The Secret of Markie Beach by Hannah Grieve

A hard-to-put-down story about a small-town mystery with plenty of twists! When college student Alana Collins returns to her family home in the beach community of Markie for the summer, she expects a quiet few months of hanging out with friends and working at her parents’ marina. But from the first chapter, it’s evident that danger pursues her.

Author Hannah Grieve grabbed my attention in the first chapter when Alana runs into some strange girls with a sun tattoo. Her curiosity about the girls leads Alana to discover a decades-old story about seven missing girls, called The Sunshine Girls. As I read further, I wondered whether there was a supernatural element to the girls going missing, or if something sinister had resulted in their disappearance. I loved Alana’s tenacity in trying to find the connection between the tattooed girls and the missing persons cold case no one in town will talk about.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Added to the mystery of the girls is the drama of Alana’s personal life. Alana enjoys spending time with her best friend Jamie and her girlhood crush Ben, but dreads seeing her ex-boyfriend Rob with her ex-best friend Nina. To complicate things further, Alana meets and falls for Eric, who has a connection to the tattooed girls.   

The beautifully described setting puts you right into cottage country. I could picture the marina, the dock, the lighthouse, and the lake. It brought out a nostalgia for days spent at the beach. I liked that it was set in Canada, showcasing the beauty of the natural landscape and life in a small beach town.

I read the book in a couple of days, eager to uncover the secret of Markie Beach. A great ending, one I didn’t see coming. For YA and Adult fans of mystery with a touch of romance, The Secret of Markie Beach is a perfect fit! Take it to the beach or cottage! And watch out for strange girls with sun tattoos.                                     

n tattoos.