Ummm….WOW! I have to start with that since it is the thought that just came coming back into my head with every word I read, every page I turned, and every chapter I started. The thing that pulled me in from the beginning is the setting of New Zealand. I dream of visiting there and I love to read books set there. Golden Cove is a beautiful setting for this book. I love the small, off the beaten path town. The people there were neighbors, friends, and family. The gossip ran wild but most importantly they stick up for each other, protect each other, and love each other.

Anahera and Will’s interactions were interesting. I was intrigued to see if they would become friends or foes. I could feel the mutual attraction but I was not sure that would be enough for them. Anahera knew the town and the town people and Will had the knowledge to enforce the law, follow the clues, and solve crimes. Will had no prejudices since he was new to town where Anahera had feelings towards the town people.

I have to say that I had ideas, I started at the beginning and paid close attention to who was talked about, what was said, and who said it. I should have taken notes because I am sure I forgot some of the clues but I did have an idea who dun-it.

A Madness of Sunshine is a book I’d recommend to anyone who loves small town mysteries. Nalini Singh wrote a great book that pulled me in from the very beginning with her amazing setting and wonderful characters.

I actually picked this book out because Bookriot said it was my perfect mystery. They were not wrong, I loved this book. Without saying to much I can say that this was an amazing story with characters that you really understand and sympathize with. I was surprised to see this genre switch in this author, but she pulls it off flawlessly. It even sent me in the direction of her other books. I look forward to rereading this book in the new year, and exploring other titles by this author!

Synopsis
When Anahera’s husband dies, she decides to return home to Golden Cove, a little town in New Zealand where she grew up. But soon after her arrival, a popular young woman goes missing, and it’s up to Anahera and the town’s sole cop to figure out what happened to her. Nothing is as it seems, and this little town has more than its fair share of suspects…

Plot
A Madness of Sunshine is an engaging read from its very first line. While engaging, it is a slower read, and Singh puts an emphasis on building the town and its characters prior to introducing the overall mystery. The plot takes on the characteristics of an Agatha Christie mystery. Whatever happened to Miriama, it’s clear from the beginning that someone in town knows what happened to her. It becomes evident that we already know the character responsible for her disappearance, and it’s up to Anahera and Tom to find out who. While reading the book, I wrote the note “these people are all assholes”, and that’s true. There are so many potential murderers/psychopaths, that it seems like anyone could be responsible for Miriama’s disappearance.


Characters
This novel is told from two perspectives, that of Anahera and Tom. Anahera has returned home to the small town after her husband’s heart attack. She learned after his heart attack that he’d been having an affair, and she needs to come to terms with her grief and the knowledge that she will never be able to confront the man that she once loved. This makes for a beautiful character arc throughout the novel as she faces this internal struggle.

Tom is a former hero cop, but something in his past happened that resulted in him being sent to become this town’s sole police officer. It’s clear from the beginning that this is meant to be a romantic suspense, but I felt that the two had very little chemistry, and I wasn’t even sure if I was reading the signals right until they fell into bed together. The romance felt forced to me, like Singh wanted this to be a romantic suspense, and she felt that she had to push two lovers together who might have been better as friends. I’m a fan of her paranormal romance series, so I know for a fact that Singh is capable of writing passionate romance, but this book did not deliver on this front. As a lover of romantic suspense, I felt this is definitely more of a thriller, and the romance is another twist in the plotline, rather than a major appeal of reading this book. As mentioned before, the focus of this story is on the plot rather than their romance, so if you weren’t expecting a romance subplot, then you won’t be disappointed.

Setting & Language
To me, the setting is the major appeal of this novel. Set in a small town in New Zealand, it quickly becomes evident that the author knows this setting like the back of her hand. Singh has a fabulous way with words, and the way she describes the landscape clearly painted a picture in my mind. Even the title of the book “A Madness of Sunshine”, clearly demonstrates her handle of language and her ability to manipulate words to elicit conflicting emotions in the reader. The descriptions are beautiful, and the dichotomy of such a beautiful setting with such a horrific plotline makes for an engaging and fascinating read.

