Such a great book. Full Murder in Common review here:

https://murderincommon.com/2025/06/29/c-s-porter-salt-on-her-tongue/

With thanks to Nimbus Publishing/Vagrant Press and Netgalley for an advance digital ARC.

I really enjoyed this second instalment of the Kes Morris series. At first glance, it's another East Coast small town missing persons case, but it quickly evolves into more. I liked getting to know Detective Morris better - she's a strong character with a lot of depth that you feel like you're just getting started with when the book ends. The plot moves faster than you initially think it will and it's about so much more than just another missing persons case. There are a couple of dark twists to the plot and a sense of unease as more of the plot's backstory is revealed. This is atmospheric and chilling - would make for a great mini series!

I'll look forward to the next in this Detective Morris series.

This, the second book in a series is a very well written and interesting book.. The main character is well developed, engaging and dogged in her pursuit of the truth. The plot line is unique for a police procedural. The story moves along at a perfect pace with an ending that was satisfying to the reader. I will definitely look for the first book in the series and wait anxiously for the third.
If you like crime fiction, you will enjoy this book.

Received an ARC from NetGalley, with gratitude to the author and publisher.
An intriguing mystery, my first in the series. The character development allows relatability for the reader, the plot line had extra twists. The setting being Canadian East Coast influenced the story line, in a positive way as a Canadian reader!
Very enjoyable. I look forward to reading other books by the author!

I was pleased to read the ARC for this well-plotted, suspenseful, and easy-to-read mystery. It is a complicated plot that veers off in unexpected directions, with a dark and twisted storyline. Thank you, NetGalley and Nimbus Publishing, for this intense and surprising story. The publication date is June 10, 2025.

The author C. S. Porter is a reclusive writer who lives by the sea. This is his second book featuring Detective Kes Morris, following the excellent "Beneath Her Skin". Its initial location is in the Bay of Fundy, with clues that it is on the Nova Scotian side of the bay. The Bay of Fundy is renowned for its tidal bore, which results in the world's highest tides. I was interested in the location, although the towns and villages were given fictional names. When I was young, I lived in a home perched on a cliff that overlooked the bay. I wish I understood more about how the dangerous tides affect boating.

Detective Kes Morris is very determined to prove herself to the authorities, but is insubordinate and reluctant to follow department protocol. She had been on leave but was recalled to find Molly, the daughter of a powerful senator and lawyer. Molly has only been missing for a day, but finding her would give the police department political acclaim. Kes's search brings her to the Bay of Fundy when she learns that Molly had gone there with a young man whom she didn't care for. She left his company and was last seen on the wharf taking pictures. A witness believed Molly was last seen boarding a luxury yacht. Instead of finding Molly, she finds the body of a middle-aged man. He was murdered and his boat wrecked onshore. On returning home, Kes sees Molly on campus. Molly seems emotionless and insists she was never missing, and has no intention of contacting her father. Kes believes there is a connection between Molly and the dead man, but that Molly didn't have the strength to murder him in the way he was killed. Was there an accomplish, or was Molly innocent?

Her search leads her to the owners of a travel agency specializing in trips to Eastern Europe, and a sinister plot unfolds. There are several murders. The story becomes dark and grim, with criminal proceedings and unethical practices in those countries. Molly has been unknowingly involved until recently. There is a surprising twist. The solution is unpredictable, and the perpetrator had been barely mentioned, but had an understandable motive and evoked my sympathy. I thought the ending was bittersweet.
Recommended, and hope there are more books featuring Kes Morris.

this is no longer a missing persons case. but it is so much more than that and the story that follows is really very good.
it was Detective Kes's job to come and find her but instead she finds someone altogether different. oh and the person she finds is dead.
this is a really well written mystery with a twisty and clever plot. i really liked Kes as a character and i thought her determination yet human involvement felt very real. you can really see how what she has been through has shaped her and not always for the better. and this in itself added more depth to the plot.

A Thrilling Puzzle

Thank you NetGalley and Vagrant Press for an advanced reader copy of Salt on Her Tongue

When a prominent lawyer and senator’s daughter goes missing, Detective Kes Morris is drawn to a small maritime community to find the young woman. But when a dead body is found and the young woman inexplicably turns up unharmed, Kes investigates a sinister plot fronted by a travel company.

This was a well-conceived mystery that kept me guessing. The characters were well-formed and the scenarios creative. This was my first time reading a novel by C.S. Porter, and it won’t be the last, as I found the details of the case and the pacing at which they unfolded top-notch mystery plotting. I wish I could give more plot details, but I don’t want to give any of this juicy case away. Read it! You’ll be in for a wild, gut-wrenching ride.

Unfortunately, the hardened cop scenario in Kes Morris left me wanting. This did not feel as creative, and I felt like many other writers have written this trope in more engrossing forms. The setting left me wanting as well. I picked up Salt on Her Tongue predominantly because it was by a fellow Canadian, and set in the Maritimes. I wanted to travel through reading and I found the setting descriptions difficult to latch onto. I rarely ever felt like I was “there.” This ARC was listed at literary, and I felt like the line-level writing fell short of what I’m accustomed to in a literary novel.

Congratulations to C.S. Porter on an intriguing and entertaining mystery.

A fast paced Canadian crime novel that starts as a simple missing persons case and evolves into so much more.

“Salt on Her Tongue” a Kes Morris File is the sequel of the author’s first book called “Beneath her Skin”. This is a fictional mystery book, where a homicide detective named Kes goes to a small town, searching for a missing girl named Molly. This book gave me mystery vibes, it was easy to read, had a clear thesis and did come with twists!

The writing style was unique and well written. I feel like this book had a very strong start to it, but was not well executed. Even though the ending was unpredictable, I found it to be unsatisfying. It did have disturbing parts to it, as Kes was doing her detective work. Kes does get so involved in this case, she starts to spiral down herself. She begins having nightmares as this case takes control over her. Overall, I give this short story a 2.75 out of 5 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley, author C.S. Porter, and Nimbus Publishing | Vagrant Press for this advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

This book is set to be published on June 10, 2025.