What do you think?
Rate this book
Windjammer Mystery #4
Apparition Island (4)
A chilling tale of murder unfolds during a fierce September hurricane on the Maine coast in this haunting story of two deaths mysteriously bound together by the long reach of time.
As Hurricane Ivan bears down on the coast, the crew of the Maine Wind retrieves the body of a young woman from the sea. Who is she and how did she die? The search for the woman's identity thrusts Homicide Detective Brie Beaumont into an investigation on Apparition Island in the aftermath of the violent storm. A verdict of undetermined death begs the question: Was this an accidental drowning; did Claire Whitehall commit suicide, or was she murdered? As a baffling investigation unfolds, Brie is drawn back into a decades old cold case--one that has cast its shadow into the present, where she could become its next victim.
As Hurricane Ivan bears down on the coast, the crew of the Maine Wind retrieves the body of a young woman from the sea. Who is she and how did she die? The search for the woman's identity thrusts Homicide Detective Brie Beaumont into an investigation on Apparition Island in the aftermath of the violent storm. A verdict of undetermined death begs the question: Was this an accidental drowning; did Claire Whitehall commit suicide, or was she murdered? As a baffling investigation unfolds, Brie is drawn back into a decades old cold case--one that has cast its shadow into the present, where she could become its next victim.
- GenresFiction
328 pages, Paperback
First published March 16, 2015
About the author
Jenifer LeClair
8 books28 followersJenifer LeClair is the author of the award-winning Windjammer Mystery Series set on the coast of Maine and featuring homicide detective Brie Beaumont as the series protagonist and detective. "Rigged for Murder" and "Danger Sector" are the first two books in LeClair's gripping mystery series and are set aboard a historic windjammer and on the islands and coastal areas of Maine, where she has sailed since 1994. LeClair brings a remarkable authenticity to the remote and beautiful setting of her action/adventure mystery novels and has won Independent Publisher Awards for Best Regional Fiction for both "Rigged for Murder" in 2009 and "Danger Sector" in 2011. "Rigged for Murder" also won the 2009 RebeccasReads Written Art Award for Best Mystery/Thriller, and "Danger Sector" was a finalist in the 2011 Midwest Book Awards. Jenifer LeClair lives in Minnesoata, but has adopted Maine as her second home and spends time there every year researching, travelling the highways and byways, doing photography, and sailing to various destinations in the Gulf of Maine and beyond. Her adventures aboard the Maine windjammers have taken her from Lunenburg, Nova Scotia to Gloucester, Massachusetts and Mystic, Connecticut and to dozens of islands and coastal villages in between. You can visit and write to author Jenifer LeClair on the web at www.windjammermysteries.com and watch for her new book, "Cold Coast," coming in July of 2013.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
August 5, 2021
The marketing description calls this "a chilling tale...." Well, I do not think I would say that. I liked it. Didn't love it but it had some interesting aspects and many weak aspects.
It is set on some out-of-the way island off the coast of Maine right after a hurricane hits. We have here a story about a murder in 1958, which is solved for the reader in Chapter One but not officially solved by the police at the time and then a murder 50 years later involving the granddaughter of the original victim, which takes most of the book to solve.
One of the positives is that it was a pretty decent mystery that kept me guessing for quite some time. Although a couple of clues led me to figure out who the murderer was about three-quarters of the way through the book. And I loved how Brie, the lead detective, would compare the 1958 murder to the modern day one and meet all of the grandchildren who had a connection to the Eisenhower-Era one. A decent cold case mystery and I love those.
The negatives were that I just did not care for the dialogue and chapter changes. So much of the dialogue was "So, how's the investigation going?" "Oh not bad and here is the latest..." And until the last 3 or 4 chapters of the book, each chapter ended on an anticlimactic note as if the author just needed to end the chapter. These are not exact quotes but the chapter endings went like this: Brie hung up the phone and went to bed. Brie finished her interview and walked out the door. Brie ate dinner and went on to her next interview.
I might have liked a few "cliff hanger" endings to keep my interest such as Brie approached the door and the subject walked aggressively toward her with fire in his eyes or something. But in the final chapters there was one cliffhanger when the murderer pointed a gun at Brie.
There were a whole lot of suspects and like many mysteries, the one you thought might be the murderer was not. There was a lot of copy about what Brie was eating, what Brie was wearing, and what the area she was investigating looked like. I'm OK with that but not to the extreme that it was presented here.
Brie's relationship with John seemed to go nowhere. Oh, you could tell they were into each other but it seemed secondary to the plot. The Town Manager Gil was a weasel, I will say that. The retired Detective that Brie worked with, Jack LeBeau, was a character I really liked.
This book is part of a series and I have not decided if I want to read any of the other books in this series. It was a short book but it took me about three days to get through it and that is unusual for me. Although, I still liked the Maine setting.
It is set on some out-of-the way island off the coast of Maine right after a hurricane hits. We have here a story about a murder in 1958, which is solved for the reader in Chapter One but not officially solved by the police at the time and then a murder 50 years later involving the granddaughter of the original victim, which takes most of the book to solve.
One of the positives is that it was a pretty decent mystery that kept me guessing for quite some time. Although a couple of clues led me to figure out who the murderer was about three-quarters of the way through the book. And I loved how Brie, the lead detective, would compare the 1958 murder to the modern day one and meet all of the grandchildren who had a connection to the Eisenhower-Era one. A decent cold case mystery and I love those.
