The Shimmer on the Water

“The Shimmer on the Water” is a novel by Marina McCarron. This book begins with a mystery - what happened to young Daisy Wright? A woman, Peyton, returns home - where Daisy disappeared 20+ years before, and decides to solve the mystery. There’s also another woman’s story told from the 1960s, which eventually entwines with Peyton’s story. I’d call this book more a family drama than a mystery or historical fiction. I found the writing to be enjoyable. I cannot say that I really liked any of the characters though for the most part I could see what motivated them to make the choices that they did (though I questioned a few of Minnie’s acts). This book was mostly tied up at the end, though I would’ve preferred it to be a bit more open-ended. This is a book of many layers and many masks - what do you show or tell others, what do you keep hidden, how has life shaped you into being who you are and what do you do to hide those things from those you proclaim to care about. I could see this being a well done TV special, as it held my attention and I found the overall story interesting. I would read another book by Ms. McCarron.

The novel begins with the disappearance of a young girl on a Maine Beach years before. Returning to the present, a young woman returns to her family home there and begins to investigate the unsolved case. Family secrets are exposed and who she though her parents were become known. I loved it and will strongly recommend!

Maine 1997: Small town, Fort Meadow Beach is celebrating the 4th of July when 6 year old Daisy Wright disappears.

Maine 2021: After being fired Peyton Winchester returns to her hometown of Fort Meadow Beach. Being back in Fort Meadow Beach makes Peyton eager to know what happened to Daisy, who was the same age as her.

Tennesse 1960s: Eualla Tompkins' life is changed forever when her mother leaves the family. She's left to raise herself and her younger sister, Minnie as her father and brother aren't much use.

The mystery of Daisy's disappearance is not a major part of this book. It's mainly focused on the life of Peyton and Eualla and how the ultimately entwine. This is an incredible, dual timeline family saga. It kept me gripped the whole time as I was eager to find out how the timelines came together. Eualla's story really pulled at my heart.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. My main critique is that the ending felt too rushed.

A dual timeline full of secrets and unpredictability. I really enjoyed reading this book and look forward to reading more by the author.

The Shimmer on the Water by Marina McCarron is a mesmerizing dual-timeline novel set in 1997 & 2021 Maine (with a little bit of 1960 Tennessee too). There is tons of family drama, and the disappearance of a little girl. Highly recommend!

The Shimmer on the Water is a dual timeline novel. In the 1960s Tennessee, Eualla grew up in a dysfunctional family environment. Move forward to 2021 Maine; Peyton has moved back home from Settle. She is obsessed with discovering the truth surrounding the disappearance of Daisy Wright in 1997. The chapters alternate between Eualla and Peyton until they collide and the connection between them and Daisy is revealed. With family drama and a hint of mystery, this book is a captivating read. Thanks to author Marina McCarron, publisher Head of Zeus, Aria, and to NetGalley for providing a copy of this ebook for an honest review.

Wow what a fantastic read. Eualla has a tragic childhood living with her father and abusive brother and taking care of her little sister Minnie, they never have enough to eat due to what little money they have is spent on drink .After losing the only friend she has and being shunned by her so called school friends she decides she is going to have a better life for herself and works hard and with help from one of the teachers gets a scholarship .The story is set in different decades and it marries together beautifully, its its beautifully written with strong characters and a great story which will keep you gripped from the beginning. I really loved it and highly recommend this book

The riveting mostly dual timeline novel The Shimmer on the Water is not your typical domestic thriller; it has that je ne sais quois which elevates it. When done well, dual and multi timelines are such a pleasure to read. This one is magic. Though several characters are not likeable I was absolutely invested and engrossed the entire time as bits of what makes people tick and make the decisions they do were introduced.

In 1997 Maine Daisy Wright's unusual disappearance goes unsolved. In 2022 Peyton returns to her loveless family home after having an unsuccessful go on her own. Discouraged, she becomes intrigued by Daisy's story and starts unraveling the layers. Her cold mother constantly has her on edge but she has nowhere else to go. Her father is kind but often defaults to her mother. Very interesting dynamic...the angst could be sliced with a knife.

