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Rockpools #1
La isla de los ausentes
Un asesinato sin resolver. Una remota isla. Una investigación como jamás has visto.
Cuando una joven es asesinada en una isla de vacaciones y la policía se queda sin pistas, un personaje muy inusual decide intervenir.
Billy Wheatley tiene tan solo once años y es un poco pequeño para hacer de detective. Pero es una especie de prodigio, o al menos él así lo cree. Rápidamente hace una serie de conexiones que la policía había pasado por alto, pero Billy juega con ventaja ya que se conoce las playas y acantilados de su isla mejor que nadie.
Sin embargo, Billy también tiene una gran desventaja: es un poco joven. Sin temor a los problemas que pueda causar o al peligro que vaya a encontrar, Billy comienza una investigación que le cambiará la vida. Porque cuando las pistas le guían peligrosamente hacia su casa, la diversión desaparece de su juego en un instante.
Ya que el asesino no es solo alguien que conoce si no la única persona en la que creía que podía confiar.
Y aunque no hay duda de que Billy es lo suficientemente inteligente como para resolver este caso, ¿será lo suficientemente fuerte para atrapar a un despiadado asesino sin ayuda?
Descubre Muerte en las dunas: Un thriller de suspense narrado por un joven de once años que te cautivará y sorprenderá en igual medida.
Cuando una joven es asesinada en una isla de vacaciones y la policía se queda sin pistas, un personaje muy inusual decide intervenir.
Billy Wheatley tiene tan solo once años y es un poco pequeño para hacer de detective. Pero es una especie de prodigio, o al menos él así lo cree. Rápidamente hace una serie de conexiones que la policía había pasado por alto, pero Billy juega con ventaja ya que se conoce las playas y acantilados de su isla mejor que nadie.
Sin embargo, Billy también tiene una gran desventaja: es un poco joven. Sin temor a los problemas que pueda causar o al peligro que vaya a encontrar, Billy comienza una investigación que le cambiará la vida. Porque cuando las pistas le guían peligrosamente hacia su casa, la diversión desaparece de su juego en un instante.
Ya que el asesino no es solo alguien que conoce si no la única persona en la que creía que podía confiar.
Y aunque no hay duda de que Billy es lo suficientemente inteligente como para resolver este caso, ¿será lo suficientemente fuerte para atrapar a un despiadado asesino sin ayuda?
Descubre Muerte en las dunas: Un thriller de suspense narrado por un joven de once años que te cautivará y sorprenderá en igual medida.
334 pages, Hardcover
First published February 12, 2018
5436 people are currently reading
4920 people want to read
About the author
Gregg Dunnett
37 books487 followersGregg Dunnett is a British author writing psychological thrillers and stories about travel and adventure, usually with a connection to the coast or to the oceans. Before turning to novels he worked as a journalist for ten years on a windsurfing magazine, briefly owned a sailing school in Egypt, taught English in Thailand, Portugal, Turkey and Italy, taught sailing in Greece and Spain, and also had several rather duller jobs along the way.
His brother is the adventurer Jono Dunnett who in 2015 windsurfed alone and unsupported around the entire coastline of Great Britain, and who is currently windsurfing around the coastline of Europe.
Gregg lives in Bournemouth on the south coast of England with his partner Maria. They have two young children, Alba and Rafa, for whom the phrase “Daddy's working” has absolutely no effect.
Gregg's debut novel was an Amazon top 100 best seller in the UK and was downloaded over a quarter of a million times.
Gregg on why he writes:
"I’ve always wanted to do two things in life, to write, and to have adventures. When I was a kid I imagined grand affairs. Kayaking across Canada, cycling to Australia. Whole summers in the Arctic. Did it happen? Well, partly.
I’ve been lucky, I spent some years abroad teaching English. I worked in sailing schools in Greece and Spain. I really lucked out with a job testing windsurfing boards for the magazine I grew up reading. I made a questionable decision (ok, a bad decision) to buy a windsurfing centre in Egypt. I’ve also done my fair share of less exciting jobs. Packing and stacking potatoes on a farm, which got me fitter than I’ve ever been in my life. I did a few years in local government which taught me that people really do have meetings that result only in the need for more meetings, and they really do take all afternoon. I spent a pleasant few months in a giant book warehouse, where I would deliberately get lost among the miles of shelves unpacking travel guides and daydreaming. I’ve done a bit of writing too, at least I learned how to write. Boards Magazine isn’t well known (it doesn’t even exist today) but it did have a reputation for being well written and I shoe-horned articles in my own gonzo journalism style on some topics with the most tenuous of links to windsurfing. But the real adventures never came. Nor did the real writing.
