Book Review: The Echoing Shore by J.H. Mann

I’m pleased to be welcoming J.H, Mann to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for his book, The Echoing Shore.

A lifeboat is lost off Cornwall’s wild Atlantic coast. All eight crewmen die. The cause is never fully explained.
Ten years later, Kate Tregillis, the editor of a small, struggling newspaper, becomes obsessed with solving the longstanding mystery.
Her investigations provoke a backlash of threats and violence in the insular fishing community of St Branok. In exposing the truth, she risks the future of her newspaper and even her life – and discovers that the man she loves has his own secrets.

Praise for The Echoing Shore – A Yeovil Literary Prize award winner:

‘A gripping story full of twists and turns’ – Margaret James, Writing Magazine.

‘An enthralling read that keeps you guessing to the end’ – Victoria Howard, author and judge for the international 2023 Yeovil Literary Prize.

‘I would definitely pick this book up from the bookshop shelf’ – Claire Gradidge, winner of the Richard and Judy Search for a Bestseller competition.

***** 

It’s been nearly ten years since the Talan Bray was lost off the coast of Cornwall. The boat and her eight crew were never found.

Kate Tregillis, the editor of the local paper, along with new freelancer, Danny Flanagan try and solve the mystery. Many people say it was a tragic accident. However, the deeper Kate and Danny dig, the more threatened they feel. Someone doesn’t want them looking.

Can Kate and Danny get to the bottom of what happened to the lifeboat that disappeared all those years ago or will they not get the chance?

This was the first book I’ve read by Jason Mann. Living in a place where there is a big RNLI presence, the premise of this book intrigued me greatly. I was excited to be invited onto the blog tour for The Echoing Shore.

The plot throws you straight into the drama and then doesn’t really stop. The tension, mystery and suspense are threaded really well throughout. The identities of the people threatening Kate is also kept under wraps until the end and the surprise was a great one. I didn’t know who I could trust and so was suspecting everyone to the point where I couldn’t stop reading as I needed to know who the bad guys were and what happened to the Talan Bray.

Kate herself is a fantastic main character. She’s strong, loyal and has a will of iron. She does everything she can to keep her newspaper afloat. Rufus the dog is adorable. Danny is a mystery, and I didn’t know what to make of him when he arrived. The other supporting characters are also brilliant. I don’t know what more I can say about them without spoiling it. I was so sad to be saying goodbye to these characters. I hope to see them again.

There are some really tragic moments in this novel – one in particular that had me crying. When you read it, you’ll know what bit. Overall, it’s one of those compelling stories that has you on the edge of your seat wondering what is going to happen next.

I loved this book. I hope you check it out.

About J.H. Mann –

Jason Mann is an award-winning journalist and writer living in the South West of England with Nicola, his wife, and their lively whippet, Patch. He is also a shore-based volunteer for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.

Jason says: ‘Many of my stories are set in the wonderful county of Cornwall where truth can sometimes be stranger than fiction. I have swum and surfed there much of my life. It has been a special place for me with its legends, soaring cliffs, rugged moors and wild seas. The landscape has a raw, mystical magic. My father and mother’s recollections of rescues and tragedies on the North coast are often the inspiration for my stories. My father became one of the county’s early lifeguards after his predecessor was killed by a strike of lightning while standing in waist-deep water during a rescue.’

Say hello to Jason on his website, Facebook, Instagram and X. 

The Echoing Shore was released in August 2024. Click here to buy on Amazon UK, Waterstones and Amazon US. 

by

Laura

I’m Laura. I started Novel Kicks in 2009. I wanted a place to post my writing as well as give other writers like me the opportunity to do the same. There is also a monthly book club, a writing room which features writing prompts, book reviews, competitions, author interviews and guest posts.

I grew up by the sea (my favourite place in the world) and I currently live in Hampshire. I am married to Chris, have a cat named Buddy and I would love to be a writer. I’m trying to write the novel I’ve talked so much about writing if only I could stop pressing delete. I’ve loved writing since creative writing classes in primary school. I have always wanted to see my teacher Miss Sayers again and thank her for the encouragement. When not trying to write the novel or writing snippets of stories on anything I can get my hands on, I love reading, dancing like a loon and singing to myself very badly. My current obsession is Once Upon a Time and I would be happy to live with magic in the enchanted forest surrounded by all those wonderful stories provided that world also included Harry Potter. I love reading chick lit. contemporary fiction and novels with mystery.