The Keeping Place by Mae Clair
What Amazon says
In the town of Hornwood, the past is always present . . .
Nicole Seabrooke has been wracked with guilt since the night of her younger sister’s disappearance ten years ago. Her mother, Glory, tasked her with watching over Janie. Instead, Nicole dragged her to a high school party, then failed to keep an eye on her. Police believed she drowned, but her body was never found.
A decade later, her remains are discovered.
Nicole returns to Hornwood when new evidence indicates Janie’s death may have been a homicide. With the help of Detective Vin McCain, her high school boyfriend, Nicole begins to piece together what took place the night her sister disappeared—a task that further complicates her relationship with Glory and places Nicole in the crosshairs of a killer. One who will do whatever it takes to keep the truth about Janie’s death from being revealed.
Even if it means killing again.
My review
The Keeping Place is a murder mystery told on a dual timeline. It is also a family drama which details the impact that egos, deception, and selfishness can have on relationships, both inside and outside a family.
Nicole Seabrooke fled her home town of Hornwood ten years earlier when her younger sister, Janie, drowned on her watch. Janie’s body was never found. In the process of running from her home and town, Nicole turned her back on her mother, boyfriend, and best friend. Unfortunately, she couldn’t escape her own guilt by fleeing the scene, and the events of the terrible night have haunted her ever since. Now Janie’s body has been discovered in a most unexpected place and a lot of new questions have been raised about the night Janie died.
I have read other novels by this author, and I enjoy her dual timelines very much. In this case, the happenings in the past were revealed from the point of view of Janie. The present timelines was presented from the point of view of Nicole. It worked very well for me. Another strength of this author are her excellent characterisations.
Nicole has spent ten years carrying around a burden of guilt about her sister’s death. She destroyed her love relationship and gave up on her academic dreams when she fled her home. Perceived rejection by her mother is also a destructive mental belief. Nicole is a mess. Despite all her anguish and inner turmoil, Nicole decides to return home an attend Janie’s funeral. This was a brave thing for her to do and from that decision onwards, Nicole’s character continues to grow as she faces relationships and events from her youth.
Janie was the most interesting character for me. I found her quite relatable with her unusual interests and different way of viewing life. These things made her a bit of an outsider with the other kids her age and she is a lonely girl. Her anxieties about her place in the world and curiosity, empathy, and fear over her unexpected acquaintanceship with a woman who purportedly commits suicide, are beautifully described. Janie’s death at the time of its occurrence is a real tragedy to the reader even though it is a known fact at the beginning of the book.
Glory, the mother of Nicole and Janie, is a self absorbed and rather spoiled woman. Very beautiful in her youth and having nearly made it to star status in Hollywood, her disappointments appear to have dominated her whole life. However, as the story unfolds, more of Glory’s motivations and emotions are revealed and she is somewhat redeemed by the end of the book. A lingering irritation at her irresponsibility and selfishness did remain for me, but her depiction is typical, for me, of the type of woman she was.
While I have focused on characterisations in this review, the storyline is interesting and fast paced. I did guess who the killer was as soon as the character was introduced, but I wasn’t completely sure until the end. I have read so many murder mysteries, the subtle hints are fairly obvious to me. Notwithstanding this, I thought this book was an excellent read.
Amazon US purchase link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CVCLX8P4
Mae Clair’s Amazon US Author Profile: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Mae-Clair/author/B009I61ND0
The Room at the End by Harmony Kent
What Amazon says
The Harbor Pointe Inn has loomed on California’s cliffs for generations of Hawthornes. For some, it’s been a blessing. For others, a curse. Travel through two centuries of stories to discover the old inn’s secrets.
When guilt-ridden Mia checks in to a suicide hotel, but can’t go through with the final act, vengeful ghosts gather to torment her.
Set in the near future, the post-war world is in turmoil.
Mia Hawthorne suffers an emotional breakdown, following the death of her wife, and loses everything to a corrupt government.
In an ironic twist of fate, the government suicide department, The Last Sanctuary, allocates a desperate and destitute Mia to the very hotel and family heirloom which she has so recently lost.
On her first day at the Lighthouse Inn, beset with painful memories, doubts, and questions, Mia finds herself coming face to face with angry ghosts, who gather to goad and torment her.
Lost and alone, can Mia find enough strength and purpose to avoid her final, frightful fate?
Possible Trigger Warnings:
This novella contains many references to suicide and suicidal thoughts. It also references off-page bereavement and off-page female to female marriage.
Some references to violence are mentioned, but remain vague and mostly off-page.
No profanity is used.
If any of these are likely to trigger you, please use your discretion when purchasing/reading this book.
My review
The Room at the End is the final novella in the Harbor Pointe Series. It is a dystopian story set in a future world dominated by AI and a ‘Big Brother’ type of government. I thought this futurist setting for the final story was a great choice, and as a big fan of dystopian books, the storyline and setting worked very well for me. The plot also involves a strong paranormal element which is another big plus for me. The ghosts also tied this novella firmly in with the storylines and concepts of its predecessor novellas in the series.
Mai Hawthorne has suffered the loss of her wife to suicide. With no other obvious explanation, Mia blames herself for this death and her life spirals down into depression and an inability to cope or take appropriate action in her business. Mia is the owner of the Harbor Pointe Inn at the time of her partner’s suicide. The novella starts with Mia having lost her business to the greedy, post apocalyptic government of the time which controls surviving humans through AI and robotics. Having elected to end her life, Mia has been sent to Harbor Pointe Inn by the government’s suicide department. There, she is expected to do the deed within a short period and all of her expenses are paid for by the government.
As soon as she arrives, Mia becomes aware of various ghosts, malevolent and benevolent, who haunt the lighthouse keeper’s cottage which has been allocated to her. With the help of an abandoned puppy, Mia must face the various ghosts and uncover the truth about her wife’s death. Will her discoveries change her mind about committing suicide? Is it to late? You’ll have to read this intense and fascinating novella to find out.
Amazon US purchase link: https://www.amazon.com/Room-End-Harbor-Pointe-Book-ebook/dp/B0CCSFMC8J
Harmony Kent’s Amazon US Author Profile: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Harmony-Kent/author/B00CO0AR7U
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