Women of the Dunes

by Sarah Maine

July 24, 2018 · Atria Books

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There’s such a wonderful feeling in discovering a new author that works for you and realizing they have this whole backlist to dive into. It’s like when you treat yourself to a fancy coffee on a frigid day and the first blast of heat and caffeine and sugar hits you, and you’re just warm and happy.

That happened to me this weekend with Sarah Maine. I picked up Women of the Dunes because it featured an archeologist heroine (yes please) and some historical mystery (also yes please) and was set on the western shores of Scotland which is a place I’d like to be right now.

Possibly with David Tennant and an adult beverage, but let’s not go down that rabbit hole.

This book delivered a solid historical mystery jumping between three points in time (the present, 1890 and the ninth century). It has a nice, slow burn romance (but no sex – and actually I appreciated the no sex part because by the time the two lovebirds finally admit their feelings, we’ve dealt with Some Stuff and everyone is exhausted and needs sleep now). It’s atmospheric and gothic, and it unravels slowly, but perfectly.

In the present day, archeologist Libby Snow is leading  a group of students who will be digging out mound on the headland of Ullaness, a Scottish island where an absentee baronet controls the property and its ancient secrets. Ullaness is named for Ulla, a ninth century Norsewoman who arrived at the island while fleeing her abusive husband, Erik. With her was Harald, her husband’s brother, and her lover, and baskets of treasure from raids that are meant to pay for their safe passage. They meet a monk, Odrhan, who lives in a small cell on the island, his life devoted to contemplation. When he fails to heal Harald of his wounds (caused by Erik), Ulla is abandoned on the island with Odrhan, the rest of their party taking the treasure and leaving. What happens next is lost to myth. Ulla is pregnant, but who is the father? Were some of their precious items left behind?

The story of Ulla has always intrigued Libby Snow, partially because it was passed down to her from her grandmother, and her great grandmother, Ellen. Ellen lived on Ullaness as a young woman and worked at Sturrock House, the home of the baronet. After her death she leaves Libby a cross that Libby knows is priceless. It’s from the ninth century and must have come from Ullaness, but how did her great grandmother come into possession of it?

Libby keeps her familial connection to the island a secret when she goes there to preplan some of the dig. The baronet, Hector Sturrock, is hesitant to have archeologists there at all and agrees only because what may be a burial mound is slowly being eroded. He refuses to let them excavate the ancient church that Odrhan may have built. But why is he so reluctant to have the history of his property documented? Isn’t he at all interested in what might be literal buried Viking treasure?

His brother, Rodri, is the current caretaker of the estate while his brother is away, and he fills the role of a gothic hero nicely. Rodri is a handsome widower with two adorable boys and he’s a bit of a lovable curmudgeon. He’s intriguing and mysterious, but not entirely trustworthy. He also has a black lab, which I think is a requirement of a gothic hero.

I’d like to break here to point out the black lab as the dog of choice for the gothic hero is actually pretty hilarious since every lab I’ve ever met is SUPER HAPPY AND WANTS TO HELP YOU OUT OKAY? I WILL HELP! I AM NOT MYSTERIOUS DOG AT ALL!

You know that dog was like “Oh Hai Libby! We dig the mound now? Yes I help dig! I am very good boy!”

While scouting the mound Libby finds the sole of a boot…attached to a leg bone. Except the body isn’t ancient. She recognizes the shoe as being Victorian or later, and in her rush to get to town and a phone, her car is t-boned by Rodri, supposedly in a rush himself. Now she’s got an old, but not ancient body on her hands, Rodri and the Sturrock House staff are insistent she stay with them while her concussion heals, and the police want to keep the whole thing as quiet as possible.

Like a true gothic mystery, much of this book is uncovering secrets left by the past and determining who is trustworthy while we, as readers, explore an unfamiliar and unsettling place via the heroine. Women of the Dunes is windy and chilly and wonderfully atmospheric, so much so I almost wished I wasn’t reading it in the heat of summer, but rather during a bleak, gray fall afternoon.

The mystery here is three-fold. What happened to Ulla on the island and who was the father of her child? How did Libby’s great grandmother get a cross that’s worth an awful lot of money, presumably from a family who doesn’t want anyone digging into their past? And who is the dead person the beach?

Every clue is revealed slowly and carefully, and while the pacing of this book is sure-footed and never rushed, it doesn’t feel too slow or plodding. Much tea is consumed. We also get a bit of a romance between the handsome, mysterious Rodri and Libby, although she still isn’t certain he’s trustworthy.

We also get Ellen and Ulla’s story from their perspective as we jump around in time. Ulla’s is told almost more as a fable, while Ellen’s is far more detailed.

In the end all three timelines came together beautifully, although I was most invested in Libby’s story. At one point I stopped reading to eat dinner and I had a vague sense of unease I couldn’t place. I paused to think about what I was worrying about in the back of my head and realized it was the situation the characters were in. I was still immersed in the story subconsciously.

Women of the Dunes worked for me on every level. I loved the mystery, the gothic elements and the dash of romance. I appreciated the slow pace; I don’t always need a breakneck thriller. I also liked that the book contained little on screen violence because it didn’t need it to keep up the suspense. Violence would have felt extraneous in this case.

I’ve already ordered some of Maine’s backlist and I’m looking forward to returning to this author again.