murder, suicide by car, attempted murder, a disappearance and strained family relationships. The characters are good especially Freddy and Toni although they all come across clearly and are well depicted. Toni is in a relationship with Ricky which becomes difficult in the unfolding drama which has Freddy at the epicentre. Andy and Ricky feel betrayed by Freddy as they don’t know why she left years ago as her absence increases the levels of their fathers harshness. He died a year after Freddy left and Andy runs the fishing business very successfully and Ricky runs a trawler. The fishing business angle is fascinating as it becomes clear that fishing quotas are not being adhered to and ‘black fish’ is somehow coming ashore. Who is responsible and at the centre of this fraud? The quest to find out leads Freddy into danger and this part of the story is very exciting.
I like the Newhaven setting, it’s a port, not pretty as many aren’t but it’s surrounded by beautiful Downs villages and countryside which makes it a great backdrop. The Lunette Battery built in 1855 plays an intriguing part in the story and I really like its inclusion. It’s well worth looking at pictures of it. Newhaven has a history of Catholicism and this plays an important role in the novel and I like how the author explores that through the various characters. Some are born into the faith and it dominates their lives, some have a more flexible relationship and some are lapsed. Sexuality plays a part too and this provides some very interesting and thoughtful storylines especially between Mags and Freddy with acceptance from some and a homophobic response from one source.
There’s much to like about this book as there are some different angles to many crime novels. Although the start is intriguing it then plateaus a bit as all the characters are introduced but then the pace really picks up. Towards the end as Freddy tries to make sense of events there is some repetition but then the pace really accelerates again and there’s a very exciting section as she learns the truth. The end is good and there’s reason for optimism for very likeable Freddy.
Overall, I did enjoy the book. There’s a lot to praise especially showing that it’s possible to make fish the centre of an interesting plot! It’s a little bit different and all credit to Lesley Thomson for that. There’s a lot to make you think and it informs you as well which I like.
The story is mostly really interesting, with a good plot and it’s an enjoyable read. There’s murder, suicide by car, attempted murder, a disappearance and strained family relationships. The characters are good especially Freddy and Toni although they all come across clearly and are well depicted. Toni is in a relationship with Ricky which becomes difficult in the unfolding drama which has Freddy at the epicentre. Andy and Ricky feel betrayed by Freddy as they don’t know why she left years ago as her absence increases the levels of their fathers harshness. He died a year after Freddy left and Andy runs the fishing business very successfully and Ricky runs a trawler. The fishing business angle is fascinating as it becomes clear that fishing quotas are not being adhered to and ‘black fish’ is somehow coming ashore. Who is responsible and at the centre of this fraud? The quest to find out leads Freddy into danger and this part of the story is very exciting.
I like the Newhaven setting, it’s a port, not pretty as many aren’t but it’s surrounded by beautiful Downs villages and countryside which makes it a great backdrop. The Lunette Battery built in 1855 plays an intriguing part in the story and I really like its inclusion. It’s well worth looking at pictures of it. Newhaven has a history of Catholicism and this plays an important role in the novel and I like how the author explores that through the various characters. Some are born into the faith and it dominates their lives, some have a more flexible relationship and some are lapsed. Sexuality plays a part too and this provides some very interesting and thoughtful storylines especially between Mags and Freddy with acceptance from some and a homophobic response from one source.
There’s much to like about this book as there are some different angles to many crime novels. Although the start is intriguing it then plateaus a bit as all the characters are introduced but then the pace really picks up. Towards the end as Freddy tries to make sense of events there is some repetition but then the pace really accelerates again and there’s a very exciting section as she learns the truth. The end is good and there’s reason for optimism for very likeable Freddy.
Overall, I did enjoy the book. There’s a lot to praise especially showing that it’s possible to make fish the centre of an interesting plot! It’s a little bit different and all credit to Lesley Thomson for that. There’s a lot to make you think and it informs you as well which I like.
May 12, 2020
My Rating:
4.5
Favorite Quotes:
A hush fell over the pews. Girls scented trouble. Fights in the convent were supposed to be out of the sight, if not from God, at least from the nuns.
Toni Kemp was watching her. With the twisted perception of a thwarted adolescent, Karen was convinced Toni had engineered her tragedy to worm her way into Mags’s Mermaids.
But the fun of the hidden wore off and hindsight had shown Freddy it was toxic. A love kept secret feels barely true.
My Review:
This was my first exposure to the devious nuanced plotting of Lesley Thomson and I am wondering why I have not noticed her work before as I’ve been missing out. Her word skills are vast with storylines that tangle, mesh, and unravel with cunning and guile. The plot was rather complex and contained several relevant and major social issues from domestic abuse, bullying on several levels, friendship, coming of age, homophobia, dysfunctional family dynamics, mean girls, religious practices and fanaticism, murder, and greed. All the characters, primary, secondary, and even those just briefly passing through, were an interesting mix with unique quirks and odd yet interestingly detailed traits that at times were unexpected and somewhat incongruent while they tickled my gray cells and taunted my curiosity. Such as the detective who had retained the agile shoplifting skills she had honed as a teen for the risky five-finger discount when it came to purchasing chocolates.
The tale was observantly written from multiple POVs with keenly perceptive and insightful glimpses into each prickly character as the story threads slowly built toward a dark and cohesive core. I was holding myself tighter and tighter and nibbling on my cuticles as the tautly written tale built to a climax. And while I had guessed whom the murderer was early on, the rest of my theories and hypothesized motives were incorrect.
In addition to assisting in solving a series of tragic murders, I also gleaned two new additions to my Brit Word List with Roundheads – who were supporters of the Parliament of England during the English Civil War and distinguished by a close-cropped hairstyle; and cottaging – men cruising for or engaging in sexual activity in a public lavatory.
4.5
Favorite Quotes:
A hush fell over the pews. Girls scented trouble. Fights in the convent were supposed to be out of the sight, if not from God, at least from the nuns.
Toni Kemp was watching her. With the twisted perception of a thwarted adolescent, Karen was convinced Toni had engineered her tragedy to worm her way into Mags’s Mermaids.
But the fun of the hidden wore off and hindsight had shown Freddy it was toxic. A love kept secret feels barely true.
My Review:
This was my first exposure to the devious nuanced plotting of Lesley Thomson and I am wondering why I have not noticed her work before as I’ve been missing out. Her word skills are vast with storylines that tangle, mesh, and unravel with cunning and guile. The plot was rather complex and contained several relevant and major social issues from domestic abuse, bullying on several levels, friendship, coming of age, homophobia, dysfunctional family dynamics, mean girls, religious practices and fanaticism, murder, and greed. All the characters, primary, secondary, and even those just briefly passing through, were an interesting mix with unique quirks and odd yet interestingly detailed traits that at times were unexpected and somewhat incongruent while they tickled my gray cells and taunted my curiosity. Such as the detective who had retained the agile shoplifting skills she had honed as a teen for the risky five-finger discount when it came to purchasing chocolates.
The tale was observantly written from multiple POVs with keenly perceptive and insightful glimpses into each prickly character as the story threads slowly built toward a dark and cohesive core. I was holding myself tighter and tighter and nibbling on my cuticles as the tautly written tale built to a climax. And while I had guessed whom the murderer was early on, the rest of my theories and hypothesized motives were incorrect.
In addition to assisting in solving a series of tragic murders, I also gleaned two new additions to my Brit Word List with Roundheads – who were supporters of the Parliament of England during the English Civil War and distinguished by a close-cropped hairstyle; and cottaging – men cruising for or engaging in sexual activity in a public lavatory.
May 13, 2020
Multifaceted & utterly absorbing thriller with a credible plot & superb characterisation.
Death of a Mermaid is my first taste of Lesley Thomson’s writing and is a fascinating stand-alone thriller set around the fishing industry in Newhaven. I was drawn to the novel largely by my interest in seeing a lesbian protagonist and the promise of LGBT representation and whilst the novel delivered sublimely on that score it also proved to be a cleverly woven and involving thriller.
Twenty-two years ago Freddy Power left her Newhaven home at the age of eighteen after telling her father she was in love with a woman and consequently being disowned and disinherited from the family fisheries business. Now working at a supermarket in Liverpool and living with possessive lawyer, Sarah, all it takes is a text from her old friend Mags telling her that her mum is ill for Freddy to venture home. But Mags McKee isn’t any old childhood friend and meant something far deeper to Freddy in their years together at the convent school where Mags presided over a group self-titled as the Mermaids. Twenty years on and Mags is mired in Catholic guilt, fellow Mermaid Toni Kemp has recently returned to the town is her capacity as a detective with the Sussex Constabulary and ousted ex-member and bully, Karen Munday, is still bitterly resentful.
Prepared for a fleeting visit back home Freddy is optimistic of reuniting with her old friends but first she has to face her two brothers with her old ally, Andy, distinctly cool and her hot-headed younger brother, Ricky, opening hostile. The Power brothers both consider Freddy guilty of betrayal and believe she chose to leave Newhaven and remain estranged from the family. Learning that in her absence Mags has been nursing her mother, Toni has hooked up with Ricky and Karen and her son have been working for Power fisheries, Freddy returns to the shocking news that Karen has been murdered. As Toni is tasked with investigating her murder the sudden disappearance just days later of Mags, the woman that means everything to Freddy, seems likely to be connected. Unwilling to leave until she has confronted the past and apologised to Mags for leaving, the more closely involved Freddy becomes in the family business, the more she fears it could have been a motivating factor in Karen’s murder and Mag’s disappearance...
