Review: Osprey Reef

Title: Osprey Reef

Author: Annie Seaton

Publisher: 27th October 2021 by Harlequin Australia, HQ & MIRA

Pages: 464 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: women’s fiction, mystery

My Rating: 5 cups

Synopsis:

Love. Greed. Revenge. And a desperate search for answers ... Against the stunning backdrop of the Great Barrier Reef, two women in different eras discover how their hearts and fortunes are swayed by the secrets of the sea.

2019: Bethany Kristensen faces her toughest challenge to date, skippering the family charter business. With rivals doing their utmost to undercut her prices and reputation, the Kristensens' operation hangs by a thread. Winning the tender for a new scientific research program headed out to the farthest edge of the reef is her last chance to keep the business going. But when rumour and vandalism turn to outright sabotage, things take a drastic turn...

1934: Stella Booth flees a future of domestic drudgery in small-town outback Queensland, heading for employment and an independent life in Mackay. But fate has other plans and an accident en route sends her life spinning in a most unexpected direction...

Linked by a family mystery, decades apart, Bethany and Stella will both need to dig deeper than ever before they forge their place among the turbulent seas of the reef.

My Thoughts

Annie's previous books have all been fabulous five stars for me - I just love her tales incorporating environmental issues, a mystery with romance in two timelines - what a winning combination. Once again in her latest offering, Osprey Reef, Annie ticks all those boxes with an inter-generational tale of a family and their relationship with the sea - none other than the magnificent Great Barrier Reef off Australia’s coastline.

‘…out on the reef …. you’re well aware of coral bleaching on our reefs? Greenhouse gas emissions have seen unprecedented bleaching events on the Great Barrier Reef and it’s been worse than ever in the past three years.’

Osprey Reef is a clever dual timeline story filled with suspense, regarding the mystery surrounding a supposed disappearance at sea in 193os to the current time of 2019. It was everything I have come to expect from Annie’s books as she certainly knows how to deliver a captivating tale. She draws in the reader who becomes fully engaged and invested in the characters of both timelines and the events unfolding in their lives. 

Beautifully written, well researched with Annie’s knowledge of the environment shining through. It truly adds to the layering of this story with depth and understanding. Both timelines contain intriguing drama filled plots and an engaging cast of characters. All of this is tied together with family secrets and fall outs. This book truly has a little bit for everybody whether it be history, conservation, exotic locations, romance and worthy drama with an unexpected twist at the end. 

‘ I’m looking forward to Osprey … I’ve taken a few trips out there and it's the most awesome diving. The coral is still untouched by the issues that impact it closer to the coast.’

Set time aside to curl up with this book and be transported to the stunning Australian coastline. I loved both timelines, so two stories for the price of one really as you wait for answers to unfold and hope for connections to be made. Osprey Reef is one book I certainly have no hesitation in recommending.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.