This is an amazing book!

My advanced copy was unfortunately corrupt but I am so glad I persisted past the first couple of pages and got used to the unusual format of having numbers at the end of each sentence.

The setting, the descriptions of the landscape gave a wonderful insight to the wildness you can find in New Zealand and the gripping storyline made for an intense ride. Totally captivating, with a really clever plot which kept me guessing right to the end. I´ve not come across this author before, so this was my first, but most certainly won´t be my last!

Fabulous!

My thanks to NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group for giving me the opportunity to read and review an advanced digital copy.

I loved EVERYTHING about this book. I've been a fan of Nalini's for years, and her masterful writing continues to blow me away. I knew I was in for one hell of a ride and I wasn't disappointed.

After the death of her husband leaves her disillusioned and lost Ana heads back home to Golden Cove the place she grew up.
Set in a small New Zealand community this is mostly a mystery suspense, there is a touch of romance but it is only slight and is not the focus of the story.
This is a very different read to what we have come to expect from this author and this is a completely new direction for her and in my opinion, Nalini Singh can definitely deliver on the mystery suspense side of things.
This is told from dual POV Ana herself and Will a lone cop stationed in the back of beyond after certain tragic events in his life.
I wasn't initially impressed with Anahera's attitude towards Will, she seemed to have a massive chip on her shoulder in regards to the thoughtful and solemn policeman.
It really was totally uncalled for and said more about her than him.
To be fair she did eventually mellow and grow on me and at heart, she really was a product of her past which hadn't always been kind.
Will I liked a lot from the get-go, I especially appreciated his no-nonsense pragmatic attitude.
This at heart was an interesting suspenseful read that shines the spotlight on dynamics in close-knit communities and begs the question of how well do you know your neighbours.
it was a trifle slow in places and was a little predictable, there were also no major shockers in store for the reader.
but still, overall it had more positives than negatives and I did enjoy it and kept turning the pages wanting to get to the final conclusion.
I found this to be an easy read and I would recommend.
I voluntary reviewed a copy of A Madness Of Sunshine.

I love Nalini Singh's romance writing so I absolutely wanted to get my hands on a copy of her thriller debut when I saw it advertised, and it doesn't disappoint. A Madness of Sunshine is atmospheric, disturbing and suspenseful right from the start and doesn't let up throughout. I love small-town crime fiction and particularly enjoyed that this is set in New Zealand.

The novel is categorised as a thriller which I'm not 100% convinced by, though I figure it probably sits better in this subgenre than any other. The story definitely veers into cliché at times but that's not necessarily a bad thing and Singh's writing is good enough that it never feels tacky or lazy. Ironically for a romance writer, I felt like this element was the weakest part, but again not enough to detract from my overall enjoyment. A solid read if you want murder, mystery and some chilling characters.

This is Nalini Singh's first thriller and since I am a big fan of her Psy-changeling series of PNR and I have enjoyed some her contemporary romances, I was curious to see her attempt to write in a completely different genre. I have mixed feelings, but it was a compelling read and I am here for more thrillers by Nalini Singh is she goes in that direction.

I loved the heroine, she is returning to her small town on the NZ coast, angry and bitter, rightly so and never just forgives the people who hurt her. I loved her voice, her strength and determination but also her empathy and compassion.

As a romance reader, I am glad that the author included a solid romance arc here. It worked well for me, I could see the connection between Will and Anahera and also understand their reluctance to start anything. Two people with difficult past, with lots of baggage caught in the middle of a small town murder investigation.

While I loved Anahera, I had some issues with Will. He was not very professional in getting her involved in his investigation and sharing info with her. He was quick to judge people and I was not always a fan of how he treated everyone but I managed to overlook this because of the way he treated Anahera - always respectful, supporting, never pressuring or dismissing her.

Best elements in the story was the very strong atmospheric representation of the small town and the wild nature around it. Nature with absolute untameness was almost like another character in the story.

Miriama was put on a pedestal by practically everyone in town because of her beauty and vivacity and I am not too happy about it. I would have liked more substance to her character, to be honest.

I guessed the murderer at some point but this is not really an issue for me. What bothered me though was the implication that what happened to him in the past made him the monster that he is. It’s lazy and stereotypical writing and also insulting to survivors of abuse.

The story also portrayed great female friendships, to see how people change and grow and their friendship changes with them, how difficult it is to make/keep friends.

It’s not a perfect book but captivating nevertheless. I think it shows it’s Nalini’s first attempt at thrillers. There were gorgeous bits in the story and her writing was as polished and engaging as I have to come to expect. Still, there were problematic aspects, deeply hurtful ones that could have been avoided.

