The Coral Bride by Roxanne Bouchard

Release: 12 Aug. 2020
Format: Ebook
Publisher: ORENDA BOOKS
Source: Orenda Books
Find it at Orenda Books, Amazon, Kindle, iBooks, Kobo, B&N.

This is a beautiful, lyrical sequel to the critically acclaimed We Were the Salt of the Sea. Detective Moralès finds that a seemingly straightforward search for a missing fisherwoman off Quebec’s Gaspé Peninsula is anything but …

DS Joaquin Moralès finds an abandoned lobster trawler adrift off the coast of Quebec’s Gaspé Peninsula. Then, he begins a straightforward search for the boat’s missing captain, Angel Roberts – a rare female in a male-dominated world. But his police colleagues, fisheries bureaucrats, and his grown-up son block him at every turn. More so, his son has turned up at his door with a host of his own personal problems.

When they find Angel’s body finally, it’s clear something very sinister is afoot. Subsequently, this takes Moralès and son into murky, dangerous waters, where old resentments run deep.

In summary, this is quite exquisite; with Bouchard’s trademark lyrical prose, The Coral Bride evokes the power of the sea on the communities who depend on it. This includes the never-ending struggle between the generations and an extraordinary mystery at the heart of both.

About the Author:

Roxanne Bouchard learned to sail 10 years ago, first on the St Lawrence River, before taking to the open waters of the Gaspé Peninsula. The local fishermen soon invited her to reel in their lobster nets, and Roxanne saw for herself that the sunrise over Bonaventure never lies. Her fifth novel with English translation We Were the Salt of the Sea, published in 2018, resounded critical acclaim. The Coral Bride is its sequel. She lives in Quebec.

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The Coral Bride Review:

The first aspect that stood out was the setting. I liked the story’s theme as it felt unique—a murder set in the backdrop of a wharf amidst the fisherman. Neither the husband nor the father knows what happened to Angel. The story is atmospheric and slowly creeps on you.

Similarly, Joaquin is a captivating character trying to solve Angel’s murder. He is going through his struggles of managing Sebastian, coping with Cyrille, reporting to Marlene while solving a complicated murder. He is a complex broody character, and I was curious to see his methods for solving the case. One of my favorite scenes was when Morales breaks down the reason for the death to contemplate if it is was suicide or murder.

The supporting characters were strong as well. For some reason, I like Simone too. Even though she annoyed me, I liked her frank attitude and how she doesn’t let anything stand in her investigation. There are quite a few suspects, but it’s hard to guess as they don’t have much of a motive.

The author writes the story in a detailed manner. I enjoyed how she describes the fisherman’s workings at the pier and how they read boats and the water, etc. I also liked the side storyline between Sebastian and Renaud. Moreover, the author does a beautiful job of merging the characters’ subplots as the story progresses.

However, at times, the book felt too detailed and lengthy, where some passages felt repetitive. Moreover, the reveal disappointed me as it felt like an obvious choice and did not contain much of a shock value.

Apart from that, I enjoyed this novel and felt it was a well-written crime mystery.