Like many reviewers, I started The Driftwood Girls assuming it was a standalone but, although it's the third in a series, it works well read in isolation. I found myself intrigued by the notion of a 'sea detective' and enjoyed this twist on what is otherwise a fairly typical mystery novel. Overall an enjoyable read with a satisfying conclusion to the puzzle.

This is the fourth in the series and in my opinion works well as a stand alone but, as always, it is better to start from book one and read in order, more so to get the best from the main character, Cal McGill and his backstory and development.
Cal is a sea-detective, using his skills and expertise to find both people and things that have been lost to the waters. As this chapter of his life begins, we find him in trouble over the part he played in the disappearance of a man. Slated online by vitriol spouted by the man's daughter, his business is in tatters and this frustration and angst is only compounded when he hears of the death of his once very close friend that he has recently lost touch with. The fallout from which leads him to a rather interesting night out... But he is brought back to the detecting when a young women, Kate, contacts him regarding the disappearance of her sister Flora. And so begins a rather convoluted tale spanning the decades as he sets off to find Flora and gets embroiled in the disappearance. 23 years ago of Kate and Flora's mother who vanished without trace off the coast of Northern France.
This is a rather convoluted tale that has many strands throughout. The death of a beggar brings DS Helen Jamieson into the mix as she is tasked to investigate. We also meet Lottie, Sarah and Olaf in Texel. Quite how they fit into the mix is both interesting and intriguing. With so many dark secrets from the past threatening to overshadow the present, the tension ramps up until it all starts to come together and the big picture eventually becomes clear.
I have read and enjoyed all the books in this series. Yes I have to admit that most of the geographical and sea-detectivy parts leave me a tad baffled at times but, as they are pretty integral to the plot I am happy to just accept all that I am reading, rather than trying to understand every little things and, to be honest, Mr Douglas-Home does a great job explaining all this side of things to the layman. Indeed, the whole idea of a sea-detective is something outside the norm for the majority of books in this genre and I do like a bit of variety in a world that can get a bit samey at times.
What is evident from every book in the series is the author's ability to weave intricate and interesting plots, combining these with the most colourful and well described characters along the way. The places he describes along the way also add colour into the mix of what is happening in the main plot, so integral they are at times that they could almost become characters in their own right. Never does the description overshadow the plot though, it just adds another layer into the mix.
Cal is swiftly beginning to be one of my favourite main characters. It's hard not to like him although he is enigmatic and hard to really get to know as he is quite closed. In this book especially, this trait proves difficult for him and he is forced to try and open up a little. But he is loyal, illustrated by what he does for his friend initially and for other characters later on.
All in all, a cracking addition to an already great series. Can't wait to see what's next for our sea-detective next time. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Mark Douglas-Home gives us the 4th in his terrific Sea Detective series, featuring marine scientist and oceanographer, Dr Caladh 'Cal' McGill, a solitary, taciturn man, a misanthrope who prefers his own company, emotionally unavailable to all, including those close to him and friends. He lives in Edinburgh, working as a detective on cases that make use of his special expertise. However, he finds himself the unwarranted target of hate from the public after the broadcast on TV of Missing Not Forgotten, where the distraught daughter of a missing father claims that Cal has essential information as to his whereabouts after he had met her father once. This leads to Cal losing all his clients, but despite this, he refuses to defend himself. Alex Lauder, an oceanographer friend, is dying, having made Cal promise that he would carry out a much wanted wish, a guilt ridden Cal is reminded of it by Alex's mother to ensure he keeps his word.

There are multiple threads in the story, all of which appear disparate and unconnected in this ambitious and complex story. 23 years ago, Christina Tolmie, a single mother with two small daughters, Kate and Flora, disappears without trace. She was a charity worker, making trips to countries like Romania to donate and distribute second hand clothes to orphanages. Her van was found abandoned close to Calais. Flora, Alex's girlfriend, has never given up on trying to find out what happened to her mother. She is estranged from her sister, Kate, who thinks she is wasting her time. However, when Flora goes missing, Kate goes to meet Cal after finding his name on a note in Flora's possession. This draws Cal into locating Flora and the truth of what happened to Christina, and whether there is any connection to the discovery of a dead girl, Ruth, her body turning up around the same time.