The plot is convoluted and intricately tangled in a way that real life can only ever be especially after two decades of water under the bridge. Every character is fully fleshed out and drawn with the same care as central protagonist, Freddy, and this enables Thomson to vividly convey each characters own priorities, animosities and intentions. The narrative moves between Freddy, Mags and Toni and adds flesh to the bones of the situation that caused Freddy to flee the town originally and I was able to empathise with all three. Dialogue in particular rings true, the Newhaven backdrop comes through strongly and most importantly, the story is readily conceivable and realistic. The barnstorming climax is an absolute triumph and the outcome hangs in the balance until the very last, with Thomson steering clear of delivering the obvious outcomes and easy answers.
Death of a Mermaid is a book that focuses on righting the wrongs of the past, redressing past mistakes and exploring the damage wrought in childhood and the story subtly draws out the repercussions on the lives and relationships of its characters. A magnificent introduction to the work of Lesley Thomson and a thriller that packs a real punch.
Death of a Mermaid is my first taste of Lesley Thomson’s writing and is a fascinating stand-alone thriller set around the fishing industry in Newhaven. I was drawn to the novel largely by my interest in seeing a lesbian protagonist and the promise of LGBT representation and whilst the novel delivered sublimely on that score it also proved to be a cleverly woven and involving thriller.
Twenty-two years ago Freddy Power left her Newhaven home at the age of eighteen after telling her father she was in love with a woman and consequently being disowned and disinherited from the family fisheries business. Now working at a supermarket in Liverpool and living with possessive lawyer, Sarah, all it takes is a text from her old friend Mags telling her that her mum is ill for Freddy to venture home. But Mags McKee isn’t any old childhood friend and meant something far deeper to Freddy in their years together at the convent school where Mags presided over a group self-titled as the Mermaids. Twenty years on and Mags is mired in Catholic guilt, fellow Mermaid Toni Kemp has recently returned to the town is her capacity as a detective with the Sussex Constabulary and ousted ex-member and bully, Karen Munday, is still bitterly resentful.
Prepared for a fleeting visit back home Freddy is optimistic of reuniting with her old friends but first she has to face her two brothers with her old ally, Andy, distinctly cool and her hot-headed younger brother, Ricky, opening hostile. The Power brothers both consider Freddy guilty of betrayal and believe she chose to leave Newhaven and remain estranged from the family. Learning that in her absence Mags has been nursing her mother, Toni has hooked up with Ricky and Karen and her son have been working for Power fisheries, Freddy returns to the shocking news that Karen has been murdered. As Toni is tasked with investigating her murder the sudden disappearance just days later of Mags, the woman that means everything to Freddy, seems likely to be connected. Unwilling to leave until she has confronted the past and apologised to Mags for leaving, the more closely involved Freddy becomes in the family business, the more she fears it could have been a motivating factor in Karen’s murder and Mag’s disappearance...
The plot is convoluted and intricately tangled in a way that real life can only ever be especially after two decades of water under the bridge. Every character is fully fleshed out and drawn with the same care as central protagonist, Freddy, and this enables Thomson to vividly convey each characters own priorities, animosities and intentions. The narrative moves between Freddy, Mags and Toni and adds flesh to the bones of the situation that caused Freddy to flee the town originally and I was able to empathise with all three. Dialogue in particular rings true, the Newhaven backdrop comes through strongly and most importantly, the story is readily conceivable and realistic. The barnstorming climax is an absolute triumph and the outcome hangs in the balance until the very last, with Thomson steering clear of delivering the obvious outcomes and easy answers.
Death of a Mermaid is a book that focuses on righting the wrongs of the past, redressing past mistakes and exploring the damage wrought in childhood and the story subtly draws out the repercussions on the lives and relationships of its characters. A magnificent introduction to the work of Lesley Thomson and a thriller that packs a real punch.
May 8, 2020
Death of a Mermaid is a standalone mystery from bestselling author Lesley Thomson and follows Freddy, Mags and Toni, a gaggle of girls who once attended the local Irish Catholic school together where they were nicknamed ”mermaids” due to their love of the sea and Walt Disney’s The Little Mermaid. Frederica ”Freddy” Power, whose father owned a fishmonger’s in Newhaven, East Sussex, Mags McKee, the unappointed leader of the group and a devout Christian, Toni Kemp, who is now employed as a Detective Inspector in the Sussex police force and Karen Munday, who is very much the odd one out and a girl the rest are really quite fearful of. Twenty years on from her school days Freddy is working in Waitrose in Liverpool when she receives a text message from Mags despite not having heard from her in many years. Her heart sinks when she reads that her mother is due to pass and that she should return home. She intends on leaving Newhaven as soon as possible but when Mags disappears she decides to stay and help in the search, with everyone in the area afraid of what may have happened to her.
This is a captivating mystery-thriller revolving around secrets, betrayal, duplicity, deceit and long-held grudges, as well as family, love, death and grief. I thought the LGBTQ+ representation in this story was superb, which I appreciated, as many crime novels tend to have a sparse or non-existent selection of those within the LGBT community. I must admit at the beginning I was concerned that the characters voices would be too similar and that it wasn't immediately clear the passages that were from the past and those that were present day, however, these quickly became a non-issue within the first few chapters so bear with it and give the story time to develop. I cannot state enough quite how many secrets are involved in this plot, including deep, dark family secrets that have been kept hidden for decades. If you enjoy murder mysteries with an engaging cast of characters, plenty of hidden motives, an interesting setting and writing that after the first few chapters flows well then this is a pacey and compelling one to pick up. Many thanks to Head of Zeus for an ARC.
This is a captivating mystery-thriller revolving around secrets, betrayal, duplicity, deceit and long-held grudges, as well as family, love, death and grief. I thought the LGBTQ+ representation in this story was superb, which I appreciated, as many crime novels tend to have a sparse or non-existent selection of those within the LGBT community. I must admit at the beginning I was concerned that the characters voices would be too similar and that it wasn't immediately clear the passages that were from the past and those that were present day, however, these quickly became a non-issue within the first few chapters so bear with it and give the story time to develop. I cannot state enough quite how many secrets are involved in this plot, including deep, dark family secrets that have been kept hidden for decades. If you enjoy murder mysteries with an engaging cast of characters, plenty of hidden motives, an interesting setting and writing that after the first few chapters flows well then this is a pacey and compelling one to pick up. Many thanks to Head of Zeus for an ARC.
November 12, 2020
For my complete review of "Death of a Mermaid" visit my blog: https://fictionophile.com/2020/05/11/...
I'm not sure if this novel is the beginning of a new series for Lesley Thomson - but if it is, it is a series I will be following.
I love a seaside setting, and this one, set on the Sussex coast is so vivid you can hear the seagulls squealing.
The protagonist(s) were very interesting characters, and you got to know them well over the course of the book. I particularly liked Freddie Power and enjoyed the scenes where she took up her late mother's pet hotel.
The mystery element of the book was well plotted and it had me guessing 'whodunnit' until near the end. I did guess at one plot element reveal, but don't want to speak of it here - so I won't spoil it for any potential reader.
The cover is stunning and exactly fits the subject nature of the novel.
I was not at all surprised that I loved this book. I have read the first novel in the author's 'Detective's Daughter' series and thoroughly enjoyed that one as well. I will endeavor to read more in that series when time permits.
With themes of family loyalty, friendship, betrayal, Catholicism, homophobia, and avarice, this novel has a lot to offer the reader. Highly recommended!
I'm not sure if this novel is the beginning of a new series for Lesley Thomson - but if it is, it is a series I will be following.
I love a seaside setting, and this one, set on the Sussex coast is so vivid you can hear the seagulls squealing.
The protagonist(s) were very interesting characters, and you got to know them well over the course of the book. I particularly liked Freddie Power and enjoyed the scenes where she took up her late mother's pet hotel.
The mystery element of the book was well plotted and it had me guessing 'whodunnit' until near the end. I did guess at one plot element reveal, but don't want to speak of it here - so I won't spoil it for any potential reader.
The cover is stunning and exactly fits the subject nature of the novel.
I was not at all surprised that I loved this book. I have read the first novel in the author's 'Detective's Daughter' series and thoroughly enjoyed that one as well. I will endeavor to read more in that series when time permits.
With themes of family loyalty, friendship, betrayal, Catholicism, homophobia, and avarice, this novel has a lot to offer the reader. Highly recommended!
May 25, 2020
Living in a working fishing port city myself, I could totally relate to the setting in “Death of a Mermaid”. Seeing the trawlers myself come in regularly and often visiting the fish quay to buy some of that day’s catch, I loved how Newhaven in the story was realistic and relatable, to a point I could smell the sea air and see the fishermen unloading their catch, as I read this wonderfully engaging book.
Lesley Thomson is the bestselling author of The Detective’s Daughter series and has written this her latest standalone novel set in East Sussex. Focusing on the fishing industry and a group of girls who used to call themselves ‘Mermaids’ when they attended a Catholic convent school, this is very much a character driven story with a well executed crime element.
The story is told from the excellently narrated viewpoint of the four girls - Karen, Freddy, Toni and Mags. We are privy to their individual thoughts after Karen is found murdered and their private emotions they’ve had to deal with since they all last saw each other. In particular I endeared to Freddy who on learning her mother is ill, returns home after many years away when her father disowned her for being a lesbian.
