Unfortunately dnf-ed. But that’s on me. I think by the time I get approved for the book, the mood I was in to read that misses me and then it’s done. The writing was beautiful though from what I’ve seen.

This is book 3 in the Toussaints Detective Agency series. I read book 1, not the second. The reunion with the characters was fun. When Edie’s mother-in-law, Anna DeLuca, dies, she is relieved. Edie blames Anna for the accident that destroyed her family. So, when her will lures Edie to Sicily and the long-abandoned Villa della Madonna del Mare, she sees through Anna’s games.

Suspecting Anna is meddling from beyond the grave to try to reunite her and her ex-husband Joe, Edie is determined to leave Italy as soon as possible. But before she can, the villa starts to shed its mysterious secrets.

Who are the girls beside Anna in her childhood photos, and why has one of them been scratched out? Why does someone, or something, want them to leave the past untouched? The villa is a place where old ghosts feel at home, but does their legacy need to be laid to rest before Edie and Joe can move on

A photo from the past holds many secrets. When a neighbor dies she leaves instructions for a package to be delivered to a woman from her past. The problem this causes is no-one knows where the woman is to receive the package.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC and to the publisher Boldwood Books.

Louise Douglas is a go to author for me especially when I visit a library as you can usually pick from a choice of works. This book is one of a series about Mila and Carter who run a private investigation agency called Touissants. It is based in Brittany so if you know or are visiting the area it is a series to look out to read when you’re there. I’ve not read any of the previous instalments and I recommend you do before this one as I think some parts would make more sense and scenes which seem irrelevant as a stand alone read, would come to life.
As it is, I found the idea of searching for people from an old photo quite charming but the process and whole read, a bit slow paced. I found myself skipping over passages, wanting more to happen but overall a nice, unchallenging holiday read.

Such a lovely read. The book is set in some beautiful locations such as Brittany and Paris, and the descriptions are so vivid that you feel like you’re there. The mystery unfolds slowly but the story is engaging, Looking forward to reading more about Mila soon.

We’re back with Mila and Carter at the Touissants detective agency as they help the late Elisabeth Quemener’s family solve the secrets of the small parcel found upon her death. The parcel’s instructions say it must only be opened by Astrid Oake, but the family do not know who this is.
They turn to the Touissants detective agency to help them find her.

As the secrets of the parcel begin to unravel, so do the continuing secrets surrounding Mila

Another well written book from Louise and at times I struggled to put it down. Louise certainly creates the atmospheric atmosphere and I love her characters

Okay so this book is a little slow but I felt I read it at a time in my life when I was trying to slow down so to me it was really just perfect. Kept me engaged and entertained and I just simply loved it.

This series is just very so-so and unremarkable. I've read a couple of Louise Douglas's standalone mysteries and enjoyed them - they were sort of gothic and creepy, but this series is more of a family drama where someone happens to work for a detective agency. The mystery takes a backseat and I found I was barely following what it was all about. The end made little sense and it's all set up for another book in this series. I just don't care enough at all about the characters for their story to be dragged out over so many novels.

I found this to be slow and not terribly interesting. I started it several times and always needed to go back to the beginning as it really wasn’t memorable for me….could be me, others enjoyed it. Because of the reviews I did persevere and read to the end but it didn’t engage me in any way.
Thank you Netgalley for ARC

Louise Douglas is an excellent author, and this new book is no exception to that.
The characters are well rounded & fully formed. The storyline is interesting, fast paced and immersive, everything you could want in a good book. And this is definitely a good book.
Louise Douglas is a gifted author, and this is a wonderful addition to her catalogue.

Mila Shepherd works for Toussaint's detective agency, specializing in finding lost relatives. When she is asked to track down Astrid the friend of the deceased, the mystery begins. Mila and her colleague, Carter Jackson, attempt to locate Astrid, but their frustration quickly mounts. Their only clue is a photograph two young women holding the hands of a child. The women are smiling, but Mila is haunted by the sadness in their eyes. Is this Astrid and Elisabeth, and if so, who is the child. Furthermore, why are there signs throughout Elisabeth's home indicating that the old woman was frightened, despite living a quiet life with no known enemies? As the secrets finally begin to reveal themselves, Mila becomes even more determined to fulfill Elisabeth's final wishes. For whatever is inside that unassuming parcel might just save a life...

This is part of a series which is focused on Mila Shepherd who has moved to Brittany to care for her orphaned goddaughter. The story does feel overly long as it took awhile to get going but the final scenes were high octane with Mila facing a life and death situation. The author does create a sense of foreboding throughout which adds to the dark atmosphere which pervades the story. I found this ok to read as a standalone but it would probably be better to read the books in order to understand the context of aspects of the story. With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an arc.

I didn't realise this was the third of a series but it reads well as a standalone.
I liked the different timelines and the uncovering of the mystery from the 80s together eith the current timeline. The characters were likeable and there was a fair bit of mystery and thriller.
Altogether an entertaining read.

