It is 1930 and, while the Great Depression strengthens its hold on Melbourne, the insidious disease Polio still maintains a skeletal grip as well.
Years ago, 13-year-old Morris Turner’s father, a detective, moved their family from a little mining town to Melbourne. Now, in the present, a murder, and the discovery of a body at the mines, forces an unwanted return to the town of Gemini.
From the looks the locals give his father, Morris knows that something happened to the Turner family that forced them to move. His mother is dead, but his father refuses to talk about her. The reader is left just as clueless as Morris about her and the murky past. As the story progresses it’s obvious something happened long ago, something the locals have not forgotten.
The setting and era make for a great backdrop. The Great Depression has spared nobody, ripping lives and families apart. Most of the residents of Gemini think that the murderer is one of the campers who are living on the outskirts of the town struggling to survive with no food or shelter.
Gemini Falls is told from Morris’s perspective. He, his cousin Flo, and Flo’s friend Sam, spend their days trying to solve the case and find the murderer themselves. They search for clues, interview suspects, break into houses. Quite determined are this intrepid trio, but they may find more than they bargained for. The relationship between Morris and his father has a To Kill a Mockingbird feel about it.
A wonderful debut.
Reviewed by Neale Lucas
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