This was a gothic story, unfortunately for me. I found it to be a little forgettable. I wanted a little more from the story

I enjoy gothic novels, and this one certainly had a picturesque setup, with its crumbling mansion located on an island in Scotland accessible only at low tide. The book goes back and forth between 1910, when a young woman named Beatrice first comes to the island with her older husband, the (fictional) painter Theo Blake, and 2010, when a distant relative of Theo's named Hetty first comes to the island after finding out she has inherited the house, which not only is falling down but a body circa 1910 has been discovered in the wreckage. The book was pretty slowgoing despite this good outline of the story, and I predicted a lot of the twists, but I still enjoyed it. 3.75 stars so rounding up to 4.

I loved this split time read set in the outer hebrides. The two periods were skilfully drawn and Beatrice and Hetty both captivated me in different ways. I loved the setting and really felt transported there. I read it just after 'The Outrun' and they bot combined to give me a real yearning for the island air and feeling that you're at the edge of the world. This book deserves being read widely as it combines the historical mystery with the repercussions on the current inhabitants so skilfully. The island community is cleverly crafted and I feel that I can still 'see' my vision of 'Muirlan House' in my head when I close my eyes. The battle for sustainability over development is also a subject close to my heart and I felt that this didn't overshadow the narrative itself at any time. Looking forward to reading more from Sarah Maine. I really enjoyed this book and I feel that I keep coming back to it in my mind long after I finished reading it.

Great story full of great characters set in a beautiful place. It made me want to visit that part of Scotland. Sarah Maine has written a story that keeps you turning the pages.

An atmospheric, somewhat neo-Gothic tale set in Scotland's Outer Hebrides. This novel moves back and forth between 1910 and 2010, with the historical sections more successful than the modern parts.

The 1910 sections focus on the tale of Beatrice Blake, young wife of temperamental and secretive painter Theo Blake, as she struggles to find her place in his household at Muirlan House, an imposing manse that is the object of much resentment among the locals due to their historic land use claims. Beatrice is a very sympathetic character and an excellent Gothic heroine, and this is as much her coming-of-age story as it is anything else.

The 2010 sections focus on Hetty Devereaux, a distant English relative of Theo Blake, through his half-sister, who has just inherited the empty, ruined Muirlan House and its lands. She must decide what to do with them, and she's being pulled in different directions. Not to mention, an unidentified 100-year-old body has been found beneath the house. Hetty is a wispy, milquetoast nothing of a character, and it is difficult to feel anything for her even as she is supposedly learning about island politics, family history, and the caprices of her overbearing boyfriend and his greedy land developer friends, who seem extremely sinister not because they actually are, but because of shabby writing. Hetty also has a bit of wholly unnecessary romance with an islander, just because.

When trying to wrap one's head around this book, it's worth noting its publication history. It was originally titled "Bhalla Strand", as Muirlan was originally called "Bhalla", and the Hetty character also has a different name. I'm not sure what else was changed, but I'd venture to guess that the Hetty character is so weak in part because the author just didn't know what to do with her. She not much more than a human stand-in for what the author clearly hopes is reader reception to her views on environmentalism and Hebridean land claims. Some of her behavior is inexplicable or downright foolish, especially since her supposed emotional connection to Muirlan House and to Beatrice feels so tenuous and contrived.

I enjoyed this book somewhat. I did appreciate the loving descriptions of nature and setting. I also appreciated the attempts at bringing in Gothic story tropes, though I'd argue that the attempt was not entirely successful given that they frequently clash with other elements in the book. I wish that Hetty and her story had been as good as Beatrice and hers.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Freight Books for a copy of this e-book.

This debut novel by Sarah Maine is set in the Western Isles off the coast of Scotland although the exact location is never given. The setting is beautifully described with its deserted beaches and wild life being showcased to excellent effect. In fact the wild, lonely setting is almost a character in itself. The story is told mainly through the eyes of two women, Beatrice and Hetty, a century apart. Hetty's story is set in 2010. She has inherited a huge house on the island from her grandmother and is visiting the island to see whether it is possible to realise her dream of renovating it and turning it into a hotel. She meets with problems almost as soon as she sets foot on the island. She bumps into the local surveyor, James Cameron on the site of her house who tells her the building needs to be torn down as it is unsafe and beyond saving. There is also the not insignificant fact of the human remains which have been found under the floorboards. Hetty doesn't know who to trust - should she believe this unknown surveyor or should she believe Emma Dawson who says it would be possible to renovate. Emma has been employed by Hetty's somewhat overbearing boyfriend, Giles. The other strand of the story is set in 1910. Beatrice, a young impoverished woman from Edinburgh has just married Theo, an artist of some renown. Theo is almost twice her age, and has taken her to the islands for the summer. She soon falls in love with the island but unfortunately not so much with her husband. I found Beatrice's story much more compelling than Hetty's. The background of tenants forced from their land as well as the brooding and unpleasant Theo make this part very interesting. There are many parallels between Beatrice and Hetty which are very cleverly done.

To sum up, this is an atmospheric novel which is well written and very enjoyable.

This was a beautifully crafted story that I thoroughly enjoyed despite the beginning not completely capturing my interest. The world-building is richly done while the characters are complex and develop realistically throughout the story.