Life and how you view it can change in a mere second, a splinter of time, and the effects can be life changing, as was the case when Brianna Donahue’s mother disappeared from their property when she was three years old. She appeared to have vanished without a trace, her body never discovered, leaving behind a massive question unanswered and a young child to be bought up by her loving father.
Brianna’s husband Caleb, an up and coming lawyer in Perth, who works away from their property, which Brianna and her father manage, combining his acreage and hers and Caleb’s, running two very successful establishments. Brianna lives for the land and Caleb lives for the law, even though he too is country born and bred.
It is not until their oldest son Trent goes missing on the morning of Brianna’s birthday, and Caleb cannot return from Perth, due to a trial he is involved with to help in the search, that Brianna discovers she needs to take a serious look at their failing relationship; perhaps it is time to make some very hard and difficult decisions.
As the day progresses the temperatures rising to scorching and the day seems to become an endless struggle to remain calm and focused. His disappearance brings back some sad and difficult memories for Brianna and her father. When Trent is finally discovered at the dam where the best yabbies are to be found, he is very dehydrated and sporting a broken leg, having crashed off his quad bike and become unconscious.
An older neighbour of Brianna and her father, is also facing troubled times with missing sheep and missing wool clips, which brings Detective Dave Burrows to town to see what, if anything is going one. He and his partner Jack discover the old man, Guy Woods, has early signs of dementia, but while he is a little vague and disoriented, he is very clear about his missing property.
During the investigations Dave turns up some of Guy’s family history, the details of which appears to be buried deep within the local community, but is intriguing enough to get him taking a closer look at Guy’s family and what happened to them. How the two families’ lives become entwined is slowly and delicately unfolded in a suspenseful and intriguing manner.
But there is also a third and fascinating string to this story, adding to the intrigue which reflects on the many layers that go to make up the human psyche.
Fleur McDonald has once again taken secrets that lie hidden beneath the veneer of many small communities, using them to form the basis of a story which could easily be as true to life as the words she has used to craft this absolutely enjoyable read, Once again the wonderful Dave Burrows, wife Kim, his partner Jack, and all the people of the remarkable town of Merriwell Bay, located somewhere in Australia, populate this entertaining and enjoyable story,
A great Sunday afternoon in the shade read.
