Book Review - Granite Harbor by Peter Nichols

 

Granite Harbor by Peter Nichols is about a small Maine coastal town that is devastated when a local teenager is found brutally murdered. Granite Harbor was a quiet town where nothing much really went on. They have only one detective, Alex Brangwen, on the payroll as there was never any need for a larger detective team. That is, until one day a local found a dead teenager in the Settlement. The Settlement is the town’s historic archaeological site.

Alex is adjusting to life as a single father and his stalled writing career. This is his first murder case as a detective. The case is also personal for him because the murdered teenager was a friend of his teenage daughter, Sophie. Alex knows that the town residents will expect him to catch the killer and appease their fear after the tragic event.

Isabel is a single mother to Ethan. She was a teacher but was fired unexpectedly and has been working to support her family at the Settlement. She is trying to work on herself and is struggling with her own demons.  She finds herself in the middle of the case as her son was best friends with the victim. When another victim is found, both Alex and Isabel are worried that their child might be next. Will Alex be able to find out the truth behind the murders?

I thought the book was an okay read. I could guess the ending because there were clues given to the killer's identity. However, the motive and some elements of the book got me confused. I wasn’t sure if this was supposed to be a fantasy novel or if some of the characters just imagined animals talking to them or having special powers.

I didn’t care for any of the characters. I felt that they were quite dull. I was surprised that Alex as a detective would share some details of the investigation with select people.  However, with others, he would say that he is a detective and the case was a police matter, even though both groups of people were civilians. Readers who enjoy murder mystery with hints of fantasy elements might enjoy this book more than I did.