Blog Tour: The Coral Bride

THE CORAL BRIDE | Roxanne Bouchard
(Detective Morales #2)
11.12.2020 | Orenda Books
Rating: 4/5 stars

Detective Morales has been assigned to the case of a missing fisherwoman who has vanished off of Quebec’s Gaspe Peninsula. What appears to be a straightforward case turns out to be anything but the reality. When Angel Roberts’ lobster trawler is found adrift she is nowhere to be found. In a male-dominated profession, it appears that Angel may have intimidated some of her fellow fishermen. In this small town, there are few secrets between the residents and old family tensions also lend a hint to what may have happened to Angel. Morales must work with the local police force and fisheries division to unearth what secrets are hidden in Gaspe and find the truth about Angel’s fate. 

THE CORAL BRIDE is the second installment in Roxanne Bouchard’s Detective Morales series, however, it easily stands the test as a stand alone read. I have not had the pleasure of reading the first installment, WE WERE THE SALT OF THE SEA, butI had no issues picking up the storyline in this book. 

Our main character, Detective Morales, is not only trying to discover what has happened to Angel Roberts, but he also finds himself in some family drama. His son has shown up in town and along with him comes the need to face the intricacies of their relationship, as well as his current marital situation. I loved getting to know Morales and found his character easily likeable. He’s a sensitive man who tries hard to keep that side of him tucked away. I love the way Bouchard crafted not only Morales, but the secondary characters of this story as well. There are a lot of fun characters that Bouchard allows the reader to get to know throughout the story and these smaller side plotlines add a great depth to the overall story.

Whenever I pick up a police procedural I’m never positive what tempo the story will take. Bouchard opts for deliberate and methodical writing in THE CORAL BRIDE. The reader follows Morales’ investigation through each chapter representing a day. I loved knowing exactly where I was in the investigation with this breakdown. Despite longer chapters, Bouchard breaks them up into subchapters and allows the reader to explore not only the main storyline, but also dip in and out of other plots. While this story is not something I would label as a thriller, it is still filled with moments of tension that give the book an overall feeling of suspense.

THE CORAL BRIDE is more than just a detective story, as it examines in the delicate balance one finds with families. I loved being submerged into the various family dynamics with this book. THE CORAL BRIDE serves as an efficient and effective way to turn a police procedural into a poetic observation on life. If you’re looking for a story to sweep you away, this is the book you need!

Please be sure to check out all of the amazing bloggers heading up this tour!

This book is available to buy from: Amazon | Book Depository

A huge thank you to Orenda Books for my gifted copy!

Disclosure: What Jess Reads is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This in no way influences my opinion of the above book.