I recommend this book to anyone looking for a thrilling mystery with beautiful prose, captivating characters, and a hint of romance.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the advanced reader copy for review*

Prepare to be swept away to a small New Zealand town that’s as beautiful as it is treacherous in A Madness of Sunshine. Nalini Singh’s thriller debut is as engaging and evocative as I would expect from a writer of her caliber.

Golden Cove is an isolated community where everyone knows everyone. But do they really? For even in a place like this, people have their secrets. Anahera Rawiri, a gifted, renowned pianist, has returned home after years away. Anahera is strong, kind, and recovering from pain and betrayal. Everything and nothing has changed about Golden Cove when Anahera returns; many of the people she once knew as well as herself are familiar strangers. The most interesting new addition? Detective Will Gallagher, Golden Cove’s one-man police force. Will is as strong and focused as Anahera. He also has demons of his own he’s facing, ones that are the reason he was sent out to the bush. Sparks fly immediately between Will and Anahera, but it’s their “otherness” – Anahera’s from her time away and Will from his newness to Golden Cove – that draws them together when tragedy strikes and a young woman goes missing. Her disappearance stirs up old ghosts and hidden shame from one summer years ago when three other women vanished.

Ms. Singh serves up an interesting double mystery in A Madness of Sunshine. The present day search for a missing young woman intertwines with the disappearance of three hikers back when Anahera was a teenager and each mystery is engaging in its own right. I loved watching the pieces unfold, loved how the lush landscape Ms. Singh details plays into the story itself. I also enjoyed uncovering the layers of the town and its residents. The sordid secrets were all interesting as they were unearthed and I liked feeling like I was digging deeper into many of the characters with each passing page. Though it is set a world away, in many ways A Madness of Sunshine reminded me of Nora Roberts’s romantic suspense titles from fifteen – twenty years ago (think Carolina Moon). It’s not the plots themselves, but rather the cadence of the story and the patterns of the characters that felt familiar (not a bad thing). The only downside is that I felt the mysteries weren’t too…well…mysterious.

A Madness of Sunshine is beautiful and dark, just like the world of Golden Cove. Even though I would have wished for a few more surprising moments, I still thoroughly enjoyed this book. Ms. Singh’s writing sucked me in each time I picked up the book and I loved watching Anahera and Will put the pieces together over the course of the story. Though my first love will always be Ms. Singh’s paranormal romances, I would dive into another thriller by her in a heartbeat.

A Madness of Sunshine is Nalini Singh's first thriller and the writing keeps you on your toes at every turn. It's fascinating to contrast her style here with her PR and UF writing. The lush descriptions and lyrical prose are entwined with the edge of suspense and never ending mystery.


There are so many mysteries in this book! Anahera's past is slowly unravelled, as is Will's, and readers can see what has led them to be in Golden Cove at this time. It was so atmospheric on the coast, I could feel the bleakness of the ocean and the characters. 

How much did the story draw me in? I'm writing this at 5 AM because I couldn't put the book down and then I couldn't sleep after finishing it. There was a great cast of suspects and various potential clues, even in a small town setting where everyone thinks they know everyone else. And they'll hide their secrets, including from their sole police officer, Will. When Miriama disappears, those secrets come out of the woodwork at a steady pace. Who can Anahera and Will trust? Her memories and time away provide a different perspective to his outsider's view.

Readers will enjoy the twists and turns of the various mysteries. How well can you really know someone? It seems that their disappearance is the fastest way to find out that you don't know them at all. Highly recommended for mystery fans who want to be kept up late and those looking for a unique setting. I'm ready to read more books set in New Zealand, especially if Nalini Singh is writing them.

"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.

