A Madness of Sunshine

December 9, 2019
Paranormal romance bestseller Singh (the Guild Hunter series) ventures into noir territory with this atmospheric if flawed thriller. Classical pianist Anahera Rawiri flees London for Golden Cove, the remote New Zealand hometown she couldn’t wait to leave eight years earlier, soon after her playwright husband suddenly dies—and his pregnant mistress subsequently surprises her. But before Anahera can even start to come to terms with the tragic past she tried to put in the rearview mirror, there’s an emergency in Golden Cove: beautiful, universally beloved teen Miriama Hinewai Tutaia vanishes during her daily run, reminding those with long memories of three young female hikers who disappeared from the town during a single summer 15 years before. And in this largely Maori community with little trust of either outsiders or the law, it falls to cop Will Gallagher, a recent arrival with plenty of his own baggage, to lead the search. Though Will and the equally prickly Anahera initially butt heads, the crisis quickly promotes mutual respect—and maybe even warmer sentiments. Several members of the cast, particularly the men who become prime suspects in Miri’s disappearance, come across as plot-propelled chameleons. But the one character that rings absolutely true is the untamed, sometimes treacherous, always breathtaking New Zealand landscape. Agent: Nephele Tempest, Knight Agency.

Narrator Saskia Maarleveld shines in this compelling, multilayered listen. The land and the sea of the New Zealand coast become an integral part of the story's beautiful descriptions, authentic narration, and well-developed characters. After her husband dies, Anahera Spenser-Ashby returns home to Golden Cove--a place she left eight years earlier, after her mother's death. Seeking solace and a place to heal, Anahera reconnects with her childhood friends and finds herself drawn to local detective Will Gallagher. When Mariama, a young woman beloved in town, goes missing, everyone becomes a suspect. Her disappearance reignites the investigation of several missing hikers from years before. Maarleveld's pacing and nuance perfectly complement the building tension and explosive ending. K.S.M. � AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine