The Smugglers Daughter is a mix of Timeslip Mystery and Historical Fiction, and I rather think that Kerry Barrett has got the merging of the two such different genre's spot on. I am a fickle reader when it comes to Time-slip Fiction, I love this genre but there are times where I do get disappointed that I don't love what I am reading as much as I probably should, but I need not worry about this book. The author has done a wonderful job, the past merging with the present so beautifully.

This book tells the story of two women; Emily in 1799 and Phoebe in the present day. Emily, lives in a little inn on the coast of Cornwall, after her father's murder her mother decides the only relationship she needs or wants is that of a bottle. Emily finds herself in a precarious position, she witnessed the murder of her father by the smugglers who are currently using their cliff top as a way to send out secret signals, which is the reason why her father was silenced and now her mother has decided to keep quiet while drinking her way through all of the booze in Cornwall it is only Emily who knows the truth and only her who wants vengeance for her father's death. She wants the answer to her father's death, why did they kill him? But will her wanting the truth and wanting her fathers killer brought to justice mean trouble for Emily?

Phoebe is currently working in the police and after an incredibly hard case involving a missing girl which has pushed her to places, she would have prefered not to go. Phoebe's darkened mind into even murkier waters, she know for the sake of her mental health she needs to take a breather and take a stock of her life. She finds herself staying with a friend in Cornwall but when she comes across the mystery of a missing girl called Emily over two hundred years ago in that very part of Cornwall she is intrigued. She starts looking into Emily Moon and what happened to her, but in doing so she finds herself getting dragged further into the deadly waters that are smugglers and history as certain things don't stay buried forever and soon Phoebe realises that she may just be in danger.

The Smuggler's Daughter is a brilliant historical mystery with a 21st-century twist, even though the characters are brilliantly portrayed and you instantly feel invested in following their stories the real scene steeler is the setting; the Cornish coast. The author's rich and vivid descriptions of the area past and present are breathtaking, you can almost smell the sea.

I enjoyed flitting back and forth between the past and the present, it was really interesting watching the two stories entwine together, it's very cleverly written how these two women's lives merge into one. I really enjoyed this book, it's dramatic and entertaining and keep you turning the pages.

The Smuggler's Daughter is n engaging and atmospheric historical mystery, which looks at how events of the past can impact the future.

Firstly let me start by saying I love this cover, it is so beautiful and has a great gothic feel to it. After seeing it I wanted to read the book without even looking at the synopsis.

The story starts in 1799's on the rugged Cornish coast. Emily Moon lives with her parents who run the local Ship Inn. When Emily's father disappears, her Mother hits the bottle trying to drown her sorry but Emily know he didn't just disappear, as she saw him being murdered. Determined to find out the truth Emily and her friend Arthur try to being the murderer who is a local smuggler to justice.

Whilst all this is happening in the background we are also following the modern day story of Phoebe Bellingham a police officer who is taking a break from work with her friend working at the 'Moon Girl Pub' formally known as the Ship Inn. After suffering from PTSD she wants to escape from her local area and her recollection of events but the story of Emily Moon starts merging with hers and she decides she has some detective work to do.

All in all this is a really good book, plenty of sculduggery, an air of mystery and a dash of romance. The book flips from both era's so well the writing it beautiful and both characters make you root for them. It is the first book I have red by the author but it won't be the last.

Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

With inspiration clearly garnered from Du Murier’s Jamaica Inn, it is obvious that the writer enjoyed creating this dual-timeline fiction. I was interested from the beginning, loving the setting and mystery as it becomes clear that not everything is legal by the Cornish coast.

Introduced to Emily Moon, readers learn that this girl has a severe stutter and struggles to speak. Barrett describes how poor Emily’s throat “closes up” and cannot communicate, leaving the rest of the community to consider her dumb and stupid. But this is certainly not the case as, after witnessing her father’s murder, Emily is determined to figure out what is going on along the Cornish coast. Rumours of ghosts haunting the coastline, Emily desires to protect her mother and reveal the truth… if only she could communicate what she has seen.

