A straightforward and ultimately, a wholly forgettable mystery/thriller. Like, honestly - I only read this a few months ago and, until I checked on my Goodreads, I was utterly convinced that I hadn't actually read it.

This is the fourth in the series.
This is a good book but not the best in the series.
Saying that it is written very well and kept my interest.
There were parts of the plot that didn’t flow well.
A good read

I have customers to whom I will recommend this book, but it was not for me. I found it rather dour and unforgiving.

In this novel, the fourth of Douglas Home’s series, we are re-introduced to Dr Caladh McGill who uses his knowledge of tides off Britain to help investigate missing people. He still lives largely in his Scottish working premises (and industrial workshop) and is still close to the financial edge. He has, more or less, maintained a constrained friendship with police officer Helen Jamieson (who will later make an appearance) but seemingly little else.
At the start of the tale he is accused of standing by and allowing a suicidal elderly man he encountered to commit suicide. A distraught daughter who publicises this (albeit false) claim widely on social media leads to the withdrawal of most of his business commissions. Amidst this turmoil he is then contacted by the mother of Alex one of his oldest friends to tell him he has died. She wants him to enact an old promise and asks him to travel to the west coast of Scotland (illegally) dig up his body from the graveyard without alerting Alex’s father or community and secretly take it for burial out to sea – meet her son’s final request.
Around the same time Cal has been approached by Kate Tolmie of Edinburgh, sister of Flora. The latter has continued to search for her mother Christine who disappeared when they were children 23 years previously and runs a foundation in memory of her. A widow claims she has recovered a suitcase that had been “found” on a beach in Suffolk. This (and its contents) are said to have belonged to Christine. A sub plot thereby develops as people determine how the case (last seen in Northern France) was recovered with Cal trying to work out where it must have been dumped at sea all the years earlier to end up in Britain. Flora “disappears”. When Kate is linked to the murder of a homeless man in Edinburgh, who she had been lured into meeting on the understanding her held knowledge of her mother – the police get involved and the pressure to act, and urgently, intensifies.
In another sub-plotline we are introduced to a conjunction of three people of different nationalities who have gathered to live beside a beach in Belgium Sarah (29), Lotte (49) and Olaf (40ish). Cal has been in contact with Olaf previously one of his contact who advises on the sea and tides. Without acting as a spoiler, it is possible to say all these plotlines (or clusters of people) will merge to a greater or lesser extent to lead into the denouement around Cal’s main aim to track what happened to Christine Tolmie – and by co-incidence resolving another ancient “missing case”.
As a result this is a very busy novel and requires concentration to follow all the threads of information laid down. It requires too a certain suspension of disbelief for this reason. We also see main character - Cal’s – life continuing to develop, but with his loneliness and mental fragility rising to the fore and his habitual inability to reach out to others for help due to his solitary nature. But this is a novel, so perhaps the requirement to not to be too critical is inherent. Obviously as this is a crime novel we are assured that things will “be resolved” by the end of the book. Having said that, this one appears to be the weakest of Douglas Home’s four novels to date. It had the appearance of being rushed and needed a longer mulling over before being committed to paper – a tighter edit could maybe have resolved this. But nonetheless it was a fun read – and except for the murder – might be recommended by the tourist industry for its fine showcasing of the Scottish landscape.

4th in the series - I haven't read the first three and didn't feel lost or like I was missing any information which is always good.

This book is great because the background is totally different form any other book I have read. Cal reads the oceans to better understand accidents/suicides/ deaths in the water. He looks at wind and water currents to work out where the bodies came from or where they could end up to help solve open cases.

This follows the story of a missing mother, she dies when her two girls were 4 and 6. Cal is unwillingly dragged to help the grown daughter discover what happened to their mother.

Full of twists and turns with lots of tension.

