North of Boston

Elizabeth Elo's debut novel, North of Boston, had me hooked from the beginning.  Pirio is thirty years old, single, and working for her family's perfume business.  Her best friend, Thomasina, is her own worst enemy, turning to alcohol when the going gets tough. This is especially sad since Thomasina's ten year old son, Noah, a brilliant and sensitive boy is impacted by his mother's poor decisions.

As North of Boston begins, Noah's father, Ned, has just died after the fishing boat he and Pirio were aboard is hit in the fog by another ship.  What at first looks to be an unfortunate accident is something more.  Pirio begins investigating, putting herself and those she loves in danger.

North of Boston is the perfect start to what I hope is a new series by Elo. Elo develops Pirio as a character and introduces readers to her family and friends. Much of the novel is focused on these characters, yet as the novel develops, Elo weaves in the suspense of determining what happened to Ned and why someone was trying to silence him.