In the present day, Phoebe moves down to Cornwall with her friend, Liv, who has been given the task of re-modelling the same pub that Emily used to live in. Immediately we are presented with parallels between Phoebe and Emily, and Barrett continues this throughout the narrative. Phoebe, a police officer who needs to take a leave of absence, begins investigating Emily’s life as well as becoming suspicious about several locals who have befriended them and the pub. Like Emily in the eighteenth century, Phoebe is certain that her instinct is accurate and that the locals are not as innocent as they claim.

The parallels between the two stories definitely added to my enjoyment of this timeslip narrative. As Emily’s story develops, it is like Phoebe in present day is experiencing the same things. This added to the magic of both stories and certainly did not feel repetitious or tedious as a result. In contrast, I was excited to see Phoebe experience the same as Emily, especially as it meant that Phoebe would also uncover more truths at the same time.

Furthermore, I loved the Cornish setting. Although set during the summer months, Barrett shows it is still very much typical British weather! I think Barrett really brings the setting alive and I really appreciated reading about the mystery of the coves and how this was used to aid smuggling in the eighteenth century. I like reading historical books and I think is is clear the writer has carried out her research because it felt so believable – particularly with the level of corruption that extends around Emily.

Smuggling is such a romantic topic and this time Barrett presents a more sombre tone which is emphasised by Liv’s involvement in the present-day narrative. There is a mystery behind the coastline and although it surrounds Emily, is more about her silent investigations and the impact of the smuggling. The darkness that is connected to this topic is illustrated by the hidden actions, especially as so much of the crimes depend on tide movement and night-time. Although it was quite clear which direction the plot was headed in, I still found there were enough surprises along the way to keep me interested in Emily and Phoebe’s stories.

This was a great read and has introduced me to a new author whom I am keen to explore of more in the future! I like this dual-timeline and I think the story moves effortlessly between the two periods. The two female protagonists are likeable and I was supporting them in wanting them to find a voice and uncover the truths.

With thanks to HQ Digital and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this!!! Again it had dual time-line which as everyone will know from my previous reviews is a favourite of mine. This book was set in Cornwall high again I’d one of my favourite places in England so, it was a sure fire win for me. This book reminded me of Jamaica Inn which I read years ago and loved. Another new author for me and as usual I will be looking out for more of hers in the future. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Thanks for the opportunity to read this one. Sadly couldn’t get into it but with the author and publisher the very best.

Kerry Barrett’s books are always a delight and this one is no different. A time slip novel set in Cornwall, The Smuggler’s Daughter slips between present day police officer Phoebe joining her friend Liv in a bid to fix up a cornwall pub, and 1700s Emily Moon as she struggles to cope with smugglers impact on her family life in that very same pub. Their stories are tied together, and as Phoebe discovers more about Emily, it reveals that things are still amiss in the pub.
The book was incredibly atmospheric and it was a perfect example of the time slip genre! I really loved Emily, who was so easily dismissed but others as being ‘simple’ or ‘mute’ because she struggled to get the words out sometimes and saw the world a different way. A beautiful book- heartily recommend!

The Smuggler’s Daughter is told from two perspectives. Emily moon in 1799 - a quirky young girl who witnessed her father been murdered, and Phoebe in 2019, a police detective suffering from guilt after a case went tragically wrong. When her best friend asks her to occupy her to Cornwall for her new job she reluctantly agrees, and when she gets there, she gets sucked into Emily Moon’s story. 

I loved the two timelines. It was difficult to get my head around at first, but after a few alternating chapters from each major character, I recognised the differences and followed the story pretty easily. Both had their own storyline that held each perspective together - but it also flowed into one as we find out what happened to Emily Moon. I often thought about how alike the two characters were and how they’d have been good friends if they had lived in the same time period. I loved how the timelines fit side by side, how they each had certain elements in their stories that were similar. 

I loved Emily. She was such an unique character. Labelled as ‘simple‘ by her town, when really she probably had autism. I loved how it showed how people viewed an autistic person in the past and how difficult it must have been to just be thought as stupid. 