So well written so tense new author for me .Happy to hear she has written more book which I will be reading ,Highly recommend this multi layered twisty turning thriller.#netgalley#orionbooks

I was really looking forward to reading this book bu couldn't read the copy I downloaded there were numbers at the end of each sentence which was too annoying. I'll have to wait and get a copy from Amazon!

To my shame it’s the first book that I’ve read by the author but won’t be the last for sure. I enjoyed everything in the story and looking forward to read more.

This was a very good thriller mystery book from a well known writer. I think she nailed it. The suspense, the gripping effect was amazing. It was highly atmospheric as well as a bonus. I'd highly recommend.
Thanks a lot to the publisher and Netgalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

I adore everything Nalini Singh does - so much that I read her newest book even though I rarely, if ever, read anything that could be categorized as either thriller or crime. And I am very glad I did. Everything I adore in her writing was present here, especially her wonderful hand with world-building. Obviously world-building in a real world setting is a lot different to world-building in a paranormal setting, but in the end Singh manages to portrait this small town at the end of the world in New Zealand with much the same flair as her more out there worlds featuring shapeshifters and angels.

The biggest strength of this book is the atmosphere she creates her; the place she portraits seems effortlessly creepy and stifling. Set in the rough West coast of New Zealand's South Island (a place I was lucky enough to visit last year), her town and its inhabitants come to life in a really satisfying way. I also enjoyed the central romance, even though it did take the backseat to the mystery. These two people are damaged in their own way and find solace in each other - and I was so here for that.

Content warning: miscarriage, cheating, infertility, serial killing, stalking, arson

Nalini Singh is well known as an author of paranormal or scifi genre books. A Madness of Sunshine is neither of those, it is a truly great mystery/thriller. This is a very well written story line, you will "see" New Zealand as if you were looking through the characters eyes. The characters are very well developed and very human. They have good and bad traits that keep you guessing on who the killer is. I would not be surprised to see this book on a best seller list, it's a very good read.

I finished reading this book - which I really enjoyed - a few days ago, and the most vivid thing that I remember is the setting, which ms Singh described so vividly it was like another character in the novel.

Classical musician Anahera is back in Golden Cove, New Zealand, returning as a widow, with painful secrets she holds close. She returns to her mother’s house, and reconnects with best friend Josie, and a number of her childhood gang, From all sides of the tracks.

Will is the sole policeman in Golden Cove, also burdened with his own secrets, they meet as soon as she arrives, and there is an instant attraction and awareness between them.

As Anahera tries to settle in, the golden girl of Golden Cove, the beautiful, kind and clever Miriama, disappears whilst running. As Will and Anahera work together to uncover the truth, the secrets and lies the town has been hiding come to light, and this disappearance seems to be linked to the disappearance of three female hikers eight years before. Asfriendships and family loyalties are tested, the covetous and possessive way many of the men of the Cove regarded Mariama comes to light, and dark and wicked issues such as domestic violence, child abuse and murder are uncovered.

The romance was not the main focus of the plot, but I felt it was beautifully done. Tow strong yet damaged characters find each other in a positive and uplifting way.

I thought the plot with its cast of many was deftly handled, including the juggling of the many potential suspects, keeping me on edge throughout. I especially loved the way Ms Singh handled the setting. Very compelling.

I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book and all opinions are my own.

I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book and all opinions are my own.

After the death of her husband and a decade abroad, Anahera returns to Golden Cove, a small town on the west coast of New Zealand. Not much has changed there and vivid memories return to the young woman who was eager to escape the poor and violent home she grew up in. It is only days she is there when the beaming young Miriama does not return from running. The whole town is on their feet to search for the girl with the promising future that everybody loves. Police detective Will, an outsider to the Maori community, coordinates the search and quickly develops the greatest fears. In a town where domestic violence is a normal part of everyday life and where common secrets tend to be buried deep, it is not easy to investigate. When the inhabitants recollect a series of hikers missing over only a couple of weeks, they start to fear that a serial killer might be among them who now has started to go for women again.

Nalini Sing’s mystery thriller is a suspenseful story which lives from the atmosphere the author brilliantly creates. You arrive together with Anahera in the small town and feel like an outsider; she had been gone for so long that she is not a part of their life anymore, but the longer you stay there, the more you dive into the culture and get a feeling of the dynamics that drive a close community which is not very welcoming to people not belonging to them. Apart from the plot around the missing women, I found the description of nature, its forces and the old culture which lives in harmony with it the most interesting.

Anahera and Will first seem to be two opposing poles in the story, on the one hand, the woman who is a natural part of Golden Cove and who shares memories with everybody and knows to read and respect the nature she lives in. On the other hand, the police detective who is a double outsider due to his job people are highly suspicious of and since he is not of Maori descent. What they share are secrets they try to hide from the community and which quickly make them bond.

