A Madness of Sunshine

“Everyone has hidden corners of their life, even the people we think we know inside out.”

FINAL DECISION: A thriller/suspense story about the secrets that rest in small towns where everyone thinks they know everyone but where there are dangerous secrets. I found this book compelling and it kept me turning page after page wanting to see the secrets being revealed.

THE STORY: Anahera Rawiri returns to her hometown in New Zealand. A hometown that she is reluctant to return to and yet is drawn back. There are dark secrets in this town and even more secrets among the people who live there. Will Gallagher is the new cop in town who was sent there after an incident in Christchurch. It was a way of putting him on ice. The town of Golden Cove seemingly is a dead end job without any need for Will’s detective skills until a young woman disappears. Then the dark secrets of the town begin to be revealed.

OPINION: Nicely centered in the community relationships and characters (which is an area that Singh excels in her romances), the story kept me guessing throughout. As varying stories are slowly revealed, there is no doubt that everyone is deeper than what is known at the outset. Nicely, that is also true of the two main characters in the story. As readers, we know some of the pasts of these characters, but their story is slowly unwound even as the mystery unfolds as well.

Although not overly creepy, there is something unsettling about the town and its surroundings. The overwhelming feeling that everyone has secrets and some of those secrets are dangerous makes this book compelling.

I liked both Anahera and Will. Both out of sync with the town…Will an outsider and Anahera a local who has spent a decade away and thus straddles the line between being a part of the town and being a stranger. This gives them a nice connection as they are the “outsiders” doing the investigation while both have one foot in the town.

I enjoyed this story because I kept changing my mind about what was going on and how it was connected with the past. I kept reading page after page because I wanted to know more about Will and Anahera — not just the mystery. That nice balance made this a really good read.

WORTH MENTIONING: This is not a romance. Please don’t read it looking for a Singh romance and then complain that it isn’t a romance. It is also not a paranormal, fantasy or sci-fi book. The book does have romantic elements, but romance is definitely not the focus here. There is sex but it is pretty much all off screen.

CONNECTED BOOKS: A MADNESS OF SUNSHINE is a standalone.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4.5 stars.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley. I was not required to write a review or to write a positive review. All opinions contained herein are my own.

I read everything Nalini Singh has published and love most of her books but when writing about werewolves and archangels and vampire the rules allow for improbable love connections. In A Madness of Sunshine, the author has written a basic thriller/romance in the same style as many of the Nora Roberts books, and she needs to up her game. The excellent parts of the story involve the South Island of New Zealand, and the language and customs of the Maori people who live there. There are haunting descriptions of the birds, the forests, and the effect of the Pacific on a small island. But her story does not quite work. First, there are too many suspects, but, unlike a skilled mystery writer, she does not allow the reader to guess who the murderer is. She lays out reasons for everyone to be a murderer, and then more or less tells us who it likely is, but keeps us guessing until he confesses. It turns out there are several murderers and we more or less have to accept in this tiny, idyllic Maori community, everyone is dysfunctional, and murderers run amok. This tends to negate the community’s charm. Then she introduces a bitter, broken hearted woman with an abusive childhood and a tragic secret who happens to be a world famous pianist, and a bitter cop who has lost confidence in himself because of the death of a child he was protecting. Both have come to this small town to lick their wounds, and by golly, within three days of meeting they are in bed together, and pretty cozy for a couple of life’s victims. This is not a believable boy meets girl etc. scenario. I applaud Ms Singh’s desire to spread her writing wings, but she only gets a C+ for this first attempt.

Set in a stark and hauntingly beautiful landscape, Golden Cove is situated in the Wild West of New Zealand. The town serves as the backdrop for a mystery thriller that has all the secrets, both good and bad, of a small and secluded town. A popular, beautiful young woman disappears so the only local detective, Will Gallagher, investigates what looks like foul play. Will was farmed out to this far-flung village after some traumatic events in his work life. The other major occurrence happening involves Anahera Spenser-Ashby, formally Rawiri, returning to the place she grew up after lifes vagaries have brought her low. Will and Anahera form an alliance working together to figure out who might have taken a deadly interest in Mariama; the girl whom everyone seemed to love and some even to covert for their own.

Will and Anahera are people wounded by life, both struggling to make it each day and not be caught in the undertow from some devastating personal events. Several interesting characters populate Golden Cove, some rather quirky, many of whom Will has gotten to know in this remote town. As he peels back the layers of secrets, deceits, and mysteries with Anas help since she knows all the players, Will finds what could be a connection to three missing hikers from eight years ago.

Anahera left home to seek a better life as do many restless young people, away from her hometown with its painful memories. She found fame and fortune, but it all turned to grief. After losing a husband who turned out to be someone other than she thought, Ana comes back to this place that was once home in hopes of finding herself again. She is quite at sea about what to do now that her life has so drastically changed.

The Maori culture adds a rich component lending language and traditions interwoven throughout the story. The rough yet beautiful landscape and unforgiving ocean provide a thrilling and sometimes chilling environment for this story that has all the elements of a good tale well told. Fans of Nalini Singhs other books will be glad to know there is some romantic suspense element to this story. Ms. Singh is well known for her romance and paranormal stories; however, this book proves her skills at weaving a compelling, page turning tale in whatever genre she chooses.

Oh my, Ms. Singh, what a fabulous book! Having been a long time fan of Nalini Singh’s books I had this one on pre order. I discovered it on my kindle this morning and, once started, I read until I finished it. I cannot recommend this book highly enough, the writing, the characters, the attention to detail,the plot, the denouement, it’s all excellent.If you’ve never read Nalini Singh’s books before start with this one, you’ll be blown away! If you’ve read her writing in other genres and are hesitating about buying this one, don’t!

Having read each of Nalinis series and loving all, I was unsure of this new genre but pre-ordered anyway.
Just finished this strong and powerful story. Totally different to her others but, no less brilliantly conceived such a great read. Loved the two main characters and would love to find out what happens to them. Will definitely continue with the new books.