Publisher's Weekly Review
Sydney physiotherapist Kieran Elliott, the protagonist of this elegiac suspense novel from bestseller Harper (The Lost Man), has steeled himself for an emotionally turbulent visit to his hometown of Evelyn Bay, Tasmania, where he has returned to help his mother pack up the family home before his dementia-afflicted father moves into a nursing facility. Then the murder of college student Bronte Laidler, who had been spending her summer break creating art inspired by the area's rugged coast, upsets the town. While locals profess that Bronte's killer must be an outsider, many start wondering--as do the police--whether there's any connection to a tragedy involving Kieran that tore apart the community 12 years earlier. That Kieran's father may have been wandering on the beach the night of the murder raises the stakes. The distinctively Aussie array of stoic characters who are weathered, and in some cases warped, by their uncompromising environment more than compensates for a denouement that feels psychologically false. Harper expertly weaves past guilts with present grief. She remains a writer to watch. Agent: Daniel Lazar, Writers House. (Feb.)
Library Journal Review
Harper's (The Lost Man) taut suspense novel set in Tasmania creates a vivid sense of place and time. Keiran Elliott, along with his wife and baby, has returned to his hometown of Evelyn Bay for the first time since the storm that took his brother's life 12 years ago and devastated many of the town's residents. Now he's here to help his aging parents to resettle. The day after he arrives, a young woman in town for the summer is found washed up on the beach--her death a "mysterious circumstance." This triggers the start of new controversies about both the current death and the deaths from the storm 12 years before. Harper (The Dry) puts in lots of twists and turns and leaves listeners guessing until the final pages. Stephen Shanahan narrates with a lovely Australian accent. It can be a little challenging to keep track of the different characters, but the story picks up momentum as it goes along and is a great beach listen for those who love a good suspense novel. VERDICT Recommended for public libraries where Harper's books are popular.--Gretchen Pruett, New Braunfels P.L., TX