Then, in 2015, my brother announced he was going to become the first person to windsurf alone around Great Britain. I don’t know why. Apparently it was something he’d always wanted to do (news to me). It was a proper adventure. It was dangerous, it was exciting. Even before he set off he was interviewed on TV, in the papers etc... Some people thought he was reckless, some thought he was inspirational. Lots of people thought he’d fail.
But he didn’t. He made it around. He even sailed solo from Wales to Ireland, the first to make the crossing without the aid of a safety boat. I was lucky enough to be involved in a planning level, and take part in a few training sails, and the last leg of the trip. But he did ninety nine percent of it on his own. One step at a time, just getting on with it. That was quite inspiring.
In a way it inspired me to pull my finger out. I’d been writing novels - or trying to write novels - then for a few years. But it was touch and go as to whether I was going to be one of those ‘writers’ with a half-finished novel lost on a hard drive somewhere, rather than someone who might actually manage to finish the job.
I’ve now got two lovely, highly demanding children, so real adventures are hard right now. I still try to get away when I can for nights out in the wilds rough camping, surf trips sleeping in the van, windsurfing when the big storms come. I love adventures with the kids too.
I hope in time to get around to a few real adventures. I want to sail across an ocean. I want to bike across a continent. I definitely want to spend more time surfing empty waves.
But fo
His brother is the adventurer Jono Dunnett who in 2015 windsurfed alone and unsupported around the entire coastline of Great Britain, and who is currently windsurfing around the coastline of Europe.
Gregg lives in Bournemouth on the south coast of England with his partner Maria. They have two young children, Alba and Rafa, for whom the phrase “Daddy's working” has absolutely no effect.
Gregg's debut novel was an Amazon top 100 best seller in the UK and was downloaded over a quarter of a million times.
Gregg on why he writes:
"I’ve always wanted to do two things in life, to write, and to have adventures. When I was a kid I imagined grand affairs. Kayaking across Canada, cycling to Australia. Whole summers in the Arctic. Did it happen? Well, partly.
I’ve been lucky, I spent some years abroad teaching English. I worked in sailing schools in Greece and Spain. I really lucked out with a job testing windsurfing boards for the magazine I grew up reading. I made a questionable decision (ok, a bad decision) to buy a windsurfing centre in Egypt. I’ve also done my fair share of less exciting jobs. Packing and stacking potatoes on a farm, which got me fitter than I’ve ever been in my life. I did a few years in local government which taught me that people really do have meetings that result only in the need for more meetings, and they really do take all afternoon. I spent a pleasant few months in a giant book warehouse, where I would deliberately get lost among the miles of shelves unpacking travel guides and daydreaming. I’ve done a bit of writing too, at least I learned how to write. Boards Magazine isn’t well known (it doesn’t even exist today) but it did have a reputation for being well written and I shoe-horned articles in my own gonzo journalism style on some topics with the most tenuous of links to windsurfing. But the real adventures never came. Nor did the real writing.
Then, in 2015, my brother announced he was going to become the first person to windsurf alone around Great Britain. I don’t know why. Apparently it was something he’d always wanted to do (news to me). It was a proper adventure. It was dangerous, it was exciting. Even before he set off he was interviewed on TV, in the papers etc... Some people thought he was reckless, some thought he was inspirational. Lots of people thought he’d fail.
But he didn’t. He made it around. He even sailed solo from Wales to Ireland, the first to make the crossing without the aid of a safety boat. I was lucky enough to be involved in a planning level, and take part in a few training sails, and the last leg of the trip. But he did ninety nine percent of it on his own. One step at a time, just getting on with it. That was quite inspiring.
In a way it inspired me to pull my finger out. I’d been writing novels - or trying to write novels - then for a few years. But it was touch and go as to whether I was going to be one of those ‘writers’ with a half-finished novel lost on a hard drive somewhere, rather than someone who might actually manage to finish the job.