A Madness of Sunshine is a slow burn mystery. I think this could appeal to fans of The Dry by Jane Harper. I got a similar atmospheric vibe. Unfortunately, I wasn’t the right reader for this one and it was too slow for me - I stopped reading at about 20%. Thank you very much to Berkley for the advance reading copy.

Atmospheric and suspenseful, this mystery thriller drew me in and kept me fully engaged and guessing until the very last page!

Golden Cove, New Zealand -- "It's lovely and dangerous and beautiful."

Anahera Spenser-Ashby, née Rawiri, returns to her childhood home from London where she'd been living for the past 8 years -- she's just buried her lying, cheating husband. She had never intended to go back, but now she settles in the cabin where her mother had died and finds that much has changed in this wild land at the bottom of the world. Shortly after Anahera reconnects with her best friend, Josie, who now owns the town cafe, a 19-year-old girl named Miriama disappears. Miriama was scheduled to leave Golden Cove to do an internship with professional travel photographers and was the most beautiful girl in the small community where everyone knew and watched over everyone else. Golden Cove's sole policeman, Will (a former detective in Christchurch), and the majority of its inhabitants begin an intense search but no trace of Miriama is found. The community has lost one of its own and the circumstances are eerily similar to disappearances that occurred one summer years ago -- three women had walked into the bush and never came out. Those cases were considered a matter of tourist accident, but was a serial killer hiding in Golden Cove and could that person now have taken Miriama? Will has a huge job ahead of him. NO SPOILERS.

I really enjoyed this one, especially because the setting was so interesting and new to me. I've not read any other books by this author, but the writing was excellent and the narrative style as it shifted between Anahera and Will was extremely effective in advancing the story in their points of view. The characters were very appealing and relatable and I didn't even mind the romance part so much. I kept guessing until the climax and big reveal and found the conclusion very satisfying. I'm sorry to leave Golden Cove behind.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Books for this e-book ARC to read, review and recommend.

A Madness of Sunshine is a departure from Nalini Singh's usual paranormal romance (Wolf Rain, Archangel's War). A psychological thriller with a bit of romance on the edges, Sunshine dives deep into the darkness that is people. Whether small town or large city, rich or poor, everyone has their secrets- and suddenly those secrets could mean the difference between life and death in Golden Cove, New Zealand. When Anahera returns to Golden Cove and a young woman disappears, Anahera and her friends find themselves remembering the disappearances of three hikers when they were teens. The disappearances were a decade apart so they couldn't be related. Could they?

Singh does her usual masterful job in creating three-dimensional characters (whether primary, secondary, or brief walk-ons) and Golden Cove, the surrounding jungles and beaches, and New Zealand itself become as much a character as any of the people. The sense of place is incredibly strong, and the reader is instantly drawn into the wild West Coast of New Zealand. Anahera is a strong and wonderful person- damaged and trying to piece herself together again, she is trying to find ways to deal with the loss of her mother and husband, her husband's betrayal, and coming back to Golden Cove both opens old wounds and helps heal them. Will, Golden Cove's only police officer, is an outsider who was moved in to deal with tourists after his superiors worry he's burned himself out on a case that ended in flames and still haunts him. He's smart enough to know the locals may be friendly, but they aren't going to share secrets with someone from outside- even before danger hits. He may be hiding and piecing himself together as well, but he worries some parts of himself have burned away for ever.

The mystery is full of clues and red herrings, hints that seem like red herrings until the end and shocking twists and turns the whole way through. Full of descriptions of lush jungle trails, crashing ocean waves, and both the best and worst of human nature, A Madness of Sunshine will be a joy for long-time Nalini Singh fans and a revelation for new-comers. A book you won't be able to put down once you've started, A Madness of Sunshine shines bright among new thrillers.


I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

"New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh welcomes you to a remote town on the edge of the world where even the blinding brightness of the sun can’t mask the darkness that lies deep within a killer...

On the rugged West Coast of New Zealand, Golden Cove is more than just a town where people live. The adults are more than neighbors; the children, more than schoolmates.

