7 member(s) found this review helpful.
Historical mystery set in coastal NY after WWII. This book was a slow starter; I nearly gave up after 40 or 50 pages, but I'm glad I didn't because at some point I found myself totally sucked in and the book got very difficult to put down. Story of a young socialite found drowned off the coast of Long Island, hauled in by two fishermen when her body became tangled in their nets. The medical examiner lists it as an accidental drowning, but Deputy Hollis has a feeling that she didn't die of natural causes although there are no overt signs of foul play. He's ordered to leave the case alone but investigates on his own. Told from the perspective of Hollis as well as Conrad Labarde, one of the fishermen who found the body. Lots of flashbacking and backstory explanations which did get a little tedious and distracting over time but on the other hand, also helped to really flesh out the main characters.
4 member(s) found this review helpful.
A very character driven and slowed paced mystery set in post WWII Long Island.
I really enjoyed this book. The pacing was slow, the characterization rich and the mystery quite involving. It's was also set in Long Island, where I live, in one of my favorite areas of the island - so I 'knew' many of the places mentioned in the book.
When Conrad Labarde is out fishing one morning he finds the body of Lily Wallace - the daughter of one of the wealthier 'summer people'. The local police officer, Tom Hollis, a recent NYC transplant is willing to accept the coroner's cause of death as suicide by drowning, until Conrad begins to point out some conflicting evidence. Conrad then mentions one name to Hollis, Lizzie Jenks, a young victim of a hit and run two years earlier. What does Lillian have to do with Lizzie and more to the point what does Conrad know about it?
Very complex, beautifully written and well researched this is a book to savor. The portrait of the Long Island fisherman, once the main livelihood of the east coast, now virtually extinct, is fascinating in and of itself. Not for lovers of slash and burn thrillers, this is a more literary take on a murder mystery.
I really enjoyed this book. The pacing was slow, the characterization rich and the mystery quite involving. It's was also set in Long Island, where I live, in one of my favorite areas of the island - so I 'knew' many of the places mentioned in the book.
When Conrad Labarde is out fishing one morning he finds the body of Lily Wallace - the daughter of one of the wealthier 'summer people'. The local police officer, Tom Hollis, a recent NYC transplant is willing to accept the coroner's cause of death as suicide by drowning, until Conrad begins to point out some conflicting evidence. Conrad then mentions one name to Hollis, Lizzie Jenks, a young victim of a hit and run two years earlier. What does Lillian have to do with Lizzie and more to the point what does Conrad know about it?
Very complex, beautifully written and well researched this is a book to savor. The portrait of the Long Island fisherman, once the main livelihood of the east coast, now virtually extinct, is fascinating in and of itself. Not for lovers of slash and burn thrillers, this is a more literary take on a murder mystery.
3 member(s) found this review helpful.
Story was a bit slow but excellent imagery. Overall, an ok quick read.
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
Good character development and insights into the lives of the rich and not so rich as the Hamptons are developing after the war.
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
From the back cover..."Conrad Labrande is a 1st generation Basque fisherman who casts his nets in the treacherous waters og the Atlantic. He is a working class man in a region of Long Island sharply divided between those who inhabit this isolated finger of land year-round, and the wealthy who claim it every summer. But in post-war America, the landscape is changing quickly. And lives too will change - affecting everyone in the community - when Conrad's nets pull in the body of a beautiful young woman, seaweed twined in her hair..."
Wonderful book full of strong character development and vivid desciptions of life in Amagansett. Neat combination of a love story, murder, secrets and betrayal.
Wonderful book full of strong character development and vivid desciptions of life in Amagansett. Neat combination of a love story, murder, secrets and betrayal.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
This story develops slowly yet pulled me right in and held me there. Plenty of suspense and masterful character development.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Absorbing mystery novel, well written, a bit more here than the traditional mystery.
Loved it.
The copy I am posting is an uncorrected reader's proof.
Loved it. need more. was disppointed when it ended.
I didn't get past the first chapter. Too slow for me.
Very good read.
A great combination of mystery, relationships and Long Island history.
Conrad Labarde is a first-generation Basque fisherman who casts his nets in the treacherous waters of the Atlantic. He is a working-class man in a region of Long Island sharply divided between those who inhabit this isolated finger of land year-round and the weathly who claim it every summer. But in postwar America, the landscape is changing quickly. And lives too whill change -- affecting everyone in the community -- when Conrad's nets pull in the body of a beautiful young woman.
This book is GREAT!!!! Quick read, great story.