A gripping contemporary murder mystery set in rural Newfoundland from
the author of Last Lullaby
Nothing exciting ever happens on Darby's Island, Newfoundland. That is
until one summer afternoon in 1975 when a Chevy towing a trailer drives
off the ferry. The Great Prospero, Hypnotist and Magician is printed
in large red letters across the side. People on the island are thrilled
that the renowned Prospero is going to perform at the community hall.
However, after the hypnotist suggests his subjects are seagulls, Jake
Pickford, with arms flapping, leaves the building and does not return to
the stage. That same evening, the archbishop is found stabbed to death
on the beach. Hours later, Jake becomes the number-one suspect. The only
problem: he can't remember anything.
When RCMP officer Blanche Ste Croix is called back to her hometown,
she's girded herself for the inevitable confrontation with her
mother-in-law. But when a storm prevents the forensics team from
reaching Darby's Island, Blanche finds herself instead leading her first
murder investigation. Over the course of one rainy weekend, she
questions family, friends, and the cast of oddballs camped on the beach.
At the same time as she's working to prove herself as a police officer,
Blanche is forced to face the traumatic events of a decade earlier that
took her away from the island in the first place.
As she conducts interviews and proceeds with the investigation, she
uncovers secrets, coverups, and no shortage of suspects. Even the
archbishop has his share of skeletons in his closet. But when the truth
comes to light, it is more sinister than anyone could have imagined.
In her follow-up to Last Lullaby, Alice Walsh gives us another tightly
plotted mystery whose small-town charm is just the tip of the iceberg.
