Town of two SECRETS
A TALE OF STRANGERS MAKES FOR A CHARMING SMALL-TOWN MYSTERY
Aquirky mystery set in a small Australian town, this novel’s charms arise mostly from its cast of characters, with all their small rivalries, deep secrets and long-lasting resentments.
The story begins on the first day of summer in 1993 as two strangers arrive in Cedar Valley. One is a young woman called Benny Miller. Her mother, who abandoned her years ago, has died and Benny has come to the place where the beautiful and mysterious Vivien Moon once lived, in the hope of finding out more about her.
The other stranger is a man dressed rather formally in an old-fashioned suit. He sits on the pavement outside an antiques store, leans against the window and doesn’t move for hours.
Cora Franks notices him but she’s busy and it’s not until she locks her shop door and tells the gentleman on the ground it’s time he moved on that she realises he’s dead.
And so the mystery begins. Who is this man, what did he die of and how is he linked to the town? Local police detective Tony Simmons is flummoxed at first and the case only seems to get more puzzling.
Every character in this story has life breathed fully into them. We learn about their lacklustre marriages and cheating husbands, and meet the town’s busybody, the locals at the pub and Vivien Moon’s long-ago best friend. Eventually, we almost start to feel as if we’re a part of this little town – and then the pieces of the mystery begin to come together.
I enjoyed Holly Throsby’s first novel, Goodwood, which was also set in a small
Aussie town and revolved around a mystery.
She writes with affection and warmth about places where everyone knows everybody else’s business and nothing dramatic usually happens.
This time, she’s been particularly skilful in the way she manages to people the town of Cedar Valley without ever leaving readers confused and wondering who is who.
There is a lot of wry humour and sharp observation, and it’s a gently paced but still reasonably compelling kind of read.