Told in short chapters with almost minute by minute time-lines, this is an action-packed story which exposes the complexities of a murder investigation when there are so many potential suspects, most of whom are being less than honest! Layer upon layer of deception need to be uncovered before the truth can be discovered and there are many red-herrings as the investigation progresses. I did guess who the murderer was by about half way through the story but as there were several other twists and turns which came as a surprise, this didn’t interfere with my overall enjoyment of the book.
I thought that in Gemma the author created an interesting, flawed character who became increasingly torn between her personal and professional personas and, as a result, reaches breaking point in both areas of her life. She was not a particularly likeable character but, on the whole, she was a credible one. However, there were moments when I have to admit that I found my credulity stretched to the limit when expected to believe that, in such a small community, the true nature of her relationship with the murder victim, let alone her “secret” affair with a fellow officer, could have been kept under wraps! The story introduced an interesting cast of characters whose presence provided opportunities for Gemma’s back-story to be explored and one of the strengths of the story-telling was the way in which the author managed this gradual revelation.
I enjoyed the way in which the author evocatively captured this small Australian town, baking in the heat of summer as its residents prepared for Christmas whilst struggling to make sense of the apparently senseless murder of a popular teacher. I thought that she captured the nature of the “rumour-mill”, as well as the way in which any crisis will expose old rivalries and unresolved conflicts, affording individuals the opportunity to settle old scores.
Although this was a reasonably engaging story, I found that there was a lack of the psychological tension which I had been expecting from the description.