Three years after surviving a catastrophic flood (Will North's Water, Stone, Heart), twelve year old Lee Trelissick has settled into a safer life with her adoptive parents, Nicola and Andrew. But before long, preternaturally wise Lee announces “Someone wants to do us harm. Someone evil.”
She's right. A series of increasingly malicious events soon cast a pall over Trevega House and the surrounding village. Arson, poison, a nearly fatal cliffside attack--but no suspect. And finally, a murder. Can Detective Inspector Morgan Davies and her Scene of Crimes manager Calum West protect the strangely prescient girl and stop the killer before it's too late?
Assessment:
Plot: Though there is frequent and unnecessary repetition of some plot points, it's not enough to slow down this fast-paced mystery. And though some events are telegraphed, the plot is perfectly paced. North knows how to dole out information at the right time and keep readers turning pages.
Prose: The prose is expertly crafted. North takes full advantage of his setting, and is an expert at vivid descriptions of the landscape and surroundings.
Originality: North knows his genre well, and crafts a fresh and compelling mystery. The plot is fast-paced, keeping readers engaged—and guessing-—until the very end.
Character Development: Although some characters are burdened with excess backstory, the entire cast is well rounded and richly developed. Even minor characters display traits that become important as the story unfolds.
Blurb: This winning third book in North's Davies & West Mystery series will make readers revisit the first two volumes and look forward to future installments.
Date Submitted: May 19, 2017
"The best yet in this terrific British series, Trevega House has compelling characters, Cornish atmosphere to die for, and two of my new favorite detectives in Morgan Davies and Calum West."
North knows his genre well, and crafts a fresh and compelling mystery. The plot is fast-paced, keeping readers engaged—and guessing—until the very end . . . the entire cast is well rounded and richly developed, even minor characters display traits that become important as the story unfolds. North takes full advantage of his setting, and is an expert at vivid descriptions of the landscape and surroundings.
This winning third book in North's Davies & West Mystery series will make readers revisit the first two volumes and look forward to future installments.
