If you have never been to Matinicus island, off the coast of Maine, this novel will take you there. And it’s quite a journey.
Matinicus – An Island Mystery by Darcy Scott, puts you on Matinicus in the 1820s and today. Murder and mayhem exist on the island both then and now.
Let’s start with then. A series of murders remains unsolved, in a tale that is both frightening and, at times, humerous. I always like to go back in history, and this part of the novel definitely takes you there on this remote island.
Interestingly, from the 1820s to today, the island didn’t change much. It remained – at least in this work of fiction – an isolated unwelcoming community of tough and often angry lobstermen.
Toss in a botanist, Dr. Gil Hodges, who lands on Matinicus to get away from a crazy girlfriend, only to find himself in the middle of a murderous island community, and you have an intriguing story.
Hodges finds a diary that helps him solve the 1820s murders, but he fails big time in solving the murders that occur while he is on the island.
Scott’s characters are strong and memorable, and I’m willing to bet you’ll never figure out who the murderers are. But yes, she’ll let you know in a brilliant twist at the end of the book.
Scott is a freelance writer and Marine industry publicist whose favorite cruising ground is the coast of Maine. She has published other novels in her Island mystery series. And I’m on the hunt for another one of those now.