That is until one fateful summer - and several vanished bodies - shatters the trust holding Golden Cove together. All that’s left are whispers behind closed doors, broken friendships, and a silent agreement to not look back. But they can’t run from the past forever.

Eight years later, a beautiful young woman disappears without a trace, and the residents of Golden Cove wonder if their home shelters something far more dangerous than an unforgiving landscape.

It’s not long before the dark past collides with the haunting present and deadly secrets come to light."

Because everyone should be obsessed with new Zealand, like me and Stephen Colbert.

Rated 4.5 - A Madness of Sunshine by Nalini Singh is a great character-driven suspense in a small coastal town in New Zealand filled with likely suspects. It reminded me of mysteries I’ve enjoyed in rural UK, except this one is more nature focused. It has that same style, where the setting adds to the intrigue. The characters pulled me in with what they didn’t say, spinning a mystery right from the beginning.

Will is a cop who angered his superiors and is sent to a remote town to bide his time. He’s unrepentant for his misdeeds, which makes him even more likable as he’s backing the innocent mistreated by evil.

Anahera has suffered her own mistreatment by more than one man, but it has only made her stronger. I liked her from the beginning. She’s a no-nonsense heroine, not flighty or careless, but smart and leery as she should be.

The two become unlikely partners in a murder investigation – one a stranger to this town of secrets, while the other is a full-on participant in the secrets, even though she’s sometimes unwilling.

I anticipated the conclusion throughout this story, but I was interested enough in the details to read every word and not skip ahead. Author Nalini Singh is a gifted writer, which is why I read every word. I’m super curious if this is a standalone title, or if there will be future endeavors following this cop’s adventures.

The villain is beyond creepy, bound to string Will along in future investigations. There were some crime details left out, thankfully, but that makes me think the author is saving that for another story in the future. The villain was vague, and I’m sure he wants to share more.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author. I enjoyed her voice and pacing. There were a lot of characters and suspects, too many at times for me to keep track, so I did get confused on who was who. That’s the only critique I have – the number of characters seemed to be directed at a possible series, and if not, then there were too many. Of course, my confusion may have been due to the hard-to-pronounce names for someone unfamiliar with this area.

That is a very small complaint, as I read this consistently over a couple days while on vacation. The novel made me edgy and affected my dreams, waking me up to read more.

A Madness of Sunshine will satisfy those who love police procedural detective novels in countries you’d love to visit. Its setting is like another character, adding to the beauty of the words and its wildness, ramping up the suspense.

I recommend A Madness of Sunshine to all who love a good murder mystery with a touch of romance. The mystery is the focus, but the couple involved in the center of it adds immensely to the overall entertainment.

Review by Dorine, courtesy of TheZestQuest.com.

As usual Nalini Singh delivers another slam dunk. While a departure from her more typical strictly romances (paranormal and contemporary) this suspenseful mystery debut hit all the right notes. Compelling and complex characters, intriguing small town drama and interpersonal relationships, suspense, and more. What else could you ask for in a novel? It was excellent and has me really hoping Singh branches back out to this genre again.

What an enchanting thriller! Set on the rugged West Coast of New Zealand, I was completely drawn in to the setting despite never having seen New Zealand myself. The small town of Golden Cove was so critical to the story and so well described, it was almost another character in and of itself. The crime at the center of this story - a beautiful, beloved woman goes missing - is thrilling, though I felt that the conclusion came a little too quickly and could have been more interesting of a "whodunnit." I liked the complex characters, the little bit of romance, and all the smaller side plots. I'll be recommending this one to thriller lovers especially!

This review was originally posted on <a href="http://booksofmyheart.net/2019/11/29/a-madness-of-sunshine-by-nalini-singh/" target="_blank"> Books of My Heart</a>
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Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
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My experience with this author has normally been paranormal romance but I enjoyed her work.  <strong>A Madness of Sunshine</strong> is a mystery / thriller, with a bit of romance.  The setting is a small town in New Zealand where Ana comes back to town after 8 years as things happen to reveal secrets old and new.

