The House at Magpie Cove
by Kennedy Kerr
The Cornish beach house creaked in the salty sea wind and, from the weathered wooden porch, Mara watched a lone magpie circle above. It was silly to think that her mother’s spirit was still with her, but Mara felt as if there was something keeping her here. A secret that needed to be told…
When Mara Hughes inherits her late mother’s tumbledown beach house overlooking the bright, sandy sweep of Magpie Cove, it couldn’t have come at a worse time. With her marriage on the rocks and her husband threatening to take the family home, the beach house – with all the bittersweet memories it holds – might be the thing that finally sends Mara’s world crashing down around her. She tells herself she’ll only spend a few days there: sell it and move on to rebuilding her life.
When Mara arrives, the house is in a worse state than she feared – holes in the bedroom ceiling, birds’ nests in the attic, and the beautiful, wrap-around porch on the brink of collapse… but she loves it anyway. With all its history it feels like the last link to her late mother and, determined to do whatever it takes to keep it in the family, Mara strikes a deal with local handyman – and town heartthrob – Brian Oakley to save the crumbling cottage from ruin.
But when a box of unopened old letters arrives on her new doorstep – a bequest from her mother’s will – Mara’s resolve to save the beach house will be tested to the limit. Because Mara’s mother’s perfect childhood in Magpie Cove was forever spoiled by one haunting day in July, and the letters contain a secret about her family that Mara can scarcely believe to be true…
A story of secrets, family, and forgiveness, this heartfelt read set in beautiful Cornwall is perfect for fans of Susanne O’Leary, Fern Britton, and Rosanna Ley.
My Rating:
Favorite Quotes:
He gave the air of considering himself too important for something as fanciful as reading a novel or a play or a poem. Privately, Mara had always thought that anyone who didn’t like books was either boring or an idiot. Turns out, I was right.
Life’s always easier when you’ve got your hair done and a good pair of knickers on, in my experience.
Ugh. I am sick and tired of men, she thought. Maybe I can go and live on some kind of women’s commune where everybody is nice and eats cake and plants lovely vegetable gardens and we have monthly moon rituals and community sing-songs and I could train to be a medicine woman, and no one would ever be mean or unreasonable.
My Review:
This was an engaging, fairly quick, and entertaining read with relevant and relatable issues and knowable characters. There were several periods I wanted to give the main character of Mara a swift kick to dislodge her misplaced noggin from her colon and shake loose a few stagnate brain cells and some self-confidence in the process, but thankfully she saw the light before too much damage was done. The storylines were well constructed and smartly paced. I see this is only the author’s second book and I would never have guessed as the writing style was well developed with a smooth and inviting flow. Well done, Ms. Kerr, I am duly impressed.
Kennedy Kerr is the author of A Spell of Murder, a witch-themed cozy mystery, and The House at Magpie Cove (November 2020), and The Café at Magpie Cove (coming in 2021). She adores beaches, lochs, and magical places, and loves writing about small communities, mysteries, and family secrets.
Kennedy also loves cooking and baking all types of food, which is almost as much fun as eating it.
LOL, I am feeling the same way about the narrator in my current novel!
I think I have met characters like this too (thankfully, more often in books)
Oh no did I miss this book. I want to know the woman with noggin in colon. Hahahaha creative words