Thanks to Girl Friday Productions and NetGalley for this ARC of Mark Murphy's 'Rose Dhu.'

I requested the review copy of 'Rose Dhu' because of the description but mainly because I know Savannah fairly well and love reading novels set there, the familiarity with the place, I think, adds an additional layer of enjoyment of and engagement with the story. That said, my expectations weren't overly high for the book. I'm happy and humbled to say that Mark Murphy blew those expectations out of the water and produced a twisty-turny, murder mystery completely steeped in its location and surroundings.

At one point I was pretty smugly convinced I saw what was coming and he led me gently - hook, line, and sinker - down that path only to yank the rug out from under me and set me back to wondering 'whodunnit' and why. There were niggles in my mind as to another possibility but he so skillfully says 'but look over there' to distract you and those niggles disappear. There are a couple of false endings where you wonder how he's going to fill out the final part of the book but rather than being a frustration, they're a welcome extending of the story.

Also, as I'd hoped, Savannah is treated as a real additional character in the book and, for me, that was the clincher.

Bravo to all involved.

Just when this book comes to what seems its logical end, it keeps going and manages to make the incredible credible. People are complex and this book capitalises on that premise. No one is what they appear to be, with even the protagonist surprising the reader with his decisions at the end. Mark Murphy created a cast of characters and a town which are collectively terrifying -a real thriller.

A high-profile woman vanishes from her gorgeous Savannah home, and suddenly everyone has their eyes on the town’s former golden boy, Phillip Carruthers. He swears he’s innocent, but there’s something a little too polished about his story. Detective Frank Winger starts digging, and what he finds is a tangle of secrets, power plays, and old wounds that refuse to stay buried. The tension builds with every chapter, and I couldn’t stop trying to guess the truth. Big thanks to NetGalley for the early read!