Sea Change by J.M. Simpson Blog Tour

 In February (seems like a life time ago) I had the chance to join the blog tour for J. M. Simpson's novel Sea State, this was to be the first in the Castleby series.

And now she's back with the second instalment, Sea Change and I'm here to tell you all about it.

Sinister undercurrents are at work in the seaside town Castleby. A young boy goes missing and another dies in suspicious circumstances.

Jesse Stevens believes she is safe after escaping from a madwoman who tried to kill her. But soon her worst nightmare returns. Her ex-partner has escaped from prison and is hunting her. She believes he will find her and kill her this time.

Ex-special forces soldier Rob Fox (Foxy) moves to Castleby to live a quiet life, cope with his grief and forget his past. He becomes friends with Sophie Jones who has returned to Castleby to look after her father, while she desperately waits for news about her soldier husband, who is missing in action. Sophie is unexpectedly attacked, unearthing a twenty-year-old unsolved murder.

Two local thieves steal from the local mafioso and pay the ultimate price, leaving the police with a rising body count and a missing boy to find. 

Things are extremely tense from the beginning of this book. When children begin to go missing, the state of Castleby and its residents is called into question. Will this normally safe place and its occupants ever be the same again?

Immediately I liked the fact that we got the chance to reconnect with old characters, as well as being introduced to some new ones as well.

There are many characters in this story so I have to be honest, some people may struggle to keep track of  exactly what's going on. So prepare to concentrate. Having read the first book, I was already established with some of the cast so I didn't find it too difficult to keep up.

Having said that, Simpson has a great way of story telling.

Multiple perspectives and storylines run together making for one hell of a fast-paced tale.

I especially enjoyed seeing the continuation of Jesse and Doug's relationship, the building of more solid foundations. Great character development, seamless connections to Sea State.

And the stand out new comer for me was ex-special forces soldier Rob Fox (Foxy).

As with the first in the series, there is a real sense of community among the people in this fictional coastal town. 

With an abundance of twists and turns, the drama intensifies with each turn of the page. There were moments when I really wasn't sure how things were going to be rectified. But after all of that all I can say is that I hope there will be a book 3 soon!

Sea Change is just as good Sea State. 

Jo has really perfected her writing and the novel was a joy to read.

Do join the rest of the blog tour for more insight into this intriguing and mysterious tale.