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Cal McGill, Sea Detective #2
The Woman Who Walked into the Sea
The daughter who nobody wanted learns the truth about the mother she never knew. A page-turning, heart-breaking mystery 'full of surprises ... this is a classic whodunit' (Scotsman).
Cal McGill is a unique investigator and oceanographer who uses his expertise to locate things - and sometimes people - lost or missing at sea.
His expertise could unravel the haunting mystery of why, twenty-six years ago on a remote Scottish beach, Megan Bates strode out into the cold ocean and let the waves wash her away.
Megan's daughter, Violet Wells, was abandoned as a baby on the steps of a local hospital just hours before the mother she never knew took her own life.
As McGill is drawn into Violet's search for the truth, he encounters a coastal community divided by obsession and grief, and united only by a conviction that its secrets should stay buried...
'Lyrical and compelling, an emotional journey into dark family secrets' Lin Anderson
'A mystery from the school of Ruth Rendell and I can't imagine anyone who likes them not delighting in this' Scotsman
'Simply intoxicating' Library Review USA
'Infinitely better written than the majority of its competitors ... An always entertaining and gripping mystery' Herald
382 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 1, 2013
79 people are currently reading
773 people want to read
About the author
Mark Douglas-Home
4 books166 followersMark Douglas-Home is a newspaper editor turned author. The Sea Detective, his first novel, introduced a new kind of investigator to crime fiction - the oceanographer Cal McGill who tracks floating objects, including dead bodies. It received critical praise, becoming a Sunday Times 'Crime Book of the Month' and was followed by The Woman Who Walked Into The Sea ('simply intoxicating,’ the Library Journal in America) and The Malice of Waves (‘really good stuff, full of atmosphere,’ Morning Star). The fourth in the series, The Driftwood Girls, will be published in January 2020. Before writing books, Mark was editor of The Herald in Glasgow. His career in journalism began as a student in South Africa where he edited the newspaper at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. After the apartheid government banned a number of editions, he was deported from the country. He is married with two children and lives in Edinburgh.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 165 reviews
October 1, 2016
This is the second book in the Sea Detective series. I find it funny that it is known as the Sea Detective series as Cal McGill's agency is known as Flotsam and Jetsam Investigations although he is thinking over the idea of changing it to the Sea Detective Agency. McGill is an unique investigator as he is an oceanographer who uses his knowledge of the ocdean tides and currents and how they carry objects to solve problems. He tries to find bodies and items that have "fallen" off cargo ships.
In this one McGill travels to Poltown, a fictional town, in North West Scotland to investigate the find of a 1959 Guinness beer bottle by a local beach comber. He walks into a town that's in turmoil. A giant company is buying land to start a wind farm full of windmills. The lone land owner holding out against the land redevelopment is Duncan, the beach comber McGill is going to visit.
Once there he encounters a young woman, Violet, who is searching for her birth mother and what happened to her. McGill is drawn to her as he has a similar story of abandonment. He joins her on her hunt and also fights the land developers.
The characters are well drawn and the descriptions of the locale are breathtaking. I love that this series is unique and I learn a little something with every book I read. I don't think it's as strong as his first one but still it's quite entertaining.
I can't wait to read the third one.
In this one McGill travels to Poltown, a fictional town, in North West Scotland to investigate the find of a 1959 Guinness beer bottle by a local beach comber. He walks into a town that's in turmoil. A giant company is buying land to start a wind farm full of windmills. The lone land owner holding out against the land redevelopment is Duncan, the beach comber McGill is going to visit.
Once there he encounters a young woman, Violet, who is searching for her birth mother and what happened to her. McGill is drawn to her as he has a similar story of abandonment. He joins her on her hunt and also fights the land developers.
The characters are well drawn and the descriptions of the locale are breathtaking. I love that this series is unique and I learn a little something with every book I read. I don't think it's as strong as his first one but still it's quite entertaining.
I can't wait to read the third one.