In this strange and dramatic thriller novel from Louise Douglas, readers travel to Brittany and a strange house that Elisabeth Quemener bequeathed to Astrid Oake -- except no one knows who Astrid Oake is or if she exists at all. Elisabeth’s remaining relatives reach out to Toussaints Detective Agency where Mila Shepard and Carter Jackson take on the case, yet neither Mila nor Carter can find anything except for a single picture. As the story of and connection between Astrid and Elisabeth unfold, Mila becomes more determined to uncover these secrets and preserve Elisabeth’s wishes as the Sea House closes in around her and the trail to Astrid seems well-hidden. With a complex mystery and a fantastic web of character relationships and dynamics, readers will be sucked into this tense and layered mystery and all of its odd and intense twists and turns. The characters are the star of the novel, and Douglas does a great job building up the characters and the mystery itself, so she really succeeds in building tension and anticipation (and a little bit of fear) over the course of the book. Complex, tense, and truly thrilling, this is a great new thriller novel for fans of Douglas’s other books.

I loved this book. I was hooked from the beginning and I couldn't put it down. I think the characters and the plot line were well written. I enjoyed the fact that the style of the book was literary fiction and thriller with a touch of paranormal. I highly recommend this book. It really was so good.

Thank you Net Galley ARC and Boldwood Books

Loved it. Has to be one of my top reads for the year. An absolute 5 star read for me. I loved the premise, the characters, and the narration style. The mix of literary fiction, thriller and supernatural was brilliant. The concept is new and added a layer to this thriller.

While a part of a series, this book can be read standalone. It is an ideal holiday read with its twists, turns and mysteries. Can't wait to read the next installment.

Thank you Boldwood Books and NetGalley for this e-arc in exchange of my unbiased review.

To me, this novel seemed to be a book of two parts. The first part was quite a slow-paced women’s fiction/mystery. The second part turned into a dark thriller with some disturbing scenes.

Mila Shepherd is engaged to Luke, who lives in England, yet now they are living apart due to the fact that her sister has recently died, leaving a sixteen year old daughter. She is living in Brittany, France at her sister’s home, the Sea House, with her orphaned teenage niece, Ani, who she adores. Ani’s mother, Mila’s sister, was recently killed alongside her husband, and the circumstances surrounding their deaths is forefront on Mila’s mind.

Mila works as a private investigator with her work partner, Carter Jackson. They are tasked with finding a woman named Astrid Oake in order to deliver a package as part of their late client’s last wishes. With little to go on, their task is frustrating and unfruitful.

As Mila’s personal life implodes, she is on track to finding Astrid Oake in Yorkshire, England. Life threatening danger result, and long-held secrets are exposed.

“The Sea House” is the third novel in a series featuring the Touissants Detective Agency. I have not read the previous two books in the series, but can attest that this one reads well as a stand-alone.

The settings were vividly rendered, making the reader even more immersed in the story.

Family secrets, emotional turmoil, familial love, bereavement, and a devastating discovery mark this novel as one that will be enjoyed by many readers.

A well done story: compelling, solid, and entertaining. The author delivers a story featuring fleshed out characters and a fascinating setting.
The mix of mystery and paranormal works
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Superb series of books filled with such engaging characters and compelling stories. Hopefully won't have to wait too long for the next one!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishing house and the author for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of this book in return for a review based upon my honest opinion.

When Elisabeth Quemener dies she leaves a parcel to be opened by Astrid Oake only. Elisabeth's fanily has never even hear dof Astrid Oake and they hire Touissants detective agency to help them track down this mysterious beneficiary. Mila and Carter accept the case, but Mila finds Elisabeth's story haunting and she feels there is something more to the story than there appears. Will they find Astrid and carry out the terms of Elisabeth's wishes and what other secrets are hidden.

This was a good read. The scenery was great and the characters were well written. I did not realize this was the third book in a series, so I will have to go back and read the first two books.

Loved it!!! Glad to be back in Morranez with the Touissants Detective Agency. Mila, Ceci and Carte need to track down Astrid Oakes, so they can deliver her parcel as part of Elisabeth Quemener's will. No one seems to know Astrid or her whereabouts. Astrid's story was scary and crazy. It's unimaginable what she has gone through. Everyone needs a friend like Elisabeth. The gift she made for Astrid was genius. It's a good thing no one opened up the package before Astrid. This was a good lesson for Mila. When you decide to break into someone's house, make sure you let people know your whereabouts. The family are waiting for the DNA results to see if the bones found in the cave belonged to Charlie. With the results come even more questions. I wasn't shocked with what they discovered. I figured that was the secret Sophie was keeping and Carter knew about it. Since the first book, I always thought Carter and Sophie were having an affair. Carter is definitely keeping secrets. Why were Sophie and Charlie on the water during the storm? Did it have to do with drug smuggling? Were the Girards involved? Lydia is still as dreadful as ever. At least Patrick was at the house to make Christmas more bearable. I'm not really sure about Luke and Mila. Luke never visits Mila in France. How can they build a life together when they don't even live in the same country? Mila allows Ani to get away with everything. She's a tennager and needs boundaries. Mila acts more like a friend than a mother. I love the relationship Mila has with Ceci. It makes up for the way Lydia treats Mila.

Definitely recommend the book. Loved the characters, writing style and story. It was a great mystery that kept me guessing. There better be another book to tie up all the loose ends and questions surrounding Charlie and Sophie. Were Sophie and Charlie doing something illegal? Will Mila and Carter eventually end up together? Still love Berthaud the cat. I look forward to reading more books by the author. Loved the cover of the book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Boldwood Books through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.