Thank you Mark for writing another book in the series about Cal McGill sea detective, I have been waiting impatiently for this since finishing number three. Please anyone thinking about reading this series, do, you will never regret it and I am now going to be re-reading the first three to help with my sadness at finishing The Driftwood Girls.
As always the writing is superb, the characters so real I feel that they are personal friends and the storyline clever, complicated and all consuming.
Thank you also Netgalley for making this available to me for an unbiased review.

I enjoyed this book in this series. I thought it was a good mystery. A bit too complex with too many characters. But, nevertheless, it was thrilling and I liked the writing.

Thanks a lot to NG and the publisher for this copy.

The Driftwood Girls is the fourth novel in the ‘sea detective’ series featuring Cal McGill, an oceanographer and a very unusual investigator. I read and enjoyed the first three books several years ago, and was delighted when NetGalley accepted my request to read this one. While it works fine as a standalone, as there is enough backstory, introduced in a natural way, to make sense of what is going on, I would suggest you start with The Sea Detective, and read them in order, for a much more rewarding experience.
Told from multiple viewpoints, the novel begins slowly as Mark Douglas-Home introduces us to all the characters involved in this intricately plotted and fascinating tale. It is hard to fathom just how all the disparate strands of the plot could possibly be connected, when Cal starts to investigate the disappearance, twenty-three years previously, of Flora and Kate’s mother. No spoilers here so you’ll just have to read it for yourself.
The characters are well drawn and believable, especially the female ones; the sense of place of the various geographical locations (Edinburgh, NW Scotland, Texel island, the Suffolk coast) adds another layer to the narrative; the science is convincing and well-researched.
If you are looking to read something a bit out of the ordinary, then I thoroughly recommend The Driftwood Girls. The complicated but entirely plausible story will keep you reading long into the night. Cal McGill is unorthodox, a bit of a loner, but makes a compelling investigator who leaves no stone unturned until he gets to the truth. I look forward to the next book in the series.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy in return for an honest review #thedriftwoodgirls #markdouglashome #netgalley

I thought this book was ok. I didn't blow me away and I found the plot really complicated to follow as it kept jumping between the many (and there are loads) different characters. It was also a bit unbelievable in its plot line. Not one of my favs, sorry!
Thanks netgalley for the chance to read in return for a review.

I don't think I've read many books with a more complex plot, and intertwined list of characters. The story centres around Flora and Kate whose mother, Christine, went missing twenty-three years ago. But as the plot develops it becomes clear that everyone and everything in this novel are connected. It would be wrong to give away any spoilers but you will be compelled to learn the truth and how everyone is connected. Who is the mysterious Olaf, hiding away on a remote island with two other lost souls - Sarah and L:otte. What is the connection with another missing woman, Ruth? Why are the missing woman's daughters, Flora and Kate, estranged, and why did Flora break up with her lover Alex, when he was tragically diagnosed with terminal cancer? Dr Cal McGill is tasked with bringing all the strands of this mystery together, and in doing so, he will learn a lot about himself in the process. Intricate and complex, this is a novel to be savoured and reflected upon.

The Driftwood Girls is the fourth instalment in The Sea Detective series set in Edinburgh, Scotland and featuring oceanographer and marine scientist Cal McGill. It's been twenty-three years since Edinburgh-native and single mother of six-year-old Kate and four-year-old Flora, Christina Tolmie vanished off the face of the earth whilst visiting the Northern coastal region of France. Now Cal is contacted by an older Kate as Flora has completely disappeared and although she was very young when her mother vanished it feels a lot like deja vu. This is such a subtle and sophisticated read so if you are looking for fast-paced action and shocking outcomes this is probably not for you; Douglas-Home placed emphasis on well researched, believable storylines, a plethora of plot threads that come together seamlessly and plenty of background and scene-setting. It is very much a slow burn novel with a cast of characters that are developed well and plenty of fascinating reveals.

