A Madness of Sunshine by Nalini Singh

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Book Synopsis

On the rugged West Coast of New Zealand, Golden Cove is more than just a town where people live. The adults are more than neighbours; the children, more than schoolmates.

That is until one fateful summer – and several vanished bodies – shatters the trust holding Golden Cove together. All that’s left are whispers behind closed doors, broken friendships, and a silent agreement not to look back. But they can’t run from the past forever.

Eight years later, a beautiful young woman disappears without a trace, and the residents of Golden Cove wonder if their home shelters something far more dangerous than an unforgiving landscape.

It’s not long before the dark past collides with the haunting present and deadly secrets come to light.

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Review

* Non-Spoiler Review*

My first mystery of 2022 and it was a gentle easing in. The strong begins with Anahera coming back to Golden Cove after her husband died, riddled with grief she plans to hide out in her late mother’s old cabin licking her wounds. She had discovered at the funeral her husband had kept a mistress, who was also pregnant with his child.

As she entered the town, Ana meet the local cop who had been stationed there within the last year. A decorated investigator Will has been stationed at Golden Cove while he is under inquiry. During this time he has made it his business to get to know everyone in the town and with the arrival of Ana, he is very curious as to why she has returned.

After being a few days at her cabin, Anahera learns about a local girl who has gone missing. Joining the search party, Ana starts to learn that this may not be a case of getting lost in the bush. She finds Wills presence comforting and challenging at the same time, she is drawn to his passion to find the missing girl but she is also wary about his line of investigation when it comes to the locals.

A well-rounded story, I enjoyed the slow build of both storyline and main characters. Singh isn’t changing the formula of a mystery but I like the mix of relationship building and problem-solving.

Overall, if you are looking for a solid mystery, then I would recommend this book.

Spice Rating: 2.5/6 – See my rating system here

Book Rating: 4/5