Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I have read all this authors books and once again was not disappointed,. I could not put this book down and would recommend to other readers

Dorothy Koomson does it again, she never fails to write a great book.
Nell is still feeling the after effects of finding a body on a beach 25 years ago,her friend Jude was with her at the time and she later vanished 3 weeks after the find. This started a spiral of problems for her family and her dad was persecuted by one cop in particular and had to move away from the area.
In the present day Nell is still trying to find the identity of the Brighton Mermaid as the body was nicknamed and her younger sister Macy has her own deep seated problems too.
I love the way that you get to know the characters gradually learning more about them as the book goes on and the way we get treated to snippets of their thoughts from themselves, this way you can identify with them and it makes them feel all the more 'real'.Don't think you can second guess the outcome though as she does it in a way where you are left wondering "what just happened" and in several places. Enjoy the read, I did.
Thank you to NetGalley for my copy of the book.

I am a huge fan of Dorothy Koomson, having loved the other novels I've read by her (including The Ice Cream Girls and The Friend), so I was incredibly excited to get the chance to read her newest release, The Brighton Mermaid. The premise sounded really interesting and I knew I'd be treated to Koomson's excellent writing. 

I wasn't disappointed - once again, readers can enjoy some brilliantly convincing characters (people you can actually imagine meeting in real life) and an intriguing, just-one-more-page plot, as well as the great location of Brighton.

I really enjoyed reading about Nell and the two key narratives: one focussing on her time as a child - before, during, and after the discover of the mysterous murdered woman and the disappearance of her her best friend, Jude) - and one set in the present day, as Nell deals with her past and tries to work out who could be watching, following and slowly torementing her...

The narrative is fast-paced and kept me wanting to read on, and I love the element of mystery interwoven with topics around family, friendship and secrets. There's a mix of emotions, with some quite disturbing themes cropping up alongside slightly more light-hearted parts. I loved the sense of time and place that Koomson always creates so well - I may only have been a very small child at the time this was set but I could picture myself there, in the early 1990's, right there with Jude and Nell as they made their horrifying discovery.

Another addictive release from this brilliant author - definitely recommended!

This was the first Dorothy Koomson book that I have read. It was an enjoyable, light read and enough of a ;mystery' to make me want to finish. However, I had to keep pushing myself to pick it up again, so it took me a while to finish.

A gripping read. Nell and her friend Jude’s lives change the day they find a body washed up on the beach, The Brighton Mermaid changes their lives. For the next 25 years Nell makes it her mission to find out who the Brighton Mermaid is and find out more about her, this sets her on a dangerous path will she survive it to tell her story.

I thoroughly enjoyed this crime thriller which had an amazing plot and was full of suspense.
Nell is a damaged but likeable character, obsessed about an event which happened when she was a child and doing everything she can to unravel her own personal mystery of where her best friend disappeared to afterwards.
Her anguish and inner struggle regarding her fathers guilt/innocence is an ongoing fixture and there’s plenty of twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat and unable to put the book down.
Fast paced and well written, I’ll definitely read more by this author.

My main reason for picking this book was the beautiful cover (at the time I hadn't read Dorothy Koomson's previous book, The Friend). I also liked the idea of a woman so obsessed by a twenty-five year old murder she's determined to solve it herself.

Nell and her friend Jude found the body of a young woman on Brighton beach when they were teenagers and from that moment their lives were changed irrevocably. No spoilers, so I'll just say that every member of Nell's family felt the pond-ripple effect of her discovery.

Twenty-five years later and the mystery of who killed the woman who became known as 'The Brighton Mermaid' is no nearer to being solved. Although Nell now works as the deputy manager in a supermarket, she has developed a sideline in helping people find long-lost relatives using family trees and DNA testing. (She has an ulterior motive with the DNA!) The story starts as Nell takes a year's break from work to use these skills to finally discover the Brighton Mermaid's real identity - she's hoping this will lead to the woman's killer.

I absolutely loved this book! It has all the ingredients I adore - an old mystery, believable but flawed characters, a fabulous heroine, a dysfunctional family, a bit of a romance - and lots of twists! I liked that everything wasn't wrapped up neatly at the end and that I didn't guess the identity of the murderer. I thought the plot was clever and twisty, and it caught me out more than once. I also loved the thoroughly nasty villain. I can't say much more, because of spoilers, but this was one of my favourite reads this year. Recommended, especially for fans of family/domestic murder mysteries and authors such as Lisa Jewell and Harlan Coben.