The mystery is exceptionally crafted and there are some very clever developments and surprises throughout. The atmosphere created is extremely tense and the unfurling of the plot is engrossing and absorbing. The changing perspectives really added to the story giving a fully rounded view of everyone's thoughts and feelings. It takes a little while to become completely invested in it but once you are there's no stopping you turning the pages. It's a highly original and entertaining read with plenty of excitement and interesting progressions. The author has penned yet another detailed, intricate story where the multiple threads come together seamlessly at the end. Nothing is what it initially appears to be here and that fosters a gripping atmosphere. Cal is an unusual protagonist in that he's a loner and recluse but he always investigates to the best of his ability despite this. I am already eager to read the next instalment. Many thanks to Michael Joseph for an ARC.

This is an intriguing and atmospheric crime novel which brings together two disparate disappearances unsolved for 23 years. It is also refreshing to read a gripping thriller which doesn’t rely on the usual childhood abuse or sexual abuse tropes. Mark Douglas-Home writes female characters very well and has created a believable lead character in the ‘Sea Detective’ Caladh (Cal) McGill.

Embarrassingly I’ve had the first two novels ‘The Sea Detective’ and ‘The Woman who walked into the Sea’ on my kindle for many years. I look forward to reading them, as well as looking out the third in the series ‘The Malice of Waves’.

Thanks to Penguin Uk-Michael Joseph and Netgalley for a review copy.

This is the fourth book in the Sea Detective series by Mark Douglas-Home featuring the taciturn marine scientist and oceanographer, Dr Caladh (Cal) McGill. Although I haven't read any of the other instalments, I was intrigued by the synopsis and so I was keen to dive straight into The Driftwood Girls.

Cal, a sea detective and expert on winds and the tides, is living in Edinburgh and uses his vast knowledge and expertise to solve ocean based mysteries. Cal’s reputation is called into question after the broadcast of a TV programme, when the distraught daughter of a missing father claims that Cal has essential information as to his whereabouts after he had met her father once. With his friend, Alex Lauder, dying and rapidly losing clients, he becomes involved in investigating the disappearance twenty-three years ago, of charity worker Christina Tolmie, who vanished whilst in Northern France, leaving behind in Edinburgh her two daughters, Kate, then six, and four-year old Flora. Now Flora has gone missing and Cal seems to be the only answer.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Driftwood Girls. Told from different viewpoints, I was gradually drawn into the story rather than being immediately grabbed or thrown in headfirst, and I soon became completely invested this expertly constructed mystery. The plot was very clever, linking some seemingly distinct events together in a way that wasn't too unlikely or outlandish. There were no colossal action scenes, only a gradual unravelling of events which I found quietly but delightfully compulsive. With so many dark secrets from the past threatening to overshadow the present, the tension slowly escalated until everything started to fall into place and the bigger picture was revealed.

This is evidently a great series and Mark Douglas-Home clearly possesses the ability to devise intricate and interesting plots, combining them with distinctive and arresting characters. The places he describes also add interest and stimulation to the overall story.

A stellar read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel, at my request, from Penguin Michael Joseph via NetGalley, and this review is my own unbiased opinion.

My thanks to Penguin U.K. Michael Joseph for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Driftwood Girls’ by Mark Douglas-Home in exchange for an honest review.

Before I started reading I wasn’t aware that this was the fourth in Douglas-Home’s Sea Detective series though enough background was provided so I didn’t feel all at sea.

Dr. Cal McGill is an oceanographer and an expert on the winds and the tides. He is a gifted finder of lost things - and lost people. His latest case involves two missing women, two decades apart. Twenty-three years ago the mother of Flora and Kate Tolmie disappeared without a trace from coastal northern France, leaving her daughters orphans.

Now Flora is also missing. When Kate searches her sister’s Edinburgh house, she finds a note with Cal McGill’s name on it and reaches out. Yet this is only the beginning.

The nature of the mystery is quite complex and with a slow start, a number of threads, and a large cast of characters this novel did require close reading. I certainly enjoyed it and found its resolution satisfying.