Dealing with family issues, friendships, relationships, Catholicism and the rules and regulations on fish quotas, I very much enjoyed this story from the intriguing start, to the climatic denouement and I will certainly be reading more from this talented author in the near future.
4 stars
Lesley Thomson is the bestselling author of The Detective’s Daughter series and has written this her latest standalone novel set in East Sussex. Focusing on the fishing industry and a group of girls who used to call themselves ‘Mermaids’ when they attended a Catholic convent school, this is very much a character driven story with a well executed crime element.
The story is told from the excellently narrated viewpoint of the four girls - Karen, Freddy, Toni and Mags. We are privy to their individual thoughts after Karen is found murdered and their private emotions they’ve had to deal with since they all last saw each other. In particular I endeared to Freddy who on learning her mother is ill, returns home after many years away when her father disowned her for being a lesbian.
Dealing with family issues, friendships, relationships, Catholicism and the rules and regulations on fish quotas, I very much enjoyed this story from the intriguing start, to the climatic denouement and I will certainly be reading more from this talented author in the near future.
4 stars
February 3, 2023
“The Mermaids were three women who’d chosen different seas”
...
I began reading this book not knowing what to expect from the title and premise alone, only certain that at some 400 pages in length, it was going to have be something special to hold my attention. Well! I had no need to worry on that score, as if I swipe the final page, when all those loose ends have been neatly tidied away, yet I still find myself wanting more and for it not to be over, then I know an author has done their job and done it well.
There are so many different strands to this storyline, yet they all fit together and are woven carefully and thoughtfully, into a final heart-stopping denouement, without any single aspect threatening to overwhelm the narrative and drive the whole thing off course.
First and foremost, there is a complicated crime or two to be solved, which is exactly what I have come to expect from the Lesley Thomson books I have read to date. However, running alongside that, religion, sexuality, the power of friendships, and the often treacherous twists of family relationships, feature boldly, yet sensitively, with no holds barred.
So, just to help set the scene…
...
The Mermaids are a group of three friends, bound together by their Catholic upbringing and education, who all have an enduring love and fascination for the sea and the Disney film ‘The Little Mermaid’. The problem is, for reasons known only to themselves, there can’t be four of them, so when newcomer Toni arrives at the school having recently lost her father in particularly terrible circumstances, Mags and Freddy let her into the trio and an often volatile, bullying and verbose Karen finds herself excluded to the sidelines. The situation between the once friends becomes evermore acrimonious, so as soon as their education is complete they all go their separate ways and take no active steps to keep in touch with each other.
Freddy Power’s ‘dirty’ secret is discovered by her parents and her staunchly Catholic, physically bullying and coercive father disowns her as a freak of nature and throws her out onto the street, leaving her mother and two brothers to Fred’s tender mercies. After a short stay with Toni, Freddy decides to head for Liverpool, where she ostensibly leads the kind of life she wants, although it takes her some time to realise that she has jumped out of the frying pan into the fire and she is not as free or indeed happy, as she thought she was.
Toni heads off to London where she becomes a police officer, although the lure of Newhaven has her in its grip and she eventually returns to her hometown as a Detective Inspector moving in with one of Freddy’s brothers, Ricky, who together with Freddy’s second brother Andy, run a well respected fishing enterprise made very successful by their father Fred, despite his many other shortcomings as a good human being. The patriarch of the Power family might have ruled with a rod of iron, however, I feel sure he would be turning in his grave if he knew what underhand dealings his two sons were involved in and just how close to the wind, not to mention on the wrong side of the law, they were sailing.
For Mags, unable to come to terms with the burden of her sexuality and the feelings she still harbours towards a certain person, life in Newhaven is a self-enforced solitary affair, revolving around her religion, the church and the library where she works. She does however, form a close bond with Freddy’s mother, Reenie, which is a pivotal part of the storyline further down the road.
For Karen, a failed relationship sees her single-handedly raising her teenage son Daniel, who has been taken on as an apprentice by Ricky and looks up to him as a role model. Karen has become embroiled in one of the more recent and nefarious activities run by the brothers from the cover of the dockyard and is determined to achieve the lifestyle she thinks she deserves, no matter what the cost and by whatever means at her disposal.
No one thinks to try and contact Freddy when her father Fred dies, however, Mags feels strongly that she should know when her mother Reenie is coming to the end of her life, so a vague one-line text is sent. Freddy uses the opportunity to both rush home in the hope of gaining forgiveness from her mother now she is no longer held as an emotional prisoner by Fred, as an opportunity to extricate herself from her own unhappy relationship with her partner and with hope in her heart that an old relationship might be resurrected given the change in societal attitudes over the course of the intervening years.
It is only when all four Mermaids are back on home turf that things quickly go awry. When the scale and depth of the many crimes which have been and are still being committed in the name of family are exposed, the situation takes on dangerous and for some, fatal consequences, with the body count quickly adding up. Toni finds her professional and personal lives merging together and out of control, despite her best efforts to remain objective and focussed on her job, so when her stress levels get to the point where her own, long supressed, mental health issues bubble to the surface and seek to threaten her position, it behoves her fellow investigator to guide her back on track. When the dust finally settles, for many life will never be the same again, but will there be the chance for any new beginnings? Even just a glimmer of hope for closure and happy endings might be good.
You’ll need to read the book for yourself, as that would be telling…
...
This highly textured, character driven, intense storyline, is written across varying timelines and from the perspectives of several different characters. However, the chapters are short and well signposted, so once you have worked out who’s who, which won’t take long, you are all set for a fast-paced race to the finish line, with never a dull moment along the way.
It quickly becomes apparent that just about everyone has, or has had, a secret to keep, no matter on which side of the thin blue line of the law you happened to be. The twists and turns in this storyline just kept on coming and even when I had guessed what a couple of them were ahead of time, there were still some slight deviations which threw me off track all over again. My suspect list had just about everyone’s name on it, although in all fairness, the police didn’t seem to have any more idea about what was going on than I, and it all came down to one ‘blue light’ moment of observation from Toni, to set in motion the collapse of this treacherous house of cards.
The author has included a realistic cross-section of the many modern social mores which beset so many families and extended friendships and which she deals with in a refreshingly honest, no-nonsense way: How can someone hide so piously behind their religious fervour, which from the outside looking in, makes them a devout, loving and forgiving person, the exact opposite of the actual truth? How someone can spend their entire life and the formative years of their children’s lives, bearing the consequences, both mental and physical, of the coercive, gas-lighting, bullying and violent nature of the revered head of the family, without fighting back? The sexual bias of a religious community, inured in their views and intransigent, until the tides of time begin to turn on a much wider level. The guilt of keeping oneself safe from harm, whilst leaving behind those you love, who you know will continue to suffer. The grief and underlying feelings of hatred and abandonment, at being that person left behind and the need to make someone suffer for your pain, even if that means operating below the radar of the law, drawing innocent people into your subterfuge thus causing them suffering, much as it might provide only some small level of recompense and satisfaction for your loss.
The multi-faceted characters are well-defined, fleshed out and given a strong voice with which to tell their story. However, to my mind, they are emotionally starved, which makes them unreliable, complex, volatile and manipulative. Never being truthful or honest to themselves, makes then uncompelling, not authentic and totally unrelatable. However, from author Lesley Thomson’s perspective, those strong feelings were probably just what she had hoped to achieve, so it was a job well done from my perspective.
For me, as an avid ‘armchair traveller’ who has never visited this particular corner of my own country, the Sussex port and fishing town of Newhaven and its immediate surrounding areas comprising the beautiful Downs and villages, was one I could track for myself and become completely immersed in, thanks to the attention to detail and descriptive qualities with which Lesley managed to paint the physical location of her story, offering a real sense of time and place that I could almost step into, with an atmosphere which lingered long after I had closed the final page. However, not being much of a seafarer (I am truly afraid of water and have never learnt to swim), the terror and fear of some of the scenes aboard the Powers fishing vessel, out in open water, at night, during a storm, had me on the edge of my seat.
The only small point I might question, is that surely Toni wouldn’t be allowed to investigate a case in which she was so deeply and personally involved, knowing both the victims and perpetrators as well as she does. However, in the scheme of things it probably isn’t so far fetched as to spoil anything and I was too busy on my own roller-coaster ride of emotions, trying to unravel my list of suspects and work out who did what to whom, where, why and when, that the thought never even occurred to me until I had finished reading.
...
I began reading this book not knowing what to expect from the title and premise alone, only certain that at some 400 pages in length, it was going to have be something special to hold my attention. Well! I had no need to worry on that score, as if I swipe the final page, when all those loose ends have been neatly tidied away, yet I still find myself wanting more and for it not to be over, then I know an author has done their job and done it well.
There are so many different strands to this storyline, yet they all fit together and are woven carefully and thoughtfully, into a final heart-stopping denouement, without any single aspect threatening to overwhelm the narrative and drive the whole thing off course.
First and foremost, there is a complicated crime or two to be solved, which is exactly what I have come to expect from the Lesley Thomson books I have read to date. However, running alongside that, religion, sexuality, the power of friendships, and the often treacherous twists of family relationships, feature boldly, yet sensitively, with no holds barred.
So, just to help set the scene…
...
The Mermaids are a group of three friends, bound together by their Catholic upbringing and education, who all have an enduring love and fascination for the sea and the Disney film ‘The Little Mermaid’. The problem is, for reasons known only to themselves, there can’t be four of them, so when newcomer Toni arrives at the school having recently lost her father in particularly terrible circumstances, Mags and Freddy let her into the trio and an often volatile, bullying and verbose Karen finds herself excluded to the sidelines. The situation between the once friends becomes evermore acrimonious, so as soon as their education is complete they all go their separate ways and take no active steps to keep in touch with each other.
