Lifeboats played a big role in my childhood, Bookaholics. Not because I used to get into trouble out at sea – in fact to this day I am not a fan of being in any water that is deeper than my shoulders – but because my dad was frankly obsessed with them. Every coastal holiday we ever went on involved a trip to the nearest lifeboat station, regardless of the weather or other commitments we may have had, and we would spend endless hours waiting whilst he admired each vessel and took photos from multiple angles with multiple lenses. Vacations to visit family in Torbay were regularly disturbed in the middle of the night when the maroon rockets were fired, and he would rush from the house to the cliffside with his binoculars to see what was going on. So it made me smile when I realised that Sea State by J.M. Simpson focused on a lifeboat crew somewhere in Wales, as the subject instantly brought back a lot of juvenile memories. But whilst affectionate reminiscence most certainly prompted me to hop aboard this book – the first of 4 in the Castleby series – it was the sheer quality of writing and the brilliantly developed plot that kept me from returning to shore. I highly recommend this novel.
As the victim of a serious violent attack, Jesse moves to the small town of Castleby in desperate need of a new start, taking a job as a mechanic with the RNLI. The crew she is joining have experienced their own fair share of tough times – it’s only been 18 months since 2 members were killed in a deadly call-out – and the trauma is still tangible. If that wasn’t enough, Doug (the skipper) is struggling to reconnect with a wife who is drifting further away every day from him and their 2 children. As Jesse settles into her new life and finds herself finally able to relax, it seems her presence is helping others to heal as well. But little does she know she is being watched and that danger is closer than she could possibly imagine. Will her life be shattered once and for all by the forces that just won’t let her go? And who can she really trust?
One of the things I loved best about this novel is how quickly I found myself utterly invested in each of the characters, even those with smaller parts to play in the overall story. Mirroring the way Jesse quickly feels like a part of the lifeboat family, I too felt like I was a local who knew the crew well and had shared in their trauma – the camaraderie was palpable. Simpson tackles some really tough topics, from domestic violence to betrayal and post traumatic stress, and whilst she is not afraid to address these head on, she does so with a sensitivity and nuance that never makes the detail feel salacious or simply included for shock value. A perfect balance of drama, suspense and romance kept me addicted right through to the closing pages.
The book portrays a number of different call-outs in vivid detail, from the deadly to the far less lethal, and these scenes are a timely reminder of how much we take for granted such a valuable emergency service. I am beginning to regret my apathy towards those lifeboat visits as a child and may have to compensate by making my own pilgrimage to those seaside haunts as an adult to pay my proper respects. In the meantime, this book will very much remain on my mind. Sea State is gripping, engrossing and very well written. I cannot wait to read the next instalments.
Bookaholic Bex 