The only thing I disliked was sometimes the dialogue felt forced. I would also have liked the author to show me more rather than telling, but apart from that this book was a rollercoaster of a ride - addictive, exciting and pulled at my heartstrings.

Story set in the past and present based round a pub in Cornwall.History appears to be repeating itself with strange goings on at the pub. A good read,tho I had sussed it out quite early on.

The book begins with two deaths, hundreds of years apart, and both have far reaching consequences. Firstly in 1799, Emily Moon who witnesses the brutal murder of her father Amos for not complying with the wishes of a man who wants him to do something illegal.

Then 200 years later, Phoebe, a police officer is called to a missing teenager, however due to the intervention of another person, the girl is found dead and Phoebe blames herself. Her friend Liv has been given a job of managing a pub, The Moon Girl in Cornwall and asks Phoebe to come along. When they get there, it is apparent that the last tenants left in a hurry but why ? Phoebe gets a visit from Ewan Logan and she knows that she does not trust him, and why is he interested in the pub? Phoebe finds herself attracted to Jed one of Ewan’s henchmen but can she trust him. ?

Emily’s story is really sad, seeing her beloved father killed and not being able to tell anyone was really tragic, then her mother becomes desperate and can not sell the inn because of the law so has to take drastic action.

Coming from the South West, I have always been fascinated by stories of smuggling and shipwrecks and Jamaica Inn is one of my favorites and this definitely put me in the mind of this. Mist, fog and gloomy skies is a Cornwall that I know well and I was transported there through this dual timeline story. There was lots of questions in this story that all get answered in the end. Creepy, atmospheric and gripping, a really great read.

I don’t usually read historical fiction, so The Smuggler’s Daughter took me out of my comfort zone, which is always a good thing.

I was impressed with how Kerry cleverly blends the historical part of her book with the modern-day. I never felt confused as the story moved back and forth between the late 1700s and the 21st century.

Kerry also has a skill for painting vivid pictures. I could literally hear and smell the waves crashing on the rocks.

The characters are well-drawn and strong, and I like that it’s two women leading the action. And while there’s some love interest in the book, this is secondary to the main part of the story.

The Smuggler’s Daughter kept me gripped throughout, and by the end of the book, I felt like Emily and Phoebe had become my friends.

Plus, there are a few twists along the way, which add to the interest.

So, if you’re a fan of historical mysteries such as the Daphne du Maurier classic, Jamaica Inn (which also centres on smuggling), you’ll love The Smuggler’s Daughter.

The Smuggler's Daughter is a mysterious timeslip story, connected by place and two women. This is an atmospheric story in both 1799 and 2019, with the danger of smugglers and an underlying menace.

In Cornwall in 1799, Emily witnesses a terrible crime which she vows to avenge. Viewed as strange by her community, she has few friends. Phoebe is reeling from a mistake that left someone dead. She escapes to Cornwall and finds a mystery to occupy her mind.

Both stories are engaging with strong female characters who draw you into their lives and gain your empathy.
The well-paced plot provides a medley of mystery, paranormal and romance amidst Cornwall at its most haunting and rugged.

I received a copy of this book from HQ via NetGalley in return for an honest review.


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Gripping and unputdownable.

I love dual timeline stories especially when there is a mystery or two to solve.
I liked both timelines equally as their respective stories were so well written.
The character, Emily Moon, is a unique and courageous girl. She is on the spectrum which makes her a pitiable oddity in her day but she has a quiet inner strength that shines through.

In the present day, Pheobe has had a difficult case and needs to get away and recharge her batteries. However, she gets embroiled in uncovering an old mystery, and adventure and intrigue ensue.
The history and beauty of Cornwall are evident in the author's descriptions and I couldn't help but add it to my places to visit post Covid!

A brilliantly told story and one I keep thinking about since I finished reading it.

Mystery? Check.

Historical Fiction? Check.

Timeslip/Time Parallel? Check.

This book had the formula to be an enjoyable read and Barrett did a good job in making that formula successful!

