A review by cakt1991
The Smuggler's Daughter by Kerry Barrett

dark mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

 I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. 

The Smuggler’s Daughter is a dual-timeline mystery, and while I was a bit nervous about how I’d fare with it upon noting how it was structured, with both being in first-person (I’ve been known to forget whose head I’m in even with headings), since I got into the rhythm of it. And the two voices are fairly distinct, with Emily’s subtly reflecting her time period. 

Ultimately , I did grasp onto Emily more, and that was likely in part due to the fact that she is what we today would consider to be autistic. I could empathize with how she‘s viewed differently by the townsfolk due to this, and provides a healthy reminder of why I’m glad to have been born in the present, even if that still isn’t without its own challenges for neurodiverse folks. 

But I did still like Phoebe’s story to an extent, even if I wasn’t as personally invested in it. As an investigator, I liked how she applied her skills to looking into the mysterious goings-on of the Moon Inn (which serves as the setting connection), including a thread that ties into finding out what happened to Emily when she disappeared after she made some discoveries in relation to her father’s death and the local smuggling activities. I did admittedly gloss over a bit more in her chapters, wanting to get back to Emily. 

While I didn’t feel like this book was as balanced in sucking me in to both character arcs as I desire with dual-timeline novels, I still enjoyed this one a solid amount, even if more for the historical elements. It offers a lot of familiar elements (the atmospheric Cornwall setting, a la the novels of Daphne du Maurier), with a fresh twist, and should satisfy fans of historical fiction who also like a bit of mystery.