Adelaide Hills, 1959. At the end of a scorching hot day, in the grounds of a grand country house, a local man makes a terrible discovery. Police are called, and the small town of Tambilla becomes embroiled in one of the most mystifying murder investigations in the history of Australia.
London, 2018. Jess is a journalist in search of a story. Having lived and worked in London for nearly two decades, a phone call summons her back to Sydney, where her beloved grandmother, Nora, has suffered a fall and is seriously ill in hospital.
Seeking comfort in her past, Jess discovers a true crime book at Nora’s house chronicling a long-buried police case: the Turner Family Tragedy of 1959. And within its pages she finds a shocking personal connection to this notorious event – a crime that has never truly been solved . . .
First Published: 2023
Pages: 622
Genre: Historical Thriller
Amazon Rating: 4.3 out of 5 from 34,000 reviews
Our review in brief:
| 1. Rating: 8 out of 10 |
| 2. Recommended: The majority of the group would recommend the book. A few were concerned about the length and that it was slow in the middle. |
| 3. Audience: The book would suit all age groups. As all the dominant characters were women, it was felt that it would suit a female audience. |
| 4. Type of Read: The language of the book was easy, but it was over 600 pages. The plot was complex and it was easy to get confused with all the characters and jumping timelines. |
| 5. Quality of the Author: The majority of the group said they would read another story by this author, but they would prefer a slightly shorter book. |
| 6. Other Observations: Although the book was publicised as an historical thriller, it was more of a family saga. The female characters were also more developed than the male ones. |