Thank you to Dorothy Koomson, Cornerstone Digital, and NetGalley for my copy of this book, which I received in exchange for an honest review.

Every Dorothy Koomson book I read, I am amazed at how unique and enthralling they are. The Brighton Mermaid is the story of Nell Okorie and how her life is completely changed by the events of one night. On that night Nell sneaked out, with her friend Jude, to a party. On the girls' way home they discover a dead girl on the beach. If that wasn't traumatic enough, a few days later Jude disappears and Nell's father is accused of her abduction.The dead girl on the beach is never identified and as more deaths occur she is nicknamed the Brighton Mermaid, the mermaid killings continue but the first is never identified.
The body of the story is 25years later, Nell has quit her job to take a year to discover who the Mermaid is and ultimately who killed her. The devastating and long reaching affect that one night had on Nell's life and that of her family is the catalyst to Nell's adult life. As the reader you are suddenly immersed in Nell's journey as she tries to piece together the story of the Brighton Mermaid. As she attempts to comb through all the known facts and suppositions, she sets off a deadly trail of destruction to her and all her loved ones.
As with all her novels, Dorothy's writing is fast paced and exciting and I found it hard to put down, always feeling as if I were standing right next to Nell encouraging her to continue this feverish pursuit of the truth. This book is an exciting read with a story that seems to twist and turn as you move from chapter to chapter. Yet again another winning novel by the superb Dorothy Koomson.

The book follows the fallout from a tragic event in 2 sisters childhood. Nell and her best friend Jude found the body of The Brighton Mermaid, after they had crept out for a night out. Jude's dad comes to collect them from the police station and tries to stop the policeman in charge 'bullying' the girls. He has his own nightmare following this event and eventually moves to a more remote village where Macy has troubles of her own.
It's a great thriller- you know about the crimes, a spate of similar girls found. But we have no idea who is killing them or why. Shortly afterwards Nell's friend disappears and she then dedicates trying to find her and help find out who the Brighton Mermaid was. I loved the dna evidence- I hadn't realised that there was such a development in tracing family trees.
Danger seems to be around every corner- it's very tense at points , keeping you on the edge of your seat. Dark secrets are being kept and we wonder when skeletons are going to come tumbling about- and where!
I love Dorothy Koomson's books and always look forward to reading the latest release

Nell and her best friend discovered a dead body as young girls and were harassed by the police. Then Jude goes missing and Nell is left with no answers to a case that has haunted her ever since. Finally she takes the chance to truly investigate and learn the identity of the Brighton mermaid but what will she discover and just how much will she lose in the process.

This was quite the read. It's full of many twists and turns along the way. The plot is steady and keeps you guessing about much of it until the end especially whether her Dad is involved. There's plenty of drama and it kept me reading desperate to know more. The ending was really good and tied everything up perfectly. I love that I was unable to figure out everyone's part.

Nell is a complicated character but given what she's been through, it's understandable. She's likeable and you want her to survive. The other characters are good too though I struggled a lot with her sister and I'm still not sure I truly like her.

A great twisting thriller.

I liked this book, but it didn't grip me like some of Koomson's previous novels have. To be honest I felt some of Nell's introspection was too long and well, boring. I quite liked her, but she irritated me at times. Someone described the twist at the end to be "jaw dropping", but I felt blase about it. I think that's because the book isn't very fast-paced. As for the ending, it was satisfying in that the mysteries were all solved, and Nell had a stronger relationship with her sister (Macy). Both Nell and Macy could look to the future. The romantic in me would have liked Nell to have chosen one of her love interests, instead of hanging out with both of them, but there you go.

With thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Despite having had a copy of The Friend on my bookshelf for months, I’ve still not gotten around to reading it and so The Brighton Mermaid is my very first introduction to Dorothy Koomson. It only took a few pages for me to realise it won’t be the last time I pick up one of her books as I quickly fell for the author’s captivating writing style.

Twenty-five years ago, Nell and her best friend Jude, discover the body of a young girl on a Brighton beach. Despite having the most wonderful mermaid tattoo, the girl is never identified and her killer is never caught. A few weeks later, Jude disappears. Now, Nell has taken a year off work to try and figure out what happened to Jude and maybe finally solve the murder of the Brighton Mermaid, as she was called.