The negatives were that I just did not care for the dialogue and chapter changes. So much of the dialogue was "So, how's the investigation going?" "Oh not bad and here is the latest..." And until the last 3 or 4 chapters of the book, each chapter ended on an anticlimactic note as if the author just needed to end the chapter. These are not exact quotes but the chapter endings went like this: Brie hung up the phone and went to bed. Brie finished her interview and walked out the door. Brie ate dinner and went on to her next interview.
I might have liked a few "cliff hanger" endings to keep my interest such as Brie approached the door and the subject walked aggressively toward her with fire in his eyes or something. But in the final chapters there was one cliffhanger when the murderer pointed a gun at Brie.
There were a whole lot of suspects and like many mysteries, the one you thought might be the murderer was not. There was a lot of copy about what Brie was eating, what Brie was wearing, and what the area she was investigating looked like. I'm OK with that but not to the extreme that it was presented here.
Brie's relationship with John seemed to go nowhere. Oh, you could tell they were into each other but it seemed secondary to the plot. The Town Manager Gil was a weasel, I will say that. The retired Detective that Brie worked with, Jack LeBeau, was a character I really liked.
This book is part of a series and I have not decided if I want to read any of the other books in this series. It was a short book but it took me about three days to get through it and that is unusual for me. Although, I still liked the Maine setting.
July 21, 2018
This is the fourth in a mystery series about a policewoman who has PTSD from a traumatic experience on the job in Minnesota. She has moved at least temporarily to the Maine coast where she works on a windjammer. I liked this one the most of any of her other books in the series. It is not the mystery that so enthralls me, but that it happens on the Maine coast and islands that I love. Also, she has many interesting Maine characters. The author goes into great details about the meals the hero eats. This one described a restaurant in Wicasset called the Sea Basket in such detail that I did an internet search to learn if it is real. It is! At the end of the book there is a memoriam dedication and a picture of the author's beloved dog Angus, but she also works Angus into the plot.
August 22, 2018
After discovering a body floating in the ocean, Brie Beaumont is asked to investigate the death that seemed to stem from Apparition Island. After identifying the victim she has to determine whether this death is accidental or homicide, but her gut points to homicide. This book was pretty goof. I made the mistake of reading a review on Goodreads that contained a bit of a spoiler that made me read a little differently than I might have if I hadn't read the review. If you like mysteries, I might check this book out.
August 19, 2023
Another enjoyable, intriguing read!
The books in the Windjammer series just get better and better and "Apparition Island" is no exceptiion. Jenifer LeCair has "cop speak" as it relates to the investigative process down so well and her attention to detail is incredible (and most enjoyable for someone who has been involved in a career full of details, details, details).
The books in the Windjammer series just get better and better and "Apparition Island" is no exceptiion. Jenifer LeCair has "cop speak" as it relates to the investigative process down so well and her attention to detail is incredible (and most enjoyable for someone who has been involved in a career full of details, details, details).
August 23, 2020
Never judge a book by its cover. My father-in-law gave me the series from this author. Although, I read mostly fiction and mysteries, I must admit that I wouldn't have been drawn to this book. I am SO glad that I read this book. Such a delight! I read it in a matter of days.
August 4, 2022
I am really enjoying this series. I am hoping the next one doesn't involve some sort of storm though. I liked the intrigue around this one and and a glimpse into he small village. I also like that being from Maine, I could follow all the roads around the mid-coast, and knew exactly where Brie was!
August 30, 2020
The fourth book in a great murder mystery series set aboard a Maine sailboat. The characters are lovely, and there are plenty of twists and turns to make this quite an interesting read!
June 8, 2023
Love mysteries that take place in Maine.
June 17, 2016
Our book group wanted to create a book kit for the library based off of a Minnesota writer... the search was on. After stumbling on "Rigged for Murder" it was decided Jenifer LeClair's upcoming book to be the choice. There was no let down from the moment the first words were read ...
The title "Apparition Island" proves to be correctly chosen as a haunting unsolved murder from the past becomes linked with the search for the identity and story of a young woman's loss of life as she is found floating in the sea off of Apparition Island. The truth will be told if Detective Brie Beaumont has anything to do with it, her gut tells her so.
The title "Apparition Island" proves to be correctly chosen as a haunting unsolved murder from the past becomes linked with the search for the identity and story of a young woman's loss of life as she is found floating in the sea off of Apparition Island. The truth will be told if Detective Brie Beaumont has anything to do with it, her gut tells her so.
November 16, 2015
This was a great book. I love Jenifer LeClair's Windjammer Series. The third in the series was not the best, but Apparition Island, the fourth, was great. It totally held my interest until the very end. I loved the characters, their interactions, and was totally surprised at the end. I had no inkling who the murderer was until it was revealed.
I have sailed on the Windjammers in Maine and so these titles appeal to me particularly. This is why I picked up the series in the first place. I didn't know what to expect, but have been pleasantly surprised and gripped by these books.
I have sailed on the Windjammers in Maine and so these titles appeal to me particularly. This is why I picked up the series in the first place. I didn't know what to expect, but have been pleasantly surprised and gripped by these books.
July 1, 2015
Many suspects keep the interest high
The description of the events and surroundings was beautifully written. I have enjoyed the entire series for that reason. Some of the earlier books had a more involved and compelling plot. I would have liked hearing more about Blythes killer. Perhaps a chapter with his daughter reading the letters written to his cousin. In spite of the background being a little short I still enjoyed the read and I look forward to the next book.
The description of the events and surroundings was beautifully written. I have enjoyed the entire series for that reason. Some of the earlier books had a more involved and compelling plot. I would have liked hearing more about Blythes killer. Perhaps a chapter with his daughter reading the letters written to his cousin. In spite of the background being a little short I still enjoyed the read and I look forward to the next book.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews