DARK MYSTERIES STIR
Generations of Westbrookes are venerated for transforming the sleepy coastal hamlet of Eagle Bay into a thriving city. So when Thomas Westbrooke's wife, Skye, alleges to friends and authorities that her admired husband is psychotic and threatening, it seems impossible. That is not the humanitarian and respected civic leader they think they know. The renowned prodigy could never be guilty of depraved vengeance - especially murder.
Thomas lives conflicted, the product of a twisted upbringing. He understands that no one can simultaneously serve good and evil and that a life of deception will lead to guilt and regret, yet his wicked acts push him deeper into a chasm of darkness. He struggles to reconcile his intense yearning to deceive and his failure to live faithfully with a woman he loves deeply, Skye. A mistress no one could ever imagine mesmerizes Thomas and drives him to the brink of insanity.
People that Skye trusts are hiding remarkable truths. Pandora's box - the history behind the Westbrooke dynasty - is forced open, putting many in harm's way, including Skye and their children. But she is more than a worthy adversary and will fight like hell to protect her family from a man she no longer recognizes.
Nothing is as it appears in Eagle Bay.
After being tragically widowed, Skye, John’s wife, finds comfort in the arms of the attentive Thomas, though as the years pass Thomas becomes secretive, controlling and short-tempered, culminating in a shocking burst of domestic violence. Readers know from the beginning that Thomas is psychologically troubled, and what John’s fate will be, which diminishes suspense and surprise. The twists that do come are welcome: Thomas believes that mysterious "assets” are in danger, as Cruickshank drops hints about a Conquistador's journal and underground vaults, and a number of relationships eventually are revealed to be quite different than what readers expect.
The story is good and fast-moving, with welcome moral weight offsetting some dark material, such as graphic descriptions of sexual assault, torture, and abuse. The swings of sanity and madness in Thomas are scary, and Cruickshank’s portrait of the insulating—and possibly deadening—effects of wealth and power often chill, and not just when Thomas performs dark acts. “Love, integrity, and goodness are relative qualities for people like me,” he declares to a priest, seeming truly to believe it. Cruickshank’s decade-spanning portrait is damning, inviting readers not to wonder whodunnit but just how much worse he’ll still do—and whether a new generation can set things right.
Takeaway: Generation-spanning thriller of murder, power, and a wealthy family’s secrets.
Comparable Titles: Michael Robotham’s The Other Wife, May Cobb’s My Summer Darlings.
Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A-
Cruickshank sets this multi-generational thriller in a small Oregon town where the Westbrooke family has long wielded power over its neighbors. Despite his cold and tyrannical father's rep as a ruthless businessman, Thomas Westbrooke, single and focused on his career in the family firm, is lucky to call the solidly middle-class John McCloud his best friend. One day, John, a happy father and husband, shows Thomas an old newspaper clipping that features an image of their grandfathers together. Unbeknownst to John, the unearthing of that connection will destroy everything that he holds dear. Thomas isn't the steadfast friend everyone thinks he is. Lies will be exposed, families will be broken, and people will die in the name of protecting the Westbrooke fortune.
The story is good and fast-moving, with welcome moral weight offsetting some dark material. The swings of sanity and madness in Thomas are scary, and Cruickshank's portrait of the insulating—and possibly deadening—effects of wealth and power often chill, and not just when Thomas performs dark acts. "Love, integrity, and goodness are relative qualities for people like me," he declares to a priest, seeming truly to believe it. Cruickshank's decade-spanning portrait is damning, inviting readers not to wonder whodunnit but just how much worse he'll still do—and whether a new generation can set things right.
Takeaway: Generation-spanning thriller of murder, power, and a wealthy family's secrets.
Eagle Bay by Ken Cruickshank is a psychological murder thriller with infinite twists and turns. [The story] is an intriguing and deep dive into seriously troubled and warped minds. Thomas' mercurial personality and rapid mood changes added tension and excitement to the narrative. Skye was a wonderful character who dealt with tragedy with poise and grace, never losing sight of her vision of the future and her family. The novel's overarching theme can best be summed up with the idea that "Wealth and power corrupt, but absolute wealth and power corrupt absolutely." This was a satisfying and enjoyable read and one I can highly recommend.
Midwest Book Review
Eagle Bay can compare to a spider's web. Its attractiveness lures its reader into a tightly woven trap, and they find they cannot walk away from the danger in their pathway. Ken Cruickshank has proven that he is a master of suspense and intrigue. How he combines all the elements this book showcases is brilliant. The plot of this story cries out to become the next movie.
Indie Reader
Ken Cruickshank's EAGLE BAY is a roller-coaster of a read--a strong story that plunges deep into the psyche of villains and heroes in the making. With unexpected twists and turns in each chapter, it will leave readers guessing right up until the end. Overall the story is enticing, growing even more so as it turns from a series of events to an examination of Thomas's downfall. There's something very classical about Thomas's story: his corruption at the hands of his father, eventually leading him down a path where he orchestrates and perpetuates his own downfall. This is the most intriguing aspect of the story, overshadowing even the mystery of the Westbrooke family's "assets."
Discovery
Ken Cruickshank makes himself known with this chilling thriller. He weaves a story like no other as the story develops, providing the reader with something well worth their while. A family secret that does not align with anything citizens of Eagle Bay can comprehend is at the heart of the story. Still, there is something there and as the narrative progresses, Cruickshank leads the reader into a dark and intensely complex place to reveal it all, but could it be too late? Cruickshank offers up this eerie story that will have readers turning pages well into the night.
