I thought this book was pretty good! I enjoyed the length, the ominous undertones, and the setting. I feel like I connected well to the isolated Maine fishing community and the main character.

Thanks NetGalley for the audiobook/ARC. This one was nice and short. I typically don’t enjoy crime/mystery because I always figure them out immediately but I didn’t know who did it in this one and it was nice, but that may be because I had a hard time following with the multiple characters. The end was a little left field and felt out of place compared to the rest of the book. Also, the narrator felt like he was reading with a smile on his face which was a bit odd considering this had to do with a death.
Solid read.

I was underwhelmed to say the least.
The story felt drawn out and I didn’t care too much about any of the characters to want to find out who did it.
It did really show the small town life well i felt. That small towns defend themselves.

Audiobooks are fantastic, as they allow me to read far more than I'd be able to otherwise. Sometimes the format can enhance the book, while other times it doesn't work at all for various reasons. Then we have the narrator. The best narrators can improve the story with their narration. Sometimes a narrator doesn't fit a book. And sometimes the narration negatively impacts the book.

That is where I find myself- I did not enjoy the narration. Graham Rowat narrates the audiobook and it was his cadence that I just couldn't get into.

I know the narration negatively impacted my view of the story. I didn't get into it and didn't find it very interesting. How much of that was the writing and how much of it was the narration, I have no idea.

If the synopsis sounds interesting, I recommend sticking to print.

I received an advance audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

Super quick listen, but it felt a bit one note. The most interesting part was learning about the community and how they self policed. The rest was just okay.

“Consider the ground on which you stand. There’s a vast difference between the F.B.I.’s view of the world and the islander’s view. That tension made manifest by your presence on the island already is disturbing its ecology.”

F.B.I. agent Ryan Tapia has requested a transfer to a place as geographically far from a personal tragedy as he can get. He winds up in Bangor, Maine and leads a quiet existence until the body of a fisherman washes up on the coastal shore near Acadia National Park. The suspects are endless, as there are more than a few people who might want this fisherman dead, but they seem to create a cone of silence, stifling progress in the investigation. Native Americans who have their own tribal laws are tight-lipped as well, leaving Ryan the sole party to not have some knowledge of what actually happened and why.

This slim crime debut from this NYT bestselling author has a richness one can only write from experience. I know he’s on target with the characters and the setting itself because I live in it. While listening, my husband and I called out the re-named islands along with names of folks we know who would be cast in a screen adaptation. The beauty of the prose in this case is the avoidance of tempting stereotyping, leaving the reader to come to their own conclusions without interference or prejudice.

For those looking for a unvarnished version of the northern Maine coastline and a compelling crime mystery woven through, I highly recommended this! I’ll now be on the lookout for Mr. Ricks himself on my daily trip to the post office! Trigger warning for a single paragraph detailing an abusive situation.

The narration by Graham Rowat was well done, and I truly appreciate the care with the Maine accent - not an easy feat!
Thank you Tantor Audio and NetGalley for the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

I would give this book 2.5 stars. Overall this book did an excellent job of describing of island life in Maine and painted a good picture of grief. The storyline just fell flat for me and the story didn't really get interesting in until the last hour of the book.

I listened to the audiobook and I think the performance by Graham Rowat.

This is a short high quality audio mystery. The narrator was too happy throughtout which I found very strange. Although this was a mystery a lot of the time was spent describing the people,places and fishing techniques etc. The mystery itself seemed to suddenly be solved at 90% . It felt very matter of fact and like a lot of the story was padding.i was disappointed. Perhaps this is the start of a series and might improve . This would suit someone who wants a shirt no thrills mystery where you don't have to think.
Thank you netgallery and publisher and author and narrator

island-life, Maine, ex-military, grief, grieving, depression, FBI, friendship, interagency, investigation, cultural-differences, cultural-exploration, indigenous-people, domestic-violence, drug-trafficking, murder, nightmares, park-service, rural, small-town, Tribal-Police, widower, unpleasant-victims, unpleasant-neighbors, misdirection*****

Ever been in the depths of despair/grief and tried to continue working?
FBI Special Agent Ryan Tapia moved job and life from Southern California to Maine after his good life ended with a horrendous traffic accident that killed his wife, children, and family dog. Escape is where you find it and grief management/depression is a difficult path. His first case there is a murdered disenfranchised fisherman. In the course of the investigation, he learned about rural life in a specialized fishing community and began to feel like living again even as he encountered multiple roadblocks and diversions. A good read and I'm looking forward to next in series.
Graham Rowat narrates like he's reporting tabloid news.
I requested and received a free temporary audio from Tantor Audio via NetGalley. Thank you!
#MurderOnTheMaineCoast

I feel like any story set in Maine is always good, maybe it's because of how normal of a place it is, that it feels like anything can happen, that causes so much appeal but it's one of my favorite places to read about (and not just because I'm a stephen king fan).

the way this book was written was actually a little reminiscent of Stephen king in the sense that the whole town knows what's going on but nobody is doing anything to put a stop to it. I had a great time getting to know the characters but I didn't really follow along with everything that was going on and that's the only reason i didn't give it a 4.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity for the ARC. The book started out slow but held my interest. Rick’s depiction of small town life was spot on.

Oh this story! It pulled all the heartstrings for me. Just the honesty of the main character and all he has been through. It was just so good! I couldn't put it down. So good!

A crime/noir mystery set in Maine well worth a read. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC/audiobook, although the narrator sounded a bit too chipper!

I just enjoyed this listen so much. It was such a good story and had such a great narrator. I highly recommend this book to thriller readers.

DNF at 46%

Nothing has happened in this book. I’ve been given a lot of descriptions about Maine, lobstering, ripping off tourists, some side stories about this person or that, but zero has happened with the actual case… o didn’t want to read a slow burn about Maine…

Thanks netgalley