Voices in the Dark
by Fleur McDonald
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Pub Date Oct 31 2023 | Archive Date Sep 30 2023
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Description
When Sassi Stapleton receives a middle-of-the-night phone call to tell her that her beloved grandmother is unwell, she quickly puts her job on hold, packs her ute and sets off on the long drive home, knowing her grandfather will need her.
Less than an hour away from Sassi's hometown, Barker, she swerves to miss a roo and her car rolls down an embankment. By the time Sassi is found, her grandmother has already passed away.
On the other side of the world, Sassi's estranged mother, Amber, receives a similar call and shocks the whole family when she flies home from South Africa.
With everyone under the same roof, tensions escalate as Amber's secrecy and odd behaviour become unsettling. What is she really doing at home with a father she's barely spoken to since she left years ago? And will Amber and Sassi ever be able to reconnect?
Praise for Fleur McDonald:
'With a quintessentially outback South Australian setting, Aussie slang aplenty and a great mix of characters, Broad River Station will delight new and long-time readers of McDonald, who shows once again why she is known as the Voice of the Outback.' - Better Reading
'Fleur McDonald is a master of the rural suspense novel, her characters and storyline crackle with authenticity.' -Family Circle on Broad River Station
'Intense, gritty and filled with humour.' - Brenda's Book Reviews on Into the Night
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9781761066481 |
| PRICE | $27.99 (USD) |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Karren S, Reviewer
Sassi Stapleton receives a call from her uncle Abe to say her grandmother Cora is unwell, Sassi and her dog Jarrah hop in her ute and start the long drive to Barker. Being a country girl Sassi knows it’s important to stop and have a break, stay alert and be on the lookout for kangaroos.
Sassi is less than an hour from Barker, when a roo jumps in front of her ute, she rolls down a steep embankment and she's trapped in her vehicle. Abe contacts Detective Dave Burrows he’s in charge of the Barker police station, he sends a search party, they find Sassi, luckily she’s not badly hurt and unfortunately her grandmother passed away and she didn't get to say goodbye.
Sassi was raised by her gran and pa, her mother Amber lives in South Africa, the family are shocked when she arrives and instantly the atmosphere become tense. Amber was only sixteen when Sassi was born, her relationship with her parents has been sporadic and she left Sassi with them when she was five.
After the funeral, it’s clear Mr. Stapleton needs proper in-home care, he had a stroke a few years ago, his speech is slurred and he can’t walk unaided. Abe runs the family farm, he’s married, has twins boys, he's the only male to take care of his fathers personal needs and he's too busy. Rasha moved to Barker from the city, she’s Sudanese, and she’s willing to be Mr. Stapleton's career. The family are really happy, Amber treats her like a maid and then they notice he has bruises.
An investigation into what’s happened to Mr. Stapleton begins, everyone is questioned, including Abe, his wife Renee, Sassi, Rasha and Amber. Detective Burrows looks into the case, he’s got years of experience under his belt, both Rasha and Amber seem uncomfortable and he has a pretty good idea of who’s not telling the truth and why.
I received a digital copy of Voices in the Dark from NetGalley and Allen & Unwin in exchange for an honest review. Fleur McDonald is one of Australia’s most popular and prolific rural fiction authors, I can understand why and her character Dave Burrows has featured in previous books and he's a legend.
I enjoy reading stories set in small Australian country towns, it has a character driven plot and I really liked Sassi, Abe and Renee, Dave and his wife Kim, Mia, Hamish the ambo, twins Jimmy and Harry and of course Jarrah. A story about long kept family secrets, unknown resentment, lies and greed. Solving the mystery of who's been hurting a defenseless Mr. Stapleton and it's a very low act and unanswered questions about Sassi's father. Five stars from me, I'm keen to read other books by Ms. McDonald and I highly recommend her latest novel.
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