Mila and her agency are employed to look into a bequest which the deceased has stipulated must only be handed to the beneficiary or buried with them if they have died. The only clue to get Mila started is a photo and she immediately begins to investigate…
The Sea House is the third book in this mystery series set in Brittany, France. There are no spoilers about earlier cases but the personal plotline does continue.
The book begins with a woman desperately trying to keep her daughter safe. It then moves ahead to the present day and Mila being given the mission to unite the bequest with its beneficiary. Mila visits the home of the deceased looking for clues and is struck by the security measures. Elisabeth lived and died in fear and is now keeping her secrets beyond the grave.
On the personal side, Mila is waiting for test results on a body found in the search for her missing brother in law. For her niece’s sake she wants answers quickly, but when the results do arrive they are not what anyone expected. This leads to a lot of emotional turmoil which adds extra depth to the plot.
The atmosphere of suspense and tension is maintained well. Mila’s professional and personal elements provide balance to the plot and there were plenty of revelations in both parts. The style of writing is easy to read and I felt that the place descriptions brought France to life.
The Sea House has an intriguing and emotional mystery at its heart as well as the personal subplot.
The Sea House
A mysterious bequest and the legacy of a tragic love – only one person can unravel the hidden secrets of the past before it’s too late…
When Elisabeth Quemener dies she leaves a small parcel with the instructions that it must only be opened by Astrid Oake. The trouble is, no one knows who Astrid Oake is…
Elisabeth’s family turn to Touissants detective agency for help but, when Mila Shepherd and Carter Jackson try to track Astrid down, their frustration soon mounts. Their only clue is a photo of two young women holding the hands of a tiny child. The women are smiling but Mila is haunted by the sadness in their eyes. Is this Astrid and Elisabeth and if so, who is the child? And why are there signs everywhere in Elisabeth’s home that the old woman was frightened despite her living a quiet life with no known enemies?
As Elisabeth and Astrid’s story slowly unfolds, Mila feels the walls of her home The Sea House closing in. And as the secrets finally begin to reveal themselves, she is ever more determined to carry out Elisabeth’s final wishes. Because what is inside that unprepossessing parcel might just save a life…
Louise Douglas is back in the Brittany seaside town of Morranez with a heart-stopping, heart-breaking, brilliantly written and utterly compelling mystery. Perfect for fans of Kate Morton, Eve Chase and Lucinda Riley.
Hello! I’m Louise, author of 12 novels mostly set in the Somerset countryside close to where I live and Sicily. I’m thrilled to have won the RNA Jackie Collins Romantic Thriller award 2021 for The House by the Sea which has sold more than a quarter of a million copies.
Mila and her agency are employed to look into a bequest which the deceased has stipulated must only be handed to the beneficiary or buried with them if they have died. The only clue to get Mila started is a photo and she immediately begins to investigate…
