The death of clan patriarch Macgregor Tulloch has thrown the tiny Shetland Islands community of Whales Reef into turmoil. Everyone assumed Tulloch’s heir to be his much-loved grandnephew David. But when no will is discovered, David’s calculating cousin Hardy submits his own claim to the inheritance, an estate that controls most of the island’s land. And Hardy knows a North Sea oil investor who will pay dearly for that control.
While the competing claims are investigated, the courts have frozen the estate’s assets, leaving many of the locals in dire financial straits. The future of the island–and its traditional way of life–hangs in the balance.
Meanwhile, Loni Ford enjoys a rising career in a large investment firm in Washington, D.C. Yet, in spite of outward success, she is privately plagued by questions of identity. Orphaned as a young child, she was raised by her grandparents, and while she loves them dearly, she feels completely detached from her roots. That is, until a mysterious letter arrives from a Scottish solicitor. . . .
Past and present collide in master storyteller Michael Phillips’ dramatic new saga of loss and discovery, of grasping and grace.
Do you ever get mad at authors. I do, and right now, I’m really mad at Michael Phillips.
I’ve never read one of his books before, but I’m intrigued by the Scottish culture and was excited about this book.
It’s superbly written. It’s a smart book – one with expertly crafted sentences, a well-planned plot, one that required much research and footnotes and multiple plot points that get woven together as the characters develop.
It’s not an action-packed story but a dramatic one, one that happens over decades of time and with rising emotions. The characters are well developed and draw you in with each turn of the page.
That’s precisely why I’m irritated with Michael Phillips.
It’s a hefty tome and took hours to read, even though I’m a fast reader. I couldn’t put it down and spent the better part of a day investing in the Tulloch clan. I felt pretty confident that I could accurately predict the major resolution points, but I never got the opportunity to find out.
The book just ended.
While the emotional drama was rising and characters were moving toward the ending I’d predicted, suddenly there were no pages left.
The story is far from over and the problem not yet resolved, but the words have run out.
I really hate that sort of ending, because who wants to stop in the middle of a book and wait for the ending?
Wait I will, of course, because this ending is well worth waiting for, but I’ll be waiting impatiently. I love the character of David and can’t wait to find out how the story resolves.
I received a free copy of LitFuse Publicity in exchange for an honest review.
