Book Review: The Throwback (West Coast Mystery, #2) by C.S. Cowan

The Throwback: A West Coast Mystery by C.S. Cowan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Complex and compelling, a riveting mystery of murder, betrayal, and revenge.

The Throwback is the second book by author C.S. Cowan in her riveting West Coast Mystery series, a series tied together by its Canadian Sunshine Coast setting rather than recurring characters, so it works perfectly as a standalone. This entry features a mystery writer, Skylar "Skye" Whelan, who returns to her small coastal hometown of Sechelt after her financial advisor husband is revealed as a conman who's bilked his senior citizen clients out of their retirement funds. Skye plans to focus on her next novel and keep a low profile, but finds herself drawn into a decade-old disappearance that someone doesn't want her meddling in.

Skye Whelan is a wounded soul after her husband betrays his clients, and the victims and the public find it hard to believe she wasn't in on his scheme. She dropped her married name and returned to Sechelt, hoping to fade from the limelight and the public's memory. Still, her notoriety keeps following her. The discovery of bones at a local construction site brings her to the attention of the new RCMP supervising detective, Staff Sergeant Noah Rimes, who replaced her father in that position on his retirement from the service. There is an immediate connection between her and Noah, but her unfortunate past colors their budding relationship.

Noah has a complicated and tragic past as well. His career move from Vancouver to this small coastal outpost is an attempt at a second chance at life. He's settling in but is concerned about whether he will fit into the slower pace of his new jurisdiction. However, he is soon facing a baffling rash of petty break-ins and incidents of vandalism, when he really needs to focus on the newly uncovered murder.

Along with strong characters, the story is complex, featuring twists and turns everywhere and some seemingly unconnected subplots. There is a storyline involving two inept young criminals that is particularly absorbing, and their unexpected relevance to the bigger picture really had me fooled. However, while the narrative included understandable, easy-to-follow flashbacks, a couple of scenes in the present-day timeline seemed out of order. While these instances made me question what I had previously read, they didn't affect the plot's trajectory. For example, an injured pet is rushed to the vet, only to reappear next, frolicking on the beach with a neighbor's dog, with no mention of the medical emergency. A chapter or so later, the emergency incident comes back up, and the dog is recuperating, not yet up to any frolicking. Still, the story returned to page-turner status, keeping me reading and engaged until the final reveal.

I recommend THE THROWBACK to readers of mystery, suspense, and thrillers, especially those craving an intriguing West Coast Canadian setting.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from Reedsy Discovery.

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Book Review: She Thought I Knew (West Coast Thriller, #1) by C.S. Cowan

She Thought I Knew: A West Coast Thriller by C.S. Cowan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

With its deceptively intricate plot and engaging main character, SHE THOUGHT I KNEW had me hooked from start to finish.

She Thought I Knew is the first book in author C.S. Cowan’s new West Coast Thriller series featuring Simon Fraser University criminology professor Dr. Maeve Rosetti. Maeve returns home to her roots to support her estranged sister when Kathleen’s 15-year-old daughter, Jessica, goes missing after sneaking out of the house to attend a local dance. With time running out for a happy resolution, Maeve must confront the demons of her past to help bring her only niece home.

The plot for the book is robust and full of intriguing secondary storylines: the death of Maeve’s husband, the old hurt standing between the two sisters, and their father’s unsolved disappearance when they were young, to name a few. But even more tangles are in store for readers as the story progresses. The author cleverly eeks out clues but reserves just enough detail to obfuscate the truth behind Jessica’s disappearance. I was certain I had this one figured out, only to find out I couldn’t have been more wrong.

The story focuses on the impact on the missing girl’s family and the subsequent unfolding of family secrets. Maeve and Kathleen’s estrangement runs deep, and there is a walking-on-eggshells tension, which extends to include Kathleen’s husband, Doug, whenever the two are together. The appearance of Doug’s best friend, reporter Hank Jensen, was like a breath of fresh air in the highly emotional atmosphere. He and Maeve worked well together as they talked to possible witnesses or checked out leads to Jessica’s whereabouts. One aspect I liked about the plot’s very foundation is that Maeve lets the police do their job. She is the first to draw a line between her profession and that of the trained investigators, and everyone adheres to and respects that distinction. What she does uncover is that there are consequences to our actions, some immediate and some that manifest themselves long afterward.

The author’s writing style was comfortable and easy to read, and I was absorbed into these characters’ lives from the start. The story is smartly paced, with twists occurring as new clues to Jessica’s disappearance start to taper off. The setting on the Sechelt Peninsula’s Sunshine Coast was unique, providing a lot of possibilities to figure in the search: populous Vancouver and rural west Canada, tourist hotspots, lonely stretches of beach, and mountainous areas, with drifters, “Coasters,” and the indigenous people all present and available for plot twists.

With its deceptively intricate plot and engaging main character, I recommend SHE THOUGHT I KNEW to mystery and thriller readers and those who enjoy Canadian settings.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from Reedsy Discovery.

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