It would be understandable if readers assumed I had miswritten the author’s name. The book shares a title and a similar setting to the trilogy by author Peter May, but this review refers to The Blackhouse by Carole Johnstone. Set in a fictional island near the isle of Harris in Scotland, the author splits between a current day protagonist (Maggie) and a man who died 25 years in the past (Robert/Andrew). Maggie comes to the island trying to determine if he was murdered and if she is him reincarnated.
That sounds cheesy, but I promise it isn’t. The book takes an interesting premise that many people may have experienced – a young child they know talking about people or places they couldn’t possibly know – and following through what might happen if you looked into it. Maggie and Robert/Andrew are both damaged but sympathetic characters, and each try to change the mistakes and harm their parents inflicted upon them. As Maggie gets to know the island, the small community on it, and the truth of Robert/Andrew’s death, she must deal with her own trauma. Meanwhile, the reader is gets descriptions of a wild Atlantic island.
Overall, a satisfying read.