THE HOUSE BETWEEN TIDES by Sarah Maine
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

THE HOUSE OF TIDES drew me in with its eerie crumbling mansion complete with a mysterious skeleton hidden inside. The story is set in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland, and the land upon which Muirlan House sits is only accessible when the tides are out. The author created a wonderfully creepy Gothic atmosphere with this tumbledown house and isolated location.

The story alternates between different time periods – 2010, when Hetty inherits the house, and at the turn of the last century, when artist Theo Blake lived there with his young wife, Beatrice. While the murder mystery was intriguing, I had a hard time clicking with the characters, especially Hetty, who acted like a meek doormat a lot of the time. Beatrice was my favorite by far, she had spirit, though all the talk about Theo’s bird obsession slowed the pace down.

This book is a nice mix of quiet mystery/suspense, romance, and historical fiction. A bit slow in parts, but still kept me curious about the ending. 3.5 stars.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.