The story is told through the characters of Nell and her sister Macy, and seamlessly switches between the past and the present. Both sisters have been affected by past events. Nell has commitment issues and is seemingly obsessed, whereas Macy is riddled with anxiety issues. Even knowing where they were both coming from and sympathising with them, I found both the sisters incredibly hard to connect to. However, their character development is incredibly intriguing and often made me almost forget about the mysteries that needed solving. These are complex, multi-layered characters that drew me in and kept me immersed throughout.

There are some truly shocking moments that sometimes made this quite the uneasy read. Even more so as I have no doubt these things actually happen. Sadly. I don’t want to say anything more about this because I feel the impact will be even bigger when you read this for yourself. Suffice to say though, they pretty much all involve an absolutely vile and despicable character that made my skin crawl.

The Brighton Mermaid is incredibly well plotted and a truly compelling story. It’s dark, haunting, harrowing and disturbing. The first part of the story is relatively on the slow side as the scene is set but hold on to your pants when things really kick off! I couldn’t at all predict the outcome and ended up being suspicious of just about everyone. This brilliantly written book has put Dorothy Koomson firmly onto my radar and I very much look forward to reading some of her other work.

This is the first book that I have read by this author, but having enjoyed the TV adaption of The Ice cream Girls, I fully expected to like The Brighton Mermaid. I wasn’t disappointed. The story begins in 1993 with Nell and Jude, teenagers who find the body of a woman washed up on Brighton’s beach. Shortly after, Jude vanishes in what appears to be unrelated circumstances. Some years later, Nell decides to fully investigate what happened to the mermaid and Jude’s disappearance. What follows is a plot which slowly builds up, in which we follow Nell’s investigations. The last 20% of the book becomes fast paced and gripping as we hurtle towards the end and find out all the answers. This book has well thought out plot which I really enjoyed reading.

The Brighton Mermaid is an extraordinary story told across two time lines when in 1993 Nell and Jude find the body of a young girl on the beach .How this effects them and their families is told in an exceptional way ,taking in racism and family ties.Plenty of gripping plots and twists and turns that have you gasping until the final fantastic chapter .Many thanks to the publishers ,the author and Netgalley for my review copy in return for an honest review.

Summary

The lives of two teenagers and best friends Neil and Jude are turned upside down when Jude stumbles upon the body of a young woman after sneaking out at night to attend a party. What happens after kicks off a series of traumatic events that will change not only their lives but the lives of their families too. When the body of the young woman remains unclaimed, she is give the nick name of the Brighton mermaid. As Nell and Jude struggle to cope with what has happened, three weeks later Jude goes missing too. The story picks up twenty-five years later with Nell deciding to put a last and final effort into finding out what happened to the Brighton Mermaid (and Jude) once and for all. In doing so she puts herself and loved ones in danger and finds herself not knowing who she can really trust!

Review

This is my first Dorothy Koomson book and I wished I had found out about this author earlier.

The story pulls you in from the start and it pulls no punches with it's brutal story-lines which examine racism, physical, sexual and mental abuse and death from the outset! That said, Dorothy cleverly combines heavier topics with lighter bits of humour which allows you to pause while you work your brain while you try to figure out who the villain/s are.

The story is told mainly in Nell's voice, but we also hear from Nell's sister Macy whose mental health has deteriorated. The story flips back and forth from the time the body of the Brighton mermaid was found (1993) right up until current events. This works really well and allows the reader to go deep into these characters heads and provides answers behind their behaviour throughout the book. It takes a honest and stark look at the complexities of human behaviour too.

I loved that Nell was a strong and independent character but she was also multi-faceted and complex. She was emotionally damaged by her past and had her fears and her demons; - these along with the threats she was getting, may have convinced a weaker character to give up, but she still kept going. We see her at her most vulnerable and we get to see her kick ass too.

There were so many twists and turns to this plot which kept me on my feet! I kept guessing (wrongly) along the way who was responsible and was unable to put the book down for a break until over half way through. The pace really picks up mid-way and intensifies towards the end, when all those mini clues that had been cleverly dropped throughout the book like breadcrumbs begin to weave and intertwine. Just when you think you know what's about to happen and who's responsible you realise that there was another possible outcome that you hadn't foreseen. This all builds up to a gripping climax as the truth finally comes to light.