I’ve now got two lovely, highly demanding children, so real adventures are hard right now. I still try to get away when I can for nights out in the wilds rough camping, surf trips sleeping in the van, windsurfing when the big storms come. I love adventures with the kids too.
I hope in time to get around to a few real adventures. I want to sail across an ocean. I want to bike across a continent. I definitely want to spend more time surfing empty waves.
But fo
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 749 reviews
June 17, 2018
Sometimes you come across a book that sounds like it could be good, you give it a chance not knowing anything about the author, and it turns out to be way better than you could have expected. This is one of those times. A fantastic mystery that pulls you in with interesting characters, solid writing and plot twists that keep you hooked right until the very end. An excellent entry into the over-crowded genre that even a veteran reader can enjoy. 4.5 stars. Very highly recommended.
June 10, 2018
I loved Billy. He's a quirky sort of weird kid but that's what makes him so likable. There were lots of twists and turns, some littler than others but none were exactly what I thought they were going to be and I like that when an author can do that. I love that the author's note in the beginning explains that since it's set in America it's going to be written in American English. For the most part it is, although very few Americans call the clothing worn on the legs trousers :)
April 5, 2018
"The Things you find in Rockpools" by Gregg Dunnett is a taut, suspenseful and incredibly written psychological thriller.
I was first drawn to the book by the cover, the boy looks absolutely petrified of the water (and with very good reason as we soon discover).
I love fiction books that are based around the coast and beaches so I was delighted to come across this book. It is cleverly spun out to tease the reader into thinking they know who the bad guy is, I was pleasantly surprised to find out I was totally wrong!
I really liked that the book was narrated by 11 year old Billy. He seems very mature for his age and it makes a refreshing change for a child to be in charge of a thrilling drama.
I look forward to reading more from this author. I loved this book and highly recommend it to others.
I was first drawn to the book by the cover, the boy looks absolutely petrified of the water (and with very good reason as we soon discover).
I love fiction books that are based around the coast and beaches so I was delighted to come across this book. It is cleverly spun out to tease the reader into thinking they know who the bad guy is, I was pleasantly surprised to find out I was totally wrong!
I really liked that the book was narrated by 11 year old Billy. He seems very mature for his age and it makes a refreshing change for a child to be in charge of a thrilling drama.
I look forward to reading more from this author. I loved this book and highly recommend it to others.
April 23, 2021
This book was told from the narrative of an 11 year old boy, who was the main character, and the investigating police officer.
I won’t reveal anything about the story as I think you should read it, but it is a good, original, and unpredictable tale of murder, mystery and hidden family secrets - a good recipe for a great read!
Well worth 4 stars.
I won’t reveal anything about the story as I think you should read it, but it is a good, original, and unpredictable tale of murder, mystery and hidden family secrets - a good recipe for a great read!
Well worth 4 stars.
August 15, 2022
Me ha gustado mucho el comienzo de esta novela, me ha enganchado por su originalidad. Después ha habido cosas que me han gustado menos, sobre todo demasiados giros y una subtrama bastante increíble, pero aún así me ha entretenido mucho y seguro que leeré en algún momento la segunda entrega.
April 12, 2020
Best book I've read in ages. I loved the setting. I loved the main character. I loved the writing style. I loved the pace. I loved the tone. I loved the story. Imagine my excitement when I got to the end to find out there is another book ready to go !!
February 3, 2019
I must have really enjoyed this book because I don't often stop to write reviews. I don't know how it came to be on my Kindle but I'm so glad it was. It had me interested from the very start. I wanted to read it quickly because I wanted to know what was going to happen next and at the same time I wanted to not finish it too soon!
Billy is an interesting child and I really wanted to know what was going to happen to him. A couple of times during the book I thought I had it all worked out.... turns out I didn't, and that made it all the more interesting. I am going to try another of Greg Dunnett's books, and if that's not an endorsement I don't know what is.
Billy is an interesting child and I really wanted to know what was going to happen to him. A couple of times during the book I thought I had it all worked out.... turns out I didn't, and that made it all the more interesting. I am going to try another of Greg Dunnett's books, and if that's not an endorsement I don't know what is.