May 23, 2013
The first Cal McGill book, The Sea Detective, was one of my reads of the year so far. I therefore had high expectations for The Woman Who Walked into the Sea. In many ways it is quite a different kind of book. The pace is much slower, the narrative is dominated by long descriptive passages that, for my tastes, are too much show and not enough tell, and nearly the entire story takes place in and around one village. Whereas the first book had a set of intersecting storylines and a relatively large cast of characters and rivalries, this book is more circumscribed and the focus is for the most part follows Anna, the daughter of the woman who walked into the sea, rather than Cal. In fact, there is very little sea detection in the story. Given the amount of work that Douglas-Home does in providing the back story to the tale and setting up the end play to the book it concludes quite quickly and linearly, reliant on a couple of coincidences and underplays the possibilities for dramatic tension or twists and turns. Personally, I would like the next book in the series to focus more on Cal McGill and his sea detection and to have the same faster-paced storytelling style as the first book. Overall, a solid, okay read, but in my view not in the same class as the excellent first book in the series.
August 7, 2016
I picked up this book from the library as the cover and blurb sounded interesting. It is a brooding atmospheric novel set in the fictional town of Poltown, a coastal town in the North of Scotland. There are two main characters. One is Cal McGill an oceanographer and detective who locates items and sometimes bodies lost at sea. The other is Violet who receives some interesting information about her birth mother. Violet was adopted after being abandoned as a baby on the hospital steps. They come together when Cal is drawn into Violet’s search for the truth about her mother. All she has of her is a brooch with violets, which was why she was given the name Violet.
While these two characters are well developed and likable there are a host of other characters in Poltown, interesting but many not particularly likeable. Poltown is a place which, while its sounds lovely from a landscape point of view, is a town divided by issues concerning a wind farm and those trying to control events.
This not a fast read but more of a slow build up to find out the truth about the woman Megan Bates, who walked into the sea. There are those who have their own reasons for not wanting the truth to come out. I quite enjoyed this book. Apparently it is the second in a series about the Sea Detective and I had not read the first, but it didn’t matter. This story stands alone. After reading other reviews since reading the book, it appears maybe it was better to do that as some who had read the first book were disappointed a little in this one. Since I had no expectations, other that settling in for a good story, I was not disappointed. It is very visual and character driven story. I enjoyed it. There is a little bit of the f word from a couple of characters but it is not excessive throughout the book.
While these two characters are well developed and likable there are a host of other characters in Poltown, interesting but many not particularly likeable. Poltown is a place which, while its sounds lovely from a landscape point of view, is a town divided by issues concerning a wind farm and those trying to control events.
This not a fast read but more of a slow build up to find out the truth about the woman Megan Bates, who walked into the sea. There are those who have their own reasons for not wanting the truth to come out. I quite enjoyed this book. Apparently it is the second in a series about the Sea Detective and I had not read the first, but it didn’t matter. This story stands alone. After reading other reviews since reading the book, it appears maybe it was better to do that as some who had read the first book were disappointed a little in this one. Since I had no expectations, other that settling in for a good story, I was not disappointed. It is very visual and character driven story. I enjoyed it. There is a little bit of the f word from a couple of characters but it is not excessive throughout the book.
April 27, 2018
This is the second novel in the Cal McGill series. The first novel was original, focusing on Cal's investigations as an oceanographer who charts ocean currents, and finds missing people, and cargo. In the novel, the author focuses more on the character of Violet Wells looking for her birth mother. Violet is not a very compelling character, and the novel is inhabited by people who are disliked, marginalized, and unpleasant. Without the focus on Cal, it reads like an ordinary mystery, and lacks the charm and uniqueness of the first in the series.
Despite my disappointment that the series has joined the hoi polloi of mystery novels, I do think it merits 4 stars. At the end it is a satisfying mystery, despite its fall into "ordinary" mysteries.
Despite my disappointment that the series has joined the hoi polloi of mystery novels, I do think it merits 4 stars. At the end it is a satisfying mystery, despite its fall into "ordinary" mysteries.
July 15, 2020
3.5 stars. I didn't find this quite as good as the first novel in the series, probably because the main protagonist was not Cal McGill, the sea detective, but Violet Wells, a young mother searching for the truth about her mother's death 26 years ago. I did enjoy it, although I do hope Cal takes a more active role in the next one.
December 22, 2016
Intriguing. I picked this read for the title (I love picking titles for my books and this is a beauty). I was not disappointed. Fabulous plot, setting and writing. Highly recommended.