Eualla and Minnie grow up in 1960s Tennessee in a terribly abusive home. They are deserted and must fend for themselves. After going their separate ways, their past re-enters their lives. Their stories beautifully intertwine with those of the current day, intelligently and cleverly written. Not only is there a mystery but loads of family tension.

Mystery/Thriller readers seeking originality ought to prioritize this. I felt like gnawing on my arm to get to the end! And what an ending it was. Loved it.

My sincere thank you to Head of Zeus and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this arresting book. Marina McCarron's writing has me absolutely hooked!

“When you're lost sometimes the only way to look forward is to look back.”

Canadian Marina McCarron has written a compelling story that takes readers to a time and place in the past when a little girl went missing. Her dual timelines, set in 1960s Tennessee and 1997/2021 Maine, are rich with both location and era-specific attitudes, events and influences. I was held captive wondering how Eualla Tompkins and Peyton Winchester’s timelines would merge and was in awe of the multi-layers McCarron has added to her brilliant narrative. She explores secrets we keep and how the past influences what we choose to portray to others.

The gorgeous cover attracted me at first, the title intrigued me and the compelling narrative kept my attention from cover to cover. You’ll have to read to find out what answers are held in the shimmer on the water.

If you love a good family drama with a touch of mystery, this tale, involving three women, two generations apart and sharing one secret, is one to put on your summer reading list!

I was gifted this advance copy by Marina McCarron, Head of Zeus, Aria, and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

Told in two different timelines The Shimmer on the Water is a historical mystery that is both emotional and totally absorbing. We get chapters from both Peyton and Eualla's point of view, with Eualla's chapters starting in 1966 and Peyton's taking place in 2021. I just loved Eualla's chapters so much and she was my favourite character in the book. She was so young when the book starts and she had so much on her shoulders at the time. She is a whip-smart and feisty young lady who knows what she wants and goes after it. Eventually, the Eualla and Peyton stories merge in a somewhat surprising way and it begins to explain a lot. The mystery of the missing Daisy Wright, from 1997, doesn't really come into play until about halfway through when Peyton starts investigating. This is a multigenerational multi-layered story that kept me glued to the pages Many family secrets are revealed and there is plenty of drama to get wrapped up in. This was such a captivating story and my first by this author. I will have to check out The Time Between Us by Marina McCarron. That is the greatest compliment that this reader can give an author...that I want to enjoy more of their books.

1997 and at the 4th of July celebrations a little girl goes missing.
2022 and Peyton Winchester moves home and brings back all sorts of memories including the little girls disappearance.
Peyton has always wanted to be a journalists so starts investigating the disappearance but what secrets will she uncover and whose lives will e turned upside down? it might be closer to home than she thinks

The Shimmer on the Water is an enthralling mystery that takes place during a sequence of timelines by two different point of views.

July 4th 1997 little Daisy Wright goes missing during a town celebration.

Twenty five years later and back visiting home, Peyton begins to investigate this long ago cold case while also discovering some deep hidden secrets within her own family.

Starting in 1965 our second POV is told by Eualla. Eualla’s story is captivating and absolutely heartbreaking. We join Eualla as she grows up from poverty and sets out to make a better life for herself.

Things I liked:
* I absolutely loved Euallas story
* Loved Peytons news piece. It gave me chills!
* Loved that it kept me captivated and guessing what was going to happen

Things I did not like
* That while the readers get closure with Daisy, I’m really sad none of the characters did. I was really hoping Peyton was going to get answers for everyone.

Overall I really enjoyed this story but, because I feel there wasn’t enough closure I am giving this book 3.5 stars (rounding to 4)

Wow! What a read!
In 1997 Daisy Wright disappears she’s never seen or heard from ever again. It is a long unsolved mystery.
In present day Peyton has broken up with a boyfriend, lost her job, has no direction for her life, is depressed and returns to her childhood home and to her parents, While there she remembers fragments about the day Daisy disappeared.

Meanwhile we also get to travel back in time as we have the story of Eualla , Who is telling her story going forward.
The reader is taking on a journey from the past forward, and from the present backwards… And as you read you begin to see everything click in place.
More secrets, more mysteries, and do we really know the people we live with.

I so enjoyed this book and couldn’t believe how the stories were tied together.