January 6, 2021
This is the second book I've read about a plot near/in water & what a fantastic one! Heart-pounding stuff from the start till the end. I found the plot & style of writing to be quite unique; Billy Wheatly with all his quirks is an endearing & interesting character I hope to read the rest of the books in this unique series.
April 29, 2021
Enjoyed this a lot more than expected as it was a kindle freebie (along with the next two in the series) A nice little mystery and a taut, intense ending.
February 24, 2021
Gregg Dunnett has done it again. In fact, he does it every time (from my experience thus far, anyway). The man just knows how to write a trilling thriller. This novel was such a rollercoaster ride…it literally went from oh, cute kid to oh, dead body to that can’t be right to ok, I absolutely figured that out (this is around 50%) what are they going to do for the rest of the book to whoa, totally didn’t predict that to ok, I know what’s going on here to oh, ok, no, totally surprised me there. Awesome.
Because I read tons of thrillers and one thing that’s tough to find is a genuinely surprising solution to the main puzzle. You’d think, no, no way, the entire genre basically hinges on its ability to wow the readers with its unpredictable unimaginable psychological minefields and reveals. But you read enough of these, you become something of a Sherlock when it comes to sussing out the plot and also, you find out not that many authors can actually do that final stab and twist right. Some go over the top overriding credulity and, at times, basic logic. Some just aren’t clever enough to plot out all the secrets right and you can figure things out pretty easily.
In fact, given the sheer bulk of psychological suspense that comprises the disproportionate amount of my not inconsiderable (currently averaging low 40s per month) reading regimen…I can honestly say there’s probably less than ten authors who really wow me within the genre. And Dunnett just might make the cut. Not sure, need to read more.
This book is the first in series, featuring an unusually young (for the genre) protagonist. Eleven year old Billy lives on a small island off the Northwest coast of the US with his hip surfer dude of a dad. You’d think it’d be a fun life of riding the waves, but Billy’s actually afraid of water and has no interesting in surfing. An almost preternaturally smart kid and an aspiring marine biologist, he amuses himself with various projects. And when a pretty sixteen year old tourist girl disappears after a huge local celebration, Billy decides that his new project should be finding her. So he begins to Sherlock around, which gathers all sorts of unwelcome attention, from the local cops to Billy’s past to the actual person responsible for the disappearance.
Multiple twists and turns in and out of the water follow until you arrive to a riveting conclusion. In fact, the entire production is pretty riveting. Billy makes for a very compelling (and original, how many eleven year old leading men/boys do you find in adult targeting and themed suspense thrillers) protagonist, it’s no surprise Dunnett serialized him. But it isn’t just Billy, the rest of the characters are interesting too and the island was rendered very vividly, though it may not be an ideal island to vacation on, considering.
The entire thing very much brought to mind some great BBC crime dramas, set on islands or just near the water. So yeah, quality, good writing, great plotting, excellent sustained suspense and plenty of entertainment all around. Recommended.
Because I read tons of thrillers and one thing that’s tough to find is a genuinely surprising solution to the main puzzle. You’d think, no, no way, the entire genre basically hinges on its ability to wow the readers with its unpredictable unimaginable psychological minefields and reveals. But you read enough of these, you become something of a Sherlock when it comes to sussing out the plot and also, you find out not that many authors can actually do that final stab and twist right. Some go over the top overriding credulity and, at times, basic logic. Some just aren’t clever enough to plot out all the secrets right and you can figure things out pretty easily.
In fact, given the sheer bulk of psychological suspense that comprises the disproportionate amount of my not inconsiderable (currently averaging low 40s per month) reading regimen…I can honestly say there’s probably less than ten authors who really wow me within the genre. And Dunnett just might make the cut. Not sure, need to read more.
This book is the first in series, featuring an unusually young (for the genre) protagonist. Eleven year old Billy lives on a small island off the Northwest coast of the US with his hip surfer dude of a dad. You’d think it’d be a fun life of riding the waves, but Billy’s actually afraid of water and has no interesting in surfing. An almost preternaturally smart kid and an aspiring marine biologist, he amuses himself with various projects. And when a pretty sixteen year old tourist girl disappears after a huge local celebration, Billy decides that his new project should be finding her. So he begins to Sherlock around, which gathers all sorts of unwelcome attention, from the local cops to Billy’s past to the actual person responsible for the disappearance.