August 1, 2016
This novel is the most interesting and uncomplicated read that I have read this year.
Violet receives a visit that will change her life, put her in danger and put her in contact with the charismatic Cal McGill.
Cal is an oceanographer, and this piqued my interest.
Set in a fictional but beautiful part of Scotland, I was glad that Douglas-Home refrained from using 'Scottish dialect', although his brilliant writing style does give Poltown a realistic feel.
A novel that gives revenge, secrets and murder it is one that I read in one sitting, although not a pacy read it is full of intrigue. It also didn't go as I thought it would. SPOILER ALERT (sorry) I really wanted a happy reunion, but I feel with the ending there could be a follow-up and I would love to read more about Cal. He is a character full of promise, and is quite easy an entry into a readers 'book boyfriends list'.
I loved this book, and only sorry I haven't come across it before. Mark Douglas-Home is an author that I will be looking out for in the future.
Violet receives a visit that will change her life, put her in danger and put her in contact with the charismatic Cal McGill.
Cal is an oceanographer, and this piqued my interest.
Set in a fictional but beautiful part of Scotland, I was glad that Douglas-Home refrained from using 'Scottish dialect', although his brilliant writing style does give Poltown a realistic feel.
A novel that gives revenge, secrets and murder it is one that I read in one sitting, although not a pacy read it is full of intrigue. It also didn't go as I thought it would. SPOILER ALERT (sorry) I really wanted a happy reunion, but I feel with the ending there could be a follow-up and I would love to read more about Cal. He is a character full of promise, and is quite easy an entry into a readers 'book boyfriends list'.
I loved this book, and only sorry I haven't come across it before. Mark Douglas-Home is an author that I will be looking out for in the future.
June 2, 2016
Really good! Long buried secrets come to light in a beautiful setting. Love the Sea Detective Mysteries, can't wait to read the third one now!
January 31, 2016
A decent enough whodunit mystery, probably not enough action for me I'm used to more dead bodies, enjoyable enough though
November 14, 2017
Poltown
Eine alte Freundin seiner Eltern ist verstorben und Cal McGill nimmt an der Bestattung teil. Dort hilft er einer alten Frau, die von der Gemeinde seltsam abweisend behandelt wird. Nur wenig später sieht er am Strand eine junge Frau, die aufs Meer hinausblickt. Violet Wells wurde adoptiert, erst jetzt hat sie erfahren, dass sie an einem Krankenhaus ausgesetzt wurde und laut einem anonymen Brief soll ihr Vater einer der angesehensten Bewohner des Ortes Poltown gewesen sein. Violet beginnt mit Nachforschungen, was an dieser Geschichte dran sein könnte. Vorsichtig möchte sie vorgehen, nichts aufrühren, aber dennoch brennt sie darauf, das Geheimnis ihrer Herkunft zu lüften.
Zum zweiten Mal beschäftigt sich der Ozeanograph Cal McGill mit einer Ermittlung nach den Umständen eines Todesfalls. Schon vor sechsundzwanzig Jahren verschwand die junge Frau im Meer. Nur ein Kleid und ihre Tasche wurden am Strand angespült. Die Polizei entschied damals, es könne sich nur um einen Selbstmord gehandelt haben. Auf Fragen jedoch reagieren die Bewohner so zurückhaltend, wenn nicht gar abweisend, dass Cal vermutet, es müsse doch mehr hinter den bekannten Fakten stecken. Seine flüchtige Bekanntschaft mit Violet, die sich nur nach und nach etwas öffnet, bestätigt Cals Gedankengänge.