Christina's suitcase turns up in Southwold in Suffolk, found long ago by the now dead Stephen Hawes. In the meantime, a beggar, a man in his mid-fifties, Louis Dufour, is stabbed to death by the Haymarket Station, a murder being investigated by DS Helen Jamieson. Norwegian Olaf Haugen is a dedicated beachcomber and maker of driftwood men, all without a mouth. After losing everything, he is living in a hut owned by Lotte, a friend of Sarah's on the island of Texel, just off the coast of The Netherlands. Slowly but surely, in the most unexpected of ways, all the different threads begin to come together to reveal a complex narrative of bodysnatching, illegal sea burial, murder, guilt, betrayal and revenge. Integrally connected to the people and events, although he is unaware of it, is Cal.

This is not a crime series for those who like fast paced reads, full of tension and suspense, and with thrills round every corner. It is a more cerebral crime read that demands patience, well researched in the technical details of Cal's oceanographer expertise, a fascinating specialist skill that allows him to work out what could have happened to Christina all those years ago, aided by a wide array of informants and sea enthusiasts. Douglas-Home's plotting is considered and intricate, it must have been a time consuming affair to make all the different threads work so well until they come together so beautifully at the end. This is a wonderful addition to what is an excellent and unusual series. I look forward to the next book, I just hope I will not have to wait long for it. Many thanks to Penguin Michael Joseph for an ARC.

3.5 stars

Quite surprised to find this is book 4 in series,it certainly reads as a stand alone.
Very interesting and new idea of a sea detective,working out the tides and where bodies might wash up.
Also an interesting story of two missing women,over twenty years apart,and the tangled way that everyone ad everything seemed to be connected.
All of it was nicely tied up,and I had one "oooh" moment,which is always a good think.
This was something a bit different,and I like different.

Such a lot happening. Interesting and exciting. It was full of very interesting characters. Nothing is at it seems. Same with the people. It was slow to begin with but soon gathered pace and was a good read

I would like to thank Netgalley and Penguin UK - Michael Joseph for an advance copy of The Driftwood Girls, the fourth novel to feature the Sea Detective, Edinburgh based oceanographer Cal McGill.

Twenty-three years ago Christina Tolmie disappeared in France, leaving behind in Edinburgh her two daughters, six year old Kate and four year old Flora. Now Flora has gone missing and Cal seems to be the only answer.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Driftwood Girls after an admittedly slow and distracting start as it has a good mystery and an ingenious solution. I initially found that the novel didn’t capture my attention as it involves a fair amount of scene setting and constantly switches point of view so I felt that it took ages to get to the meat, i.e. what happened to Flora and would Cal be able to find out what happened to Christina? Once it got going it was reveal after reveal so the switching points of view seemed to enhance the reader’s knowledge rather than distract. The plot is clever, linking some disparate events together in a way that doesn’t seem outlandish or too far fetched but the reader has to wait until the end for a complete narrative. There are no big actions scenes just a gradual unravelling of events which I found quietly compulsive as the novel progressed.

I always like a Scottish novel as it offers the comfort of familiarity in location and the characters’ attitudes, dialogue and mindset but I can’t say that this novel offered much of that, in the first instance because little of the novel takes place in Scotland and secondly because Cal McGill isn’t recognisably Scottish and could come from anywhere. He’s a loner with a sense of honour and, not to put too fine a point on it, a bit of a weirdo. In an early part of the novel this sense of honour brings trolling and a loss of business when opening his mouth would have saved him that hardship. I guess that pragmatic compromise isn’t in his toolbox. Having now read three of the four novels in the series I am no closer to understanding what drives him or how his mind works.

The Driftwood Girls is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

A fascinating, atmospheric mystery with a large cast of intriguing characters. Nobody appears to be what they seem. It's a slow unravelling but I was gripped by how the many different threads eventually came together.