Freddy Power’s ‘dirty’ secret is discovered by her parents and her staunchly Catholic, physically bullying and coercive father disowns her as a freak of nature and throws her out onto the street, leaving her mother and two brothers to Fred’s tender mercies. After a short stay with Toni, Freddy decides to head for Liverpool, where she ostensibly leads the kind of life she wants, although it takes her some time to realise that she has jumped out of the frying pan into the fire and she is not as free or indeed happy, as she thought she was.
Toni heads off to London where she becomes a police officer, although the lure of Newhaven has her in its grip and she eventually returns to her hometown as a Detective Inspector moving in with one of Freddy’s brothers, Ricky, who together with Freddy’s second brother Andy, run a well respected fishing enterprise made very successful by their father Fred, despite his many other shortcomings as a good human being. The patriarch of the Power family might have ruled with a rod of iron, however, I feel sure he would be turning in his grave if he knew what underhand dealings his two sons were involved in and just how close to the wind, not to mention on the wrong side of the law, they were sailing.
For Mags, unable to come to terms with the burden of her sexuality and the feelings she still harbours towards a certain person, life in Newhaven is a self-enforced solitary affair, revolving around her religion, the church and the library where she works. She does however, form a close bond with Freddy’s mother, Reenie, which is a pivotal part of the storyline further down the road.
For Karen, a failed relationship sees her single-handedly raising her teenage son Daniel, who has been taken on as an apprentice by Ricky and looks up to him as a role model. Karen has become embroiled in one of the more recent and nefarious activities run by the brothers from the cover of the dockyard and is determined to achieve the lifestyle she thinks she deserves, no matter what the cost and by whatever means at her disposal.
No one thinks to try and contact Freddy when her father Fred dies, however, Mags feels strongly that she should know when her mother Reenie is coming to the end of her life, so a vague one-line text is sent. Freddy uses the opportunity to both rush home in the hope of gaining forgiveness from her mother now she is no longer held as an emotional prisoner by Fred, as an opportunity to extricate herself from her own unhappy relationship with her partner and with hope in her heart that an old relationship might be resurrected given the change in societal attitudes over the course of the intervening years.
It is only when all four Mermaids are back on home turf that things quickly go awry. When the scale and depth of the many crimes which have been and are still being committed in the name of family are exposed, the situation takes on dangerous and for some, fatal consequences, with the body count quickly adding up. Toni finds her professional and personal lives merging together and out of control, despite her best efforts to remain objective and focussed on her job, so when her stress levels get to the point where her own, long supressed, mental health issues bubble to the surface and seek to threaten her position, it behoves her fellow investigator to guide her back on track. When the dust finally settles, for many life will never be the same again, but will there be the chance for any new beginnings? Even just a glimmer of hope for closure and happy endings might be good.
You’ll need to read the book for yourself, as that would be telling…
...
This highly textured, character driven, intense storyline, is written across varying timelines and from the perspectives of several different characters. However, the chapters are short and well signposted, so once you have worked out who’s who, which won’t take long, you are all set for a fast-paced race to the finish line, with never a dull moment along the way.
It quickly becomes apparent that just about everyone has, or has had, a secret to keep, no matter on which side of the thin blue line of the law you happened to be. The twists and turns in this storyline just kept on coming and even when I had guessed what a couple of them were ahead of time, there were still some slight deviations which threw me off track all over again. My suspect list had just about everyone’s name on it, although in all fairness, the police didn’t seem to have any more idea about what was going on than I, and it all came down to one ‘blue light’ moment of observation from Toni, to set in motion the collapse of this treacherous house of cards.
The author has included a realistic cross-section of the many modern social mores which beset so many families and extended friendships and which she deals with in a refreshingly honest, no-nonsense way: How can someone hide so piously behind their religious fervour, which from the outside looking in, makes them a devout, loving and forgiving person, the exact opposite of the actual truth? How someone can spend their entire life and the formative years of their children’s lives, bearing the consequences, both mental and physical, of the coercive, gas-lighting, bullying and violent nature of the revered head of the family, without fighting back? The sexual bias of a religious community, inured in their views and intransigent, until the tides of time begin to turn on a much wider level. The guilt of keeping oneself safe from harm, whilst leaving behind those you love, who you know will continue to suffer. The grief and underlying feelings of hatred and abandonment, at being that person left behind and the need to make someone suffer for your pain, even if that means operating below the radar of the law, drawing innocent people into your subterfuge thus causing them suffering, much as it might provide only some small level of recompense and satisfaction for your loss.
The multi-faceted characters are well-defined, fleshed out and given a strong voice with which to tell their story. However, to my mind, they are emotionally starved, which makes them unreliable, complex, volatile and manipulative. Never being truthful or honest to themselves, makes then uncompelling, not authentic and totally unrelatable. However, from author Lesley Thomson’s perspective, those strong feelings were probably just what she had hoped to achieve, so it was a job well done from my perspective.
For me, as an avid ‘armchair traveller’ who has never visited this particular corner of my own country, the Sussex port and fishing town of Newhaven and its immediate surrounding areas comprising the beautiful Downs and villages, was one I could track for myself and become completely immersed in, thanks to the attention to detail and descriptive qualities with which Lesley managed to paint the physical location of her story, offering a real sense of time and place that I could almost step into, with an atmosphere which lingered long after I had closed the final page. However, not being much of a seafarer (I am truly afraid of water and have never learnt to swim), the terror and fear of some of the scenes aboard the Powers fishing vessel, out in open water, at night, during a storm, had me on the edge of my seat.
The only small point I might question, is that surely Toni wouldn’t be allowed to investigate a case in which she was so deeply and personally involved, knowing both the victims and perpetrators as well as she does. However, in the scheme of things it probably isn’t so far fetched as to spoil anything and I was too busy on my own roller-coaster ride of emotions, trying to unravel my list of suspects and work out who did what to whom, where, why and when, that the thought never even occurred to me until I had finished reading.
December 21, 2023
Convent girl Freddy Power is thrown out of her family home in Newhaven, Sussex when she is 18 for falling in love with a woman. Since then, she has made a new life for herself in Liverpool but is trying to end the relationship with her generous but highly possessive partner, lawyer Sarah Wood.
Then Freddy receives a text message from her childhood friend Mags McKee informing her that her mother is dying. When at convent school, Freddy, Mags and Toni Kemp, who is now a police inspector, formed a little clique called The Mermaids, named after the Disney film “The Little Mermaid” based on the Hans Christian Andersen story.
Freddy’s return to her childhood home is hardly met with enthusiasm and even Mags seems reluctant to reunite with her old friend. When Mags disappears, Freddy realises she needs to uncover past guilty secrets about Newhaven and particularly her family.
The story builds relentlessly as the search for Mags continues and more and more long buried secrets are unearthed. I particularly liked the portrayal of the fishing and ferry port of Newhaven as a somewhat backward, almost inbred small community where the Catholic church has a powerful grip. The finale, which takes place during a storm at sea, is a really graphic nailbiter.
Then Freddy receives a text message from her childhood friend Mags McKee informing her that her mother is dying. When at convent school, Freddy, Mags and Toni Kemp, who is now a police inspector, formed a little clique called The Mermaids, named after the Disney film “The Little Mermaid” based on the Hans Christian Andersen story.
Freddy’s return to her childhood home is hardly met with enthusiasm and even Mags seems reluctant to reunite with her old friend. When Mags disappears, Freddy realises she needs to uncover past guilty secrets about Newhaven and particularly her family.
The story builds relentlessly as the search for Mags continues and more and more long buried secrets are unearthed. I particularly liked the portrayal of the fishing and ferry port of Newhaven as a somewhat backward, almost inbred small community where the Catholic church has a powerful grip. The finale, which takes place during a storm at sea, is a really graphic nailbiter.
May 6, 2020
Quite a different read with crime and murder in the center while childhood friendships were also explored. My first foray into author Lesley Thomson gave me a glimpse into the lives of the mermaids set in Newhaven.
3 best friends who called themselves mermaids due to their love for sea and the movie drifted away until Freddie returned home. And Mags disappeared with Toni investigating a murder in town which involved one of Freddie’s brothers. Secrets roiled in their hearts while reality crashed into their lives.
My first book by this author, I was pulled slowly into the lives of the women as the pages turned and body count increased. The prose felt as if it were hiding more than it was revealing. That whetted my curiosity and intense need to know.
The story was slightly slow than what I was used to and gave me more knowledge about fishing industry than I wanted, but the hint of secrets lured me on. Past having its effect on the present was well shown and soon it had the girls racing to get to the truth.
With multiple POV by the girls and their different perspectives soon revealing the twists in their secrets, the book made an interesting twilight read.
3 best friends who called themselves mermaids due to their love for sea and the movie drifted away until Freddie returned home. And Mags disappeared with Toni investigating a murder in town which involved one of Freddie’s brothers. Secrets roiled in their hearts while reality crashed into their lives.
My first book by this author, I was pulled slowly into the lives of the women as the pages turned and body count increased. The prose felt as if it were hiding more than it was revealing. That whetted my curiosity and intense need to know.
The story was slightly slow than what I was used to and gave me more knowledge about fishing industry than I wanted, but the hint of secrets lured me on. Past having its effect on the present was well shown and soon it had the girls racing to get to the truth.
