Title: Dark Sky Island by Lara Dearman
Jennifer Dorey Mystery Series Book Two
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 289 pages
Book Rating: B
Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley
Summary:
Dark Sky Island, Lara Dearman’s follow-up to the first Jennifer Dorey mystery is sure to find fans in readers of Susie Steiner and Sharon Bolton.
An inspector and journalist join forces to uncover long-buried secrets, simmering resentments, and a chilling murder in a tiny, remote island in the English Channel.
The tiny island of Sark lies isolated in the dark waters of the Channel Islands. No cars are allowed. No streetlamps light its paths. It is the world’s only Dark Sky Island. This breathtaking patch of land seems the picture of tranquility—but at its heart lies a web of murder, deceit, and hidden danger.
When bones are discovered on Derrible Bay and an elderly resident is violently murdered, DCI Michael Gilbert from the nearby island of Guernsey is called in to tackle the case. With his department under fire, he needs to find the killer—and fast. Joining him is newspaper reporter Jennifer Dorey, whose father died in a mysterious drowning off the island. As Michael struggles to crack the case and Jennifer launches her own investigation, the island’s residents are left reeling and soon, their dark secrets begin to unravel threatening everything.
On an island steeped in superstition, where tales of hauntings and devil craft abound, Michael and Jenny race to discover the truth in Dark Sky Island, the second tantalizing installment of Lara Dearman’s Jennifer Dorey mysteries.
Review:
Dark Sky Island by Lara Dearman is a very atmospheric mystery. This second installment in the Jennifer Dorey Mystery series can easily be read as a standalone but I highly recommend the first novel as well.
Detective Chief Inspector Michael Gilbert and Detective Constable Stephen Marquis are called to Sark island to investigate the discovery of bones in a cave. Local newspaper reporter Jennifer “Jenny” Dorey is tipped off about the case so she, too, makes her way from Guernsey to Sark. Not long after the three arrive, one of the islander is brutally murdered. Both Gilbert and Dorey believe the two cases are related but will they find the connection before it is too late?
Michael has a theory about the identity of the person that was found in the caves but the current murder takes priority. Sark is an insular community and no one is exactly forthcoming when questioned about the dead man. There are plenty of seething resentments and unsubstantiated rumors swirling about and Michael is quickly frustrated by his lack of progress.
Luckily, Jenny is making headway as she begins researching her stories. People easily open up to her and she gleans a few interesting tidbits that she shares with Michael. The best source of information is the young lad who discovered the murder victim but his mother, Tanya LePage, is extremely protective of her son. Jenny gains the boy’s trust and he provides her with intriguing details about what he witnessed but will this clue lead Michael to the killer?
Jenny also has a personal reason for heading to Sark. She has unearthed information that her father Charlie’s death two years earlier has a link to Sark island. Unbeknownst to Jenny, DCI Gilbert has been keeping secrets that prove her theory that Charlie’s death might not have an accident. Could it possible his death and the events in the present are connected?
Interspersed with the events in the present, flashbacks to the late 1970s through the late 1980s from a woman called Rachel detail her arrival and subsequent life on Sark. Her marriage to an islander is not a happy one but the birth of a son proves to be quite joyous. However, Rachel begins receiving a series of letters that become more ominous over time. The significance of these passages will finally become clear as the story wends its way to its conclusion.
Dark Sky Island is an perplexing mystery with an absolutely enthralling setting. Between the foggy weather, lack of modern amenities and secretive islanders, Sark Island is a very atmospheric location. Jenny is not afraid to push for answers as she interviews members of the community. Her quest for the truth sometimes leads to risky choices that put Jenny in dangerous situations. Michael’s investigation takes an unexpectedly perilous turn that leaves him in a very precarious position. With surprising twists and breathtaking turns, Lara Dearman brings this fascinating mystery to a stunning finale. Old and new fans of the Jennifer Dorey Mystery series do not want to miss this exciting adventure.
