This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Jo Hiestand will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
Dan Winter asks his friend, former police detective Michael McLaren, to discover what happened to his wife, Ellie, who disappeared on the third day of the couple's holiday on Bow Island. Dan thinks she was swept away by rough ocean waves. Perhaps, but after three weeks there is no sign of her, alive or dead.
McLaren's inquiry seems to be going along swimmingly until the police suspect Dan of killing Ellie and hiding her body. Now McLaren has to dive deeper for the truth. Was Ellie really swept away or did she disappear of her own volition, perhaps helped by a wildlife expert who knows all the hiding place on the island? Or there's the Chaucer-spouting war veteran who seems eager to help with anything. Or did Dan actually murder her?
This installment stands among the strongest entries in the series and distinguishes itself by departing from the familiar structure of the earlier novels. In previous volumes, McLaren has typically investigated long-abandoned cold cases, mysteries the authorities had ceased pursuing. Here, however, the investigation is deeply personal: an old friend, Dan, asks McLaren to uncover the truth behind the disappearance of his wife, Ellie, on Bow Island.
One of the novel’s greatest strengths lies in Ms. Hiestand’s vivid evocation of place. Her descriptions of Bow Island are immersive and atmospheric; readers can almost feel the wind off the water, hear the relentless crash of the waves, and sense the instability of sand and stone beneath their feet. The setting becomes more than a backdrop—it is an active presence within the narrative, shaping both the investigation and the emotional tenor of the story.
The novel also benefits from its deliberate pacing. Rather than relying on the rapid reversals and constant shocks common to many contemporary thrillers, the author allows the mystery to unfold gradually and thoughtfully. McLaren’s investigation feels methodical and grounded, drawing the reader into both the physical landscape of the island and the quiet uncertainties surrounding Ellie’s disappearance.
At its heart, the novel asks a compelling question: was Ellie simply swept away by the island’s dangerous terrain and waters, or does another explanation lie hidden beneath the surface? The answer emerges through careful observation, conversation, and persistence, making the journey toward the truth as rewarding as the resolution itself.
"What do you think happened to Ellie? I suppose she was killed. I mean, with the sea it would be easy to...dispose of her body, wouldn't it? I heard Bow Island is desolate in spots." Melanie stared at McLaren, her face still holding its color, so there was no sign she would shy from the truth.
McLaren stretched again and grabbed her hand. His hand easily enveloped hers, and he held it as he answered her question. "I don't know how anyone's ever going to discover the truth, if I'm honest with you. I think there are four choices for the outcome. Pick your favorite, and it has as good a chance of being the right closing to her disappearance as any of the other options."
She nodded, waiting quietly.
"In no particular order and giving no weight to any of the scenarios, these are my ideas at the moment. One. She was accidentally swept into the sea and she drowned. Her body might wash ashore later, but until it does..." He stopped as he recalled Scott Forsyth's recitation about bodies, and swallowed before continuing. "Two. She met someone—a friend or one of her potential lovers, doesn't matter which—and was killed accidentally, and the person panicked and rolled her into the sea. Three. She met someone, and this someone murdered her on purpose for whatever reason. Could be robbery. Or there is the fourth choice. She left of her own volition and is living away from Dan, either living alone or with someone." Quiet crept into the room again as the words hung in the air. "Does this help or just complicate the situation, knowing what might have happened to her?"
Jo A. Hiestand grew up on regular doses of music, books, and Girl Scout camping. She gravitated toward writing in her post-high school years and finally did something sensible about it, graduating from Webster University with a BA degree in English and departmental honors. She writes a British mystery series (the McLaren Mysteries) and a Missouri-based cozy mystery series (Cookies & Kilts Mysteries) that is grounded in places associated with her camping haunts. The camping is a thing of the past, for the most part, but the music stayed with her in the form of playing guitar and harpsichord, and singing in a folk group. Jo carves jack o’ lanterns badly and sings loudly. She loves barbecue sauce and ice cream (separately, not together), kilts (especially if men wear them), clouds and stormy skies, and the music of G.F. Handel. You can usually find her pulling mystery plots out of scenery—whether from photographs or the real thing.
Book DNA: https://shepherd.com/best-books/closed-circle-mystery
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/jo-a-hiestand
Booklisti: https://booklisti.com/johiestand
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BritishandUS/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/AnglophileJo
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/joahiestand
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/JoHiestand
Website: http://www.johiestand.com
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/MysteryAuthorinSTL
Amazon: bit.ly/3Mefrps
B&N: bit.ly/4tgXZl4
BookBub: bit.ly/3O2SfLB
Kobo: bit.ly/4c1Lu6y
Thank you for hosting and reviewing today.
ReplyDelete