Hold Back the Tide
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4.3 • 3 Ratings
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
From internationally bestselling, acclaimed author Melinda Salisbury comes a darkly seductive story of murder, betrayal, love, and monsters in a small town in the Scottish Highlands.Here are the rules of living with a murderer.One: Do not draw attention to yourself.It's pretty self-explanatory -- if they don't notice you, they won't get any ideas about killing you. Be a ghost in your own home, if that's what it takes. After all, you can't kill a ghost.Of course, when you live with a murderer, sit opposite them for every meal, share a washroom and a kitchen, sleep a mere twelve feet and two flimsy walls away from them, this is impossible. Even the subtlest of spectres is bound to be noticed. Which leads to the next rule.Two: If you can't be invisible, be useful.Everyone in this quiet lakeside community knows that Alva's father killed her mother, all those years ago. There wasn't enough proof to arrest him, though, and with no other family, Alva's been forced to live with her mother's murderer, doing her best to survive until she can earn enough money to run away.One of her chores is to monitor water levels in the loch -- a task her father takes very seriously. His family has been the guardian of the loch for generations. It's a cold, lonely task, and a few times, Alva can swear she feels someone watching her. The more Alva investigates, the more she realizes that the truth can be more monstrous than lies. And while you might be able to outrun anything that emerges from the dark water, you can never escape your past . . .
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
For seven years, Alva Douglas has known what the residents of Ormscaula only suspect: that her father, Lachlan, killed her mother. Da claims that Mam abandoned them, but Alva heard the gunshots and has lived in fear ever since. When she turns 16, Alva secures a job in Thurso and arranges to stow away on the next mail cart. Before she can carry out her plan, though, terrifying creatures called lanfhuil begin emerging from caves exposed by the loch's dropping water level a consequence of the local mill's expansion. As the loch's caretaker, or Naomhfhuil, it's Lachlan's duty to warn the villagers and convince the mill's owner his nemesis, Giles Stewart to cease operations. Alva quickly realizes that her father has no intention of doing either, however, and she resolves to save the day with the aid of fellow outcast Murren Ross, who was born with a "twisted leg," and Giles' son, Gavan. After a setup-heavy start, Salisbury (the State of Sorrow duology) launches readers headlong into a harrowing Scottish Highlands set historical horror rife with monsters both literal and metaphorical. Keenly rendered characters, high-stakes action, and tender romance keep the pages turning until the tale's heartrending close. Ages 12 up.