This story was riveting, in that it was a mystery of a young girl who vanished, But it was also about a family with so many secrets, and Peyton, who thought her mother was a stranger to her. The book captured my attention and reeled me in until the end. It was amazing and the events, secrets, and getting to know the family, took me down a path with twist, turns, and unbelievable things happening.
I received an ARC from Aria through NetGalley. I highly recommend.

A really intriguing book taking place across multiple timelines. Great characters and the story is brilliantly interwoven. Highly recommended.

I absolutely loved this book. Set over decades, it’s the story of Eualla, who takes care of little sister Minnie when their mother leaves them with their drunken father. She plans to escape by studying hard and get a scholarship.
We then meet Peyton, who is drifting and moves back home to her parents. She wonders why her Mother never seems to show affection to her and she relies on her father for any fun. She remembers the disappearance of a little girl when she was young and how it was linked to the ‘stick house’. She is determined to find out what happened as more and more secrets are revealed.
A great read with strong characters and a fabulous story.

The Shimmer on the Water is a totally engaging novel that grabs your attention and does not let go.

It is told in dual time line: 1977 and 2021.

Its 1960 and Eualla Thompson and her sister have been abandoned and Eualla vows to herself never to be poor again or let her children grow up the way she did.

Its 1977 and Daisy Wright disappears on the the 4th of July.

The town of Fort Meadow Beach is never the same.

It is 2021 when Peyton returns home for various reasons and as she tries to figure out life she is also tries to solve the disappearance of Daisy.

Her parents tell her to let sleeping dogs lie.

This book is not just a great mystery but it is also the story of family, loyalty, hardship, perseverance and the mistakes we make along the way.

I got totally lost in the story of The Shimmer on The Water and did not want the book to end.

I look forward to checking out Marina McCarron's books.

Thanks to NetGalley and Head of Zeus , Aria for a intriguing read.

This story of a woman, Peyton, returning back home to her parents after her life implodes was very interesting. There are multiple stories going on. You have the story of Peyton and her failures/losses, you have the story of her mother's harsh, almost tragic beginning and why it has made her so stiff in her dealings with her daughter. You also have the mystery of a little girl who went missing when Peyton was young.

Peyton is researching the disappearance because it appeals to her desire to be a journalist. Her digging into the past upsets her mother, especially when it leads her to question her own early life.

I'll have to admit I liked the writing style and most of the story, but I was left with questions at the end that weren't answered. I felt like the author left me hanging.

Thanks to Head of Zeus and NetGalley for the gifted copy. All thoughts are my own.

Loved it! This was the first book I read by the author and I can't wait to read more. From the first chapter I was hooked and I couldn't wait to see what happened. I enjoyed how the book alternated between Peyton and Eualla. I knew Eualla and Peyton had to be connected somehow, but it wasn't until Eualla declares her college major when I finally put two and two together. Where did Minnie and Eualla's mom go for all those years? Why did she finally return? I hated the relationship Peyton and her mom had with each other. Lydia never had anything nice to say about her daughter. Did she love her? Lydia sure knew how to hold a grudge. Her sister helped her raise Scott and then she just cuts her off. For being a psychologist, she wasn't very good with her children or even herself. She should have talked to someone. There were so many hidden family secrets.

Definitely recommend the book. Loved the characters, story and writing style. I was so glad that the truth was finally revealed about what actually happened to Daisy. Look forward to reading more books by the author. Loved the cover of the book.

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

A gripping and emotional story of family and the secrets we keep from the ones we love. Wow, a good story like this needs a quiet afternoon, a sofa and a warm blanket. Moving and heartfelt! Enjoy! Whimsical but never frivolous, sweet but not sugary, deeply kind rather than merely nice. I loved it.

Loved the title and noticed it’s repetition a few times throughout this compelling tale surrounding the lives of a woman living in rural Tennessee in the 60’s and her daughter, as an adult in 2021. I was so moved by Eualla and her sister, Minnie’s plight as children and was dismayed to see how their childhood negatively impacted their lives as adults. Peyton’s story was also compelling. Add to that the unsolved mystery of a young girl, missing for over 20 years. To me, this is family drama at its best.
Marina McCarron’s descriptions and writing made me feel such strong emotions as I read this engaging tale that delves into childhoods that shape us as adults and definitely color the way we parent the next generation. Definitely thought provoking!
I will definitely be looking for more from this author. Many many thanks to Marina McCarron and NetGalley for affording me the pleasure of reading an arc of this soon to be published gem.

