Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for gifting me an audio ARC of this debut mystery novel by Hayley Scrivenor, wonderfully narrated by Sophie Loughran - 4.5 stars!
In a small Australian town, during one of the hottest springs, young Esther disappears as she walks home from school. Her best friend, Ronnie, is determined to find out what happened to her. Detective Sergeant Sarah Michaels arrives in town to investigate the disappearance, which soon focuses on one person. But everyone in this small town is keeping secrets.
What a wonderful debut! This is a coming-of-age story, focusing on Esther, Ronnie, Lewis, but also voiced by a collective "we" of unnamed children. It's also the story of how our past colors our future and our decision making. One of the best themes to me was judgment - it's so easy for us as a society to judge others when, if truth be known, with one decision we could be one of the judged. There were plenty of suspects in this crime and I never suspected the way it would turn out. I loved how the author wrapped things up in the end, giving us a glimpse of the future of the characters. Can't wait to read more from this author!
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