This book is an entertaining dark thriller that you'll definitely want to read!

*The cover is beautiful!

Thank you Netgalley, Dorothy Koomson and Random House UK for the digital ARC book.

I’ll straight up tell you that I was utterly thrilled to be granted an ARC of this book because Dorothy Koomson has long been one of my favourite authors; her storytelling skills are off the scale! Unputdownable novels such as Rose Petal Beach, The Ice Cream Girls and That Girl From Nowhere all embody her phenomenal talent of writing genre-crossing bestselling books! Ok, so now you know I’m a huge fan. This book did not disappoint; it is everything you’d hope for from Koomson, and some.

This book crosses the genres of thriller/drama/domestic noir/crime/contemporary fiction and I think would appeal to a wide audience because of this. Written from the perspectives of two sisters you see a dark, twisted tale unfold as a terrible event rips a family apart and the far-reaching consequences this has for all involved.

Set across various landmarks and sights in Brighton, this is a treat for anyone who has visited (or longs to visit) the seaside resort; during the countdown for publication Dorothy has been posting photos of her book at various locations from the story on her social media, which has been a good visual guide for me as well as entertaining hearing her own little anecdotes of these places.

A great cast of characters and some pretty gritty themes feature throughout the book: institutional racism, coercion, OCD, anxiety, guilt/obligation, privilege, abuse, how vulnerable people can slip between the cracks of society. Yet it is also an uplifting story of sisterhood, loyalty, honour and love. It is brilliantly edgy, addictive and heartbreaking.

The narrative is steady at the start to set the scene and then the pace quickens to the point where by the last third of the book I just could not put it down until I had finished it. It was THAT addictive. There’s a shocking but satisfying ending which obviously I can say no more about other than you really do need to read this book.

This author is a new author to me. I saw the cover revealed on social media and instantly knew I wanted to review it. The cover is amazing and combined with the synopsis, gives the book its crime fiction edge. The mystery surrounding the Brighton mermaid; a murdered woman from 1993 and the young woman who found her body, now determined to get justice.

26th June 1993 Nell and her bestie Jude, having sneaked out in the night. Stumble across the dead body of a young woman. Nell feels the urge to help the dead woman and is in almost disbelief at what she is seeing before her. She can’t take her eyes from the detailed mermaid tattoo and it is this that will go on, to give the victim her name in the media.

‘She was still; tranquil, lifeless’

The novel then jumps to the present day 25yrs later. Nell has been working as a supermarket assistant manager for 8yrs, saving her every penny, to take a year off. A year off to pursue her own investigation into the Brighton mermaid case and the disappearance of Jude. I admired her dedication to the victims and you witness this throughout the novel.

Nell and Jude were severely mistreated in the 1990s, on the discovery of the victim. They weren’t treated as the child witnesses they were, but as potential suspects themselves. The racist policing in the 1990s is fully explored and the scenes are vividly played out before your eyes.

‘I looked into the faces of the police officers, saw how angry they were that we were wasting their time like this, and knew our lives were never going to be the same again’ – Nell

The scenes really got me thinking about 1990s policing. An era not only affected by institutional racism within the police force. But an era, where children/teenagers feared the authority of the police much more than they do now. An era where young people did not see the police as a figure of help or support.
I was also becoming addicted to the case of the Brighton mermaid. What happened to the woman on the beach? And why did Jude disappear?

In the present day, Nell has the support of her sister Macy, her partner Shane and children Clara, Willow and Aubrey. This is her little family and where she feels accepted. There are complications, due to the fact that Shane was originally Nell’s first teenage boyfriend. But her sister urges them both to put the past behind them. Nell and her sister Macy are very close. But they Both have secrets. Don’t we all?

In the past, after the discovery of the Brighton mermaid’s body. Enelle (Nell) and Judana (Jude) discuss the victim and their role in the case. Jude stole the victim’s charm bracelet as a keepsake and feels an attachment to the victim.

