Mystery simple but compelling
Paula Green is taken in by a debut novel.
Holly Throsby is an Australian songwriter and musician with five albums to her name, several Aria nominations and now a debut novel.
In 1992, two people disappear from Goodwood.
One night Rosie White says goodnight to her parents, walks into her bedroom and is never seen again. Seven days later the much older Bart McDonald disappears when he goes fishing on the lake. Again not a trace is found. Now the town is completely on edge with gossip and speculation.
Two days before Rosie goes missing, 17-year-old narrator Jean discovers $500 in a tree hollow when out walking her dog, Backflip (love the name!).
Nothing feels ordinary about the clearing, or the discovery, with looming shadows and unsettling noises in the bush. Jean leaves the money where it is and returns to the soothing ordinariness of the town.
Already, in this simple scenario I am itching to read more. The key question – what happened to Rosie and Bart? – pulled me through the book in a single sitting.
The writing is sweetly crafted and builds a portrait of a small town as much as it solves a mystery. I liked that. Right from the start you are told that this mystery will be solved. On the way, you move closer to certain characters, as their flaws and quirks are exposed.
One or two scenes jarred with me as though they needed a rewrite, particularly in view of dialogue. That aside, this is a mystery with heart because I began to care about the townspeople; their dark secrets, the new relationships, the hidden violence, the enduring loves.
The blurb gives little away, which is good because I really liked the ending.