Book Review: Apparition Island
Book: Apparition Island
Author: Jenifer LeClair
Genre: Fiction/Mystery
Summary: A chilling tale of murder unfolds during a fierce September hurricane on the Maine coast in this haunting story of two deaths mysteriously bound together by the long reach of time. As Hurricane Ivan bears down on the coast, the crew of the Maine Wind retrieves the body of a young woman from the sea. Who is she and how did she die? The search for the woman's identity thrusts Homicide Detective Brie Beaumont into an investigation on Apparition Island in the aftermath of the violent storm. A verdict of undetermined death begs the question: Was this an accidental drowning; did Claire Whitehall commit suicide, or was she murdered? As a baffling investigation unfolds, Brie is drawn back into a decades old cold case - one that has cast its shadow into the present, where she could become its next victim. - Conquill Press, 2015.
I have to say, I did like this book. It's part of a series where this detective on leave from her division works as first mate in a windjammer and solves various crimes part time. These mysteries all take place in Maine and it's a pleasant little extra to read about a place so familiar to me.
The mystery itself reads as a modern day crime-of-the-day story with Claire as the detective. She has no clear sidekick, but she does have a boss and a collection of archetypal characters - the coroner, the buddy cop, the retired cop looking for the chance to solve the one that got away, etc.
The plot is a simple one. A girl is found floating in the ocean and Claire must find out who she is and the events that led to this girl being in the ocean. Were they innocent and accidental? Or was foul play involved? That's what Claire needs to ascertain.
The writing is good. It's not overly flowery and not too rough. It's a little too repetitive and LeClair tends to tell rather than show, but it's not too distracting - at least in my experience of reading it. I was a little annoyed by her giving an explanation of the Maine accent by spelling out the sound for every other word in the beginning, but she doesn't do it for the whole story, so I can forgive it in the end.
It's a nice story and I would recommend it if anyone asked. I would only read the other books in the series if I had nothing else to read. You get what you pay for = another chapter in an episodic cop series.
Overall, I give Apparition Island a B+.
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