We have Emily Moon from 1799, who witnesses her father’s death and wants to try and bring justice by capturing his killer. On the flip side we have Phoebe from 2019, a detective on leave from a crushing blow at work and she finds herself in Cornwall in the very building that Emily Moon lived in.

Phoebe finds out about Emily Moon and wants to know what happened to her while Emily tries to find a way to capture the smuggler who killed her father.

Both plots were equally engaging though of course I do always love the past a tiny bit more, I still liked watching Phoebe learn about Emily and use the past to help her crack her modern day case.

The historical connection and its importance to the present’s plot really pleased me and Barrett has a wonderfully fluid writing style, it will keep you engaged and it makes the book a very quick read.

It’s one of those books I always love to help me reset after I’ve had a particularly stressful time, the sort of plot that you need the answers for and with a wonderfully satisfying ending!

I would highly recommend this to timeslip/historical fiction/mystery fans! It spans all sorts of genres lol.

Thanks so much to HQ for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion as part of the tour, I give this book 3/5 huge cups of coffee and I’m off to recommend it to my sister now!

Plot

1799
Emily Moon lives with her mother in an inn on a clifftop in the darkest reaches of Cornwall. After her father mysteriously disappears, her mother finds solace at the bottom of a bottle, and the only way to keep afloat is to turn a blind eye to the smugglers who send signals from the clifftops. But Emily knows that the smugglers killed her father to ensure his silence, and she will not let his murder go unpunished…

Present day
After a case ends in tragedy, police officer Phoebe Bellingham flees to Cornwall for a summer of respite. But rather than the sunny Cornwall of her dreams, she finds herself on storm-beaten cliffs, surrounded by stories of ghosts and smugglers – and the mysterious Emily Moon, who vanished without a trace over two centuries ago. As rain lashes down around her, Phoebe determines to find the truth behind the rumours – but what she uncovers will put herself in danger too…

Review

Atmospheric and gothic is two ways I can describe my beloved Cornwall and this book does them perfectly. I love how the storylines intertwine with each other even going as far as having Phoebe’s name having the same meaning as Emily’s.

I love the take on modern day smuggling mirroring the old ways and the fact that it’s two feisty women who both deal with mental health problems at the heart warms me to the core.

The ghostly tales add to the atmosphere and gives you the odd shiver up your spine which I live.

Won’t say anymore for fear of spoilers but a really enjoyable read.

Rating

Four stars

Recommend

Yes - maybe don’t read on a windy night by yourself!

1799: Emily Moon lives with her mother in an inn on a clifftop in Cornwall. Her father had mysteriously disappeared. Her mother turns to alcohol. The only way to keep afloat is to turn a blind eye to the smugglers who send signals from the clifftop. Emily knows the smugglers killed her father.

Present day: After a case ends in tragedy, police officer Phoebe Bellingham flees to Cornwall for a summer of respite. She finds herself on storm-beaten cliffs with tales of ghosts, smugglers and the mysterious Emily Moon who had vanished without trace. Phoebe decides to find out the truth behind the rumours.

This is a well written historical fiction novel set in Cornwall, one of my favourite places to visit. Cornwall has lots of smugglers and there is plenty of caves to explore where they could have brought their loot ashore through. The pace is decent and the plotline is intriguing. The characters are believable. Will Phoebe find out the truth in this twist filled read?

I would like to thank #NetGalley, #HQDigital and the author #KerryBarrett for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book contains two parallel but linked stories from 1799 and 2019. In many ways Phoebe mirrors Emily, while her friend Liv is the modern Janey Moon. Everyone is aware of the long-term tradition of smuggling in Cornwall, and this is at the heart of both stories. We also have not one but two romances. Although there are plenty of cliches in this book it is well-written and has characters one can empathise with.

1799

One night, young Emily Moon witnesses the brutal murder of her father. Unable to tell anyone what she has seen, her mother thinks that he has simply disappeared, leaving her to find solace in the alcohol that she sells at their clifftop inn in Cornwall. Knowing that the smugglers that operate nearby are the ones responsible for the murder, Emily is not happy that the killers are seemingly getting away with this horrific crime.

