Book Review - North of Boston by Elisabeth Elo
Elisabeth Elo’s debut novel introduces Pirio Kasparov, a Boston-bred tough-talking girl with an acerbic wit and a moral compass that points due north.
When the fishing boat Pirio is on is rammed by a freighter, she finds herself abandoned in the North Atlantic. Somehow, she survives nearly four hours in the water before being rescued by the Coast Guard. But the boat’s owner and her professional fisherman friend, Ned, is not so lucky.
Compelled to look after Noah, the son of the late Ned and her alcoholic prep school friend, Thomasina, Pirio can’t shake the lurking suspicion that the boat’s sinking—and Ned’s death—was no accident. It’s a suspicion seconded by her deeply cynical, autocratic Russian father, who tells her that nothing is ever what it seems. Then the navy reaches out to her to participate in research on human survival in dangerously cold temperatures.
With the help of a curious journalist named Russell Parnell, Pirio begins unraveling a lethal plot involving the glacial whaling grounds off Baffin Island. In a narrow inlet in the arctic tundra, Pirio confronts her ultimate challenge: to trust herself.
Author's Site: Elisabeth Elo
Purchase Link: North of Boston on Amazon
Devourer's Assessment:
I enjoyed Pirio's tale although it was a bit of a slow start, however, if you stick with the first few chapters, all of a sudden you find yourself drawn to Pirio, Noah, and even Ned. There are a few things I wish the author had wrapped up, because I highly doubt a sequel here would be possible. I would suggest this novel for folks who are looking for a little bit of action and intrigue but enjoy the human aspect more than suspense.
I give this story three stars.
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