The Sea House by Louise Douglas
10/29/24; 448 pages
Boldwood Books
The Sea House by Louise Douglas is a recommended investigative mystery.
Mila Shepherd is working for the Toussaints
Detective Agency when they receive a request from the family of
Elizabeth Quemener. Elizabeth has passed away and left a small package
to Astrid Oake. The instructions say that the package must be
handed directly to Astrid and if she can't be found then it is to be
buried in Elizabeth's grave. The problem is no one knows who Astrid is,
let alone how to find her. Mila takes on the job finding the missing
woman even as the quest appears to be becoming increasingly dangerous.
At the same time Mila is caring for her niece, Ani, after deaths of her Stepsister Sophie and her husband Charlie. Their deaths also involve a mystery that must be unraveled. All of this and problems in her personal life add additional stress.
This well-written, atmospheric mystery is
even paced, at times down right slow, for over half of the novel, but
does pick up toward the end. The setting is a French village, with Mila
traveling to England for the investigation. Much of the plot is the
investigation, looking into the past of Elizabeth in an attempt to find
out who is Astrid Oake. Her associate Carter, is very helpful in the
investigation while Mila does the leg work.
Apparently it is part of the Toussaints Detective Agency series, which I didn't know. While reading there were times where it felt as if I was missing parts of the story that might have increased my connection with the characters. This one also leaves unanswered questions. What saved the novel was the last final third when the action finally picked up the pace. Thanks to Boldwood Books for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.
No comments:
Post a Comment