With multiple POV by the girls and their different perspectives soon revealing the twists in their secrets, the book made an interesting twilight read.
May 19, 2020
The cover of the book and the description instantly intrigued me into wanting to read this book.
Freddy has been banished by her family and now she must return to her family and home at the news of her mothers ill health.
The book opens up well with introducing the characters and setting the scene. I felt the characters are really well developed and you got to know each of these really well and could relate to each other.
The friendship group between Freddy, Mags, Toni and Karen was called the Mermaids, I would have liked to have read more background, maybe had more flashbacks on these 4 and what the mermaids meant to them, just more depth with this side story.
I felt this story was a bit bland for me. I did enjoy reading it as I said the characters are well developed, I felt it was obviously who the killer was and what was going to happen. There were a few twists that did take me by surprise, which is what I really like in a book.
Definitely worth a read and I think especially if you aren't used to this genre you would really like it. I would definitely still read more from this author.
Thank you to Netgally for my copy.
Freddy has been banished by her family and now she must return to her family and home at the news of her mothers ill health.
The book opens up well with introducing the characters and setting the scene. I felt the characters are really well developed and you got to know each of these really well and could relate to each other.
The friendship group between Freddy, Mags, Toni and Karen was called the Mermaids, I would have liked to have read more background, maybe had more flashbacks on these 4 and what the mermaids meant to them, just more depth with this side story.
I felt this story was a bit bland for me. I did enjoy reading it as I said the characters are well developed, I felt it was obviously who the killer was and what was going to happen. There were a few twists that did take me by surprise, which is what I really like in a book.
Definitely worth a read and I think especially if you aren't used to this genre you would really like it. I would definitely still read more from this author.
Thank you to Netgally for my copy.
May 8, 2020
I've only just started Lesley Thomson's Detective's Daughter series, and so she is a new author to me. Of course, I loved The Detective's Daughter, and that meant I was excited to read Death of a Mermaid, Thomson's new stand-alone novel. The title and the cover are just the beginning of intrigue in this book. As in the previous book I'd read by the author, Death of a Mermaid envelops the reader in a sense of place so completely that I'm still smelling the fish from the fish market and feeling the cold damp of the gunnery caves. Thomson is an absolute master at making a setting come alive for readers. And, the characters are complex and come with a great back story, a story with unresolved issues for Freddy Power. The family and friends Freddy left behind 22 years ago become fully fleshed out with the memories of the three high school girls who called themselves The Mermaids and their reconnection all these years later. The investigation into the deaths of a young man and his mother, one clearly a murder, spins a story that will captivate you to the very end. The deaths are the beginning of secrets revealed and danger building for Freddy and all those she loves. With the strengths of setting, characters, and plot, it's clear why Death of a Mermaid is such a compelling tale. Told by the three women, who are now either 40 or almost so, the chapters are arranged in alternate views and different pieces to a puzzling past by Freddy, Toni, and Mags.
Freddy Power has returned home to Newhaven, England after 22 years away, 22 years of exile by her father for her admitting to being gay. Fred Power, her father, sent her away and forbade her to explain or contact her two brothers. Her exile continued even after her father's death. Now it's Freddy's mother who is dying, and when Freddy shows up to see her dying mother, her brothers don't understand why she stayed away so long, with brother Ricky being outwardly hostile towards Freddy. Her other brother, Andy, the one whom she was close to in age and emotionally, seems glad to have her back. And, there are her close friends, Mags and Toni, who as a group called themselves The Mermaids in school, due to their love of Disney's The Little Mermaid movie. Their bond helped them navigate their way through a stern Catholic education. Toni is now a detective with the local police force and Mags works at the library and is still involved in the Catholic church. Reunions after a lengthy amount of time can be tricky, and if there are secrets involved, they can be downright dangerous. While Toni seems open to renewing the friendship, Toni is dating Freddie's brother Ricky, which poses problems for all three of them. Mags, who once meant the world to Freddy, is avoiding her, not eager to revisit the past.
Freddy's mother dies before Freddy can make all her train connections to get home. No goodbyes, no reconciliations, only sorrow and regret. Freddy was hopeful that her mother would have asked for her or had words of love for her, but the woman who had once been a loving mother hadn't even asked anyone to call Freddy. A short text from Mags saying that Freddy's mother was sick two days before the death was all Freddy had received from anyone. The will leaves the family fishing business and everything else to Andy and Ricky, nothing to Freddy. Although hurt by her mother not leaving her even a token of remembrance, it's something Freddy accepts without comment. She might have just quietly slipped away from Newhaven after her mother's funeral, but Andy needs her, and she feels obligated. Their mother had run a pet sitting business out of her home, and Freddy agrees to stay until all the animals are picked up by their owners. Also, Andy's employee who was the mobile fishmonger has died, and Freddy agrees to help with that. The dead employee happens to be Karen Munday, a former member of the Mermaids, until kicked out, and she isn't just dead. Karen has been murdered. When one of the other Mermaids disappears, Freddy can't walk away again without finding her friend and resolving some questions about her Power family, both dead and living, .
Lesley Thomson is a storyteller who weaves vivid impressions with just the right tools. The use of three narrators in short chapters gives the reader insight into each of the Mermaids' perceptions of the past and the present, without getting bogged down for too long in any one character's thoughts or feelings. It moves the story along and keeps the suspense building at an exciting pace. The language entrances the reader with its ability to create mood and precise description. "Freddy felt the alcohol curdle in her stomach" conveys the exact effect of unsettled needed. The thrilling twists are deftly placed, and Thomson manages to keep readers guessing as to the outcome and the villains, just the way I like it. I have quickly become an enthusiastic fan of Lesley Thomson's writing, and Death of a Mermaid is proof positive of just how many great tales this author has to tell. Thomson will hook you, reel you in, and make you glad to have been caught.
Freddy Power has returned home to Newhaven, England after 22 years away, 22 years of exile by her father for her admitting to being gay. Fred Power, her father, sent her away and forbade her to explain or contact her two brothers. Her exile continued even after her father's death. Now it's Freddy's mother who is dying, and when Freddy shows up to see her dying mother, her brothers don't understand why she stayed away so long, with brother Ricky being outwardly hostile towards Freddy. Her other brother, Andy, the one whom she was close to in age and emotionally, seems glad to have her back. And, there are her close friends, Mags and Toni, who as a group called themselves The Mermaids in school, due to their love of Disney's The Little Mermaid movie. Their bond helped them navigate their way through a stern Catholic education. Toni is now a detective with the local police force and Mags works at the library and is still involved in the Catholic church. Reunions after a lengthy amount of time can be tricky, and if there are secrets involved, they can be downright dangerous. While Toni seems open to renewing the friendship, Toni is dating Freddie's brother Ricky, which poses problems for all three of them. Mags, who once meant the world to Freddy, is avoiding her, not eager to revisit the past.
Freddy's mother dies before Freddy can make all her train connections to get home. No goodbyes, no reconciliations, only sorrow and regret. Freddy was hopeful that her mother would have asked for her or had words of love for her, but the woman who had once been a loving mother hadn't even asked anyone to call Freddy. A short text from Mags saying that Freddy's mother was sick two days before the death was all Freddy had received from anyone. The will leaves the family fishing business and everything else to Andy and Ricky, nothing to Freddy. Although hurt by her mother not leaving her even a token of remembrance, it's something Freddy accepts without comment. She might have just quietly slipped away from Newhaven after her mother's funeral, but Andy needs her, and she feels obligated. Their mother had run a pet sitting business out of her home, and Freddy agrees to stay until all the animals are picked up by their owners. Also, Andy's employee who was the mobile fishmonger has died, and Freddy agrees to help with that. The dead employee happens to be Karen Munday, a former member of the Mermaids, until kicked out, and she isn't just dead. Karen has been murdered. When one of the other Mermaids disappears, Freddy can't walk away again without finding her friend and resolving some questions about her Power family, both dead and living, .
Lesley Thomson is a storyteller who weaves vivid impressions with just the right tools. The use of three narrators in short chapters gives the reader insight into each of the Mermaids' perceptions of the past and the present, without getting bogged down for too long in any one character's thoughts or feelings. It moves the story along and keeps the suspense building at an exciting pace. The language entrances the reader with its ability to create mood and precise description. "Freddy felt the alcohol curdle in her stomach" conveys the exact effect of unsettled needed. The thrilling twists are deftly placed, and Thomson manages to keep readers guessing as to the outcome and the villains, just the way I like it. I have quickly become an enthusiastic fan of Lesley Thomson's writing, and Death of a Mermaid is proof positive of just how many great tales this author has to tell. Thomson will hook you, reel you in, and make you glad to have been caught.
March 13, 2020
The first I’ve read from this author but not the last - I really enjoyed this, a well written interesting crime novel with well developed intriguing characters. An excellent read
October 5, 2020
I really tried to like this book but I just couldn't get into it. I found it more to do with the friendships - or lack of - of three women who had grown up together and were known as the Mermaids, due to their love of the Disney movie "The Little Mermaid". Rather than crime or murder. I didn't find it so much a thriller as I had hoped.
The three girls - Freddy, Mags and Toni - all attended a convent as adolescents and when Toni's father was murdered she was welcomed into the secret group as a mermaid and existing member Karen was shafted out. Needless to say there was no love lost between Karen and the girls.
