The One Who Fell (A Whitecliff Bay Mystery, #1)

In a place where everyone knows your name, your secrets, and your mistakes, things can get a little a little tense. I found this book to be a gripping, solid and captivating start to a new mystery series. Millie Westlake knows all about rumors and people knowing your business. She is constantly talked about in town, not only for how her marriage ended but there are those in town who believe she killed her own parents!

While volunteering at a local nursing home, Millie is told about a young girl being pushed off a roof. Naturally this piques Millie’s interest and Millie wants to learn more. Most believe that Ingrid, the woman who mentioned the girl being pushed is confused and not to be believed, but Millie knows all too well what not being believed feels like and decides she is going to get to the bottom of what was seen.

She soon teams up with Guy, a former journalist and now blogger, and as they investigate what Millie was told, it becomes clear that they are making someone nervous. Feeling as if she is being watched and being followed, adds to Millie’s concern, and adds tension to the book. Who was the girl on the roof? What happened to her? Was Ingrid, right?

I enjoyed the twists and turns along the way. It is clear that someone knows something and is hiding something. This book starts slowly and gradually the pace builds as readers learn more about Millie, her past, her current life, and the mystery of the missing girl. I enjoyed this aspect of the book as it continually piqued my interest and kept me fully invested in the plot. I enjoyed the writing, tension, drama, and twists and how the plot unfolded. Kerry Wilkinson knows how to write small town/village dynamics. He captured the rumor mill, the way everyone knows your business (or think that they do) and how people are treated by judgmental people in their community.

This is the beginning of a series and I look forward to more Millie (and Guy) in future books.

Gripping, mysterious, and tense.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.