I have said it before, but I will say it again. As someone who was raised in Maine, any book where my home state is plays an integral in the story is always going to get my attention. A crime thriller based on the coast of Maine where a mystery needs solving was enough for me to crack open Claire Kells‘ Deadly Shore.
When the chief ranger calls ISB to report a dead body on one of Acadia’s satellite islands, Harland and Hux travel by ferry to Isle au Haut, a tight-knit community of fewer than a hundred year-round residents. In summer, the island swells with tourists who come to explore the national park on the island’s western shore, but in winter, the two investigators feel like unwelcome invaders.
To make matters worse, there is no body—at least not the one Harland and Hux came to the island to investigate. Instead, they find a local homesteader dead in his cabin, which local authorities are quick to rule a suicide. Harland thinks the scene was staged, but since the man died on private land, her hands are tied.
As Harland and Hux prepare to leave, the case takes a sudden turn that sends them on a desperate search into a frigid and forbidding wilderness. Out here, Harland suspects that the only way to uncover the truth is to trust the very people that don’t trust them, even if that means putting herself in harm’s way.
Because on an island this remote, secrets have a way of staying buried—especially the ones worth killing for.
I can start of by saying, as someone who has yet to read the first three books in Kells’ National Parks Mysteries, Deadly Shore is written in a way that makes it completely accessible for those without any prior knowledge of the characters. There are moments where I could feel a little background story might have been nice to give depth to the moment, but it never took away from the mystery at hand and almost served as a moment where if you knew, you knew, but otherwise is a stand alone crime to be solved.
As a Mainer, I enjoy stories based here, but as a Mainer I know we are also protective about our home, so when an author decides to base their tale in Maine we can be particular to how we are represented or making sure the author gets their facts straight. Kells does a wonderful job portraying Maine, allowing the state to almost feel as another character in the story, rather just a unique location to base this mystery. I had moments of excitement over knowing a place or location that Kells describes, which drew me closer to the story. This is not to say that you need to know Maine to understand this story, its just nice to see the state play a role in a novel.
Speaking of character, Kells characterization of local Mainer is nearly spot-on. With a wide range of terrain and communities, Maine has some pretty unique people and places. Based on the shores of Maine’s Atlantic Ocean coast, Deadly Shore introduces us to those who reside on a remote island where those islanders protect their land and community. This is not purely unique to Maine, but shows the depth of this state and allows for the story to feel as it if has an authentic voice.
Plopping two out-of-state investigators here and allowing them to figure out how to navigate both tough terrain, but nearly tougher people made Deadly Shore something special. The relationship between Harland and Hux is one that I would love to explore more in future stories as I grew to really enjoy their banter and close knit investigating.
This story has plenty of twists and turns you’d expect from a crime thriller, many of which I did not see coming. So, outside of the locale, Kells crafts a mystery that kept me on my toes and allowed me to try and figure out the crimes before I got to the final page.
Deadly Shore is a trilling Maine coast mystery where the terrain is nearly as difficult to navigate as the unique community of remote island living. Claire Kells delivers a captivating mystery that keeps you guessing until the satisfying ending. A story that feels a home on its own, but surely adds to Kells growing National Parks Mysteries series exploring our great country while solving crimes.
Deadly Shore hits bookstores everywhere on February 23, 2027 from Crooked Lane Books.
