Reviews

The Smuggler's Daughter by Kerry Barrett

dmcnaught's review against another edition

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5.0

Loved it

dozylocal's review against another edition

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3.0

This was OK. Almost the same story is told in parallel: smugglers and mystery and threats of violence in the same place only 200 years apart. It ties up loose ends neatly and is well-paced. Just didn't have much depth to it, so is firmly in the "fluff" category (which isn't a bad thing).

kazza27's review against another edition

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5.0

The book begins with two deaths, hundreds of years apart, and both have far reaching consequences. Firstly in 1799, Emily Moon who witnesses the brutal murder of her father Amos for not complying with the wishes of a man who wants him to do something illegal.

Then 200 years later, Phoebe, a police officer is called to a missing teenager, however due to the intervention of another person, the girl is found dead and Phoebe blames herself. Her friend Liv has been given a job of managing a pub, The Moon Girl in Cornwall and asks Phoebe to come along. When they get there, it is apparent that the last tenants left in a hurry but why ? Phoebe gets a visit from Ewan Logan and she knows that she does not trust him, and why is he interested in the pub? Phoebe finds herself attracted to Jed one of Ewan’s henchmen but can she trust him. ?

Emily’s story is really sad, seeing her beloved father killed and not being able to tell anyone was really tragic, then her mother becomes desperate and can not sell the inn because of the law so has to take drastic action.

Coming from the South West, I have always been fascinated by stories of smuggling and shipwrecks and Jamaica Inn is one of my favorites and this definitely put me in the mind of this. Mist, fog and gloomy skies is a Cornwall that I know well and I was transported there through this dual timeline story. There was lots of questions in this story that all get answered in the end. Creepy, atmospheric and gripping, a really great read.

joypouros's review against another edition

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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.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

mscezik's review against another edition

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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

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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

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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

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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. 

suzannacurran's review against another edition

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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 against another edition

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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.