In typical Angelnet Reviews fashion I signed up for the blog tour for The Shimmer on the Water after skimming through the synopsis of the book and assuming that it was going to be a detective story about the disappearance of a small child on a crowded beach. I’m very pleased to report that Marina McCarron’s book is so much more than a crime investigation. It is a multi generational tale of family and the lies that we tell to those that we love the most.

Peyton Winchester moves back to the family home in Maine for the summer. Her life is a mess with no job – she got fired – and no boyfriend – he turned out to be an idiot who ghosted her. Admitting that her life in Seattle was a disaster is tough because her mother makes Big Bang Theory’s Leonard Hofstadter’s mother seem pretty touchy feely. It has always been a difficult relationship and Peyton is sure that her mother really doesn’t like her.

Needing something to keep herself occupied over the summer Peyton begins to investigate the disappearance of four year old Daisy Wright who went missing in 1997. As she digs deeper into what happened twenty five years earlier it looks like the answers might be found a little too close to home for comfort.

There is a real depth and pathos to The Shimmer on the Water that takes you unawares. I’m not normally hugely keen on books that weave inter generational threads together but this really works. The contrast between the two is quite stark and helps to explain the present day issues and events. If you are looking for a beach book with a bit more bite then look no further.

Supplied by Net Galley and Aria, Head of Zeus in exchange for an honest review.

UK publication date: Aug 4 2022. 413 pages.

Categories: 4 Stars Book Review

Tagged as: Abuse Alcoholism Family Imnvestigation Maine Missing Child Net Galley Poverty Psychiatrist Seattle Secrets Tennessee The Shimmer on the Water

angelnet69

Prolific reader, enthusiastic theatre and movie-goer and ex-Olivier Awards judge who spent twenty years working in the music industry in London. Sharing my house with a gorgeous cockapoo called Harry who has taken over completely.
I love sharing my favourite books with friends - nearly always spoiler-free as I hate reading a synopsis of the whole book in other reviews.

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