Ist es möglich, wenn schon so viel Zeit vergangen ist, das Schicksal der verschwundenen Frau aufzuklären? Warum schweigen die Menschen, die sie eigentlich gekannt haben müssten? Hatte sie keine Freunde, die sich um sie gesorgt hätten? Je weniger man erfährt, desto neugieriger wird man. Was ist hinter der Fassade der nichtssagenden Freundlichkeit verborgen? Man möchte nachbohren. Man möchte wissen, wie Anspielungen zu deuten sind. Zwar fehlt etwas die Brisanz eines aktuellen Ereignisses, doch geschickt sind Vergangenheit und Gegenwart verbunden. Bande der Abhängigkeiten, die vor Jahren geknüpft wurden, wirken sich bis zu den heutigen Tagen aus. Welch eine Nachwirkung hat ein vergangenes Ereignis, kann ein Unrecht wieder gut gemacht werden, durch einen Brief, der auch nicht aus den besten Motiven entstanden ist. Vertuschung, Neid und Missgunst, Abhängigkeiten und ungute Beziehungen. Poltown ist ein Ort, an dem man nicht leben möchte, von dem es aber sehr spannend ist zu lesen und wo schließlich doch alles anders war, als man selbst erraten könnte.
Rezi zur deutschsprachigen Ausgabe Sea Detective Der Sog der Tiefe (ISBN: 978-3-499-27247-9)
Eine alte Freundin seiner Eltern ist verstorben und Cal McGill nimmt an der Bestattung teil. Dort hilft er einer alten Frau, die von der Gemeinde seltsam abweisend behandelt wird. Nur wenig später sieht er am Strand eine junge Frau, die aufs Meer hinausblickt. Violet Wells wurde adoptiert, erst jetzt hat sie erfahren, dass sie an einem Krankenhaus ausgesetzt wurde und laut einem anonymen Brief soll ihr Vater einer der angesehensten Bewohner des Ortes Poltown gewesen sein. Violet beginnt mit Nachforschungen, was an dieser Geschichte dran sein könnte. Vorsichtig möchte sie vorgehen, nichts aufrühren, aber dennoch brennt sie darauf, das Geheimnis ihrer Herkunft zu lüften.
Zum zweiten Mal beschäftigt sich der Ozeanograph Cal McGill mit einer Ermittlung nach den Umständen eines Todesfalls. Schon vor sechsundzwanzig Jahren verschwand die junge Frau im Meer. Nur ein Kleid und ihre Tasche wurden am Strand angespült. Die Polizei entschied damals, es könne sich nur um einen Selbstmord gehandelt haben. Auf Fragen jedoch reagieren die Bewohner so zurückhaltend, wenn nicht gar abweisend, dass Cal vermutet, es müsse doch mehr hinter den bekannten Fakten stecken. Seine flüchtige Bekanntschaft mit Violet, die sich nur nach und nach etwas öffnet, bestätigt Cals Gedankengänge.
Ist es möglich, wenn schon so viel Zeit vergangen ist, das Schicksal der verschwundenen Frau aufzuklären? Warum schweigen die Menschen, die sie eigentlich gekannt haben müssten? Hatte sie keine Freunde, die sich um sie gesorgt hätten? Je weniger man erfährt, desto neugieriger wird man. Was ist hinter der Fassade der nichtssagenden Freundlichkeit verborgen? Man möchte nachbohren. Man möchte wissen, wie Anspielungen zu deuten sind. Zwar fehlt etwas die Brisanz eines aktuellen Ereignisses, doch geschickt sind Vergangenheit und Gegenwart verbunden. Bande der Abhängigkeiten, die vor Jahren geknüpft wurden, wirken sich bis zu den heutigen Tagen aus. Welch eine Nachwirkung hat ein vergangenes Ereignis, kann ein Unrecht wieder gut gemacht werden, durch einen Brief, der auch nicht aus den besten Motiven entstanden ist. Vertuschung, Neid und Missgunst, Abhängigkeiten und ungute Beziehungen. Poltown ist ein Ort, an dem man nicht leben möchte, von dem es aber sehr spannend ist zu lesen und wo schließlich doch alles anders war, als man selbst erraten könnte.
Rezi zur deutschsprachigen Ausgabe Sea Detective Der Sog der Tiefe (ISBN: 978-3-499-27247-9)
October 8, 2018
A good follow up to the first Cal McGill story, an anonymous letter triggers a mystery about the mother of a baby abandoned outside a hospital in Inverness 30 years earlier.
June 22, 2021
Another great book in this series which features oceanographer Cal McGill....bring on the next one!
June 7, 2016
A favorite line from book: " For Mrs Anderson, vengeance was an overdue visitor and it did not come as a horned, horrible creature but as a glorious butterfly."