The case of Miriama starts with big questions marks, Nalini Sing has well dosed the information you get about the girls, but soon you see the discrepancy between the first picture of the girl and her other side which obviously was well-hidden. The more secrets are revealed the more suspense rises captivating the reader. “A Madness of Sunshine” is a slow burn that does not only rely on the mystery part but also offers a lot in psychological respects with interesting characters in a fascinating setting.

I love Nalini's Psychangeling series, but I'm sorry, I just couldn't get into this at all and I'm so disappointed that I couldn't. Maybe I'm just more of a fan of her fantasy than anything else........

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and author for a copy of this book

I don't usually read thrillers but Nalini Singh is such a favourite author of mine that she's an auto-buy no matter what genre she decides to write in. I was still a little nervous going into A Madness of Sunshine though because I really had no idea what to expect. It was very different to her other books with a much slower and more character driven plot that concludes in an action packed, edge of your seat finale and I found that I just couldn't put it down.

I really enjoyed getting to explore this small sleepy costal town in New Zealand through Nalini's eyes, we get an in depth look at the culture and atmosphere of small town living and it made me want to pack a bag and book a flight so I could go and explore Golden Cove for myself. There are a lot of secrets in this town, everyone seems to be hiding something and there were so many possible suspects that I really had no idea who was the killer. It was actually a bit disturbing the way most of the men in the town had such possessive and controlling feelings about the women around them.

Anahera left her hometown years ago and never planned to come back but after the death of her husband she just needs some time to lick her wounds and it's almost an automatic reaction to return to the place that is most familiar. So much about Golden Cove has stayed the same in her absence but there are some changes, like the addition of a permanent police officer, Will. It's only when a local girl goes missing, bringing back memories of past disappearances that haunt the town, that they realise there might be a killer still living among them.

I loved the slow build romance between Anahera and Will but that definitely wasn't the focus of the story. These are both complex and layered characters who have plenty of secrets to uncover and it was fun getting to know them but I do wish we'd found out a little more about Will, about his family and where he came from before he ended up in Golden Cove. I made multiple guesses about the killer along the way but I was never able to pin down exactly who they were, they were one of my suspects but pretty low down on my list.

A Madness of Sunshine was very different to my usual reads and very different to the books Nalini usually writes but I enjoyed it all the more because of that. I really hope she decides to explore this genre further in the future and I'll definitely be first in line to buy the books if she does.

A great atmospheric setting in small town New Zealand sees Anahera returning to her childhood home after the death of her husband. She is hoping to hide and shut the world out. The search for a missing local girl will bring back old memories of three hikers who also disappeared without trace. Will the local sheriff is also hiding in Golden Cove sent there after a domestic gone terribly wrong. These two will come together both trying to move on from the past. The characters of a small town where everyone grew up together is set in the first half. Leading to a thrilling conclusion of you really don’t know the secrets behind closed doors.
I was given an ARC of this book by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I love Nalini Singh and couldn’t wait to read this , especially as mystery/thriller is not her usual genre and I was not disappointed at all. It’s got the perfect levels of tension, great action, just the little touch of romance. I loved the two main characters , a captivating story with characters with depth and a history. A great read and I hope Nalini writes more of this genre.


Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

I’m have been a fan of Nalini Singh books for a very long time, so when I heard she was writing a mystery/thriller I was very excited and could not wait to read it.
It did not disappoint, in fact, I sincerely hope there is more after this one.
The descriptions, not only of the characters, but of the town are so good that I felt like I was there.
The unfolding of the action has the perfect pace, the way the mystery is resolved is brilliant.
Even though it’s a thriller/mystery there is a hint of romance, which was just the perfect dose between the two main characters, which it made me like the book even more. As usual Nalini didn’t disappoint in her way of telling a story and it just made me want more.

Arc generously provided via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3072340926I loved the description of New Zealand but I couldn't care for the characters that seemed a bit of a cliche and I guessed the culprit quite soon in the book.
The romance was a bit predictable but I didn't feel any special chemistry between the two characters.
I thinks it's quite entertaining but it wasn't my cup of tea.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Set in a small town on New Zealand’s West Coast, A Madness of Sunshine is Nalini Singh’s first mystery, so after enjoying some of her previous paranormal romance books, I jumped at the chance to read this. Sadly, I didn’t love it as much as I thought I would. I think the biggest strength of the book is the setting and the two main characters, but the mystery itself is pretty weak in my opinion. This is mainly a character-driven story so it’s not the fastest paced book and it also got repetitive at times. Though not exactly what I was expecting, I’m definitely interested in reading whatever the author comes out with next.