- Publisher: Celadon Books
- Publication Date: April 30, 2024
- Author: Peter Nichols
- Genre: Mystery & Thrillers
- Page Count: 320
Blurb
In scenic Granite Harbor, life has continued on—quiet and serene—for decades. That is until a local teenager is found brutally murdered in the Settlement, the town’s historic archaeological site. Alex Brangwen, adjusting to life as a single father with a failed career as a novelist, is the town’s sole detective. This is his first murder case and, as both a parent and detective, Alex knows the people of Granite Harbor are looking to him to catch the killer and temper the fear that has descended over the town.
Isabel, a single mother attempting to support her family while healing from her own demons, finds herself in the middle of the case when she begins working at the Settlement. Her son, Ethan, and Alex’s daughter, Sophie, were best friends with the victim. When a second teenager is found murdered, the body left in the same manner as the first victim, both parents are terrified that their child may be next. As Alex and Isabel race to find the killer in their midst, the town’s secrets—past and present—begin bubbling to the surface, threatening to unravel the tight-knit community.
My Thoughts & Opinions
I had high expectations for this novel as I loved the excerpt. Unfortunately, Granite Harbor just fell flat.
The plot follows a whodunit trope. But the pacing was slow and the exciting parts were pretty sparse. With choppy transitions between chapters, I got lost several times where I didn’t know the timeline — past or present.
There were numerous characters. Too many to keep track of. And the different timelines didn’t help. The character count was just one of the reasons that I didn’t enjoy the novel as much as I wanted to.
I just felt that the narrative didn’t have to be so long winded. So by 46%, I was just bored. I skimmed a few chapters, then skipped to the end which wasn’t satisfying or redeeming. Two stars.
I was invited to read a DRC from Celadon Books through NetGalley. And I also won an ARC from Celadon Books through the Bookish First Raffle. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.
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