Multiple twists and turns in and out of the water follow until you arrive to a riveting conclusion. In fact, the entire production is pretty riveting. Billy makes for a very compelling (and original, how many eleven year old leading men/boys do you find in adult targeting and themed suspense thrillers) protagonist, it’s no surprise Dunnett serialized him. But it isn’t just Billy, the rest of the characters are interesting too and the island was rendered very vividly, though it may not be an ideal island to vacation on, considering.
The entire thing very much brought to mind some great BBC crime dramas, set on islands or just near the water. So yeah, quality, good writing, great plotting, excellent sustained suspense and plenty of entertainment all around. Recommended.
April 23, 2021
I greatly enjoyed meeting Billy and I'm happy to see he features in further tales in this series which I'm looking forward to. He's such a nice young lad. Great how the author has managed to get into his head as well.....or he has a great memory !! Though I saw at the end he also has 2 sons which must help. Billy's a properly intrepid little guy and you can't help but like him a great deal. He made me sniffle more than once, too, at things he said.
I've had to knock him down a star as for some reason there were no mistakes till we got to the first break in Billy's narration and then they came thick and fast from around 26% in, plus he made the cardinal error of spelling one of his own character's names wrong !! Just once, bizarrely, he wrote Rodgers and not Rogers.....and someone ought to have caught that one for sure !!
He dropped the odd comma and speechmarks were also missed here and there, along with dropped words from sentences and also apostrophes being misplaced. It was just really odd how they suddenly began, like a different proofreader took over a quarter of the way through. He also wrote "an uniformed officer," which was a real schoolboy error.....so, I'm sorry, Gregg, but some of the vermin remained in your finished article !!
He did mention that Tintin is French, too, and I'm pretty sure he was Belgian. It was odd we never learned Rogers' Christian name, either, till we were 40% into the story !! I hope we see him and Detective West feature again as well because her back story is an intriguing one.
I've had to knock him down a star as for some reason there were no mistakes till we got to the first break in Billy's narration and then they came thick and fast from around 26% in, plus he made the cardinal error of spelling one of his own character's names wrong !! Just once, bizarrely, he wrote Rodgers and not Rogers.....and someone ought to have caught that one for sure !!
He dropped the odd comma and speechmarks were also missed here and there, along with dropped words from sentences and also apostrophes being misplaced. It was just really odd how they suddenly began, like a different proofreader took over a quarter of the way through. He also wrote "an uniformed officer," which was a real schoolboy error.....so, I'm sorry, Gregg, but some of the vermin remained in your finished article !!
He did mention that Tintin is French, too, and I'm pretty sure he was Belgian. It was odd we never learned Rogers' Christian name, either, till we were 40% into the story !! I hope we see him and Detective West feature again as well because her back story is an intriguing one.
August 13, 2018
Although I did finish this book I kind of wonder why because it is very predictable and just lacking in so much.
The young boy narrating the book actually talks to you, which gives a juvenile feel to the book and something my 7 year old would enjoy. The killer pops up out of nowhere with no real motives and no character history as to why someone seemingly so normal turns into a killer for no real reason. The back story to a main character is so obviously not as it seems that I was thinking surely the outcome can not be that predictable.
There are so many good books out there...this is not one of them.
The young boy narrating the book actually talks to you, which gives a juvenile feel to the book and something my 7 year old would enjoy. The killer pops up out of nowhere with no real motives and no character history as to why someone seemingly so normal turns into a killer for no real reason. The back story to a main character is so obviously not as it seems that I was thinking surely the outcome can not be that predictable.
There are so many good books out there...this is not one of them.
September 17, 2018
The overall story was solid, but there were some niggles that prevented me from loving it. The changes in narrative and the unclear location being two of them. Some elements were skipped over rather quickly whereas others were too detailed. A nice enough read though and you could really feel the suspense growing in each chapter.
Also, the ending seemed really familiar. Maybe I've read this before?
Also, the ending seemed really familiar. Maybe I've read this before?
November 20, 2018
I enjoyed this book very much. Love the character of Billy- his voice adds such a quirkiness to the novel that makes it hard to put down. It’s written in a very unique style for an adult mystery, giving it a refreshing quality. I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good suspense thriller.