A crime thriller featuring an oceanographer, who uses his skills, was a fascinating concept. I have since lined up the first in the series so that I can learn more about Dr. Cal and his earlier cases.

High praise for Mark Douglas-Home and this amazing mystery story focusing on two different women who went missing twenty-three years ago and the people left behind.

Set between the Dutch coastal town of Texel and Edinburgh in Scotland we are first introduced to self proclaimed sea detective and oceanographer Dr. Caladh McGill as he tries to work out just what happened to two different women who disappeared. One, leaving behind a broken, alcoholic father and the other, two young daughters left to wonder just why they had supposedly been abandoned by a mother so desperate to help orphaned children.

Douglas-Home has managed to weave a fantastic tale of love, loss and desperation. His ability to portray human emotion as well as plain indifference to people's suffering was well balanced, thought out and relatable to me as a reader.

In the beginning, I was unsure of where all the different threads would lead and there were moments that I thought a little predictable but I also loved the plot twists and hidden gems the author had managed to conceal right up until the grand finale where the truth was revealed.

I would definitely recommend this book for those who enjoy a good whodunnit and mystery story.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to review this ARC prior to publication in exchange for my review.

I am not sure what to say about this book. I found it far too complicated and convoluted to make a lot of sense. There are too many characters, flitting about between UK and Europe trying to solve an old mystery.
I am afraid I did not enjoy it, it was over long and not really very absorbing.

When I requested this from NetGalley I was intrigued by the plot and keen to try an author who would be new to me. What I didn’t realise was that this is actually the fourth book in a series about the Sea Detective. This did mean I was clearly missing a bit of back story but that was entirely my fault and actually reading this one has made me want to go back and read the others.

Douglas-Home’s writing is quite frenetic; there are several story threads running at the start and the link between them isn’t all that obvious at first but as the book goes on these threads start to weave together until we get the whole picture. This worked well and was definitely something I enjoyed but there were times when the switch between stories wasn’t very clear and happened part way through a paragraph so it would take me a second to realise the action had changed. This could be down to the formatting on the proof copy though.

The characterisation was good, I especially enjoyed the characters who were obviously new for this book as I didn’t have that feeling of missing parts of their back story. I definitely need to go and read the other three books as the interplay between Cal and his Police Detective friend, Helen Jamieson, was interesting and I’d like to see more of how they met. Cal also seemed a little cold to me but this was remarked upon within the book as being a character flaw and something he may work on in the future.

The action starts quite slow as Douglas-Home builds up the different stories but the second half of the book definitely ramps up the pace and the conclusion, with all the threads coming crashing together, was incredible. Even during the slower phase in the first half the writing still kept me gripped and I couldn’t wait to carry on reading.

I’ve read other crime fiction books, although I prefer true crime, and I liked the Sea Detective element to this as it made it different to others I’ve read. I’d definitely be interested in reading more as I really enjoyed the writing style and the content.

Another in the Sea Detective series which is a refreshing change from the normal role of the detective. He uses tides , waves and weather to locate the missing. A fairly typical murder mystery, stagnant in places but I did like the twist. Nothing is what it seems in this book, all in all a very enjoyable read and a good addition to this series.
I would like to thank the author, publisher and Netgalley for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.

A good read but I think you have to read the other books in the series to give it justice. I did find it dragged on and then suddenly I was near the end of the book! I quite like the characters but I don’t think I will bother with the rest of the series. @NetGalley@TheDriftwoodGirls

The Driftwood Girls is the latest book in the excellent Sea Detective series by Mark Douglas-Home and it is another very well written and thoroughly entertaining crime book.

The book, which can easily be read as a standalone, starts slowly with a number of strands that I couldn't start to piece together however as the story evolved the jigsaw made more sense before a very satisfying conclusion was reached..

Definitely one to recommend