What a debut! It’s hard to believe that this stunning, complicated mystery is a the first in a series. With well described characters, an atmospheric location and a deliciously complicated plot, Coffin Cove is a surefire 5 star read.

Andi Silvers, recently fired from the Vancouver Mail (don’t have an affair with your boss), is the new reporter for the Coffin Cove Gazette. She assumes the job will be boring, full of small town happenings. She’s very wrong. On her first day at the Gazette, two dead sea lions are found near the harbor where a protest is taking place. The lead protestor is the charismatic Pierre Mason. The last time he was in town, Sarah, the daughter of Joe McIntosh, owner of a large lumber business, was found dead. The townspeople believed she had an affair with Pierre and he killed her but he was found not guilty of her murder. Andi decides to look into that case and see if she can uncover new evidence. When another body is found, Andi realizes that her investigation has brought new danger to Coffin Cove.

To avoid spoilers, I won’t write more about the plot. Andi is a flawed character, fueled by alcohol, who doubts her own self worth. Jackie Elliott builds her characters so well that I feel like I would recognize Harry and Hepzibah Brown, Detective Vega, and Jim Peters if I saw them on the street. She has crafted a complex, nuanced plot that will leave you shocked by the conclusion. I found the facts about the fishing and logging industries that were woven into the story fascinating. I can’t wait for the next in this series.

Thank you to NetGalley, Joffe Books and Jackie Elliott for this ARC.

A gripping read.
Vancouver Island Coffin Cove Government Dock
Harry brown unofficially lives on his boat The Pipe Dream his sister Hephzibah lives in his cottage and runs the local cafe on the dock.
Andi Silvers once a writer and reporter is in desperation and applies and gets a job in publication at the coffin cove gazette along side Jim Peters a new apartment a new start and spends a lot of time in the cafe by the window.
two dead sea lions are found that triggers off a old mystery a twenty years old one when Sarah McIntosh goes missing at fifteen years old and is washed up there was no DNA as she had been in the water for to long, then a old suspect appears back in town and a dead body is found over at the fish plant.
all this is linked in more ways than one.
such a fast pace read that I enjoyed, its became unputdownable, loved it

I was expecting a lot more from this book be wise of the description. In my opinion it was predictable.

4 stars

This mystery features flawed & human characters & a unique setting: a small town on Vancouver Island, suffering from the declining fishing industry. The place is rife with tensions between government regulators, ruthless corporations, independent fishermen, & (alleged) ecoterrorists. Andi, a reporter new to town with a struggling career due to alcoholism, gets sucked into the intrigue as murders start to escalate the simmering tensions.

[What I liked:]

•I really like Andi, Harry, Hezibah, & Jim. They all have unique personalities, relatable struggles, compelling backstories that are conveyed without info-dumping, & understandable motivations that come into conflict with one another’s.

•The setting is interesting & closely tied to the story itself. The layers of town history & social infrastructure include the rise & fall of the fishing & logging industries, shady business deals, a tragic murder from 20 years ago, outside interlopers bent on disrupting the livelihood of the locals through activism, & some unique, reclusive community members existing on the fringes. It all leads to a complex story with well developed characters & motives wrapped up in the crime spree.


[What I didn’t like as much:]

•I wish there was more background on Andi. All we know is she has an alcohol problem that screwed up her career, no hints of how she got to that point (I mean the alcohol) or why. I look forward to learning more about her in future installments of this series.

CW: murder, substance abuse

[I received an ARC ebook copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Thank you for the book!]