Reviewed by Essien Asian for Readers' Favorite

Carol Jefferson and her friend Martha find their lives have been upended when the third member of this close-knit group, Drew Bartlett, mysteriously disappears, only to turn up murdered. The news is as shocking to the women as it is to their community in Galveston, Texas. As they mourn their friend and get their lives back on track, Carol discovers an opportunity to honor Drew's memory. Their attempts to right what they see as an unfortunate wrong lead them to open a disturbing can of worms surrounding their late friend. Only time will tell if Carol achieves her goal in Meredith Watson's Found in the Seaweed.

The origin stories for the principal characters are brief, with just enough detail for readers to get an idea of the kind of community Carol and Martha live in and how they ended up there. The dialogue oscillates between carefree, when the focus is on the other residents' activities, and thought-provoking moments as readers gradually realize Carol's true reasons for wanting to immortalize Drew. Meredith Watson uses a combination of flashbacks and strategically placed clues to immerse readers in the mystery as they decipher how Drew died. The detail-oriented narrative style encourages perceptive readers to piece the clues together in a particular order, giving more attention to the aftermath than to the murder itself. The author weaves these elements together at an even pace, infusing a subtle Christian theme that gives the novel a tone that realistic fiction enthusiasts will appreciate.