Usually, novels that jump between past and present are not my favorite, because they tend to be pretty transparent in their plot due to two short stories in one novel. While this wasn’t not the case with The Smuggler’s Daughter by Kerry Barrett, I did find myself sucked into the story and really wanting to see it through to the end – a good sign! I enjoyed this book and would recommend it for anyone who wants a reasonably cozy mystery.
In the present, Phoebe, who’s taking a break from her job as a police officer after a traumatic experience, travels to Cornwall with her friend to restore a pub called the Moon Girl. The Moon Girl has an interesting past, as the locals report that it was once used as a smuggler’s haven, but is now haunted by the ghost of Emily Moon. While not finding much to do in the way of helping the struggling pub, Phoebe decides to investigate the story of Emily and to see if she can find an alternative ending to the haunting that’s been described to her.
In the past, it has been two years since Emily Moon watched her father killed by smugglers in order to use her family’s pub as a throughway for illegal goods. When the time comes that she and her mother are desperate enough to accept the smugglers’ “help” in return for some favors, Emily decides that she’s not going to help willingly; she’s going to avenge her father’s death in the process.
While both girls have different goals for themselves and their stay in the inn, Emily and Phoebe both contend with challenges; Phoebe deals with her traumatic experience and Emily with being somewhat mute, so people think she’s handicapped. They both hear and see strange things on the cliffs, in the inn, and in the church, and neither can resist investigating. Both girls are determined, empathetic, and have justice on the forefront of their minds. As the book progresses, readers can see more and more how the two stories mirror and play into each other. I was really impressed with Barrett’s ability to connect these two storylines, even though, on the face of it, they’re not really connected at all.
I found the plot of Phoebe’s part of the story a little transparent, but only because of Emily’s part. There were some features that directly played into Phoebe’s storyline, which is why I wasn’t as wowed by it – I already knew some! I really enjoyed following both girls, especially Emily, as her story turned out much differently than I thought it might have in the beginning. The pace of both storylines was really well-done; the switch between both was made at just the right times to keep me on my toes while reading.
All in all, I thought this book was a really nice read. It has a hint of romance, a really nice storyline (two of them!), and likeable characters that have enough flaws to be human. For a random grab off of NetGalley, I was very pleased with this read and surprised with how much I liked it.