A strong family drama. This is a sombre book but grips you so that you have to keep reading. Family secrets abound. It splits between Eualla and her younger sister Minnie, living in abject poverty in 1990s Maine and would-be journalist Peyton, who returns to Maine in 2021 to investigate Daisy Wright's murder in the 1990s. Eventually, the link between them comes to light. At first, I thought the ending twee and couldn't understand why it was included. Then it dawned on me that it explained the behaviour of the missing girl's father and brother: they drank to forget that they couldn't find her.

3.5 stars rounded up

Maine, 1997. As the people of Fort Meadow Beach celebrate the fourth of July, four year old Daisy Wright disappears and is never seen again.

Maine, 2022. Fired from her job and heart=broken, Peyton Winchester moves back home for the summer. Bored and aimless, she finds a renewed sense of purpose when an ad for a journalism course reminds her of a path not taken. Returning to life in her hometown brings back all kinds of memories - including Daisy's disappearance when she was a young girl herself.

This story focuses on the life of Peyton, Eualla and the missing four year old Daisy Wright whose story is lightly woven in. The pace is slow throughout. A story of family, hardships, loyalty and mistakes, that we can all make, along the way. I like the authors writing style, it's an easy book to read. But there were a few questions I still felt were unanswered at the end, so I took half a star off for this.

I received this ARC via Netgalley from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This is a multiple timeline book set between 1997, 2021 and the 1960’s

Maine 1997: It’s the 4th of July celebrations at Fort Meadow Beach when a young six year old girl called Daisy disappears just as an old pier nearby collapses.

Maine 2021: Peyton arrives home to Fort Meadow Beach, she’s lost her job and her boyfriend so decides to head home for the summer and move back in with her parents.

Tennessee 1965: Eualla is excited for the summer vacation with her friend Debbie , two whole months of doing what they like.

I was utterly engrossed in this story! From beginning to end it had me hooked.

I particularly fascinated by Eualla’s story and how it was connected to everything, I really felt for how she lived and how she was treated it was heartbreakingly sad.

Peyton I adored as she was just lovely and deserved the whole world after how she was treated too but she couldn’t rest until she explored how little Daisy disappeared.

This is one of the best books of 2022 for me.

A beautifully written dual timeline story. Set in Tennessee in the 1960s and Maine in the late nineties/present day, central to the story is the disappearance of six-year-old Daisy Wright on Independence Day over twenty years ago. Peyton Winchester, returning home to Maine for the summer finds herself remembering the incident and wondering what actually happened to Daisy. Woven around this present-day story is another, of Eualla Tompkins and the hardship she experiences growing up in poverty in Tennessee. At first I wondered how the two were linked, but eventually all becomes clear. It’s a cleverly written multi-layered novel, about family dynamics, and how the past shapes who we eventually become. The kind of read that pulls you in and makes you want to stay there until the story has finished. With family drama and secrets as well as the on-going question of what happened to Daisy, it’s an excellent novel, and one I would thoroughly recommend.
My thanks to Marina McCarron, Head of Zeus, Aria, and NetGalley for an
ARC of The Shimmer on the Water in exchange for an honest review.

This might start as the story of Peyton's search for information about the disappearance of Daisy in the 1990s but it's more about the entwined (yes, they will entwine) stories of Eualla and Peyton, It moves forward from 1960s Tennessee, where Eula and her sister Minnie live miserable lives to present day Maine. Eula is an intriguing character but oddly less sympathetic than one might expect under the circumstances. It's not so much a mystery as a novel of family secrets and lies. While I was pulled along even through the somewhat slow parts (and there are a few), I admit to being less than happy with the ending. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. An intriguing read.

Maine, 2021. Peyton Winchester, at a low ebb after being fired and having the stuffing kicked out of her by a disastrous romance, returns to her small Maine hometown of Fort Meadow Beach for the summer. Back under her parents' roof, in her stifling childhood bedroom, she is bored and frustrated with the direction her life has taken. The cool relationship she has with her mother is not helping, and her lack of purpose only seems to be making things more awkward between them. 

