"The mermaid's cry" by Kate Rhodes

An audio book.

Penzance during a heat-wave. Ben, 41, (his 1st person PoV) has been a widower for a few months. His wife Nina had died in an accident, pregnant. His son Noah is 3, and still thinks his mother might return. They have a dog, Shadow. He's moved (temporarily) from the Scilly Isles, where he was a policeman. He's a part-time carpenter now, working with Arthur (who makes music boxes) and Mick, who writes and has an abusive brother Pat. Ben's kindly neighbour Jim who's had problems - "depression's a funny old thing," he says. Uncle Ray lives nearby.

Ben sees a baby thrown into the sea and saves it, becoming a local hero. He's suddenly popular with the local women. The baby's single mother Shannon is suspected of being involved with crime. The local police boss Faraday (some members of the group are against her, and are being investigated for unprofessional behaviour) would like Ben to find out more about her, so he visits her. She's had a threatening letter from a worshipper of the Mermaid of Zennor (a local myth).

There's another voice - someone local who wants to sacrifice a baby to the sea to save others who've been neglected.

A local festival's being organised by Freya. Ben's been invited to give a motivational speech, and his schoolfriend Zoe (who wants a child) has been invited to perform. A child in a stroller is pushed into the Lido and taken to A&E. He dies. Ben finds a figurine of the mermaid in his garden, and a note from the mermaid worshipper. He agrees to lead the investigation. He thinks that the next abduction will happen during the festival. He falls out with the invasive local journalist and the bad police. Arthur is Shannon's father. Shannon's mother Pauline doesn't let them communicate.

During the festival a baby disappears - Faraday's grandchild. The anonymous voice says that they've hidden the baby. They're in the crowd, helping to search, wanting to be seen, then they drive the baby away, get caught in a road-block, are waved on, decide that maybe they could keep the baby. There's a big car and helicopter search. One resident after another is suspected by Ben and Faraday. PoV switches more often between Ben and the abductor, the chapters shorter. Ben, with the help of Shadow, sees a person in the sea with a baby and saves them. It's Kaitlin, who'd started the nursery school.

We get Kaitlin's story - she was sent to boarding when little, heard the voice of the Mermaid when 7. When she was pregnant with twins her partner ran off. One of the twins died. The mermaid was a comfort. She kills herself while being looked after by the police. Ben turns down the offer of a permanent job. He plans a little event in memory of Nina - if he doesn't try for closure, Noah won't either.

Excellent pacing, and I believed in Ben. I wanted more of a trigger for Kaitlin's change from passive reverence. I liked "Wisteria on whitewashed walls". Kaitlin's language, understandably lofty when she's feeling sacred, sometimes feels too wordy - e.g. "ugly cacophony of noise"

Other reviews

• lotuswritingtherapy
• peterturnsthepage (Beneath the story is an examination and reflection on the nature of grief, that is so considered and well written, it’s the finest I’ve read within crime fiction.)
• hookedfrompageoneblog (It certainly does put a fresh spin on this series, but it is one, I think, that will divide long-time fans.)