Many thanks to Orenda Books and Anne Cater of Random Things Tours for the advance copy of "The Mermaid's Cry" for review.
It seems that a current popular theme for UK murder mysteries involves people who use local myth and legend to justify terrible crimes. I recently reviewed two books in which, respectively, Welsh and Scottish myths inspired deception, kidnapping, and murder. "The Mermaid's Cry" falls into this genre, incorporating local Cornish folklore into a chilling tale in which babies and children are targeted for a perverse salvation.
Author Kate Rhodes begins the book with an epigraph; a quote from The Odyssey by Homer:
The passage refers to the sorceresses called Sirens, and our concept of the mythical creatures we call mermaids may be linked to these ancient Greek figures. Appropriately, Rhodes sets “The Mermaid’s Tale” in the coastal town of Penzance in Cornwall, a place defined by its past right down to its eroded granite sea defenses. Hundreds of years ago, local legend has it that Cornwall's “Mermaid of Zennor” lured a man into the sea because he was "too pure" for the brutal world.
Rhodes' disturbed antagonist tells us that "People say she's only a myth, but to me she's real." They've been "hearing" the voice of the Mermaid of Zennor since they were seven years old. (Rhodes provides hints of an abusive childhood, a possible cause of the delusions). As the years went by, the voice became stronger and more insistent about the need to rescue "mistreated" children to bring them salvation in the mermaid's embrace. This deluded believer obsessively watches Penzance parents and their kids looking for signs of perceived neglect. Many are judged to be bad parents. This isn't rooted in any kind of reality. The children must die to be saved. The parents will live and suffer for their sins.
Detective Inspector Ben Kitto (the protagonist of previous Rhodes mysteries) has recently moved to Penzance. He's a widower from Bryher, the smallest inhabited island on the Isles of Scilly. His wife Nina died when she was three months pregnant. Consumed by his intense grief, Kitto couldn't bear to remain in Bryher, so he took leave from the police force. He moved his three-year-old son Noah and their preternaturally intelligent, wolfish dog Shadow to Penzance. Kitto has only been there for six weeks, but he is slowly becoming part of the community and getting to know the town.
Late one night, Kitto takes a sleepless Noah and Shadow on a walk by the sea. The beach is deserted except for a woman bent over a baby's pram. Suddenly, Kitto sees a figure run out onto the beach, grab the infant, and hurl it into the sea. Kitto reacts instantly, plunging into the water and rescuing the tiny bundle. A man helps Kitto back onto the shore and Shannon, the baby's mother, rushes over to grab her. The paramedics come for Shannon and rescued baby Kelsey, but Kitto is worried about Noah. He's relieved to see that the same man who helped him out of the sea is looking after his son. Kitto thinks that the man, Arthur Goss, "looks like an aging rock star, with a shaved head, tattoos and a full beard. I can tell he’s won Shadow’s trust already." This is important because Kitto believes that Shadow is infallible in his canine instincts regarding who to trust and who poses a threat.
Then Kitto spots something on the ground. It’s a silver charm made to hang around someone’s neck; a mermaid with her curved tail gleaming with tiny scales. He takes the charm with him. Mermaid figures appear throughout the book; a threatening calling card from the person acting on their murderous impulses. Shannon, the mother on the beach, tells Kitto that she has received a threatening note saying, "YOU DON'T DESERVE HER" and is terrified that Kelsey is still under threat.
Kitto is questioning his decision to bring his son to a town of strangers, but he's got a better support system in Penzance than he realizes. Noah goes to a local daycare run by a mother-daughter team who love all the kids. Kitto's boss at the woodshop, Denny, lets him work part-time so he can take care of Noah. Kitto's Uncle Ray pays a surprise visit to Penzance from Bryher, ostensibly on an errand but really to check on them. And an old friend of Kitto's, a musician named Zoe, is coming to the island for the annual Burning Sky Festival. They've been estranged for years, but Kitto is eager to repair their relationship.
As a single father and grieving widower, Kitto's lucky to have people he can rely on for help and advice. Unfortunately for Kitto and other Penzance parents, the Mermaid Killer is still determined to "save" their children. Four days after Kitto rescued baby Kelsey, the killer brazenly throws a stroller with a toddler into the crowded community swimming pool. Although a lifeguard acts quickly, the child drowns. No one saw or heard anything because it happened so fast. The police find a mermaid figurine in the stroller and it's clear that the terror is far from over. Parents judged to be unworthy are everywhere, and their children must be delivered into the watery embrace of the Mermaid. In this small, tight-knit community, it's horrifying to think that this person lives among them, concealing their dark impulses.
Penzance DCI Lynne Farraday is in charge of the investigation and based on Kitto's past experience, asks him to temporarily join the team. Kitto is extremely motivated to say yes. The morning of the swimming pool killing, he found a mermaid figure on his patio. Kitto is terrified that Noah has been singled out as a target. However, catching the person will soon become more complicated. A large crowd is coming to Penzance for the Burning Sky Festival, which celebrates the summer solstice. As Kitto's boss Denny says:
Soon, thousands of people arrive for the Festival. The event includes musical performances in Penzance and a stargazing event in Zennor, ten miles north. Farraday, Kitto and the rest of the force are monitoring both places. However, they don't know who they're looking for and are hampered by large crowds, multiple festival sites and lots of noise. Then, another child disappears and this time, the victim is DCI Farraday's granddaughter Amelie.
In the final pages, the police follow one false lead, then another, driven by the need to save Amelie before it's too late. There's some great misdirection in the final pursuit and the killer's identity was a definite shock. The roots of their delusion are less clear. In the chapters they narrate, they speak of severe neglect and abuse. Whether that's enough to create such a deranged individual is arguable, and troubled upbringings have a lot to answer for in the mystery game.
Nevertheless, from Kitto's initial dramatic rescue of Kelsey until the frantic conclusion at the stargazing event, Rhodes sustains a high level of tension. The great characters and glorious coastal setting make the difference in "The Mermaid's Cry". Kitto, Noah and Shadow have a strong, unbreakable bond that serves them well in the face of extreme danger. In such a tiny community, people know their neighbors...but not all of their secrets.
Kate Rhodes' latest books are the Isles of Scilly Mysteries. She set them on the Isles of Scilly, and protagonist DI Ben Kitto appeared out of thin air, with a wayward wolfdog in tow. The first book is Hell Bay, was shortlisted for the Crime Novel of the Year Award in 2018. Burnt Island, the third in the series was selected as a Mail on Sunday Novel of the Year. In 2021, Rhodes was longlisted for a Dagger in the Library award. She's looking forward to seeing the Isles of Scilly Mysteries on TV before too long. They have been optioned by Two Cities, the production company behind brilliant crime and drama series, including The Fall, and Patrick Melrose.
Please buy/order "The Mermaid's Cry" from your local independent bookstore, or go to bookshop.org and order there. They now offer ebooks as well.
For audiobooks, go to libro.fm.
