A Madness of Sunshine by Nalini Singh – Dual Review & Giveaway
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Description:
On the rugged West Coast of New Zealand, Golden Cove is more than just a town where people live. The adults are more than neighbors; the children, more than schoolmates.
That is until one fateful summer—and several vanished bodies—shatters the trust holding Golden Cove together. All that’s left are whispers behind closed doors, broken friendships, and a silent agreement not to look back. But they can’t run from the past forever.
Eight years later, a beautiful young woman disappears without a trace, and the residents of Golden Cove wonder if their home shelters something far more dangerous than an unforgiving landscape.
It’s not long before the dark past collides with the haunting present and deadly secrets come to light.
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Barb’s Review:
Madness of Sunshine by Nalini Singh is a standalone mystery thriller. I am a huge fan of Nalini Singh, as she is one of my favorite authors. In A Madness of Sunshine, Nalini takes us in a new direction, away from her fabulous paranormal/fantasy series, with a terrific mystery thriller; set on the west coast of New Zealand.
Anahera, our heroine, returns home to Golden Cove after being away for 8 years. She is trying to escape the betrayal and death of her husband, whom after his death she finds out he was cheating on her. She is happy to meet old friends, as the memories of the past have never been forgotten, especially the tragedies which include the death of her mother, the father she hates, and the mysterious disappearances of girls, who never resurfaced.
Will, our hero, and the lone police officer in Golden Cove; was a formerly a decorated cop, who came to Golden Cove, as he made a mistake, which ruined his reputation. He had beat up a bad guy, who had killed and abused a woman and her son. When Will meets Anahera, he tries to learn more about her, and keeps a close eye on her.
Anahera visits her best friend Josie, who runs a café, and meets her helper, Miriama, a beautiful young bubbly girl, who everyone loves. In a short time, Miriama is discovered to be missing after going out on her normal early morning jog. This will bring the whole town together to help search for her. Will eventually works closely with Anahera, who helps with information and secrets about all the residents who still live in Golden Cove. The secrets of the past, which have been hidden for decades bring the suspicion that those disappearances years before have risen up again and a serial killer in their small community could be behind Miriama’s disappearance.
What follows is a mystery thriller that I could not put down, as there are a number of twists and surprises along the way that kept me glued to the story. I will not tell too much more, as spoilers would ruin the story. Nalini Singh not only gives us an exciting, intriguing mystery, but her description of the wild untamed landscape around Golden Cove was not only wonderful, but also detailed awesome and deadly surrounding land and cliffs.
A Madness of Sunshine was another wonderful well written book by Nalini, and the mystery throughout was captivating and enthralling. I loved Anahera, as she was a smart, strong, savvy heroine, who was determined to help Will, even putting her own life in danger. I also liked Will, who was a good cop and made sure to watch over everyone; calling in favors from former contacts to learn more about the previous missing girls. Between Anahera and Will, they will discover clues as to the disappearance of Miriama, and the past; but along the way we will be hit with a couple of surprises. A Madness of Sunshine was a fabulous story line, and so very well written by Nalini Singh. I strongly suggest you read this book.
Sandy’s Review:
A MADNESS OF SUNSHINE by Nalini Singh is a contemporary, adult, mystery thriller focusing on the search for a missing young woman in the town of Golden Cove, New Zealand.
Told from dual third person perspectives (Will and Anahera) A MADNESS OF SUNSHINE focuses on the search for a potential killer. Years earlier pianist Anahera Rawiri left Golden Cove, New Zealand on the hunt for something better only to return with her tail tucked between her legs after discovering her now deceased husband had a mistress and a baby on the way. But days after her arrival, nineteen year old waitress Miriama Tutaia goes missing, and Anahera finds herself playing second banana to the town’s one-man law enforcement Will Gallagher. As the search for Miriama brings together the eclectic people of Golden Cove, a series of unsolved cases of missing girls from years before begins to develop a pattern, and the possibility of a serial killer amongst the people of the close-knit town of Golden Cove.
A MADNESS OF SUNSHINE is a story of secrets and lies; betrayal and revenge. The small town of Golden Cove, New Zealand suffered little in the way of crime therefore a one-man law enforcement team was more than the town required but a missing person, and the possibility of a serial murderer in their midst meant Will Gallagher was about to push buttons, and everyone became a suspect in the disappearance of Miriama Tutaia. Anahera Rawiri never wanted to return to Golden Cove-too many demons, and bad memories of days long ago but with her return came the possibility of starting over, and meeting Will Gallagher meant a second chance at a happily ever after but not before they discovered the person(s) behind the disappearance and murder of several girls.
Nalini Singh pulls the reader into a slow building story of intrigue and suspense. The romance between Will and Anahera is secondary to the plot, as the story unfolds one clue and suspicion at a time. The premise is edgy; the numerous characters are colorful and animated; the romance is passionate but more or less independent from the story line premise.
Nalini’s publisher is offering paper copy of A MADNESS OF SUNSHINE to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe
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8. Giveaway runs from December 3 – 7, 2019
