Book Review: Mermaid in Troubled Water by Nikki Haverstock

Iseult

After her engagement ends, mermaid Brooke drives away from her life and finds the reclusive town of Purgatory Falls, a sanctuary for paranormals like her to live freely.

Unfortunately for Brooke, during her first moments in town she witnesses a murder, even though she doesn’t actually see very much because in her mermaid state her eyesight is poor.

Now, as Brooke learns about what life can be like for a paranormal without fear of discovery, she must hunt for a killer before the killer finds her.

I absolutely love Haverstock’s Space Murder series, so when I heard she was writing a mermaid fantasy mystery, I couldn’t wait to read it.

Mermaids seem to be all the rage this year, or at least they are on my bookshelf. This is the third mermaid book I’ve read so far in 2022 and I’ve more on my TBR.

Haverstock has created a great character with Brooke, and an intriguing setting in Purgatory Falls. Born to a life of privilege, I love how Brooke’s mother groomed her for the life of a wealthy man’s wife, and instilled in her a strong need to keep her true self hidden, as well as a distrust of magic.

Naturally, Purgatory Falls is a huge culture shock for Brooke, where a Minotaur runs a restaurant, magic classes are available at the local jewelry store, and the inhabitants are completely uninhibited about their paranormal nature and abilities.

I want to live in Purgatory Falls. With its amazing eateries, cool bookshops, healing hot springs, and super friendly inhabitants, it sounds like a great place to be. I wouldn’t mind being a paranormal either, with their immortality, magic powers and shape changing ability.

This is a cozy mystery, so there is that pesky murder to solve, revealing the fact that not everyone in town is as nice as they seem. The author reveals the details of the murder and its resolution with her usual aplomb.

However, what I liked best about this book was the character of Brooke and her voyage of discovery into a world of magic and wonder that is almost as alien to her as to the reader, despite her being part of it. My only complaint is that I wish this book had been longer, so that I could have stayed longer in the world with the characters, but as this is the first in a series I’m sure I’ll have many more opportunities to hang out with Brooke and her new friends.