joypouros's review against another edition
medium-paced
2.5
I found the premise interesting but the dialogue clunky. I didn't like Phoebe at all. Parts of the plot are contrived.
There are two timelines.
In 1799, Emily Moon doesn't speak and most of the town thinks she is "simple". She witnesses her father murdered but can't tell anyone. She works to understand why he was murdered and why the murderer needs her mother's cooperation for something. The one person she can talk to is Arthur, who understands and helps her. They ultimately are successful in their mission and decide to marry and go to America.
In present day, 2019, Phoebe is a police officer who is on leave from being a cop after a tragic case she feels partly responsible. Her friend convinces her to go to a small town to try to flip a pub. Her friend ends up tangled in a mess similar to Emily's family.
Phoebe's character was a but of a mess. A supposedly competent cop who does an absurd amount of things a competent cop wouldn't do. There's a romantic component in Phoebe's storyline that is unnecessary and makes her appear less competent than she should be.
The backstory with the tragic case was unnecessary. Her friend, Liv, was also portrayed both as good at her job and completely lacking in common sense or due diligence. Dialogue was forced.
A good idea squandered.
There are two timelines.
In 1799, Emily Moon doesn't speak and most of the town thinks she is "simple". She witnesses her father murdered but can't tell anyone. She works to understand why he was murdered and why the murderer needs her mother's cooperation for something. The one person she can talk to is Arthur, who understands and helps her. They ultimately are successful in their mission and decide to marry and go to America.
In present day, 2019, Phoebe is a police officer who is on leave from being a cop after a tragic case she feels partly responsible. Her friend convinces her to go to a small town to try to flip a pub. Her friend ends up tangled in a mess similar to Emily's family.
Phoebe's character was a but of a mess. A supposedly competent cop who does an absurd amount of things a competent cop wouldn't do. There's a romantic component in Phoebe's storyline that is unnecessary and makes her appear less competent than she should be.
The backstory with the tragic case was unnecessary. Her friend, Liv, was also portrayed both as good at her job and completely lacking in common sense or due diligence. Dialogue was forced.
A good idea squandered.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape
mscezik's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
kalkie's review against another edition
4.0
Really enjoyed this. Two great stories - one from 1799 and one from 2019 - intertwined into one great read.
miljes's review against another edition
3.0
I received an ARC of this book that published in April 2021 from a Goodreads giveaway. Rating is 3.5 stars. The novel follows two timelines: Emily Moon in 1755 Cornwall whose father disappears and who was invoked in smuggling and Phoebe in 2019 who is police officer who recently had a rough case and is on leave helping her friend open a bar in Cornwall. It is as interesting to see how both of the stories connected. Overall I liked the book but it was slow at times but I really enjoying the ending!
nickimags's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Well this was a fab find on Scribd!
Even though I’ve got loads of books to read and listen to, I’m always scrolling through various bookish apps to see what might catch my mood reading eye and this definitely caught it. A story set in Cornwall, about smuggling with a dual timeline definitely ticked my bookish boxes.
I loved both storylines for this book, something that doesn’t all agree with me, as I normally tend to enjoy the historical plot more, but the present day mystery was just as good.
I loved both Emily Moon and Phoebe, and felt for both of them as they got dragged into dubious events surrounding the pub. I was as fascinated as Phoebe in Emily’s disappearance and couldn’t wait to discover what had happened to her.
I worked out the mysteries both Emily and Phoebe were involved in, but didn’t mind at all as I really enjoyed their journeys and how the plot and their characters developed throughout the book.
Both Emma Powell and Gloria Sanders were brilliant narrators and I wouldn’t hesitate to listen to other books read by them.
I definitely recommend this on audio if you enjoy dual timeline stories set in Cornwall.
Even though I’ve got loads of books to read and listen to, I’m always scrolling through various bookish apps to see what might catch my mood reading eye and this definitely caught it. A story set in Cornwall, about smuggling with a dual timeline definitely ticked my bookish boxes.
I loved both storylines for this book, something that doesn’t all agree with me, as I normally tend to enjoy the historical plot more, but the present day mystery was just as good.
I loved both Emily Moon and Phoebe, and felt for both of them as they got dragged into dubious events surrounding the pub. I was as fascinated as Phoebe in Emily’s disappearance and couldn’t wait to discover what had happened to her.
I worked out the mysteries both Emily and Phoebe were involved in, but didn’t mind at all as I really enjoyed their journeys and how the plot and their characters developed throughout the book.
Both Emma Powell and Gloria Sanders were brilliant narrators and I wouldn’t hesitate to listen to other books read by them.
I definitely recommend this on audio if you enjoy dual timeline stories set in Cornwall.
suzannacurran's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
emmywritess's review
3.0
The Smuggler’s Daughter is told from two perspectives. Emily moon in 1799 - a quirky young girl who witnessed her father been murdered, and Phoebe in 2019, a police detective suffering from guilt after a case went tragically wrong. When her best friend asks her to occupy her to Cornwall for her new job she reluctantly agrees, and when she gets there, she gets sucked into Emily Moon’s story.