January 5, 2023
Completely unexpected
Holy cow, whiplash much? Well, maybe not quite that bad, but wow!! Did not expect that at all. I had my suspicions but it wasn't that.
Holy cow, whiplash much? Well, maybe not quite that bad, but wow!! Did not expect that at all. I had my suspicions but it wasn't that.
March 15, 2019
What a great character Billy is! Shout out to Niall for making me read this one.
May 9, 2018
That title and cover really sucked me in. What a fun story that was, told largely through the voice of 11 (nearly 12!) year old Billy. Billy is a bit of a strange kid, he doesn't have friends as such, nor is he interested in sport, music or other 'normal' boy stuff. He is pretty smart though and is fascinated with science in general and marine creatures in particular. He lives with his dad, Sam Wheatley in a cliff top cottage on Lornea Island. Sam looks after a bunch of holiday cottages surfs, and Billy goes to school and conducts his 'scientific experiments', currently movements of hermit crabs.
The island has a bit of excitement when teenage holidaymaker Olivia Curran disappears after a disco one night. Months later there is still no sign of her or her body. Billy takes it upon himself to investigate. Of course he's just a kid and he jumps to some pretty outlandish conclusions which land him in hot water and freak out his dad in a really strange way. Things get pretty tense towards the end as Billy and Sam are in a real pickle and at risk of a watery death. Good twist there by the way!
This is another book that was a bit slow to start but I didn't get bored as I normally do when this happens. Seeing the sea and the creatures through Billy's eyes was quite refreshing for a change. I though the author did a really good job. Billy's 11 year old 'voice' was pretty pitch perfect. The ending did seem a wee bit rushed but overall a great story.
The island has a bit of excitement when teenage holidaymaker Olivia Curran disappears after a disco one night. Months later there is still no sign of her or her body. Billy takes it upon himself to investigate. Of course he's just a kid and he jumps to some pretty outlandish conclusions which land him in hot water and freak out his dad in a really strange way. Things get pretty tense towards the end as Billy and Sam are in a real pickle and at risk of a watery death. Good twist there by the way!
This is another book that was a bit slow to start but I didn't get bored as I normally do when this happens. Seeing the sea and the creatures through Billy's eyes was quite refreshing for a change. I though the author did a really good job. Billy's 11 year old 'voice' was pretty pitch perfect. The ending did seem a wee bit rushed but overall a great story.
November 25, 2018
I picked this up as a kindle deal on a whim, and so had low expectations.
What a great surprise!
The primary viewpoint is Billy. Billy is an 11-year old nerdy kid who loves science. All he has for family is his surfer dad, whom he has little in common with, but they share a number of comforting routines. They live modestly on a lovely, touristy island. (I think it's in the UK, but I'm not certain.)
When a teenaged tourist girl goes missing, Billy wants to solve the mystery. And it all spins out of control from there.
I loved this book, and couldn't put it down in the final chapters. There's nothing literary or poetic about it. Just a fun, fast mystery with characters you get to know. Billy was especially endearing to me, but I liked the main female detective as well.
4.38 stars
What a great surprise!
The primary viewpoint is Billy. Billy is an 11-year old nerdy kid who loves science. All he has for family is his surfer dad, whom he has little in common with, but they share a number of comforting routines. They live modestly on a lovely, touristy island. (I think it's in the UK, but I'm not certain.)
When a teenaged tourist girl goes missing, Billy wants to solve the mystery. And it all spins out of control from there.
I loved this book, and couldn't put it down in the final chapters. There's nothing literary or poetic about it. Just a fun, fast mystery with characters you get to know. Billy was especially endearing to me, but I liked the main female detective as well.
4.38 stars
April 3, 2018
3.9....I would have given it a 4 but there were some flaws. It was a good story, a real page-turner. However 2 things bugged me. The first thing was that I couldn't tell what city, state, or country the story was in until they mentioned Boston but that was well into the book. The writer used words and phrases that Americans typically don't use....Also I didn't care for the way it was written in first person UNTIL about 3/4 through. Then it was 3rd person. The plot was intriguing but I was able to figure out the mystery(s) pretty early in.
Having said all that, I would recommend the book.
Having said all that, I would recommend the book.
September 12, 2021
“It’s Tuesday evening now, and my head hurts a little. That’s because I’ve been thinking a lot.”
