Granite Harbor

A Novel

By: Peter Nichols

Narrated by: Peter Ganim

A small town in coastal Maine is shaken to its core by a serial killer in this crime novel from Peter Nichols, bestselling author of The Rocks

In scenic Granite Harbor, life has continued on—quiet and serene—for decades. That is until a local teenager is found brutally murdered in the Settlement, the town’s historic archaeological site. Alex Brangwen, adjusting to life as a single father with a failed career as a novelist, is the town’s sole detective. This is his first murder case and, as both a parent and detective, Alex knows the people of Granite Harbor are looking to him to catch the killer and temper the fear that has descended over the town.

Isabel, a single mother attempting to support her family while healing from her own demons, finds herself in the middle of the case when she begins working at the Settlement. Her son, Ethan, and Alex’s daughter, Sophie, were best friends with the victim. When a second teenager is found murdered, the body left in the same manner as the first victim, both parents are terrified that their child may be next. As Alex and Isabel race to find the killer in their midst, the town’s secrets—past and present—begin bubbling to the surface, threatening to unravel the tight-knit community.

At once a binge-worthy thriller and a captivating portrait of the social fabric of a small town, Granite Harbor evokes the atmosphere of HBO’s Mare of Easttown with a villain reminiscent of Thomas Harris’s Silence of the Lambs.

A Macmillan Audio production from Celadon Books.

©2024 Peter Nichols (P)2024 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

“At once tender and harrowing, Granite Harbor uses a nuanced human lens to examine a community in peril. Peter Nichols turns his mastery of language to the mystery novel, and spins it into visceral terror. A gripping thriller from an exciting new crime writer.”—Danya Kukafka, author of the Edgar Award Winning Notes on an Execution and Girl in Snow

“A failed novelist turned detective investigates his first murder case in a small town. A serial-killer thriller to make you shudder. It’s grisly, unsettling, and dark—and also a beautifully written, deeply felt, and moving tale of family relationships. I loved it."—Alex Michaelides, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Silent Patient and The Fury

“Peter Nichols is a remarkably inventive, versatile writer, a master of the emotionally resonant page-turner. And now he’s written a literal thriller, complete with a brilliantly compelling killer with a fiendishly shocking method. Even better, underlying Nichols’s wildly original plot is a bedrock of strong characters, a community of parents and children, lovers and friends, colleagues and rivals, all connected in deep, moving, surprising, and inspiring ways. I loved Granite Harbor for the sheer skill and brio of Nichols’s storytelling. But more than that, I’m now invested in this town and its inhabitants, rooting for his wonderful detective, and hoping for a sequel. Or a series.”—Kate Christensen, author of Welcome Home, Stranger

Beautifully written thriller

Come for the plot, stay for the writing and characters. Can't wait to read his next novel. And will read his books before this one.

Good drama amidst strong poignant personalities.

Gentleness and depiction of crazy. Maine setting intriguing. Good presentation of loss. How hard it is to continue with loss Ann think thoughtfully to problem solve murders.

Excellent story and narration!

Great writer. One of the best narrators i’ve heard at audible.loved it!! I highly recommend it.

Character development

I enjoyed the slow, very slow, development of the plot, the plot line, and the characters

The writer grabs your attention right from the start!

I love a good mystery, but this was better than good. It was great all the way through. I had a hard time putting it down until I was finished.

Gorgeously written

Beautiful writing. Not normally a whodunnit gal, but loved this book because of the language and imagination.

Wonderful

This was one of the best books I have ever listened to. The characters are so vivid and so engaging. The narrator was excellent and brought out the best in all of them.

Could have been a five star with a little more attention to performance and transitions.

Sorry, wasn't a fan of the narrator and parts if the story were so choppy.

This guys voice is difficult

I couldn’t finish because the narrators voice is annoying to me. I had a hard time following so I gave up. Sorry.

Scattered, Messy, loses Momentum

This story had the makings of a good novel, but every time the story starts to get moving, the author hits the brakes with flashbacks and backstories which drag the story down. Additionally, the supposed main character, Alex, is flat, uninteresting and not really that good at his job. Almost al the "evidence" he has is figured out by other people. And the relationship between characters is poorly drawn. The book could have been more bearable with a different narrator. The main character is supposed to have a British accent, it is mentioned numerous times, but the narrator is unable to pull it off. Sorry. I don't recommend this one.