Good writing and one wanted to read on, but the set-up is rather contrived, with a whole village, community and history invented by the author to establish a basis for the story and characters. To a great extent the main characters have also had to be 'invented' - "a unique investigator and oceanographer". This approach, customary in science fiction, seems odd for a tale about otherwise believable characters set in an otherwise 'real today' context. ( )

The `sea detective' seems a curiously secondary character in this second novel in the series which bears his name. But I suppose this allows the author to bring a wider variety of protagonists to the fore.

In this proper novel of character and theme, justice is done (if not - quite - seen to be done): the good end happily(-ish), the bad unhappily. ( )

I'm glad to report that The Woman Who Walked into the Sea did not meet my expectations-- it exceeded them. Expecting to read the second book in a mystery series featuring the same cast and location as in the book before it, I found something new. Yes, Cal McGill is still with us, thank goodness, but he's set down in the midst of a brand-new locale and a secondary cast filled with memorable characters.

The author brings his setting to life, so much so that I could almost smell the sea air and hear the crash of the waves and the cry of the birds. With the village being promised new life due to a proposed offshore wind farm, there's an ecological element to this second mystery, too, reminding those of us who have read The Sea Detective of Cal's strong beliefs on the subject.

Douglas-Home is so very adept at weaving together a complex story without bogging down the pace or the readability. He explores many questions relating to a complicit village whose residents always seem willing to believe the worst. He shows how secrets can twist in upon themselves and fester, and with surgical precision, he shows how love can be unbelievably cruel.

This complicated tale is carried on the strong shoulders of a vivid cast of characters: the heartsick Cal, Violet who wants an end to secrets, Mr. Anwar who only wants to do what's right, the malevolent Mrs. Anderson, the vibrant little Anna, and Ross Turnbull-- perhaps the most surprising character of them all. The setting, the story, the characters, are all woven together so tightly and so beautifully... definitely one of my best reading experiences so far this year.

Since the author seems to be avoiding any real kind of formula for writing his books, I can't wait to see what he's done with book number three: The Malice of Waves. How lucky I am to have found these books! ( )

This is the second book to feature Cal McGill, an oceanographer, the first being The Sea Detective. I've really enjoyed both, despite slightly misleading blurbs. In The Woman Who Walked into the Sea, Cal is a secondary character, the main story being about Violet Wells trying to understand why her mother abandoned her hours after her birth and then walked into the sea, never to be seen again.

I liked the feel of this book, a bit like an Ann Cleeves in style, and set in a remote and small coastal town in Scotland. Cal is a really interesting character and I would have liked to have him feature more in this story, but there are a number of interesting characters making up the whole and it works really well, particularly Violet and Mrs Anderson, who has an axe to grind and is the person who starts Violet off on her journey of discovery. This is a detective story with a difference and I really enjoyed it. I'm pleased that there's a third in the series coming up very soon. ( )

The `sea detective' seems a curiously secondary character in this second novel in the series which bears his name. But I suppose this allows the author to bring a wider variety of protagonists to the fore.

In this proper novel of character and theme, justice is done (if not - quite - seen to be done): the good end happily(-ish), the bad unhappily. ( )