“Two women set sail for a new life in Australia, bound by a secret that will change everything.”
In Julie Brooks‘ debut work of historical fiction, The Secrets of Bridgewater Bay, amateur historian Molly is gifted an historical mystery by her late grandmother, Queenie. Amongst Queenie’s possessions, Molly finds a photograph of two young women inscribed ‘together forever’ and ‘Rose and Ivy, 1917’.
Rose, Queenie’s mother, supposedly drowned in the early 1960s; but when Molly also uncovers a scrapbook which proves her grandmother was investigating Rose’s disappearance, she begins to doubt the coroner’s ruling herself. A letter from Queenie, asking Molly to take up the investigation and to prove once and for all what really happened to Rose seals the deal, and Molly sets off to England – to her great-grandmother’s ancestral home.
Interspersed with Molly’s story are those of Rose Luscombe and Ivy Toms, the two women in the photograph. Once childhood friends, Rose and Ivy are kept separate by the circumstances of their birth. Rose is the daughter of the local aristocrat, whereas Ivy is the daughter of a tenant farmer with a penchant for drinking and beating his wife and children. When Rose’s older brother Robert takes it upon himself to hire Ivy as his sister’s lady’s maid, the wedge between the two girls widens as they are forced daily to confront the differences in their stations.
Writing from these two points of view, Brooks creates realistic, if not sympathetic characters who are of their time. Rose is snobbish without realising that she is so; Ivy, on the other hand, seethes with resentment. It is hard to relate to either character deeply, and I found myself somewhat horrified, if not surprised, by their shared secret.
Contrasted to her historical counterpoints, Molly (in her pre-pandemic 2016 setting) is a delight. She is deeply connected to her family, and struggles to overcome her own aversion to risk after a family tragedy that left her and her younger sister Daisy fatherless at a young age. Molly’s caring nature attracts people to her wherever she goes – among them, her cousin a few times removed, Richard, who is the last living Luscombe; and his architect friend, Lucas Toms.
As for the secret at the heart of The Secrets of Bridgewater Bay? It’s a complicated combination of secrets, each a little more shocking than the last. The title is somewhat misleading, as Bridgewater Bay itself has very little to do with the plot. The Secrets of Luscombe Manor might have been more apt, although even that seems reductive of this tangle of family history that Molly has to unravel.
I enjoyed piecing this puzzle together for the most part, and at various times was reminded of the experience of reading novels by Kate Morton and Natasha Lester. While this book lacked some of the emotional impact evoked by those writers, it was a satisfying historical mystery, and one that is clearly rooted in a deep love of story.
This novel has a little bit of something for everyone: a modern day family tragedy; buried family secrets; romance; friendships between the young and old. The only thing that’s missing is a high speed car chase. And if you’re willing to let the convoluted plot carry you through like the tide, then you’ll definitely find yourself entertained.
FOUR STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
The Secrets of Bridgewater Bay by Julie Brooks is out now from Hachette Australia. Grab yourself a copy from Booktopia HERE.