I love a good thriller. Especially one that starts with one of the main characters grave robbing. ⁣
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The Driftwood Girls follows Dr Cal McGill, an oceanographer who uses his vast knowledge to help solve mysteries. When he's beseeched to investigate the disappearance of Christina Tolmie who went missing over 20 years ago, he's thrown into a tumult of danger and intrigue that will leave him fighting for his life.⁣
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This was a well-paced thriller, with some good twists and turns. Although the plot felt a little tired, the character of Cal is interesting enough to keep you hooked. I didn't realise it was the fourth in the series, so this will give me a good excuse to check out it's predecessors.⁣
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Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin for the preview copy.

I didn’t realise this was part of a series, I read The Driftwood Girls as a stand alone and it was great! (Although I have now ordered the others)

I absolutely love the idea of a sea detective since there’s so much “unknown” about our seas and oceans and this kept me on edge throughout the story. Following Cal who I quickly fell in love with. A great, intelligent well thought character which seems to be rare in these sort of books.

The Driftwood Girls is tense with multiple characters and storylines all coming together to create a huge splash!

5/5

The fourth in the Sea Detective series - I don;t think it matters too much if you haven't read the earlier books but it does help. The 'sea detective' is Dr Cal McGill, who is an oceanographer but not in the normal sense of the word - he uses his understanding of the power of water, waves, currents and seas not to mention weather in order to solve crimes or mysteries set at sea.Quite a unique premise isn't it!?

Here he's investigating the disappearance of Christina Tolmie which happened some 23 years earlier. She was a charity worker with two children. What makes it more compelling still is the fact she was the girlfriend of his friend Alex, who is now sadly dying.

The premise and settings of the novel are what stand out for me. The sea is a powerful beast, water can kill and is the one thing we need to survive. I got really interested in the sciencey bits (nothing to spoil the story - they really make it stand out!)

There's themes which lead all the way from Scotland to an island over in the Netherlands and this provides a international wave of intrigue. I did find certain parts a bit dragged out and there seemed to be dips at certain parts of the story. This felt like the sea however - up and down so it actually worked well in that sense.
Good but best to read the others in the series first

I’ve read all the previous Sea Detective books and really enjoyed them partly because the concept is so original and also because they are so well written. The Driftwood Girls is the fourth in the series and whilst I think it is good and I did enjoy it, it’s isn't as gripping in my opinion as the previous books. The sea detective is Dr Cal(adh) McGill, an oceanographer, who uses his vast knowledge and understanding of seas, waves and weather conditions to solve ocean based mysteries. At the beginning of this one, Cal’s reputation is under attack in the media, his friend Alex Lauder is dying and he is losing clients he can ill afford to. He becomes involved in investigating the disappearance 23 years ago of Christina Tolmie, a charity worker and mother of Flora and Kate. McGill knows of Flora and met her once as she is Alex’s girlfriend. What ensues is a complex mystery which involves a murder in Edinburgh, a cover up, lies and deception in the search for revenge which ultimately leads to Cal fighting for survival and his life.

There are a lot of things I like about this book. First and foremost, the character of Cal. He is quiet, silent even, very thoughtful and clever and in many ways an enigma in that he is emotionally very closed off. He rarely reveals much about himself and finds it hard to have real friendships. This is much to the frustration of repeat character DS Helen Jamieson who would like a deeper relationship with Cal. Secondly, the settings are great. It’s partly set in Scotland and my pulse rate rose as Cal goes to Sandwood Bay on the far NW coast where I left a piece of my heart! The other setting is Texel, an island of the coast of the Netherlands, which provides a good atmospheric backdrop to the unfolding events. The plot is intriguing although at times a bit convoluted and I could not see how the apparently disparate lines of enquiry could link and connect. The part of the story that really grips the imagination as it is so powerful and haunting is the driftwood girls created by Olaf Haugen in Texel. Those images blew me away and I will remember that for a long time. The story has sadness, regret, anger, guilt and revenge; it’s occasionally weird and a bit creepy and towards the end there is tension when Cal confronts Olaf and gets some truths.

Overall, a good read although on occasion I got a bit lost in the plot and I don’t think there’s always flow in the storyline and there are sections which I didn’t feel added anything helpful. However, that being said I enjoyed it and would recommend it.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin UK -Michael Joseph.