Vengeance and resentment can be powerful. Revenge started the storyline in The Woman Who Walked into the Sea. A young woman was seen twenty six years ago walking into the sea. She was never seen again and the police determined it must have been a suicide.
Now in current time a young single woman named Violet who has a child receives an anonymous letter that her social worker brought to her. Violet , a new born, was dropped off at a hospital in Inverness twenty six years ago.. The letter went on to say that her mother was Megan Bates, the woman who disappeared into the sea. She lived in Polton. Violet matches a violet brooch that was left with her when she was abandoned to a photo of Megan who is wearing that brooch. Violet then travels to Polton to learn more about her mother.
Cal McGill, an oceanographer travels to Polton at the same time to talk to a life long beach comber who found something special on the beach. Cal has a reputation for tracking bodies that have gone into the sea.
This book was character driven. Below are several of the secondary characters who were well fleshed out. I could see the characters and the location.
Duncan Boyd-an eccentric beach comber
Jim Anderson-a delivery man with a taste for whiskey
Mrs Anderson- a former housekeeper for a wealthy family
Fiona Bell-the local doctor-only featured a brief time but I could visualize her very well as she made her country visits
Polton was a character too. It was a gray and dismal town with economic problems.
I read the first book The Sea Detective and liked it very much. This book was different in that it revolved around Violet on her search for answers with Cal as her friend. I enjoyed it as much as the first book even though they were different in that aspect. As the story unfolded, clues with given out as what might have happened to Megan but the total story was given out at the end. It was a read that one could curl up with and relish the written word. If you like mysteries that are strong in characterizations and a sense of location you should enjoy this book. I do believe I have found a new favorite author
Vengeance and resentment can be powerful. Revenge started the storyline in The Woman Who Walked into the Sea. A young woman was seen twenty six years ago walking into the sea. She was never seen again and the police determined it must have been a suicide.
Now in current time a young single woman named Violet who has a child receives an anonymous letter that her social worker brought to her. Violet , a new born, was dropped off at a hospital in Inverness twenty six years ago.. The letter went on to say that her mother was Megan Bates, the woman who disappeared into the sea. She lived in Polton. Violet matches a violet brooch that was left with her when she was abandoned to a photo of Megan who is wearing that brooch. Violet then travels to Polton to learn more about her mother.
Cal McGill, an oceanographer travels to Polton at the same time to talk to a life long beach comber who found something special on the beach. Cal has a reputation for tracking bodies that have gone into the sea.
This book was character driven. Below are several of the secondary characters who were well fleshed out. I could see the characters and the location.
Duncan Boyd-an eccentric beach comber
Jim Anderson-a delivery man with a taste for whiskey
Mrs Anderson- a former housekeeper for a wealthy family
Fiona Bell-the local doctor-only featured a brief time but I could visualize her very well as she made her country visits
Polton was a character too. It was a gray and dismal town with economic problems.
I read the first book The Sea Detective and liked it very much. This book was different in that it revolved around Violet on her search for answers with Cal as her friend. I enjoyed it as much as the first book even though they were different in that aspect. As the story unfolded, clues with given out as what might have happened to Megan but the total story was given out at the end. It was a read that one could curl up with and relish the written word. If you like mysteries that are strong in characterizations and a sense of location you should enjoy this book. I do believe I have found a new favorite author
March 2, 2016
I have to say that I was a little disappointed with this. That's not to say that the plot wasn't original and engaging, or that the setting wasn't as magical and inventive just as the first one. This one too was well researched and clever.
However, the thing that I felt let it down was that it really didn't feature our hero, Cal McGill, all that much. Certainly he wasn't as integral to the story as he was in the first novel, and here he did seem to be lingering on the sidelines a little.
Also, though we got a good idea as to why he happened to be in the small town where this novel is set, there wasn't as much development of his character as I'd have liked, certainly we know how his marriage turned out but not much more than that.
Given what Cal's specialty is, it would be hard to write a novel where the investigation isn't largely historical in nature, but I do hope that in any further novels we do see a bit more of the Sea Detective, as I love the concept so very much and really enjoyed the first novel.