The layers of story kept it interesting. Ana is a widow who has had some difficulties in her past. She is still coming to terms with the loss of her husband in some ways. I wish there was a little more to understand what happened to her around some of the events in her past.

Will is the town cop, a detective, banished from a city after a tragic case.  He does a great job looking after the townspeople and shutting down trouble before it can start.  When a beautiful young woman goes missing, he starts a search and investigation right away.  I enjoy watching him do his police work.  He is an outsider, new to town.  Ana is surprising to him and although she has been gone, she knows these people. She helps him.

There were some twists but the bad guys showed themselves at times.  Psychopaths are also narcissists. They think they are most important and should just always have their way. A murder investigation clearly points out that many men are assholes; there are too many possible suspects. That makes the good guys all the dearer.

A so-so mystery with little action. The missing girl, Miriama, is described ad nauseam as a beautiful young woman, full of life, a face so radiant that it stopped the heart, a haunting beauty, a special glow, luminous, precious, talented . . . and men fell at her feet! Yes, a bit overdone. The entire tale is repetitive and over explained. The New Zealand setting and Maori language phrases were interesting but the mystery, not so much.

A MADNESS OF SUNSHINE will have you deeply involved from the first page to the last and even then you will wonder at the twists and turns that brought your there.

I love learning about new worlds and New Zealand is a place I would love to visit and the taste Ms. Singh gives readers in this offering makes it come alive with the sounds and feel of the ways of that world.

Annetta Sweetko, reviewer for Fresh Fiction

Complete Review may be found at: http://freshfiction.com/review.php?id=69735

Excellent romantic suspense! The rural New Zealand setting gave it both a great sense of place and made the danger lurking in the darkness seem very real. Interesting characters with back story I'd have enjoyed learning more about, but their enigmatic style fit the story well. Nalini Singh's name is already well known, but this should bring attention from a whole new audience as well.

I really enjoyed this dark thriller that kept me up past my bedtime. The setting of a small town where you think you know everyone and they all have their own secrets to hide was very well done. As were the two main characters who are both outsiders and also insiders in their own ways. I spent a long time trying to figure out who the killer was and I didn’t figure it out until close to the end. I very much enjoyed the setting of New Zealand and felt immersed in the landscape while I read. If you like thrillers then this one you will want to check out!

I'm a romance genre girl through and through. When I saw that this was Nalini Singh, I knew I needed to give this book a try even though I hesitate at the genre. I'm really glad that I did. From the first chapter this book captured my attention and held. The writing is phenomenal. It doesn't matter what genre this author writes, she knows how to captivate.

I think because I knew going in that this was a thriller, I really focused on everything I learned about all the characters that were introduced. I wanted to be able to make my guesses about who did it. Nalini did a great job giving us readers enough doubts about everyone that it did leave me guessing until the end. She also made feel enough for some of these characters that I was practically begging that they weren't the culprit. One particular person would have devastated me but that's only because of how it would have affected others.

The author did give us a little bit of romance to enjoy in this book. I made myself think about if I would have liked this as much if it didn't have that small part to round things out. My conclusion, while Nalini Singh may have just opened me up to a new genre to enjoy, I still think I need that romance to feel satisfied at the end of a good read.

The small town of Golden Cove on New Zealand's west coast is seemingly peaceful. But behind the facade lies a big secret: fifteen years ago, a string of young women went missing. While the citizens of Golden Cove prefer not to talk about their dark past, the secrets come to the surface when another young woman goes missing and a police officer new to town won't let her be forgotten.

The atmosphere of A Madness of Sunshine is so strong; the wildness of nature and of human beings creates a vivid picture of the dangers of the New Zealand coast. There was a bit of a mid-book slump for me, but the beautiful and terrifying descriptions of New Zealand forests, oceans, and storms kept me going. Definitely a unique mystery. CW for violence against women.