The House Between Tides

March 28, 2016
Muirlan Island in Scotland’s Outer Hebrides provides the sensuous setting for British author Maine’s impressive debut, which charts the parallel quests of two women a century apart. In 1910, Beatrice Blake, a young bride, and her husband, eminent painter Theo Blake, travel from Edinburgh to Theo’s estate on Muirlan island, Muirlan House. For all Beatrice’s efforts to be a loving wife, their marriage doesn’t last. In 2010, copy editor Hetty Deveraux, a descendant of Theo and the estate’s new owner, journeys from London to Muirlan House, which she plans to fix up as a hotel and sell. When decades-old human bones turn up buried in the sand on Muirlan, Hetty seeks to identify the remains, whose owner clearly met foul play. In researching the former residents of Muirlan House, Hetty eventually discovers what drove Beatrice and Theo apart. The revelations are inevitable yet unforced. Vivid descriptions of the island’s landscape and weather enhance this beautifully crafted novel. Agent: Fiona Brownlee, Brownlee Donald Associates (U.K.).