Reflecting on her past dream to become a journalist, Peyton starts to ponder on the unsolved case of six-year-old Daisy Wright, who went missing from the town's beach on 4th July 1997. She cannot shift the feeling that she might know something that would help to solve the mystery, even though she too was only a small child at the time. As spending time in town brings the memories flooding back, she begins to put together the pieces of what happened that day, and her conviction that she holds the key to solving the case becomes overwhelming.

Tennessee, 1965. Eualla Tompkins is growing up in poverty with a down-trodden mother, a drunk for a father, a violent older brother, and a frail younger sister called Minnie. She is starting to realise that their poverty marks them as different to many of the other people in town. When Eualla and Minnie return home from school one day to find that their mother has abandoned them, Eualla and Minnie's lives take a turn for the worse. Euallla knows that their only chance for survival is for her to work as hard as she can to get them out of this place once and for all.

The story flows back and forth between the thread of Peyton's search for the truth about Daisy's disappearance in the present, and Eualla's coming of age tale from 1965 onwards, with flashbacks to the time around Daisy's disappearance in 1997. It takes some time to understand quite how Peyton and Eualla's sides of the story relate to each other, which adds a delicious layer of extra mystery on top of the slow-burn build-up into what happened to Daisy, but after a while you see where McCarron is going with this. The threads gradually weave together and cleverly collide in a way that allows you to not only fill in all the gaps about the difficult family relationships that flood this novel, but also serves to ramp up the tension around Peyton's search for the truth.

There is so much here about dysfunctional relationships that perpetuate through time, of the push and pull of love, and yearning to cast off the things that we feel hold us back, and McCarron uses these themes to beautifully examine how we cannot move forward until we acknowledge how the past has shaped us. There are very painful depictions of mother-daughter and sibling relationships that rip your heart out, but as the story progresses you learn that it is not always quite that easy to paint anyone in shades of black and white even if you do not agree with their actions. These characters are complex, and as McCarron slowly peels back the layers, the chance for reconciliation does present itself as she reveals the truth we have been grasping for on more than one level.

The story caught me from the very first page, and I loved how McCarron manages to create a really compelling, genre-busting novel that combines a cracking mystery about the unsolved case of a child's disappearance, with a delicious exploration of complicated family dynamics. I was so impressed by her ability to combine the poignancy of an incisive dissection of what motivates people to do the things they do, with a riveting story full of suspense. This is not an easy task, and yet McCarron achieves it seamlessly, keeping you firmly on the edge of your seat in all areas of the story. She also uses water, and the tug of hidden depths nicely throughout.

This book really took me by surprise in the way it blends so many themes and intriguing elements together in one perfect package. I read the whole brilliant novel in one fell swoop, unable to look away for a minute. Marina McCarron is a class act, and I cannot wait to read more from her.

Absolute fire. The emotional rollercoaster this author took you on was a wild one to say the least. I can't recommend "The Shimmer on the Water" enough.

Family; you can’t choose it but it marks your life forever.
This is a bitter story about family and love; difficult and dark, intriguing and tense; it will make you see your life in a different perspective.
This is a story told between two different timelines; the past with the young Eula and the present with Peyton. Eula had a poor and difficult childhood, but one day she decides that her future will be better and fights with all her strength to leave her past behind and have a successful future. But, is she better than her parents?
On the other side we have Peyton, the missing girl in 1997 that marked her life; she never met the girl, but that day something weird happened with her family… Did any of them have something to do with her disappearance? Returning home makes her try to discover the truth of what happened that day. But what will happen if what she discovers is something much worse? Of course you’ll have to read the book if you want to discover the truth!
This is a very interesting read; it is not easy to like Eula but you understand her as you discover her story. Also, I felt so sorry for Peyton and her family situation, she is a nice and brave woman that only needs a little bit of love and support in her life.
I have to say that I liked this book; the twists and different characters in the story makes this book a surprise.
Are you ready for “The Shimmer on the Water”?

In typical Angelnet Reviews fashion I signed up for the blog tour for The Shimmer on the Water after skimming through the synopsis of the book and assuming that it was going to be a detective story about the disappearance of a small child on a crowded beach. I'm very pleased to report that Marina McCarron's book is so much more than a crime investigation. It is a multi generational tale of family and the lies that we tell to those that we love the most.

