Monday 30 May 2022

All the Murmuring Bones / A.G. Slatter

 

4 out of 5 stars

Each May, I try to read a book or two featuring mermaids and occasionally mermen. It's my version of MerMay. This dark fantasy tale was very entertaining, mimicking both the fairy tale and the gothic romance, switching between them at will. Just when I thought I knew where things were going, hey presto! The author would send me back the other way with a new bit of knowledge to try to fit in the puzzle.

You know the old saying, when something seems too good to be true, it probably isn't true? The good fortune of the O'Malley family is one of those things. Sure, they've been successful, but at what cost? Miren O'Malley has always been told that her parents died when she was a baby, but when her grandfather dies, she searches through his papers and discovers letters from her missing mother. Then her tough-as-nails grandmother makes it clear that Miren will be marrying her cousin, Aidan, a cruel man who has made it clear that he enjoys hurting her.

But grandparents have trained Miren too well and she is not some helpless waif. She is a determined young woman with talents, wits, and her grandfather's ivory handled pen knife. Her parents are out there somewhere and if she's clever, she'll find them and evade Aidan.

Lots of twists and turns, complete with ruthless mer, creepy ghosts, and horrible family members. Since I got only one MerMay book this year, I am glad it was this one!

No comments:

Post a Comment