The Malice of Waves by Mark Douglas-Home
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Five years ago, fourteen-year-old Max Wheeler disappeared from Priest’s Island, an isolated but bleakly beautiful place on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. In the close knit local community, there are no secrets, except what happened to Max. None of the police or private investigations since have shed any light on what happened the night he went missing, presumed dead. But there is one man who is yet to take on the case: The Sea Detective. Cal McGill is an oceanographer and unique investigator who uses his knowledge of tides, winds and currents to solve mysteries no-one else can.
This book as an unusual take on the detective story. Not knowing it was the third in a series, I read it as a standalone book and really enjoyed it. I loved the different setting of the Outer Hebrides and the slightly quirky Cal McGill. But this book is about the island and the inhabitants, as much as it is about the Wheeler family and Max’s disappearance. The whole book is character driven, which I found to be fascinating. The twist at the end caught me by surprise, which is always a good thing!
I received a review copy of the book via Netgalley.
Wendy Cartmell 