Many thanks to my friends at @marinerbooks for the free #gifted copy of this read.

 

When a famous artist’s exhibit is believed to contain a human bone, suspicions arise.  Could that bone be a clue from her husband’s disappearance decades before?

And now, with the artist deceased, how far will her longtime companion go to protect and hone the artist’s legacy in light of the new suspicions?

 

More psychological suspense than thriller, Hawkins delivers a dark and chilling tale of twisted truths.  The writing is taut and edgy creating an intense moodiness that kept me entranced. 

 

The richly drawn characters intrigued.  None were particularly likeable, but each was complex and deeply flawed and full of passion.  They felt agonizingly realistic, and I was fascinated by the way they propelled the storyline with sharp focus and nuance.

 

The real star of the narrative, however, is Enis, the Scottish tidal island only accessible twice a day for six hours each.  Once inhabited by the enigmatic artist at the center of the mystery, the island boasts a rugged landscape as beautiful as it is ominous. This place, regularly battered by the elements, holds tight to its secrets and breathes anguish and despair over the storyline.  In truth, the storyline becomes secondary to the atmosphere even as the mood enhances the plotting.   

 

At times, the layered plot felt a bit overwrought.  And yet, that density allowed a casualness to the unfolding which, in the end, amplified the harshness of the conclusion in a way that stunned and satisfied.  

 

I finished this atmospheric mystery just as the calendar turned to October, and for me, it set the perfect mood for the month ahead.