Adrienne Young’s adult fiction debut is set on the mysterious and magical island of Saiorse. When August Salt, long suspected to have murdered one of the island’s residents, returns to bury his mother’s ashes, Emery Blackwood’s life becomes much more complicated. The townspeople turned on August after the murder but how far are they willing to go to be rid of him again? Everyone on Saiorse has secrets but not all of them revolve around the murder and Emery must decide who she trusts as August’s arrival opens old wounds.

This novel is incredibly atmospheric and makes the perfect fall read. The island of Saiorse is a character in its own right and the author’s writing is so vivid that I felt like I was there amongst the trees and walking down Main Street past the tea shop. I wasn’t blown away by the mystery here but I didn’t predict all the twists and I enjoyed the magical realism and slow burn. The characters still felt a bit YA to me even though this is adult fiction and the ending felt a little unpolished. But overall, I enjoyed it and the setting was perfect for an autumn mystery read.