Peyton Winchester moves back to the family home in Maine for the summer. Her life is a mess with no job - she got fired - and no boyfriend - he turned out to be an idiot who ghosted her. Admitting that her life in Seattle was a disaster is tough because her mother makes Big Bang Theory's Leonard Hofstadter's mother seem pretty touchy feely. It has always been a difficult relationship and Peyton is sure that her mother really doesn't like her.

Needing something to keep herself occupied over the summer Peyton begins to investigate the disappearance of four year old Daisy Wright who went missing in 1997. As she digs deeper into what happened twenty five years earlier it looks like the answers might be found a little too close to home for comfort.

There is a real depth and pathos to The Shimmer on the Water that takes you unawares. I’m not normally hugely keen on books that weave inter generational threads together but this really works. The contrast between the two is quite stark and helps to explain the present day issues and events. If you are looking for a beach book with a bit more bite then look no further.

Supplied by Net Galley and Aria, Head of Zeus in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley and Head of Zeus for the chance to read an advanced copy of The shimmer on the water by Marina McCarron. This story wasn't what I was expecting but I loved it. The story is told mostly in dual timelines with two POV's. We meet Peyton in Maine, 2022 who comes home after being fired from her job, and a failed relationship. As she recovers, her memories bring up the past: 1997 when a young girl disappears during a 4th of July beach party. Peyton decides to try and solve the mystery of her disappearance. We also meet Eualla in Tennessee in the 1960's, who has had a hard life, caring for her younger sister, when her Mother walks out, leaving her with both a drunk father and brother to deal with. The story is fast paced, but I did find one section towards the end dragged a bit. The shimmer on the water is an emotional family story, and what happens when you keep secrets from those you love. For fans of Kristin Hannah and Delia Owens.

First I must say as a lover of Historical Fiction--this is not historical fiction. Even though there is a time lime from twenty years converging in Maine, it is not historical. Knowing that you will enjoy it more. And yes, it is a bit of a who-done-it, but I can't call it a mystery either. There is no chase or suspense but a need a for a resolution after so many years.
No, no, at its core this is women's fiction, loss and moving on, and family drama. And every family has its secrets. This one is no different.
The characters from the main to the supporting cast, are not overly likable nor likely to stick with you for long after the closing of the novel BUT they are apt and well fitted to the story the author set out to tell.
This is my first reading of a McCarron novel and will look toward the author's future releases.

Dual timeline, 1997 and 2022. Same place, Fort Meadow Beach, Maine. Peyton is at a crossroad in her life. Newly fired and single, she returns home to heal for a few months. She finds a renewed love of journalism and embarks on a quest to solve an old crime. What she finds leads her down a dark path of family, uncovering buried secrets, following dreams and learning to stand up for yourself. This book was more than I expected. Loved the dual timeline and the connection between the two stories. Character development of Peyton was well done. Characters you’ll love and others you’ll hate! Complex family drama at the center that unfolds slowly, intensely. Satisfying ending. New author for me, will definitely read her work again.

Thanks to Ms. McCarron, Head of Zeus/Aria and NetGalley for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone.

Family secrets and tension simmering just below the surface of this fascinating family story. History comes full circle as Peyton feels the need to understand where she comes from but can she handle learning what really happened ?
I really felt for Peyton in this story. She seems to have had a rough hand dealt to her and she finds solace in her home town with the familiar scenes around her. I loved how she saw the positives in the small-town support received upon her return. The mystery of Daisy’s disappearance added tension to an already tense read and wrapped in Peyton’s voyage to discover herself it was a great way for the story to hold together.

I so enjoyed this story! The story is set over 3 decades & tells us the story of Eualla, her very difficult childhood & her rise from poverty. Her daughter Peyton moves back home & so many questions are unanswered for her, which causes upheavals in people lives.
The book is full of emotion & strong characters, which grips you & makes it difficult to put down. Enjoy!

I was lucky to receive an advance copy of The Shimmer on the Water by Marina McCarron from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review and opinion. This is the first book I've read by this author and it will not be my last - loved her! You will be drawn in from page one and turning page after page waiting to see what happens as it's truly that good. Loved it!