Present Day

After a tragic case, police officer Phoebe Bellingham decides that a break in Cornwall would be the ideal way to get some respite. Staying with her friend at The Moon Girl pub, she comes across the story of Emily and is immediately intrigued. Just what did happen to Emily Moon and are we about to see history repeat itself over 200 years later?

As a fan of dual timeline books, The Smuggler's Daughter ticked all of the boxes for me. The author successfully transported me back to Georgian England, painting a very descriptive picture of the Cornwall coastline, something straight out of du Maurier's Jamaica Inn. I could almost smell the sea air and hear the wind whistling across the cliffs.

Although the time frames are two very different eras, we get to see a parallel in the plots due to the place the story is set, with smuggling being the common link. We also see some similarities between the two lead characters, both of them with an eye for justice and a desire to do the right thing. My heart went out to Phoebe who is torturing herself due to what she perceives as a failure on her part to do her job properly on her last case. It was easy to see why she needed something to occupy her mind, her investigation into Emily Moon being the perfect distraction.

Emily Moon is a fantastic character. Dismissed by locals as a simple young girl, she was actually an incredibly strong young woman, brave beyond her years. I loved every scene she was in and had my fingers crossed throughout the book that she would go on to live a happy life. I admired her tenacity, even when faced with extreme danger, and understood her need to revenge the death of her father, whatever the cost.

The Smuggler's Daughter is one of those books that draws you in straight away and I found it difficult to put down, reading it in a few sittings. This is the perfect book for someone wanting a mix of history and mystery and I will definitely be looking out for more books by this author.

I loved this book! I was hooked from the start and really enjoyed the slow build up and dangling of clues, just enough to keep you interested and wanting to read just 1 more chapter before you put it down, but without giving away too much that you guess the ending early on. I enjoy books like this that are set in 2 time periods with a connecting part, a bit like the Lucinda Riley books, and found all the characters well written and likeable. I devoured this book in pretty much 1 sitting, only pausing for that boring necessary thing called work, and although the ending was good, found myself wishing for just 1 more chapter. I would heartedly recommend this book and will be looking out for more by this author

Two women centuries apart. Two interconnected destinies.

The Smuggler's Daughter by Kerry Barrett tells the story of Emily and Phoebe, two women who lived centuries apart, but whose destinies were interconnected.

Our thanks to the author, HQ-Digital, and NetGalley for the advanced reader's copy.

Cornwall, 1799. Emily had difficulties expressing herself and did not like to be around people. The only person she felt comfortable with was Arthur, the son of the vicar.

When a man came to the inn owned by her parents and attacked her father, she was powerless to stop him or report what she saw to her mother.

London, 2019. Phoebe made an error in judgment, and a girl died. Suffering from the trauma, she follows her friend to Cornwall to try to put herself back together.

The book was well-written. I enjoyed how both stories were well developed and related to each other in several ways.

I usually dislike dual-time stories and end up preferring one period over the other, but it did not happen this time. I was equally invested in Emily and Phoebe.

The author took the opportunity to explore women's roles in the late 18th Century. Emily was probably autistic and was believed to be simple-minded. I was inspired by her strength and perseverance to be heard.

Her mother's situation was an excellent example of the hard choices women often had to make back then.

Arthur was a sweetheart. Without any formal knowledge, he saw the real Emily and understood her. It was so lovely to see how they supported each other.

Phoebe was also a complex character. Suffering from post-traumatic stress, she had an intuition that things were off, but doubted her own judgment.

Despite their struggles, both Emily and Phoebe stood for what they believed in, risking their lives.

The Smuggler's Daughter is an intriguing story full of adventure, imaginative characters, history, and beautiful Cornwall scenes.

Disclosure: I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

*This review will be posted on https://lureviewsbooks.com on 09/19/2020 as part of the book's blog tour*

I was hoping for the atmosphere of a Daphne Du Maurier novel given the cover and description, but for me, I found the prose a little simplistic to be fully swept away. The narrative switches between two timelines, and the modern timeline is engaging.