I loved the two timelines. It was difficult to get my head around at first, but after a few alternating chapters from each major character, I recognised the differences and followed the story pretty easily. Both had their own storyline that held each perspective together - but it also flowed into one as we find out what happened to Emily Moon. I often thought about how alike the two characters were and how they’d have been good friends if they had lived in the same time period. I loved how the timelines fit side by side, how they each had certain elements in their stories that were similar.
I loved Emily. She was such an unique character. Labelled as ‘simple‘ by her town, when really she probably had autism. I loved how it showed how people viewed an autistic person in the past and how difficult it must have been to just be thought as stupid.
The only thing I disliked was sometimes the dialogue felt forced. I would also have liked the author to show me more rather than telling, but apart from that this book was a rollercoaster of a ride - addictive, exciting and pulled at my heartstrings.
I loved the two timelines. It was difficult to get my head around at first, but after a few alternating chapters from each major character, I recognised the differences and followed the story pretty easily. Both had their own storyline that held each perspective together - but it also flowed into one as we find out what happened to Emily Moon. I often thought about how alike the two characters were and how they’d have been good friends if they had lived in the same time period. I loved how the timelines fit side by side, how they each had certain elements in their stories that were similar.
I loved Emily. She was such an unique character. Labelled as ‘simple‘ by her town, when really she probably had autism. I loved how it showed how people viewed an autistic person in the past and how difficult it must have been to just be thought as stupid.
The only thing I disliked was sometimes the dialogue felt forced. I would also have liked the author to show me more rather than telling, but apart from that this book was a rollercoaster of a ride - addictive, exciting and pulled at my heartstrings.
june1832's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
rebecca_isreading's review against another edition
4.0
Thanks to HQ/HarperCollins360 for a gifted copy.
he Smuggler's Daughter is set in a Cornwall pub in two stories over 200 years apart. The author cleverly connected the stories with the characters' names and the setting, as well as some other details that become clear as the story gets on. I thought the environment in the story was well described and this provided a good escape, as well as a touch of mystery. A quick read at only 300 pages, this definitely satisfied!
he Smuggler's Daughter is set in a Cornwall pub in two stories over 200 years apart. The author cleverly connected the stories with the characters' names and the setting, as well as some other details that become clear as the story gets on. I thought the environment in the story was well described and this provided a good escape, as well as a touch of mystery. A quick read at only 300 pages, this definitely satisfied!
gemmiejewel's review
4.0
Plot
1799
Emily Moon lives with her mother in an inn on a clifftop in the darkest reaches of Cornwall. After her father mysteriously disappears, her mother finds solace at the bottom of a bottle, and the only way to keep afloat is to turn a blind eye to the smugglers who send signals from the clifftops. But Emily knows that the smugglers killed her father to ensure his silence, and she will not let his murder go unpunished…
Present day
After a case ends in tragedy, police officer Phoebe Bellingham flees to Cornwall for a summer of respite. But rather than the sunny Cornwall of her dreams, she finds herself on storm-beaten cliffs, surrounded by stories of ghosts and smugglers – and the mysterious Emily Moon, who vanished without a trace over two centuries ago. As rain lashes down around her, Phoebe determines to find the truth behind the rumours – but what she uncovers will put herself in danger too…
Review
Atmospheric and gothic is two ways I can describe my beloved Cornwall and this book does them perfectly. I love how the storylines intertwine with each other even going as far as having Phoebe’s name having the same meaning as Emily’s.
I love the take on modern day smuggling mirroring the old ways and the fact that it’s two feisty women who both deal with mental health problems at the heart warms me to the core.
The ghostly tales add to the atmosphere and gives you the odd shiver up your spine which I live.
Won’t say anymore for fear of spoilers but a really enjoyable read.
Rating
Four stars
Recommend
Yes - maybe don’t read on a windy night by yourself!
1799
Emily Moon lives with her mother in an inn on a clifftop in the darkest reaches of Cornwall. After her father mysteriously disappears, her mother finds solace at the bottom of a bottle, and the only way to keep afloat is to turn a blind eye to the smugglers who send signals from the clifftops. But Emily knows that the smugglers killed her father to ensure his silence, and she will not let his murder go unpunished…
Present day
After a case ends in tragedy, police officer Phoebe Bellingham flees to Cornwall for a summer of respite. But rather than the sunny Cornwall of her dreams, she finds herself on storm-beaten cliffs, surrounded by stories of ghosts and smugglers – and the mysterious Emily Moon, who vanished without a trace over two centuries ago. As rain lashes down around her, Phoebe determines to find the truth behind the rumours – but what she uncovers will put herself in danger too…
Review
Atmospheric and gothic is two ways I can describe my beloved Cornwall and this book does them perfectly. I love how the storylines intertwine with each other even going as far as having Phoebe’s name having the same meaning as Emily’s.
I love the take on modern day smuggling mirroring the old ways and the fact that it’s two feisty women who both deal with mental health problems at the heart warms me to the core.
The ghostly tales add to the atmosphere and gives you the odd shiver up your spine which I live.
Won’t say anymore for fear of spoilers but a really enjoyable read.
Rating
Four stars
Recommend
Yes - maybe don’t read on a windy night by yourself!