However, the thing that I felt let it down was that it really didn't feature our hero, Cal McGill, all that much. Certainly he wasn't as integral to the story as he was in the first novel, and here he did seem to be lingering on the sidelines a little.
Also, though we got a good idea as to why he happened to be in the small town where this novel is set, there wasn't as much development of his character as I'd have liked, certainly we know how his marriage turned out but not much more than that.
Given what Cal's specialty is, it would be hard to write a novel where the investigation isn't largely historical in nature, but I do hope that in any further novels we do see a bit more of the Sea Detective, as I love the concept so very much and really enjoyed the first novel.
June 28, 2017
Totally underwhelming, I'm sorry to say. It's not badly written, it's just not very exciting or intriguing and the characters are not appealing. As for the "sea detective" angle, apart from some brief mumbo jumbo about tides and patterns, Cal McGill's profession seems pretty irrelevant.
I don't read many thrillers but I think this is a weak, tame effort compared to the ones I have read, which I suppose must have some appeal somewhere?
I don't read many thrillers but I think this is a weak, tame effort compared to the ones I have read, which I suppose must have some appeal somewhere?
January 15, 2017
Another great read... this one started slower than the first in the series, but I was gripped with the mystery and thoroughly enjoyed it unravelling. So many secrets and lies from a multitude of characters.
Really looking forward to continuing the series!
4 stars!
Really looking forward to continuing the series!
4 stars!
March 26, 2015
Didn't really get into this book. It was a bit of a relief when I finished reading it.
March 11, 2016
Not enough Cal McGill.
June 30, 2025
Really enjoyed this storyline although not unique but I found the information about tides and winds and how they worked together fascinating.
We take for granted a natural phenomenon that is occurring 24 hours a day and which can impact on so many incidents in and around water.
Characters were well created and I did not guess as to what really happened to Megan and the characters involved until the very end.
Looking forward to starting the next book in the series 👍🏻
We take for granted a natural phenomenon that is occurring 24 hours a day and which can impact on so many incidents in and around water.
Characters were well created and I did not guess as to what really happened to Megan and the characters involved until the very end.
Looking forward to starting the next book in the series 👍🏻
April 29, 2018
Solid 4 stars. Good page turner. Interesting characters. Some at the edge of your seat moments.
The audio narrator was good.
The audio narrator was good.
May 19, 2024
A 3 for me. Good easy read - better than the first one. I’ll read the others - but not in a rush. The stories are still a little bit too OTT but it was an improvement on the first.
November 18, 2025
i preferred this to the first one in the series. the story line was a lot more connected and Cal grew on me but also wasn’t quite sure why he was there reallyyyy.
June 23, 2016
I'm glad to report that The Woman Who Walked into the Sea did not meet my expectations-- it exceeded them. Expecting to read the second book in a mystery series featuring the same cast and location as in the book before it, I found something new. Yes, Cal McGill is still with us, thank goodness, but he's set down in the midst of a brand-new locale and a secondary cast filled with memorable characters.
The author brings his setting to life, so much so that I could almost smell the sea air and hear the crash of the waves and the cry of the birds. With the village being promised new life due to a proposed offshore wind farm, there's an ecological element to this second mystery, too, reminding those of us who have read The Sea Detective of Cal's strong beliefs on the subject.
Douglas-Home is so very adept at weaving together a complex story without bogging down the pace or the readability. He explores many questions relating to a complicit village whose residents always seem willing to believe the worst. He shows how secrets can twist in upon themselves and fester, and with surgical precision, he shows how love can be unbelievably cruel.
This complicated tale is carried on the strong shoulders of a vivid cast of characters: the heartsick Cal, Violet who wants an end to secrets, Mr. Anwar who only wants to do what's right, the malevolent Mrs. Anderson, the vibrant little Anna, and Ross Turnbull-- perhaps the most surprising character of them all. The setting, the story, the characters, are all woven together so tightly and so beautifully... definitely one of my best reading experiences so far this year.
Since the author seems to be avoiding any real kind of formula for writing his books, I can't wait to see what he's done with book number three: The Malice of Waves. How lucky I am to have found these books!