14% in, Chapter 11, The Things You Find In Rockpools by Gregg Dunnett
In The Things You Find In Rockpools, we meet eleven-year-old Billy Wheatley. As a young lad growing up on a holiday island off the eastern coast of the United States, with single father Sam, Billy has assorted interests, including hermit crabs, wildlife photography and amateur detective work, and everything he does, he completes to a near-professional standard - which isn’t bad for a preadolescent.
However, when teenage tourist, Olivia Curran, goes missing, the rest of the island is prepared to believe she just went swimming late at night and drowned. Always looking for a new interest, Billy decides to solve the mystery of what happened to Olivia, but little does he know, the answer lies a little closer to home than he might have imagined.
The writing is stunning. Billy is a great character, really well-written and thoroughly enjoyable to read. He has a bit of a butterfly brain, always interested in something different to the point of distraction, and he has the semi-formed ideas of a young lad which I really liked. He was terrifically well realised. Actually, all the characters are remarkable. It can be difficult to keep track of who everybody is, and what their relationships are, with a new book and an author you don’t know, but I was able to follow the story really easily, which is pretty amazing given the cast of characters and how complex the mystery is.
I just loved Billy and will look forward to reading the rest of this series.
“I slide back behind my tree and think for a moment. I’ve made good progress: I know where (redacted for the sake of spoilers) lives, and therefore, I probably know Olivia’s location, whether she’s alive or dead. This is good. But I know I need more. If I go to the police now, they still won’t believe me. I’m just a kid, they won’t realize I’m really a scientist. Even if I could get them to listen to me, they might believe me just a little bit and send one officer to ask him some questions, and then they’d probably get kidnapped and be kept in the cellar or killed too.”
17% in, Chapter 14, The Things You Find In Rockpools by Gregg Dunnett
An exceptional story. Must read.
14% in, Chapter 11, The Things You Find In Rockpools by Gregg Dunnett
In The Things You Find In Rockpools, we meet eleven-year-old Billy Wheatley. As a young lad growing up on a holiday island off the eastern coast of the United States, with single father Sam, Billy has assorted interests, including hermit crabs, wildlife photography and amateur detective work, and everything he does, he completes to a near-professional standard - which isn’t bad for a preadolescent.
However, when teenage tourist, Olivia Curran, goes missing, the rest of the island is prepared to believe she just went swimming late at night and drowned. Always looking for a new interest, Billy decides to solve the mystery of what happened to Olivia, but little does he know, the answer lies a little closer to home than he might have imagined.
The writing is stunning. Billy is a great character, really well-written and thoroughly enjoyable to read. He has a bit of a butterfly brain, always interested in something different to the point of distraction, and he has the semi-formed ideas of a young lad which I really liked. He was terrifically well realised. Actually, all the characters are remarkable. It can be difficult to keep track of who everybody is, and what their relationships are, with a new book and an author you don’t know, but I was able to follow the story really easily, which is pretty amazing given the cast of characters and how complex the mystery is.
I just loved Billy and will look forward to reading the rest of this series.
“I slide back behind my tree and think for a moment. I’ve made good progress: I know where (redacted for the sake of spoilers) lives, and therefore, I probably know Olivia’s location, whether she’s alive or dead. This is good. But I know I need more. If I go to the police now, they still won’t believe me. I’m just a kid, they won’t realize I’m really a scientist. Even if I could get them to listen to me, they might believe me just a little bit and send one officer to ask him some questions, and then they’d probably get kidnapped and be kept in the cellar or killed too.”
17% in, Chapter 14, The Things You Find In Rockpools by Gregg Dunnett
An exceptional story. Must read.
August 15, 2025
On a small island off the east coast of America, 11-year-old Billy Wheatley lives with his father, Sam - an island haunted by a missing teenage girl who was holidaying with her family. Billy is convinced that he can solve the case before the police - which ends up putting him and his father in the spotlight, an event which throws a complete new twist on the case....
When I first started reading this book, I was a bit disheartened to realise that the narrator was the 11-year-old boy as I don't always enjoy books narrated by child characters. Billy's early actions bore this out but then, at about 40%, the story really took off and several unexpected twists and turns were introduced, to be followed by several more! So the book ended on a much-improved rating thanks to the plot twists - 8/10.
