Keri is still traumatised by the recent and unexpected suicide of her older brother, when she is approached by her classmate Janna, whose brother made the same choice to end his life. Janna has an interesting theory about the disturbing regularity and similarity with which young men who have spent time in their town, Summerton, have committed suicide. Summerton is a seemingly idyllic holiday town that enjoys unusually good weather, a thriving tourist industry, and vistas so beautiful that they frequently hold visitors in an entranced thrall. But Summerton also plays host to some fairly disturbing events that escalate during this pacy and page-turning mystery-slash-thriller. Keri, Janna, and summer visitor Sione (who has also lost his brother) begin a risky investigation that slowly uncovers the black heart of this pretty town.  

I loved Karen Healey’s debut novel Guardian of the Dead, so I was extremely excited to read The Shattering. Healey has provided us with three strong, likeable, diverse main characters who are each grappling with some serious individual issues; punchy and witty dialogue; slow-creeping menace; an intriguing trail of clues; and nail-biting action sequences. Kiwi Healey now lives in Melbourne, but I love that her novels are so firmly and vividly set in her home country.