I’ve long been a fan of Sarah Painter and particularly her Crow Investigations series. So I was a little perturbed when I realised that the new book was the first in a new series. It is very loosely set in the same timeline as the Crow Investigation books and does reference some of the characters at one point. However the new characters introduced to us on Unholy Island soon feel as familiar as old friends.
Esme Gray runs a guesthouse on Unholy Island. There are few guests from the mainland and those that cross the causeway and visit rarely stay for more than a few days, although they won’t know why they want to leave. This is Esme’s other job. She tends the wards for the islands to keep it low profile and off the radar.
When a handsome stranger turns up and starts camping on the beach no-one is particularly troubled. When he is still there after three days and shows no sign of wanting to move on the local community starts to become a little concerned. Have the wards failed? Has Esme done something wrong?
Added into the mix is the mysterious death of a long term resident on Unholy Island. Suspects are few and far between as the island was cut off from the mainland was a huge storm. With no local police on site it is up to Esme and the Elders on the island to find the perpetrator. It sounds like the premise for a cozy mystery but this is anything but. Despite the rural setting Unholy Island has the same magical energy as the Crow’s London and it isn’t long before someone starts to wield that power. It is a truly bewitching opener to a series and I can’t wait for the next instalment.
Supplied by the author in exchange for an honest review.
UK Publication date: 27 Jun 2023, 292 pages.
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