We are back in the Southern Highlands with Rose and her eclectic band of family and friends. As with Echo Lake, her first murder mystery, the action comes thick and fast, almost at hurricane speed, with Rose at its centre with the different storylines, swirling fast paced around her.

Rose had moved to the Southern Highlands to find herself after a divorce and live a quiet, contented life with her dog. Excited about an upcoming classical music festival about to take place in the area, Rose is ecstatic to learn that the brilliant star is a long-time friend of her son, Sam. After the first concert, Billy, Sam’s friend, goes missing, together with a priceless violin loaned to him by a wealthy patron. Billy turns up dead, murdered, and Sam becomes the main suspect. Rose immediately springs into action to prove Sam’s innocence.

The fast-paced plot sees Rose find love and dealing with unexpected information concerning her beloved Father’s death – all the while probing every possible lead to find the killer.

Hold onto your hats … one minute Rose is in Sydney, on the trail of the priceless violin and the next minute she is surrendering to hot passion by the side of the creek! The author ensures we never lose interest in the plot by giving each of the satellite characters a crisis of their own, all intertwined with Rose. There is an interesting thread that runs throughout … the author deftly illustrates the damage done by familial lies but also why there are certain secrets that should be kept hidden.
A very good read.

Reviewed by Alison Logie

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Born in New York, Joan Sauers is a screenwriter, producer and author who worked in London, Los Angeles and New York before settling in Australia. She has lectured in screenwriting in Sydney, London, Paris, Berlin and Casablanca. She has had fourteen books published in Australia, the US, India and Japan. She has been script editor on films including The Babadook and TV shows, Rake and The Principal, and has written many screenplays.

Most recently, Joan was a writer on the ABC series Wakefield and Ladies in Black, and a sci-fi romance created by her daughter, as well as her next Southern Highlands mystery. Joan lives in the Southern Highlands, and has one daughter and two grandsons.

Visit Joan Sauers’ website