Synopsis:

After Tova Sullivan’s husband died, she began working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, mopping floors and tidying up. Keeping busy has always helped her cope, which she’s been doing since her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, mysteriously vanished on a boat in the Puget Sound over thirty years ago.

Tova becomes acquainted with curmudgeonly Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium. Marcellus knows more than anyone can imagine but wouldn’t dream of lifting one of his eight tentacles for his human captors—until he forms an unlikely friendship with Tova. 

Ever the detective, Marcellus deduces what happened the night Tova’s son disappeared. And now Marcellus must use every trick his old invertebrate body can muster to unearth the truth for her before it’s too late.

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What To Expect:

Readers can expect a character-driven fiction that is complex and emotional. It revolves around the themes grief and found family. And a smart octopus.

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Content Warnings:

Language: Moderate – Sporadic use of cursing

Sexual Content: None – A romance thread with no sexual content

Substance Use: Mild – Drug use mentioned throughout. Alcohol use and alcoholism.

Other Topics: Mentions of abortion, child abandonment, and pregnancy. There is also child and parental death. Mental and terminal illness are themes in the book. Suicide attempt and major theme of grief.