Ruin Beach is an absorbing thriller set on the warm sandy beaches and beautiful dive sites of….England. Yes, England. I’d never heard of the palm tree lined beaches of the English Isles of Scilly but this novel places the fascinating islands front and centre, much like the Shetland Islands in Ann Cleeves’ novels, but with significantly more attractive weather.
The locals in Ruin Beach are left reeling after the bizarre asphyxiation of a popular local woman during a cave dive. It’s all a bit confusing for the Isles’ Deputy Chief of Police Ben Kitty, a likeable but unkempt fella who seems fated to remain one step behind the murderer as he/she steadily kidnaps two other people closely associated with the victim. There’s lots of mucking about in boats and daring rescues but it somehow manages to stay credible and you really want to know whodunnit.
My only minor qualm is with the messages left in plastic bottles on victims or near the scenes of crimes – unlikely that a murderer would risk further exposure by doing something so reckless. But that aside, Ruin Beach is very well written, and quite wonderful.
If you like Ruin Beach, try the similarly named The Ruin by Dervla McTiernan or any of the Ann Cleeves novels; all intelligent mysteries with a strong sense of place.