The author brings his setting to life, so much so that I could almost smell the sea air and hear the crash of the waves and the cry of the birds. With the village being promised new life due to a proposed offshore wind farm, there's an ecological element to this second mystery, too, reminding those of us who have read The Sea Detective of Cal's strong beliefs on the subject.
Douglas-Home is so very adept at weaving together a complex story without bogging down the pace or the readability. He explores many questions relating to a complicit village whose residents always seem willing to believe the worst. He shows how secrets can twist in upon themselves and fester, and with surgical precision, he shows how love can be unbelievably cruel.
This complicated tale is carried on the strong shoulders of a vivid cast of characters: the heartsick Cal, Violet who wants an end to secrets, Mr. Anwar who only wants to do what's right, the malevolent Mrs. Anderson, the vibrant little Anna, and Ross Turnbull-- perhaps the most surprising character of them all. The setting, the story, the characters, are all woven together so tightly and so beautifully... definitely one of my best reading experiences so far this year.
Since the author seems to be avoiding any real kind of formula for writing his books, I can't wait to see what he's done with book number three: The Malice of Waves. How lucky I am to have found these books!
December 5, 2014
The second Sea Detective book follows a similar approach to the first - set in the present day, but digging up and unravelling a wrong done in the past. But that's where the similarity ends. While The Sea Detective cleverly interlaced several narrative strands and had a cast of characters varied enough to keep your interest, The Woman Who Walked Into The Sea labours through a straightforward linear story that could have been told much quicker without the extraneous padding. The sea detective himself is a bit player in this book - just happening to be in town as everything starts to kick off - and his detective work amounts to floating a couple of oranges. The rest if his time is spent either asleep in his pick up truck or sat on its bonnet brooding. For me that's probably the biggest crime of the book, since he's by far the most interesting character and a whole book's gone by where we've learned little more about him than we did in he first.
April 6, 2023
Not as amazing as the debut 'The Sea Detective', I found this novel to be lacking in the aspects that so endeared the character of Cal McGill to me. There was less focus on the oceanography, less focus on Cal himself, and sadly more of a shift towards the Scottish small-island detective fiction novels which I don't find very 'fresh' in terms of originality and intrigue. I know Douglas-Home is capable of writing far better and I do wonder if the genre-fiction 'house style' as it were, got in the way of his originality here.
The love-interest secondary storyline did nothing for me whatsoever, sadly, but the main storyline was still quite interesting, despite it finishing in a slightly predictable way.
I hope Cal's return sees him taking a more prominent role in something decidedly sea-faring and awesome.
The love-interest secondary storyline did nothing for me whatsoever, sadly, but the main storyline was still quite interesting, despite it finishing in a slightly predictable way.
I hope Cal's return sees him taking a more prominent role in something decidedly sea-faring and awesome.
January 23, 2016
An Unexpected New Read
I chose this book on the recommendation of Goodread's. I enjoy crime fictioo but the central character has to engage me as much as much as the mystery does. It is rare to find a new way of looking into a crime and the idea of tidal flows and what part the environment plays was an interesting way in. I found myself fascinated with the science of it - probably not a surprise since my father works in river and land drainage. I will be reading the others next.
I chose this book on the recommendation of Goodread's. I enjoy crime fictioo but the central character has to engage me as much as much as the mystery does. It is rare to find a new way of looking into a crime and the idea of tidal flows and what part the environment plays was an interesting way in. I found myself fascinated with the science of it - probably not a surprise since my father works in river and land drainage. I will be reading the others next.
October 18, 2019
A workmanlike second effort
This book is the second in a new series centering around oceanographer Cal McLain. The plotting and dialogue are good and the story is solid.However, the book is not as dazzling and unique as the first book.There was not as much focus on Cal and a potential relationship with Detective Jamieson was not pursued. I am interested to see the direction of the third book in the series.
This book is the second in a new series centering around oceanographer Cal McLain. The plotting and dialogue are good and the story is solid.However, the book is not as dazzling and unique as the first book.There was not as much focus on Cal and a potential relationship with Detective Jamieson was not pursued. I am interested to see the direction of the third book in the series.
January 14, 2016
Won this book on first-reads, was a slow book for me still worth a read.
January 30, 2016
Such a disappointing sequel; many favorite characters were not there and new ones were uninteresting and unsympathetic.
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