Explore A Madness of Sunshine by Nalini Singh, her mystery debut, set in a scenic New Zealand town where secrets run deep and the past shadows the present.

Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. This post contains affiliate links. That means we receive a small commission at no cost to you from any purchases you make through these links.

Don’t you just love seeing an author you love venturing into different genres?  I’m all for it and when I saw that Nalini Singh was writing a mystery I did a little happy dance.  I think my favorite thing about A MADNESS OF SUNSHINE is something that you may want to keep in mind especially considering this is marketed as a thriller.  The story has a very laid back feel to it.  I personally really enjoyed it!

Our main protagonist, Anahera, had left behind the small town where she grew up in New Zealand and went on to be a successful concert pianist and married to one of London’s elite.  After the death of her husband and a discovery that left her rattled, she comes back to her small town.  Some things have changed and others have stayed the same.  And amidst her reconnecting with old friends a young local girl goes missing.  A disappearance that seems to have some resemblance to some hikers that had gone missing back when she was a teenager.  Could the two be connected?  And will they be fast enough to find the young girl still alive?

Have you watched the movie THE DRESSMAKER with Kate Winslet?  I think that’s the perfect vibe for this book, just adding the murder/mystery.  I loved the small coastal town setting and I think it was the perfect backdrop for this kind of story.  Ms. Singh has a talent for making the setting of her books come alive and be an integral part of her stories and this was no different.

I also really liked the main characters.  In this case, there is a small element of romance to this story that will keep romance fans satisfied even if it’s not the major part of this story.  I think Anahera and Will had plenty of chemistry but also kept their heads in what was important at the moment.  And they were just perfect together, just the right amount of tragedy in their past and a little broody.

Now about the mystery… I had no trouble figuring things out and having a good suspicion of what was going on.  Turned out I was right.  So I guess I was missing that element of surprise because it was a bit too easy to figure out.  But maybe that’s just me.

Still that didn’t take away my enjoyment of reading this story and going on this journey with Ms. Singh.  I think this was a great debut for her in the mystery genre and I can’t wait for her to give us more stories like this one!

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