Twenty five years later, Toni and Mags are still in Newhaven as is Karen. But Freddy escaped two decades ago to Liverpool where she has lived and worked since. I'm not sure why she was banished from her family, except maybe for the fact that she was gay. I don't know, because I didn't get that far into the book to find out. But I did get the impression that it was because of that. So when she receives a text from Mags to say her mother was ill, Freddy is stunned. She hasn't heard from Mags in two decades. Still, Freddy decides to return home to Newhaven...leaving her somewhat passive aggressive abusive partner Sarah behind. Her return to Newhaven is not welcomed by her younger brother Ricky, but her older brother still holds a soft spot for their older sibling. Sadly Freddy arrives just a moment too late, her mother having passed away that morning.
Toni is now a Detective Inspector with the police and she is called to an accident involving two teenagers who have crashed head on into a concrete pillion. The driver, a 16 year old boy, she recognises as Daniel Tyler who Ricky Power apprenticed on his fishing trawler. He is also the teenage son of Karen Munday, a former Mermaid shafted out when Toni joined. A job she usually delegates to uniform or her DS, Toni decides to break the news to Karen herself. But upon arriving at her dishevelled house, she finds the front door open, the kitchen hob still warm...and Karen on the toilet with her trousers and pants around her knees. Assuming she had crashed out where she now sat, Toni instinctively felt for a pulse...and was surprised to find none. Karen was dead. A stroke? A heart attack? The possibilities ran through Toni's head...until she saw the familiar bruising of ligature marks around her neck. Karen was murdered.
Mags lives a relatively quiet life in Newhaven working at the local library. Listening to the ramblings of locals and keeping up with the current gossip as she scanned books for lending. She has remained friends with the Powers, even after Freddy's departure, and had considered the family matriarch a kind of second mother. She returned to the house to find the once stoic woman barely clinging to life. Although she had text Freddy to say her mother was ill, she didn't let on just how ill she was. She never said she was dying and she wondered whether she should have.
It wasn't too long after this that I gave up. I know Mags held a special place in Freddy's heart, giving the impression that she was her "first love". But then Mags disappears. What happens from then on, I have no idea. I just couldn't connect with the characters. I felt nothing for them. And the story just didn't engage me which was surprising as I have read some of Thomson's other works in the Detective's Daughter series and thoroughly enjoyed them. But this one I found boring. Didn't seem to fit in the thriller genre but felt more like a bad soap.
I seem to be in the minority as I see many 4 and 5 star reviews for the book. Maybe I gave up too early...I don't know...but my motto is "Life is too short to waste time on books you don't enjoy".
I would like to thank #LesleyThomson, #NetGalley and #HeadOfZeus for an ARC of #DeathOfAMermaid in exchange for an honest review.
This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.
The three girls - Freddy, Mags and Toni - all attended a convent as adolescents and when Toni's father was murdered she was welcomed into the secret group as a mermaid and existing member Karen was shafted out. Needless to say there was no love lost between Karen and the girls.
Twenty five years later, Toni and Mags are still in Newhaven as is Karen. But Freddy escaped two decades ago to Liverpool where she has lived and worked since. I'm not sure why she was banished from her family, except maybe for the fact that she was gay. I don't know, because I didn't get that far into the book to find out. But I did get the impression that it was because of that. So when she receives a text from Mags to say her mother was ill, Freddy is stunned. She hasn't heard from Mags in two decades. Still, Freddy decides to return home to Newhaven...leaving her somewhat passive aggressive abusive partner Sarah behind. Her return to Newhaven is not welcomed by her younger brother Ricky, but her older brother still holds a soft spot for their older sibling. Sadly Freddy arrives just a moment too late, her mother having passed away that morning.
Toni is now a Detective Inspector with the police and she is called to an accident involving two teenagers who have crashed head on into a concrete pillion. The driver, a 16 year old boy, she recognises as Daniel Tyler who Ricky Power apprenticed on his fishing trawler. He is also the teenage son of Karen Munday, a former Mermaid shafted out when Toni joined. A job she usually delegates to uniform or her DS, Toni decides to break the news to Karen herself. But upon arriving at her dishevelled house, she finds the front door open, the kitchen hob still warm...and Karen on the toilet with her trousers and pants around her knees. Assuming she had crashed out where she now sat, Toni instinctively felt for a pulse...and was surprised to find none. Karen was dead. A stroke? A heart attack? The possibilities ran through Toni's head...until she saw the familiar bruising of ligature marks around her neck. Karen was murdered.
Mags lives a relatively quiet life in Newhaven working at the local library. Listening to the ramblings of locals and keeping up with the current gossip as she scanned books for lending. She has remained friends with the Powers, even after Freddy's departure, and had considered the family matriarch a kind of second mother. She returned to the house to find the once stoic woman barely clinging to life. Although she had text Freddy to say her mother was ill, she didn't let on just how ill she was. She never said she was dying and she wondered whether she should have.
It wasn't too long after this that I gave up. I know Mags held a special place in Freddy's heart, giving the impression that she was her "first love". But then Mags disappears. What happens from then on, I have no idea. I just couldn't connect with the characters. I felt nothing for them. And the story just didn't engage me which was surprising as I have read some of Thomson's other works in the Detective's Daughter series and thoroughly enjoyed them. But this one I found boring. Didn't seem to fit in the thriller genre but felt more like a bad soap.
I seem to be in the minority as I see many 4 and 5 star reviews for the book. Maybe I gave up too early...I don't know...but my motto is "Life is too short to waste time on books you don't enjoy".
I would like to thank #LesleyThomson, #NetGalley and #HeadOfZeus for an ARC of #DeathOfAMermaid in exchange for an honest review.
This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.
April 23, 2020
Once a member of the gang of ‘Mermaids’ at the Catholic school she attended, Freddy Power left her friends and hometown of Newhaven twenty or so years ago, taking a secret with her. A text from Mags - one of the old gang whom she’s not heard from all that time - telling her her mother is ill brings her back home to her estranged family. Toni, another one of the old gang, is now in the police force – and seeing one of Freddy’s brothers – investigating the murder of a fellow pupil. She too has her secrets. After the death of her mother, Freddy is set to leave again, but then Mags goes missing and she decides to stay on and look for her, becoming involved in the family fishing business her brothers inherited from their father. She soon gets caught up in a net of intrigue… (pun intended here); however, Thomson skilfully deploys nautical metaphors throughout (a terror 'tentacled over her, cold and insidious').
I am a huge fan of Lesley Thomson’s Detective’s Daughter series, and this is a gripping and pacy stand-alone novel, which explores the ramifications of childhood experiences on our later life and deals with issues of guilt, (family) secrets and betrayals. The book also has some trademarks of Thomson’s previous work, namely the cleverly plotted story and atmospheric evocation of place, interspersed with gentle humour (in the form of a small pet holiday hotel that Freddy takes over after her mother’s death – Roddy the degu’s care sheet ‘say he bites if you haven’t introduced yourself’).
The story is told via short chapters from the point of view of Freddy, Toni and Mags, a device which works really well, as you get not only the build-up of pieces of the current mystery, but different perspectives on the childhood friendships and fallings out and experiences of school days, as well as their very different grown-up attitudes to the church they were brought up in.
As always, this is an engaging and satisfying page turner from Lesley Thomson, which I thoroughly recommend.
I am a huge fan of Lesley Thomson’s Detective’s Daughter series, and this is a gripping and pacy stand-alone novel, which explores the ramifications of childhood experiences on our later life and deals with issues of guilt, (family) secrets and betrayals. The book also has some trademarks of Thomson’s previous work, namely the cleverly plotted story and atmospheric evocation of place, interspersed with gentle humour (in the form of a small pet holiday hotel that Freddy takes over after her mother’s death – Roddy the degu’s care sheet ‘say he bites if you haven’t introduced yourself’).
The story is told via short chapters from the point of view of Freddy, Toni and Mags, a device which works really well, as you get not only the build-up of pieces of the current mystery, but different perspectives on the childhood friendships and fallings out and experiences of school days, as well as their very different grown-up attitudes to the church they were brought up in.
As always, this is an engaging and satisfying page turner from Lesley Thomson, which I thoroughly recommend.
March 20, 2020
I have loved Lesley Thomson’s Detective’s Daughter series, and was intrigued by this new book.
It is set in Newhaven, with a completely new cast of characters.
Freddie, Mags, Toni and Karen were at a Catholic school together, and were known as the Mermaids, due to their love of the sea, and their obsession with the Disney film of the same name. They drifted apart as they grew older and Freddie had to leave the area.
Years later, Freddie returns because her mother is dying.
Karen has a fish round, and is working for Freddie’s family fishing business.
Mags is the local librarian.
Toni is a detective investigating a murder, and is involved with one of Freddie’s brothers.
They all have secrets that they wish to keep uncovered, but are brought together by two violent deaths, and as the truth comes out, they come to terms with what really happened in the past.
The chapters are narrated by each of the girls, which works very well.
There are several twists along the way, and I didn’t guess the ending.
Another great book by Lesley.
Thanks to Netgalley and Head of Zeus for the opportunity to read this book.
It is set in Newhaven, with a completely new cast of characters.
Freddie, Mags, Toni and Karen were at a Catholic school together, and were known as the Mermaids, due to their love of the sea, and their obsession with the Disney film of the same name. They drifted apart as they grew older and Freddie had to leave the area.
Years later, Freddie returns because her mother is dying.
Karen has a fish round, and is working for Freddie’s family fishing business.
Mags is the local librarian.
Toni is a detective investigating a murder, and is involved with one of Freddie’s brothers.
