I really struggle with books told in parallel storylines. I usually enjoy one of the storylines more than the other and kind of slog through the one I don't enjoy as much. Unfortunately, this book fell into that category for me. The writing and plot itself were well developed and executed, I just personally didn't enjoy the way that the story was told. If you enjoy story with parallel plots, you will probably love this book.

The place this book was placed seemed like the perfect place for mystery, murder and secrets.

The book goes back and forth from 1799 to the present day. Who was Emily Moon and what happened to her?

when her father disappears, Emily is not going to let it go. With smugglers always coming and going, could they be at fault? While on a much needed vacation, Phoebe finds herself fascinated with the story of Emily Moon. She begins to retrace Emily's footsteps from so long ago. Will she be able to solve the mystery?

A great read with lots of history, thrilling moments and interesting twists and turns.

Such a great read. I really enjoyed the plot of the story. I felt like I was a character interacting within the story. At first I thought it was hard to get into but then the plot surprises you and brings the reader in.

The Smuggler’s Daughter by Kerry Barrett is an excellent dual timeline historical fiction that has mystery, intrigue, suspense, and a little romance added in for good measure.

I really enjoyed both stories equally. We have Emily in the late 18th century Cornwall, England and we have Phoebe in current day England. Both are strong female characters. Both have been through tragic and disheartening events. And both try to right the injustices respective of their own lives and time periods.

I enjoyed the concepts of comparing/contrasting the two characters. Both have different obstacles, yet both are trying to overcome their situations. Both women have different personalities and experiences, yet both are strong, intelligent, and imperfect. Both stories drew me in, and I was impressed with the author’s ability to interweave the two tales together. I enjoyed the journey, and the end.

5/5 stars

Thank you to HQ Digital/HarperCollins for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR, Bookbub, and Instagram accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, B&N, and Instagram accounts upon publication.

This book was hard to put down...I wanted to know what happened to Emily and Phoebe! As the author went back and forth through centuries the suspense was palpable. Her characters were so well developed that I loved some and thoroughly hated others. The plot was perfect. I don't write spoilers, but I can assure you that Ms. Barrett's story The Smuggler's Daughter will keep you entertained for hours.

I enjoyed reading this book! I didn't find it to be super memorable, but it was fun for the moment. I love stories set by the coast, so this was an easy win for me. It's readable - everything is "up front" and simple to digest. There is ongoing sexual assault which may be hard for some readers.

The Moon Girl.

A real page turner, I could' put it down. Suspense, Danger, Smuggling and ghosts combine with an old English pub makes for some fine reading. Although written in two time periods it is very readable and easy to determine which time period you are in. The book is about smuggler's on the coast of England and a pub called Moon Girl.

In 1799 Emily who everyone called Moon Girl discovers smuggler's at her mom's pub and with the help of her friend Arthur they set out to catch them in action. Emily and Arthur disappear never to be seen again.

In 2019 Phoebe , who her friend called Moon Girl, takes a leave from her job as a policeman after a hard case involving a missing teenager. She decides to spend the summer on the coast in England at a pub named Moon Girl. When Phoebe takes leave from her job as a policeman to spend the summer with her best friend she never dreams the adventure she will find. She is determined to solve the case of Emily and Arthur and in researching she stumbles across real live action at the pub where her friend is working.

The characters were great, the setting was perfect, and the story was well written. I recommend it.

Emily and Phoebe have much in common though they lived over 2 centuries apart.
The Ship Inn's cellar, easily accessed by a tunnel from the beach, is used by ruthless smugglers to hide their wares.
In 1799, Emily Moon takes down the group.
In 2019, Phoebe does the same though the pub is now called The Moon Girl.
The mystery of how this all comes about, in addition to the mystery of what really happened to Emily Moon and her friend Arthur, make this a definite good read!
Enjoy!

LOVED THIS BOOK! Couldn't put it down! I am a big fan of parallel story lines and this one was very well done - both stories flowed and drew you in, and the author did a nice job of making the story lines similar but not exactly duplicate. Characters were human and not cookie-cutter perfect, which made the story richer. Solid resolution that drew everything together - definitely a good read!

I normally don't like this style of writing but Kerry has great way of intertwining two different stories. She kept the stories interesting and suspenseful and made you want to find out what was coming next.

Emily's family is arguing over the inn. A man named morgan makes emily's father nervous? Several days passed. Amos is gone? Then the story switch's to phoebe. She is looking for a missing teenage girl. I was curious to see what happened to Ciara.

3.5 rounded up because it was just so readable.

Titles where the storyline switches back and forth between two distinct time periods are not easy to pull off, but Barrett more than accomplishes it here. The plot goes between 1799 and 2019 at the same pub in Cornwall, where smugglers don't seem to realize that "historically operated" means that they're supposed to have stopped. Emily, the 1799 heroine, is on the autism spectrum and has been labeled as "simple" by the townsfolk who don't understand that she just works differently, which allows the truly evil villain Cal Morgan to get away with not only smuggling, but murder and rape as well, because he knows no one will believe Emily, even if she didn't have a speech impediment. Meanwhile in 2019, police detective Phoebe retreats to Cornwall when her best friend Liv is asked to help fix up the pub that once belonged to Emily's family. Phoebe is suffering from having misjudged a suspect, resulting in a teenager's death, but her rest is almost immediately shattered when she realizes that the pub is still the site of shady activity. She's also fascinated by Emily and what happened to her, and one of the best parts of the book is the way that their stories and activities intertwine and mirror each other.

The ending is a little too neat for both Phoebe and Emily, and I would have liked more to be done with Liv specifically, whose actions I feel Phoebe brushed off too easily. But this is a good, solid piece of entertainment, and perfectly suited for a day curled up in a chair with no obligations but to read it.

Ghosts Among the Cliffs

I truly enjoyed reading this book. I loved Emily Moon and all her quirks, her strong will, and good heart. Phoebe had so many similar qualities to Emily that the stories really coincided together for an entertaining read. The moon girls always try to do what is right, regardless of danger and final consequence. There were times where I wanted both of them to just leave it alone, but also couldn’t stop turning the pages to find out what was going to happen next.

I’m always thankful for closure in a mystery book, regardless of the type of ending. The ending of both Emily and Phoebe’s stories interconnected in the best way. Being able to find out what happened to Emily along with the why, had put the final touches on the ending to Phoebe’s story. I’m always thankful for characters like both of them. Truly enjoyable read!

In 1799 Emily Moon and her parents lived in and operated an inn in Cornwall. In 2019 Phoebe is off of work as a police officer after a young girl died on her watch and she joins her friend Liv, who is living in the same inn. While there, Phoebe learns more about the young girl the Inn was named after and needs to learn more about her.

As Phoebe learns more about the history of the inn and area, you see parallels drawn between the two women’s lives. Will Phoebe meet the same tragic end as the stories tell of Emily, or will she find justice for the young girl?

I wasn’t expecting to be so deeply absorbed in this story, but it hooked me pretty much right out of the gate. the surprising turns and twists will keep you hooked and turning the page to find out what happened to Emily and how Phoebe makes out in the end. Fabulous!

Read this over a rainy cool weekend. Same story but told in two different time pieces. Wonderful description of Cornwall, taken me back to watching Poldark. All about smuggling, ghosts and discovering the true story of what happened to the Moon Girl.