‘She looks like us Nell. That could be me or you strangled – and probably raped – on the beach and no one would care after a couple of weeks. It’s not right’ – Jude

Just a few weeks later, Jude goes missing, leaving Nell devastated and alone. Not only that the police circle in on Nell’s father, claiming him as a suspect due to his appearance as a “big. . . black fella”. Nell’s father faces on-going police and community harassment. That will not only change the way Nell views the police but in one way destroy her entire family. . . .

After the discovery of the Brighton mermaid and disappearance of Jude. Several other bodies were discovered and labelled as ‘mermaid’ victims also. It is then that Nell, begins to wonder is Jude a mermaid? Is that why she has never heard from her?

In the present day, the cop who harassed Nell’s father relentlessly pleads for her help. John Pope claims to have new evidence and possible links to the case. Can Nell trust him? How do you trust the man that destroyed your family?
They may make the most unlikely of pairings, but together could they solve the case?

I really enjoyed this novel. I found Nell to be daring, brave and driven. She is central to the plot and its unravelling throughout and this works extremely well. Nell is likeable, and I really enjoyed the time I spent with her, on her quest for justice. The tension within her surrounding relationships with others, creates a gripping ending!

Edgy crime fiction, with a journey into the 1990s 4*

The Brighton Mermaid

I have always wanted to read a book by Dorothy Koomson ( and have several in my TBR pile) so was delighted to receive an ARC of The Brighton Mermaid from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I loved the Brighton Mermaid and didn’t want it to finish. The relationship between the girls, Nell, Macy and Jude was intricate and interesting and I love how the storyline wove around these characters, chapter by chapter. I thoroughly recommend it.

I haven't read any books by this author before and really enjoyed the start, thinking it was going to go beyond the usual crime thriller and encompass racism generally and particularly in the Police in the 1990s. However it soon became a more run of the mill story and didn't really keep my interest.

This is the first book I have read by this author and I am rather shocked that I have never read her work before. It was absolutely brilliant from start to finish and ticked every single box on my list of things I need for a good book to be a great read.
25 years ago, two teenagers, Nell and Jude, find a body on a beach. It is of a young woman and a tattoo on her body gives her the rather intriguing nickname of the Brighton Mermaid. In the days and weeks after the discovery, Nell struggles to move on from what she saw. This is compounded by the fact that her own father is being targeted by the Police as a Person of Interest in the matter. Then Jude disappears. Fast forward to the present and we reconnect with Nell as she leaves her job to concentrate on finding out who the Brighton Mermaid was; she had never been formally identified. We see how the intervening years have been for her, always tainted by the gruesome discovery and we learn how it has affected both her and the family over the years.
But this course of action does have its repercussions as we find that Nell's investigation into this, and the other "Mermaid" murders over the years, starts to put her, and others, in danger. Will she be able to put her ghosts to rest once and for all and uncover who and what really happened to the Brighton Mermaid 25 years ago?
This book switches about in time a lot. And I do mean a lot! Coupled with that, we also have several narrators to our story. Each chapter time and person switch is labelled and whilst I initially had a bit of trouble remembering when we were, and who was talking, things did soon settle down as the voices became distinct and the time line became more solid, it was easier to differentiate.
This book is quite ambitious. Between 1993 and the present, there has been an awful lot happening. As Nell's investigations proceed in the present, we are glimpsed flashbacks from the past, drip feeding pertinent information that coloured in what was happening now. Obviously this was not always linear in nature as it complements the initially haphazard nature of Nell's investigation, but also as key elements needed to be withheld until the appropriate moments.
To say that Nell is a complex character would be an understatement. Her discovering the Mermaid has pretty much tainted her entire life. Her relationship with her parents and sister being key things in the story. The triangle of Nell's first love Shane who is now living with her sister Macy was very well woven into the story and gave quite a bit of insight into the three as characters.
I have to admit that I was very impressed with Nell's investigation. How she went about things and the resources that she used to get what she needed was very impressive. As was the addition of the new connection that she made along the way. I'd love to say more but, spoilers!
It's a story that got under my skin in more ways than one. It contained so much aside from the main story that it really was so much more than the sum of its parts. It delivered punches when they were needed and softer quieter moments when appropriate. Some of the content is quite brutal and harrowing in nature but never for sensationalism sake. All the key elements were very well and sensitively handled. And the ending, when it came, left me reeling and shocked, and then shocked again.
All in all, a cracking read which left me completely satisfied. I really must add this author's back catalogue to my tbr. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.