Heiress Of Nowhere by Stacey Lee | Book Review

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Two starred reviews!

An orphan races to uncover a killer—who may have come from the sea—when she and her beloved orcas fall under suspicion in this “atmospheric…beguiling” (Publishers Weekly, starred review) historical gothic mystery from the New York Times bestselling author of The Downstairs Girl, Stacey Lee.

1918. Orcas Island, Washington.

Lucy Nowhere has spent her eighteen years working on the vast estate of the eccentric shipbuilder who took her in after she washed ashore in a green canoe as a baby. But she has long wished for a life off the island, and in a matter of days, she is set to leave for college—and, for the first time, choose her own future.

Then she finds her employer’s severed head on the beach. Rumors swirl that a mischievous spirit and its minions, the sea wolves, have struck again. Lucy doesn’t believe in myths. She knows that a human—a human murderer—killed him. And when she is unexpectedly named heiress to the estate, she understands the next target is her.

Her closest friend, the estate’s vigilant young guard, begs her to escape while she can. But Lucy knows the only way she can discover who she is, and free the island of its curse, is to find the real killer—before she becomes the next victim.

Heiress Of Nowhere by Stacey Lee is such a superb young adult historical fiction novel. I love these kinds of books — namely the genre and just, how interesting the storyline is. The book has such a unique plot. This is the second book I’ve read by Stacey Lee and has cemented me into a fan. I want to try and read at least two more of her books before the year ends. That is how much I enjoyed this atmospheric mystery with interesting characters.

Set in the early 1900s on Orcas Island, which is an island off of Seattle, Heiress Of Nowhere follows Lucy Nowhere. Lucy is an orphan who grew up working for shipbuilder Dakon Sanders on his huge estate. As the book opens, she is creating art for a book Sanders is working on called The Wilds Of Orcas Island. She has outdone herself and gotten close enough to do a picture of Shadow and Scull – a pair of orcas who are mother and son. Lucy is on her way to leaving Orcas Island and attending the University of Washington.

Unfortunately, Dakon is murdered. Lucy inherits his estate instead of his nephew, Nash. The residents of the island believe it was the Orkus spirit who killed Dakon. However, Lucy knows that it has to be someone else — perhaps the same person who killed her father. And so, this story follows Lucy trying to uncover what happened, learn about her past — including the fact that her father was Chinese and a translator for one of the canneries. She also is navigating a tenuous relationship with Nash — which has got her island security and best friend, Koa, on edge.

Stacey Lee has such a gift for writing atmosphere. Heiress Of Nowhere had me able to perfectly picture the different aspects of the island — from Mt. Consternation to the mansion and more. She also blends being able to perfect place with having such a compelling main character. I loved Lucy (sidebar: I love Lucy?). She is smart and hardworking. She wants want is best for the island as well as to find out what her heritage is. I liked the push and pull between her and Nash – including during a scene where she tries a strong drink. I also thought her friendships with other women were quite interesting too. There’s also this thread of naturalism and conservation that appears throughout. This is such an excellent book — if you enjoy historical fiction you must pick Heiress Of Nowhere by Stacey Lee up.

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April (Books&Wine)

April is in her 30s and created Good Books And Good Wine. She works for a non-profit. April always has a book on hand. In her free time she can be found binge watching The Office with her husband and toddler, spending way too much time on Pinterest or exploring her neighborhood.

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