I loved this book & didn't want it to end. In the second half of the story, there were twists and turns on every other page, which only a highly skilled author could cause to materialize. It was a whodunnit until the last few pages.Ava & Wyatt Garrison lived in a castle-like estate on a small island off the Northwest Pacific coast, reachable only by ferry or helicopter. Their staff included primarily relatives, plus a couple of close friends. Ava inherited the estate from her ancestors. Wyatt was an attorney, who worked with a law firm on the mainland.Ava & Wyatt, along with Ava's brother Kelvin, & a cousin named Jewel Ann go for a boat ride one afternoon. Upon returning & approaching the island, a storm occurs & the boat crashes into the rocks surrounding the island. Ava is pregnant at the time, Kelvin dies from his injuries. Jewel Ann is forced to spend the rest of her life in a wheel chair, living in a room within the estate & cared for by a nurse. Ava leaves the hospital with minor injuries to care for her new son, Noah.During a family & friends Christmas party, when Noah is 2 years old, he suddenly disappears from his bed. After an exhaustive search of the island & not having heard from any possible kidnappers, Ava succumbs to severe paranoia & depression over the next 2 years.But all is not as it seems to those living within the magnificent structure. And when the murders begin occurring, it is usually blamed upon an escapee from a nearby, now-closed mental institution.Wyatt Garrison hires Austin Dern to care for their stable of horses, which Ada previously cherished doing. But Austin is there for a reason other than overseeing the care of the horses.There are so many inhabitants of the estate having a reason to possibly want to commit murder, which reasons the author describes, that the reader is vexed trying to isolate the real killer. In the meantime, Ava is convinced, & is able to prove but doesn't know for what reason, that someone who lives at the estate is trying to cause her to completely lose her sanity in her quest to find her missing son.You will not be able to put this book down & I recommend it highly. Took me some time to finished this book. i struggled through the first part of the book because it was quite repetitive. There are too many characters bring introduced. It took me to remember who's who. Also, there are just too many description and little details which i find redundant. However, after 30+ chapters, the story finally starts picking up the pace. It gets exciting when all the mystery, lies and conspiracy within Neptune's Gate started to unfold. Overall, i think it is worth the read.
