Rarely do can I read a book in 24 hours anymore, but I pulled it off and have the desire to do so with this one. It kept me glued to my seat and turning pages well into the night.
About the Book
They were cousins who shared decades of secrets.
And now one of them is dead.
Britta Baxter, beloved fitness influencer and estranged wife of a surgeon, gave up city life to start anew on their grandma’s property overlooking Lake Shetek in southwestern Minnesota. After she convinces her cousin, Maxine Thomsen, to revisit the same lake where they’d spent their summers together as kids, Maxine is shocked to learn the boy she loved as a teenager lives across the same quaint bay. Although repairing the decades-old relationship between Maxine and Noah seems possible, a dark ending has already been set in place.
When Britta’s body is discovered floating in the bay, Detective Josephine Kelly is called in to assist in the murder investigation. With a near-perfect record, Detective Kelly’s sharp instincts rarely lead her astray. Once she senses something is amiss in the neighborhood, she’ll apprehend a suspect no one saw coming.
But Britta isn’t the only victim on the killer’s list, and the body count is about to rise.
Right Across the Bay is an unputdownable thriller fraught with life-changing twists and unfathomable secrets rooted in a shadowy past.
My Thoughts
I used to be great with names, but after I had my daughter that was a skill I lost. So when I signed up for this one, the author’s name seemed familiar. At the end of this one, Quinn Avery’s other books were listed and realized I’d read another standalone book that I’d loved last year called “The Lost Girls of Kato.” I’m actually glad I didn’t remember, because that gave this book a chance to stand on its own, and it did an amazing job!
Ms. Avery did an amazing job of building the characters. I adored the main character. I didn’t like her cousin. I didn’t trust anyone else, including the victim. Every person seemed like they could be a suspect, even the narrator, which is difficult to pull off. She let us in, made us feel like we knew the characters well, while hiding huge facets of their personalities and lives right until the last moment. This is a monumental writing feat. I also enjoyed the head detective on the case.
The setting absolutely adds to the story. This wouldn’t have worked in the middle of a city, where all the characters came from initially. But set in the middle of a sleepy, lakeside town, with very few people, the atmospheric, slightly creepy tale worked wonderfully. The big, open silences lend themselves toward secrets and mysteries.
The author’s writing style was clear and engaging, pulling me along in the story. Nothing was overly difficult or oversimplified. Her language was beautiful, atmospheric, and kept me entrenched in the story she was telling. Her use of different points of view and different time periods could be a little confusing, but once you get used to it, it is a wonderful tool that keeps the story interesting and exciting. One of the very few things I didn’t like was the descriptions in the beginning of the women particularly. These focused a great deal on their physical aspects in a paternalistic way. I’d prefer to know more about her as a person, is she neat or sloppy? Is she the type of woman that wears makeup, suits or skirts? Not what her body parts look like.
The plot was interesting. From the get go, I wanted to know what was going on and could not put the book down. As we progressed, I didn’t figure it out before we were told, which is always an exciting thing for me. I’ve read and watched so many mysteries, I frequently figure it out, so I love when I don’t! I was a little displeased with the ending, but I can’t tell you why without spoilers. If you’d like to know more, you are welcome to email or DM me to discuss it. It’s not a huge issue, just a spoiler.
Avery handles complicated relationships well. It was unclear until the end what was real and what was not. Also, who might have an affair with whom, and especially who might have killed whom? Who was just friends, who were secret lovers. The relationships were messy and wild, and Ms. Avery kept them all intact for us.
Overall, I was sad to see this book end. I loved it, and wouldn’t mind seeing more. Maybe we’ll see the detective again. It’s always possible when we meet a detective that we’ll see them again. It even sounded like we’d met this one before, but if so, I couldn’t figure out that there were other books in the series. It was a fast-paced, exciting read, and I highly recommend it.
I’m grateful to the author and Love Books Tours for including me on this tour. I look forward to reading even more books from this author.
Who’s It For?
If you love high-paced, fast crime thriller reads, you’ll love this one. It has a few loveable characters, and a whole host of unloveable ones, so make sure that’s okay with you.
Content Warning: Child Abuse (Sexual, Off Page), Pregnancy Loss, Betrayal, Infidelity, Murder, Drowning, SI, Exercise/Diet Talk, “Perfect” Body Talk, Fertility Talk, Torture, Mental Illness
About the Author
Quinn Avery is a bestselling author under various pen names of 40+ novels. As Quinn, she writes romantic suspense thrillers, some of which are set in her favorite haunts (i.e. Mankato and Lake Shetek). She’s also the author of the Bexley Squires series, led by a “great leading lady who, with a little sass, just enough self-doubt to make her relatable, and plenty of intelligence, will have readers coming back for more” (InD’tale magazine).
When not involved in the madness of their 4 children’s lives, Quinn and her husband divide their time between their farmstead and lake home in Minnesota. Her favorite pastimes include trips to the ocean, riding on the back of her husband’s Harley, attending rock concerts, and watching murder documentaries. She’s a massive fan of anything created by John Hughes, Steven Spielberg, or M. Night Shyamalan. Her favorite TV series include Ozark, Big Little Lies, Animal Kingdom, Dexter, Ted Lasso, and Stranger Things. She’s a sucker for any story involving romance, horror, or suspense.
Quinn also writes steamy romantic suspense, YA paranormal, middle school fiction, and children’s picture books.
Links
Amazon US: https://a.co/d/94zNx4P
Amazon UK: https://amzn.eu/d/aejyZKY
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/201867968-right-across-the-bay
Author Website: https://www.quinnavery.com/
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Published by Amorina Carlton. Award-winning American author, Amorina Carlton, is currently working on her first novel. You can find more about her published work and works in progress on the home page. She also serves as the PR/Marketing Lead for Ravens and Roses Publishing, and reviews books, mostly by other indie authors, here and on Bookstagram.