Book blurb…
Chilling secrets buried deep in wild bushland drive this thrilling new novel from bestseller Anna Romer
When an injured teenager goes missing at a remote bushland campground, local journalist Abby Bardot is determined to expose the area’s dark history. The girl bears a striking resemblance to the victims of three brutal murders that occurred twenty years ago and Abby fears the killer is still on the loose
But the newspaper Abby works for wants to suppress the story for fear it will scare off tourists to the struggling township. Haunted by her own turbulent memories, Abby is desperate to learn the truth and enlists the help of Tom Gabriel, a reclusive crime writer. At first resentful of Abby’s intrusion, Tom’s reluctance vanishes when they discover a hidden attic room in his house that shows evidence of imprisonment from half a century before.
As Abby and Tom sift through the attic room and discover its tragic history, they become convinced it holds the key to solving the bushland murders and finding the missing girl alive.
But their quest has drawn out a killer, someone with a shocking secret who will stop at nothing to keep the truth buried.
My thoughts…
I have now read and enjoyed all four Anna Romer novels. Her plots are always complex and detailed, but this one really is the biggest tangle of intrigue and I loved the slow unravelling of the truth.
The mystery genre lends itself to the odd red herring or, in this case, a well-placed coincidence or two. As a reader we have to accept such literary devices are necessary to drive the story to the shocking plot twist.
And it is a terrific reveal at the end.
The other thing Anna Romer’s books never fail to do is engage the senses, while her landscapes/setting descriptions will transport you.
This review is also published on Goodreads and Australian Womens Writers Challenge
Published by Simon and Schuster Australia