When I first started reading this book, I was a bit disheartened to realise that the narrator was the 11-year-old boy as I don't always enjoy books narrated by child characters. Billy's early actions bore this out but then, at about 40%, the story really took off and several unexpected twists and turns were introduced, to be followed by several more! So the book ended on a much-improved rating thanks to the plot twists - 8/10.
February 20, 2019
Good book with lots of twists and turns. Billy Wheatley - Hero 😁
May 21, 2024
The Things You Find In Rockpools fue un thriller muy original, ameno e interesante. No voy a decir que no fui con unas expectativas elevadas porque seria mentira pero aun asi, fue mucho mas adictivo de lo que esperaba, empiezo a pensar que este autor no puede escribir una historia que yo no devore.
Me encanto el estilo de la novela, es un thriller pero debido a su narrador tiene un aire refrescante, ademas, la trama en si puede parecer sencilla o simple pero el desarrollo no lo es, durante varios capitulos me tuvo muy perdida con como se iba a resolver todo, y la escena donde al fin se descubre todo me dejo impresionada, realmente puedes sentir esa tension e incomodidad y eso es en parte a que Gregg Dunnett tiene una pluma que te absorbe con lo que escribe.
Planeaba leer otra historia despues de esta, pero disfrute tanto de The Things You Find In Rockpools que estoy dudando sobre si continuar con el segundo tomo, tengo ganas de saber mas de Billy y compañia.
En resumen, esta lectura me encanto. Es facil de leer y no se regodea en las partes escabrosas por lo que si no disfrutas de ese tipo de descripciones, puedes leer esta novela. Tiene ese suspense y misterio que tanto me gusta de esta tematica sin que algunos capitulos me revuelvan el estomago.
3.75 Estrellas!!
July 11, 2018
A really good psychological thriller, told in the 1st person by 11 year old Billy and in the 3rd person in the form of 2 detectives. Billy is a quirky, old fashioned type of child who is been brought up by his surfer father. He decides to investigate the disappearance of a missing girl who was holidaying on the island where he lives. The reason I didn’t give It 5 stars is because I found the first third of the book a bit slow but once I got into it I found it very enjoyable.
March 13, 2019
London-Cromer.
This was a book I have read. It wasn’t good. It wasn’t bad.
You can see what’s coming about a mile away. The story is somewhat unique. Told through the eyes of a young boy for large parts. The twists are easy to predict.
The characters are okay. I didn’t connect with any of them. Seemed like a few too many things going on in this book at times.
This was a book I have read. It wasn’t good. It wasn’t bad.
You can see what’s coming about a mile away. The story is somewhat unique. Told through the eyes of a young boy for large parts. The twists are easy to predict.
The characters are okay. I didn’t connect with any of them. Seemed like a few too many things going on in this book at times.
May 6, 2018
Brilliant!
This was a mix of an eleven year old’s interest in his environment entwined with an exciting intriguing plot line of suspense. One of the best books I’ve read in a long while and I’m looking forward to read more whodunnits but Gregg Dunnet
This was a mix of an eleven year old’s interest in his environment entwined with an exciting intriguing plot line of suspense. One of the best books I’ve read in a long while and I’m looking forward to read more whodunnits but Gregg Dunnet
August 25, 2018
Waiting for my breath to be taken away
A boring read in my opinion. Kept waiting for something exciting to happen to keep my interest but it never happened. A very slow build with a very quick end. Disappoinyinh
A boring read in my opinion. Kept waiting for something exciting to happen to keep my interest but it never happened. A very slow build with a very quick end. Disappoinyinh
March 10, 2019
This started as a 3 star but grew on me after a while and by the end I couldn't put it down. A teenage boy is trying to find out what has happened to a missing girl on an island off the US Atlantic coast.
April 27, 2018
Excellent
A brilliant book, brilliantly written, keeps you reading for hours, I couldn’t put it down once I started it. Absolutely brilliant
A brilliant book, brilliantly written, keeps you reading for hours, I couldn’t put it down once I started it. Absolutely brilliant
July 2, 2018
A rather boring and predictable “thriller” that is mostly narrated from the point of view of a very annoying young boy. I couldn’t wait to finish it and almost gave up half way through.
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