Gillian Royes

While I was mislead bythe cover to believe that this was a detective novel it was still enjoyable. The story is about a woman finding herself, a bit of political intrigue in a poverty stricken, hurricane ravaged area and about second chances for all the characters of the book in one way or another.

The Goat Woman of Largo Bay wants to be the first book in a mystery series when it grows up. I'm not sure it's quite there yet. There really isn't a lot of mystery in this book. The mystery plot is quite predictable and was really not much of a mystery. Although the "goat woman" didn't turn out to be what I had initially envisioned when I read the title of this novel.

That said, there is much to like about this novel. The setting of Jamaica is unusual in a main stream novel. It also happens show more to be one of my favorite places on earth! The author, Gillian Royes (who grew up in Jamaica) captures the unique flavor of the island perfectly. Shad, the bartender, has great potential as a character in future novels. Royes managed to avoid the stereotype of the island bartender as she developed the character of Shad. We learn about has past mistakes and meet his family. He embodies the beautiful spirit of the Jamaica people that I find almost more attractive than the scenery of the island. I'd like to see him play a big part in future novels.

The other characters in this book did not captivate me as much as Shad. They seemed more one dimensional and I wasn't as invested in their stories. I did not understand the attraction between Eric, the expat and Simone, the goat woman. I think with more developed characters, it might work. I just didn't "know" either of them well enough to make it a plausible relationship.

I would like to know more about the mysterious character of the Obeah man. He seemed to be a mix of holistic healer, village shaman and local witch doctor, complete with potions and spells. "Obeah" is an actual Jamaican practice of the occult arts, if I understand it correctly. He is another character I would love to read about in future books.

This is also a story about grief and how one woman finds her own path through the process. This aspect of the book was well done. Royes managed to capture the despair of grief and the feelings of isolation that Simone encountered and her personal journey to let go and move on with her life.

Even with it's flaws, I can recommend this novel. I look forward to seeing what the series grows up to be!

Thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with a copy of this book to read and review of this work. show less

I received an ARC copy of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
First, the good. Royes draws good characters and she writes well. This is the fourth in the series and although I have not read the first three I can get a sense of the history these characters share and a sense of Jamaica as a place. I will also say that the Rastas are an interesting people and I learned quite a bit about their culture and history.

But, I only gave this book two stars show more for a reason. As a mystery/thriller it is a complete snoozefest. I was over 70% of the way in and literally nothing had happened but the characters driving around talking to people and reminiscing about past events, none of which were particularly interesting. The one slightly interesting, but completely predictable, “mystery” if you can even call it that, was wrapped up in a few pages toward the very end of the book in an almost comically low-impact fashion. No tension whatsoever. I confess that there were times when I started skimming when characters spent pages explored their feelings for each other for the umpteenth time. Basically, several likeable characters doing pretty much nothing for about 300 pages. show less

Eric is an American who owned and ran a hotel until a major hurricane hit Largo Bay, Jamaica, and made the peninsula that it was constructed on into an offshore island. Now, he is the owner of a bar with a view of the island, which he still owns. His bartender is a local named Shad, who knows everyone in this small community. When a woman is discovered living on Eric's island, he allows her to stay there, after she offers to pay rent. She was born in Jamaica but left as a small child. Her show more back story is not revealed at first, but it is obvious that she is either running from something or someone, or just needs a time out from her.

I enjoyed the story when it focused on the woman and her story and her effect on Eric and the locals. But, the other main storyline in the book, involving Jamaican politics and business, lacked any emotional force and did not engage me.

There are supposed to be more books coming from Royes involving these characters and Largo Bay. I enjoyed this book enough to check them out when they arrive. show less