I was expecting a lot more from this book be wise of the description. In my opinion it was predictable.

4 stars

This mystery features flawed & human characters & a unique setting: a small town on Vancouver Island, suffering from the declining fishing industry. The place is rife with tensions between government regulators, ruthless corporations, independent fishermen, & (alleged) ecoterrorists. Andi, a reporter new to town with a struggling career due to alcoholism, gets sucked into the intrigue as murders start to escalate the simmering tensions.

[What I liked:]

•I really like Andi, Harry, Hezibah, & Jim. They all have unique personalities, relatable struggles, compelling backstories that are conveyed without info-dumping, & understandable motivations that come into conflict with one another’s.

•The setting is interesting & closely tied to the story itself. The layers of town history & social infrastructure include the rise & fall of the fishing & logging industries, shady business deals, a tragic murder from 20 years ago, outside interlopers bent on disrupting the livelihood of the locals through activism, & some unique, reclusive community members existing on the fringes. It all leads to a complex story with well developed characters & motives wrapped up in the crime spree.


[What I didn’t like as much:]

•I wish there was more background on Andi. All we know is she has an alcohol problem that screwed up her career, no hints of how she got to that point (I mean the alcohol) or why. I look forward to learning more about her in future installments of this series.

CW: murder, substance abuse

[I received an ARC ebook copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Thank you for the book!]