Pheasants Nest by Louise Milligan

‘And that was Kate Delaney’s Big Mistake.’

Yes, humiliating a guy on a girl’s night out was a mistake. Kate Delaney finds herself kidnapped, brutalised and bound in the back of a car. Kate is terrified. She has no idea where she’s headed, no idea what the man’s name is.  As a journalist who has reported on crime, Kate is well aware of the statistics about women who go missing. Can she survive?

 Meanwhile, Kate’s boyfriend Liam Carroll and friend Sylvia are concerned. Kate was expected home and when she doesn’t return, Liam approaches the police.

‘In Melbourne, Liam Carroll looks at his phone and wonders what the hell is going on. Where is she?’

The story unfolds from several points of view: Kate’s fear, Liam’s anxiety and the procedures followed by the police. Initially Liam is a suspect but is quickly excluded. Kate’s abductor leaves a trail, and the search shifts from Victoria to New South Wales.

This novel held my attention, in part because I am fairly familiar with the area around Pheasants Nest and wondered how it would be worked into the story. I was distracted at times by the number of different perspectives, which (for me, at least) served to reduce the tension. Sometimes, too much detail in fiction can be distracting.

Did I enjoy the novel?  Yes, mostly. I needed to keep reading to know how it would end.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith