A Madness of Sunshine by Nalini Singh/ a gritty and atmospheric New Zealand thriller

A Madness of Sunshine by Nalini Singh

I don’t often read thrillers, more romantic suspense than thrillers, but when I found out Nalini Singh was writing one, I just had to read it. There were quite a few things I loved about this book.

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Anahera Rawiri left New Zealand at twenty-one, fleeing small-town poverty and the ghosts of her childhood with no plans to look back. But eight years later, she returns, seeking familiarity as respite from the shattered remains of her new life. And despite the changes brought on by a bump in tourism–the shiny new welcome sign at the town line and a decidedly less shiny new police presence–Golden Cove appears much as it ever was: a small settlement on the savage West Coast of the South Island, populated by all the remembered faces and set against a backdrop of lush greenery, jagged cliffs, and crashing waves.

Detective Will Gallagher knows all about ghosts; his own chased him out of a promising career in Christchurch, landing him as the sole cop in a quaint town where his most pressing concerns are petty theft and the occasional drunk. When Golden Cove resident Miri Hinewai goes out for a run and fails to return, Will finds himself heading up a missing person’s search that rapidly escalates into an official investigation after this case is connected with similar ones from the past. As an outsider, Will begins to rely on Anahera’s knowledge of the area and its residents to help him delve into Golden Cove’s secrets, and to determine whether it shelters something far more dangerous than just an unforgiving landscape.

A Madness of Sunshine by Nalini Singh

My thoughts

I’m getting more and more into thrillers and want to add even more to my 2020 tbr, so when I found out Nalini Singh was writing one, I got really excited about it.

There were quite a few things I loved about this book.

1) The story was set in New Zealand, and the author’s familiarity with this country was obvious and also the part that grabbed me the most. The language, the traditions, the small communities and the difficulties that come with them. Beautifully described in detail, it came to live on paper, and had me wishing I could travel to New Zealand right this minute.

2) Both main characters were mysterious, layered, and intriguing in their own way. Touching but also captivating, those layers were peeled, one after another. The entire process felt utterly natural and added to the mystery. And yes there is a couple – slow burn alert!!

3) The last quarter of the book was a nail biter – wowzer!! And I loved how it all came together.

What I struggled with was the pace of the story. It was slow going. It felt like the first 3/4 of the book was very much character driven, less action, more talking. There were so many suspects. So many opportunities. So many directions the story could go.

Overall I needed something more to be glued to the pages.

I’m a bit embarrassed to admit it, but it actually took me almost an entire week to finish this book.

On the other hand, I really liked how it all came together. And I’ll definitely be reading more of her thrillers if the author decides to write more. Thrillers is one genre I want to read more of, and having a favorite author writing this genre, just makes it easier on me.

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I received a copy of this book from Berkley Books for free.
My opinions have not been influenced by the publisher or the author.

A Madness of Sunshine by Nalini Singh