#BookReview of #ThePlantersDaughter by Susan Lanigan | @susanlanigan.bsky.social

‘In the cool early dawn, as the truck jiggled and jarred along the boreen and the silence thickened between them, Harry felt deep in his bloodstream that this was not the start of something, but the end.’
– The Planter’s Daughter

[ About The Planter’s Daughter ]

Sadhbh Drummond was landed gentry, a passionate eco-warrior, and left a trail of broken hearts and wrecked marriages behind her. So when her burned body is found in a forestry plantation in West Cork, it soon becomes clear that her death was not an accident. Her Anglo-Irish heritage and great beauty marked her as an outsider, and her campaigns to save the land and climate activism put her into conflict with many, including local farmer Tom Keating and resentful stepdaughter Sinead Furlong.

When Detective Inspector Rosa Keane is called on to investigate, she soon learns about age-old resentments dating back to the War of Independence. But with a town closing ranks and Rosa secretly grappling with her own gender identity, can she and Kevin discover what happened to Sadhbh before it’s too late?

[ My Review ]

The Planter’s Daughter by Susan Lanigan publishes October 19th and is described as ‘an eco-crime murder mystery with a century-old feud’. It is the first book in a new mystery series featuring two Cork based detectives, Keane and Xiao.

Sadhbh Drummond was a very passionate environmentalist with a beauty that stopped everyone in their tracks. Never one to shy away from life, her presence was felt wherever she went. Of Anglo-Irish extraction, her family were well known and were once renowned estate landowners pre the Irish Civil war years. To this day there are many who still carry a bitterness from those times when neighbour literally fought neighbour. The scars from that period in Irish history run deep, in particular in parts of west Cork where there would have been a stronghold of resistance to the political decisions of the day.

Sadhbh was an eco-activist and angered many in her local rural community with her firm views on farming methods and education. As a teacher she had strong opinions and didn’t shy away from the information she taught to her students. When her body is discovered in a forest fire it soon becomes very clear that she was murdered but with so many voicing their dislike for her, and too many personal connections, the case gets quite complex. Detectives Keane and Xiao are brought in from the city to assist with the investigations and they soon find themselves caught up in a community filled with hostility and acrimony.

With a dual timeline, historic elements are revealed as they happen, providing insights into an age-old feud with its roots stemming back to Ireland’s War of Independence. As the historic snippets weave in and out of the modern day, Susan Lanigan takes her readers right into the centre of those brutal days when the devastation and decimation of communities was unfortunately commonplace.

Susan Lanigan would describe herself as ‘a politically engaged, character-centred author‘ and an environmentalist. She writes about the flaws of modern society and the extreme levels of hatred and abuse that can be targeted at certain people. Using her fiction allows Susan to expose readers to different perspectives, highlighting the pain and distress caused by malicious comments and actions

The Planter’s Daughter is a complex story, but Susan Lanigan confidently manages the many threads and sub-plots. Keane and Xiao are an interesting duo introducing additional relevant societal themes of racism, transphobia and more. An engaging read with several scenes that are extremely affecting, The Planter’s Daughter is an intriguing and emotionally potent tale.

*Note from Susan Lanigan ~ contains scenes featuring institutional transphobia which some readers may find distressing

[ Thank you to Susan Lanigan for a copy of The Planter’s Daughter in exchange for my honest review ]

[ Bio ]