‘She should have snatched up her walking shoes before she fled, but she hadn’t wanted to stay in that house a second longer. Another mistake to add to the list.’
Six people head off for a weekend at a house on the mountains in regional New South Wales, but fewer than six return. Who was killed, and why?
Three couples are involved: four of the six have been friends since school, the other two have married two of the friends. The weekend is meant to be free of stress, of phones and internet: a time for drinking and bushwalking. And then, on the first night, someone mentions partner-swapping. The suggestion may have started as a joke, but somehow gains acceptance. Agreement is reached: the three men will each select a bedroom, the three women will randomly pick a room. And, because no-one will know (for sure) who they slept with (no talking and the room will remain in darkness) there won’t be any awkwardness. What could possibly go wrong?
Plenty, as it turns out. One person is missing, and then a body is found. This is just the beginning. Mr Heath twists the story in so many directions that I had difficulty keeping up. Yes, there are several red herrings to distract the reader. And what about motivation?
Senior Constable Kiara Lui interviews the survivors and tries to make sense of the case. Two weeks later, she and her girlfriend Elise travel to the same house. Part romantic getaway (she hopes) and part investigation as Kiara Lui is keen to try to solve the case. It’s probably never a good idea to mix business and pleasure: Kaira’s relationship is already in difficulty, and events at the house don’t help.
But can she solve the case? And who is the killer?
I suspended all my disbelief and thoroughly enjoyed this twisty tale. Yes, I did eventually work out some of the answers, but I had to work hard.
A terrific read.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Book 3 of 20 Books of Summer Winter
Tasmanian Bibliophile @Large 