They all have secrets that they wish to keep uncovered, but are brought together by two violent deaths, and as the truth comes out, they come to terms with what really happened in the past.
The chapters are narrated by each of the girls, which works very well.
There are several twists along the way, and I didn’t guess the ending.
Another great book by Lesley.
Thanks to Netgalley and Head of Zeus for the opportunity to read this book.
July 18, 2020
Mmmmm...no.I like her series (bar one or two),but this one...
March 20, 2020
Irish catholic girls, innocent and taking their group name from The Little Mermaid. Once grown up life is less innocent. They meet up in their home town after 20 years. Why? The answer to that is more than a little complicated.
Loved it.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I read an advance review copy of the book. This review is voluntary, honest and my own opinion.
Loved it.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I read an advance review copy of the book. This review is voluntary, honest and my own opinion.
Read
April 18, 2020DNF
I can’t remember if I’ve read this author’s work before, but this book just wasn’t for me. I don’t want to sound horrible, and I don’t mean it in a nasty way, but it was a little boring and repetitive for me.
Although this story was not for me, author will enjoy it. But the feel of this story wasn’t right from the beginning for it to be classed as a thriller. The tempo was wrong and it was too light hearted.
I can’t remember if I’ve read this author’s work before, but this book just wasn’t for me. I don’t want to sound horrible, and I don’t mean it in a nasty way, but it was a little boring and repetitive for me.
Although this story was not for me, author will enjoy it. But the feel of this story wasn’t right from the beginning for it to be classed as a thriller. The tempo was wrong and it was too light hearted.
June 28, 2022
Having received a copy of, 'The Companion,' featuring DI Toni Kemp and realising that there was an earlier book with the same character, I decided to go back and read the first one before continuing the series.
Freddy Power was eighteen when her parents threw her out, after learning that she loved another woman. Freddy came from a fishing family in Newhaven, 'cradle Catholics,' and had thought her life was bound with their company and town. Instead, she finds herself living in Liverpool, with the wealthy and possessive Sarah. When she receives a text one day telling her that her mother is dying, she decides to come home and confront her past.
While at Convent School, Freddy was part of the 'Mermaids,' a group of girls that included Toni, Mags and Karen, the school bully, who was thrown out of the group. When Freddy returns, she finds Karen has been murdered, her brothers are angry, not knowing why she left, and then Mags goes missing... This is an interesting novel, with good characters, and intricate plotting. I look forward to reading the next in the series with Toni Kemp. Unlike so many police officers in books, she is naturally scared when finding herself alone in a house with an unknown man, has a tendency to shoplift and is all too human and flawed.
Freddy Power was eighteen when her parents threw her out, after learning that she loved another woman. Freddy came from a fishing family in Newhaven, 'cradle Catholics,' and had thought her life was bound with their company and town. Instead, she finds herself living in Liverpool, with the wealthy and possessive Sarah. When she receives a text one day telling her that her mother is dying, she decides to come home and confront her past.
While at Convent School, Freddy was part of the 'Mermaids,' a group of girls that included Toni, Mags and Karen, the school bully, who was thrown out of the group. When Freddy returns, she finds Karen has been murdered, her brothers are angry, not knowing why she left, and then Mags goes missing... This is an interesting novel, with good characters, and intricate plotting. I look forward to reading the next in the series with Toni Kemp. Unlike so many police officers in books, she is naturally scared when finding herself alone in a house with an unknown man, has a tendency to shoplift and is all too human and flawed.
May 7, 2020
The Mermaids were a group of school friends in Newhaven. Now grown up, Mags and Toni are still in the town, Freddy had left after a family disagreement years before.
But, Freddy returns as her mother is dying, Toni is a cop and investigating a murder and Mags, has disappeared. What happened in the women’s past that has them worried.
Set in a small fishing community, this is a murder mystery, but at its heart is a tale of friendship, secrets and guilt. It’s a slow burn of a thriller, but so atmospheric and twisty with some real surprises along the way. A thoroughly entertaining read.
Thank you to Vicky at Head Of Zeus for the opportunity to take part in this blog tour, for the promotional material and an eARC of the book. This is my honest and unbiased review.
But, Freddy returns as her mother is dying, Toni is a cop and investigating a murder and Mags, has disappeared. What happened in the women’s past that has them worried.
Set in a small fishing community, this is a murder mystery, but at its heart is a tale of friendship, secrets and guilt. It’s a slow burn of a thriller, but so atmospheric and twisty with some real surprises along the way. A thoroughly entertaining read.
Thank you to Vicky at Head Of Zeus for the opportunity to take part in this blog tour, for the promotional material and an eARC of the book. This is my honest and unbiased review.
November 10, 2025
On my blog.
Actual rating 1.5
CWs: past homophobia & disownment
Galley provided by publisher
It is probably evident by now that I have fairly particular standards when it comes to mystery novels. I mean, I’m sure I say it often enough. And, very sadly, this one just did not really meet those.
The novel really follows three characters, childhood friends who have grown apart. The first is Freddy, who is a lesbian and was kicked out of her home by her father. The second is Toni, a police detective who is now in a relationship with one of Freddy’s brothers. The final is Mags, a devout Christian who Freddy loved as a girl. Following Freddy’s mother’s death, she comes back to town and takes up a role in her family’s fishery business.
What I have to say first is that the writing just didn’t work for me, so, as ever, everything subsequent I add should be viewed through that lens. Here, it just felt a little too clunky for me to properly get into. But that is, of course, a personal issue, so feel free to ignore it when deciding whether to read this.
Because I didn’t like the writing from early on, I was sort of skimming it after a couple of pages (yeah, I know, it’s bad). But even so, it was, initially at least, somewhat confusing. That did sort itself out, and I think it was mostly because it wasn’t clear which parts were in the past as recollections and which were present-day.
And then there’s the mystery. It wasn’t a bad one – actually it was probably the best part of the story – but the writing made it hard for me to enjoy it (I told you to view it all through a lens). The culprit wasn’t a surprise as such (after a certain point), but it was a neat twist, all in all.
The final point I have is about the rep. Firstly, the homophobic character himself turns out to be gay (thanks a lot), but then also there’s no happy ending for the lesbian character(s). Like, I don’t need one here, but I would have liked one, to be honest, and it left me disliking the book even further.
But most of this does stem from not liking the writing so, if it sounds like a book for you, ignore this and give it a go.
Actual rating 1.5
CWs: past homophobia & disownment
Galley provided by publisher
It is probably evident by now that I have fairly particular standards when it comes to mystery novels. I mean, I’m sure I say it often enough. And, very sadly, this one just did not really meet those.
The novel really follows three characters, childhood friends who have grown apart. The first is Freddy, who is a lesbian and was kicked out of her home by her father. The second is Toni, a police detective who is now in a relationship with one of Freddy’s brothers. The final is Mags, a devout Christian who Freddy loved as a girl. Following Freddy’s mother’s death, she comes back to town and takes up a role in her family’s fishery business.
What I have to say first is that the writing just didn’t work for me, so, as ever, everything subsequent I add should be viewed through that lens. Here, it just felt a little too clunky for me to properly get into. But that is, of course, a personal issue, so feel free to ignore it when deciding whether to read this.
Because I didn’t like the writing from early on, I was sort of skimming it after a couple of pages (yeah, I know, it’s bad). But even so, it was, initially at least, somewhat confusing. That did sort itself out, and I think it was mostly because it wasn’t clear which parts were in the past as recollections and which were present-day.
And then there’s the mystery. It wasn’t a bad one – actually it was probably the best part of the story – but the writing made it hard for me to enjoy it (I told you to view it all through a lens). The culprit wasn’t a surprise as such (after a certain point), but it was a neat twist, all in all.
The final point I have is about the rep. Firstly, the homophobic character himself turns out to be gay (thanks a lot), but then also there’s no happy ending for the lesbian character(s). Like, I don’t need one here, but I would have liked one, to be honest, and it left me disliking the book even further.
But most of this does stem from not liking the writing so, if it sounds like a book for you, ignore this and give it a go.
March 9, 2020
I finished the mermaid book - it was good, cosy reflective of LGBT issues without being over much, the character development was good and I liked the link to the fishing industry it was a great little read
September 9, 2020
I abandoned this after reading 26%. I didn't find it interesting & as per some other reviewers I didn't think the writing to be of a satisfactory standard. I appreciate that the subject matter really did not appeal to me; school bullying, fish, Catholicism, Homosexuality (so what?) or the number characters who seemed to be developing as 'box-ticking' Diversity stereotypes.
The thing that particularly annoyed me & caused me to stop reading were the stupid errors (that are becoming more common across many books I feel). A Detective interviews a witness who is described as "intubated" & the witness answers the questions!! Try actually speaking with a foot or more of plastic tubing down your throat, then rewrite this page!
Another male character changes surname (Tyler to Munday) in the space of a couple of pages. This is just plain lazy & rather disrespectful to the reader / customer. Does no-one proof read books before they are released to paying customers, to remove these stupid errors?? Every book now seems to have a list of about 200 people without whom it could not have existed; perhaps a few of them could actually read it & point out the childish errors prior to publication.
No doubt some people will really enjoy this book, but my experience was very disappointing.
The thing that particularly annoyed me & caused me to stop reading were the stupid errors (that are becoming more common across many books I feel). A Detective interviews a witness who is described as "intubated" & the witness answers the questions!! Try actually speaking with a foot or more of plastic tubing down your throat, then rewrite this page!
Another male character changes surname (Tyler to Munday) in the space of a couple of pages. This is just plain lazy & rather disrespectful to the reader / customer. Does no-one proof read books before they are released to paying customers, to remove these stupid errors?? Every book now seems to have a list of about 200 people without whom it could not have existed; perhaps a few of them could actually read it & point out the childish errors prior to publication.
No doubt some people will really enjoy this book, but my experience was very disappointing.
May 19, 2020
This is one of those books which worms it's way inside your head making you feel that you know know the characters and location so well that you really are part of the story!
Frederica Power left the family home over two decades ago; despite having sworn she would never be back she finds herself on her way after receiving a text from an old friend about her mother's poor health. Nothing much has changed on the surface but her two younger brothers have grown up and now run the family fishery whilst Mags and Toni who, with Freddy, made up an inseparable trio are now distant and not overly friendly. Despite planning a quick exit, Freddy finds herself staying in order to speak with Mags who seems to have gone missing . . .
Lesley Thomson really knows how to get inside a reader's head and under their skin! As Freddy gets drawn back into life in Newhaven, I found myself there too; trying to work out who to believe, who to suspect and desperate to figure out exactly what was going on! Despite encompassing so much into this book, the story flows seamlessly and is bursting with details. I think - at one time or another - I had almost everyone in my sights for some dastardly deed, but the guilty still came as a bit of a shock. Well-written and totally absorbing, this is a cracking thriller which I was totally immersed in and am very happy to give a full five sparkling stars.
Frederica Power left the family home over two decades ago; despite having sworn she would never be back she finds herself on her way after receiving a text from an old friend about her mother's poor health. Nothing much has changed on the surface but her two younger brothers have grown up and now run the family fishery whilst Mags and Toni who, with Freddy, made up an inseparable trio are now distant and not overly friendly. Despite planning a quick exit, Freddy finds herself staying in order to speak with Mags who seems to have gone missing . . .
Lesley Thomson really knows how to get inside a reader's head and under their skin! As Freddy gets drawn back into life in Newhaven, I found myself there too; trying to work out who to believe, who to suspect and desperate to figure out exactly what was going on! Despite encompassing so much into this book, the story flows seamlessly and is bursting with details. I think - at one time or another - I had almost everyone in my sights for some dastardly deed, but the guilty still came as a bit of a shock. Well-written and totally absorbing, this is a cracking thriller which I was totally immersed in and am very happy to give a full five sparkling stars.
May 20, 2020
This atmospheric story is a fusion of murder mystery, coming of age friendships and noir crime. Set in coastal Newhaven the setting adds to the story's sense of mystery. Freddy and her two friends were inseparable as youngsters, experimenting with life and love.
Told from three points of view there are many suspects in the murder mystery. The plot is cleverly constructed and until the end conceals as much as it reveals. The story explores relatable contemporary issues such as abuse and bullying.
The suspense builds slowly in the detailed plot and nothing is certain until the end.
An absorbing believable story.
I received a copy of this book from the author in return for an honest review.
Told from three points of view there are many suspects in the murder mystery. The plot is cleverly constructed and until the end conceals as much as it reveals. The story explores relatable contemporary issues such as abuse and bullying.
The suspense builds slowly in the detailed plot and nothing is certain until the end.
An absorbing believable story.
I received a copy of this book from the author in return for an honest review.
August 11, 2020
Standalone thriller, mainly set in and around Newhaven. Very atmospheric, and visual too (I could imagine this being filmed although the final denouement would be a challenge!) Many characteristics familiar from Lesley Thomson's other writing - unusual characters, some of them with unexpected behaviour (such as the police shoplifter!), relationships affected by past memories, and a really acute sense of place. Very good.
January 16, 2024
Enjoyed this. Easy reading crime thriller.
July 2, 2020
Felt this wasn’t up to the standard of the Detectives Daughters series. The plot felt convoluted and felt shoe horned to fit , there felt to be some holes in the story and the characters didn’t feel well written.
October 11, 2020
I was disappointed.
I got this from my library as part of the 'Ready Reads' scheme and thought it looked interesting.
When I picked it up, I wasn't hooked as I found myself having to re-read parts as I found the characters confusing to separate and the story disjointed. I read through the reviews and thought that clearly I was just not at the 'good bit yet'.
So, this weekend, after putting it off and looking at my every growing, far more interesting looking TBR pile, I decided I would definitely finish it.
I sat down this afternoon and finished the final half of the book in 2 hours. Not because I was so riveted that I couldn't tear myself away, but because I skimmed most of the repeated details I had read over and over in the previous half.
I saw lots of people saying there were 'twists and turns' and 'the end was a surprise'. For me, I had worked it all out ages beforehand, hoping I hadn't and the 'climax' was really anything but...
If you aren't interested in fishing, this book is also not for you. Far too much time was spent going into the comings and goings of a fishery business.
I found the characters unlikable and unbelievable throughout, I won't spoil it with specifics but the relationships seemed fake beyond belief.
It's my first Lesley Thomson book, and I am pretty sure it will be my last, sadly.
I hope those of you who do read this, find more joy than I did.
Now, on to the next book!
I got this from my library as part of the 'Ready Reads' scheme and thought it looked interesting.
When I picked it up, I wasn't hooked as I found myself having to re-read parts as I found the characters confusing to separate and the story disjointed. I read through the reviews and thought that clearly I was just not at the 'good bit yet'.
So, this weekend, after putting it off and looking at my every growing, far more interesting looking TBR pile, I decided I would definitely finish it.
I sat down this afternoon and finished the final half of the book in 2 hours. Not because I was so riveted that I couldn't tear myself away, but because I skimmed most of the repeated details I had read over and over in the previous half.
I saw lots of people saying there were 'twists and turns' and 'the end was a surprise'. For me, I had worked it all out ages beforehand, hoping I hadn't and the 'climax' was really anything but...
If you aren't interested in fishing, this book is also not for you. Far too much time was spent going into the comings and goings of a fishery business.
I found the characters unlikable and unbelievable throughout, I won't spoil it with specifics but the relationships seemed fake beyond belief.
It's my first Lesley Thomson book, and I am pretty sure it will be my last, sadly.
I hope those of you who do read this, find more joy than I did.
Now, on to the next book!
April 6, 2021
Freddy, Mags, Toni and Karen all grew up in Newhaven and went to the local convent school. Freddy, Mags and Karen formed a “gang” called the Mermaids, because they all shared a love of the film The Little Mermaid. When Toni is asked to join the group, Karen is ousted. 22 years on and Karen, Toni and Mags are all still living in Newhaven. Freddy was kicked out of her parent’s home by her father and has not seen her family in the intervening years. When she gets a text from Mags saying that her Mum is ill, she decides to head home for a visit. When Newhaven turns into a crime scene, things start to get very complicated.
I’m afraid I’m going to start with the negative points as, for me, they outweighed the positive ones. The book had such a slow, dull start that I wasn’t at all sure I was going to make it to the end. However, I persevered and the pace did pick up but not enough to redeem itself. To be honest I found the whole thing a bit of a hard slog. The problem is that it is billed as a thriller extraordinaire, which creates an expectation that it is going to be very “thrilling” – it’s not. It’s more of a slow burner, with a greater emphasis on the characters and their complex circle of friendships than on the thriller itself. Given that this was the case I was surprised to find that, when I finally reached the end, I did not have a clear image in my head of any of the personalities involved, leading me to conclude that the character development, although lengthy was not particularly well done. I also found it confusing in places and this is a problem with a book in which I’m not totally invested because I don’t really care enough about either the characters or the plot to spend the time and the brain power untangling the various strands.
It does have its plus points. I think it is trying to be what I call an “onion” book – information about the friends’ relationships in the dim and distant past are drip-fed to the reader, like layers of an onion being peeled back. Each new revelation requires a reevaluation of events that we know about so far. This is quite an interesting, yet complex construction for a novel. Although I don’t think the author has been entirely successful, it is a brave thing to try. I don’t think this is a really bad book, I just don’t think it’s a particularly good one.
All in all I’m afraid that this book wasn’t really for me and I would therefore struggle to recommend it.
I’m afraid I’m going to start with the negative points as, for me, they outweighed the positive ones. The book had such a slow, dull start that I wasn’t at all sure I was going to make it to the end. However, I persevered and the pace did pick up but not enough to redeem itself. To be honest I found the whole thing a bit of a hard slog. The problem is that it is billed as a thriller extraordinaire, which creates an expectation that it is going to be very “thrilling” – it’s not. It’s more of a slow burner, with a greater emphasis on the characters and their complex circle of friendships than on the thriller itself. Given that this was the case I was surprised to find that, when I finally reached the end, I did not have a clear image in my head of any of the personalities involved, leading me to conclude that the character development, although lengthy was not particularly well done. I also found it confusing in places and this is a problem with a book in which I’m not totally invested because I don’t really care enough about either the characters or the plot to spend the time and the brain power untangling the various strands.
It does have its plus points. I think it is trying to be what I call an “onion” book – information about the friends’ relationships in the dim and distant past are drip-fed to the reader, like layers of an onion being peeled back. Each new revelation requires a reevaluation of events that we know about so far. This is quite an interesting, yet complex construction for a novel. Although I don’t think the author has been entirely successful, it is a brave thing to try. I don’t think this is a really bad book, I just don’t think it’s a particularly good one.
All in all I’m afraid that this book wasn’t really for me and I would therefore struggle to recommend it.
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