New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh welcomes you to a remote town on the edge of the world where even the blinding brightness of the sun can’t mask the darkness that lies deep within a killer.… schoolmates.
That is until one fateful summer—and several vanished bodies—shatters the trust holding Golden Cove together. All that’s left are whispers behind closed doors, broken friendships, and a silent agreement to not look back. But they can’t run from the past forever.
Eight years later, a beautiful young woman disappears without a trace, and the residents of Golden Cove wonder if their home shelters something far more dangerous than an unforgiving landscape.
It’s not long before the dark past collides with the haunting present and deadly secrets come to light.
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Nalini Singh’s latest novel, A Madness of Sunshine, has more twists and turns than the rugged New Zealand coastline on which it’s set. Behind every closed door of Golden Cove is a secret, behind every truth, a lie. As one girl goes missing, Anahera Rawiri, the heroine begins to unravel a twisted web of sex, betrayal, greed and murder where no one is safe and no one can be trusted. Chocked full of unique characters and red herrings, this book is just my kind of pulse-pounding mystery. I loved it! Though A Madness of Sunshine is the first novel of Ms. Singh’s I’ve read, it won’t be the last.
This book kept me awake for two nights since I HAD to know what happened. I loved the multi-faceted characters and the small-town New Zealand setting. Beautifully done and a highly addictive read. I hope there will be more thrillers. I highly recommend A Madness of Sunshine.
Lush, atmospheric, and addictive, A Madness of Sunshine seduces with its beautiful sense of place and layered, compelling characters, then hooks you right in with a riveting noir mystery. When a beautiful girl goes missing and a dark past collides with the brutal present, the truth is as harsh and unforgiving as the landscape in which Nalini Singh’s twisting tale is set.
For anyone who has traveled to New Zealand and experienced that country’s lush forests and gorgeous coastline, this novel will place you right where you want to be, in a small town at the end of the world. In some ways, this mystery is very formulaic, with its woman-with-secrets coming back to her hometown and her romance with the investigator who has secrets of his own. The plot also stumbles and falls into a pit of overused tropes (the villain confesses all, for instance, during an overly long scene, and his reasons for killing are pretty mundane overall). I would have liked more surprises. But Singh is a skilled writer who has pacing and plot down pat, making the events unfold at a breakneck pace that will keep you turning pages. Plus, there are some interesting cultural nuances given the setting and the various mixed-race characters that lift this book above the ordinary. I read it all in a gulp and had a blast.
A Madness of Sunshine is well-known paranormal romance and urban fantasy author Nalini Singh’s first foray into writing murder mystery, but it will come as no surprise to anyone who’s read her other work that Nalini takes to the challenge with consummate skill. The tiny town of Golden Cove, on the rugged coat of the South Island of New Zealand, is vividly brought to life, both in the unforgiving beauty of the landscape and the harsh, strong people inhabiting it.
Too often in murder mysteries, the first time the reader encounters the victim is when a body is discovered by the story protagonist, but it’s not the case here. We get to know the victim just well enough to be rooting for her, to grieve her loss, and through the investigation into her life which ensues we never get to lose sight of the fact that she was a person, someone with hopes and dreams cruelly snuffed out before her time.
The protagonists of the story are Anahera, recently returned after a decade away, and Will, a former big city detective shuffled into obscurity as the only cop in a one-horse town. Both of them have recently had their lives upended by tragedy not of their own making, and neither are quite in the right headspace for a romance, but they’re drawn together nevertheless, and I believed in the relationship all the more because there were no pretty illusions held by either party. Will needs Anahera’s insights, the answers the locals will give one of their own which they won’t give him, and he doesn’t lie to her about that, which she respects. Together, the pair of them edge closer to the truth with every rock they upturn… a truth neither of them ever expected, and one which might claim more victims before it’s all over.
This is quite sheerly a brilliant work of fiction. Nalini Singh’s skills as a narrative storyteller are superlative; I could almost hear the crashing ocean waves, smell the New Zealand bushland in the driving rain, hear the native birds singing. She brings the small town with its insularity and small-mindedness vividly to life, every resident with their own story to tell, their own path taken. Anahera is the perfect lens through which to view the story as it unfolds, the insider with the perspective ten years away has given her, close enough to know all the buried secrets, distant enough to see things clearly. It’s a fantastic story which will open up the mysterious, rugged south coast of New Zealand for you, and I seriously hope it gets made into a movie or TV series because I can only imagine how beautiful it would look on screen. Five stars for a fantastic, thrilling mystery.
Disclaimer: I received a review copy of this title via NetGalley.
I’m a romance genre girl through and through. When I saw that this was Nalini Singh, I knew I needed to give this book a try even though I hesitate at the genre. I’m really glad that I did. From the first chapter this book captured my attention and held. The writing is phenomenal. It doesn’t matter what genre this author writes, she knows how to captivate.
I think because I knew going in that this was a thriller, I really focused on everything I learned about all the characters that were introduced. I wanted to be able to make my guesses about who did it. Nalini did a great job giving us readers enough doubts about everyone that it did leave me guessing until the end. She also made feel enough for some of these characters that I was practically begging that they weren’t the culprit. One particular person would have devastated me but that’s only because of how it would have affected others.
The author did give us a little bit of romance to enjoy in this book. I made myself think about if I would have liked this as much if it didn’t have that small part to round things out. My conclusion, while Nalini Singh may have just opened me up to a new genre to enjoy, I still think I need that romance to feel satisfied at the end of a good read.
Fantastic debut thriller! Loved how the author made New Zealand’s rugged West Coast a character of the story. Great suspense and wonderful chemistry between Anahera and Will. I look forward to Nalini Singh’s next thriller!
“You’ve survived evil that sought to crush you. You will endure.”
It was a really good mystery, great characters, good twists, beautiful narrative and landscape descriptions, and everyone was an interesting suspect. I felt like I could smell the sea and the cold. This book was very different of course to her paranormal series, and yet so Nalini. I hope she writes more mysteries in New Zealand.
*4.5 stars*
I loved this author’s foray into something different…
Heavy on mystery with a low-key romance blended in, I loved this author’s foray into something different. Her shifters and paranormal reads are the bomb (the good kind!) so having even more to read, well, bring it on…
Anahera (I love that name) and Will’s story had past meeting the future as they both struggled to overcome what they’d already survived. Golden Cove had many bad memories for her yet she found herself back home, somewhere she’d sworn she’d never go back to. Will had his own struggles and found himself the law in a small town, with little to do. Until it all changed…
This story had character development and twists to spare as the mystery continually amped up. Surprises for sure as the story’s tension built to a stunning ending. The characters were everything and I found myself craving every new detail, each revelation. If the romance between the main characters was quiet, and I might have craved more, it really did fit exactly as it should have within the forceful, non-hearts and flowers plot.
If you’ve hesitated to try this new offering, I recommend you forge ahead. Loved it!
*Reviewed for 1-Click Addict Support Group
**Thank you to NetGalley
Romantic suspense has been my favorite genre this year–and I’m always seeking more. So when I saw that Nalini Singh had written a contemporary Romantic Suspense, I was totally “sign me up.” It was worth it. I was sorry to see the book end.
The book is set on the West Coast of New Zealand, and Singh writes the place beauitfully. The sea, the land, the people all come alive.
The two main characters, Anahera and Will, are both interesting, complex, flawed characters. She was a local girl who had gone away and returned. He was an outsider, excellent at law enforcement–but with a mystery as to why he’d ended up in Golden Cove. They were different in so many ways, an odd couple, but the story makes it clear they are good for each other.
This is a murder mystery and in a small town, there are a limited number of suspects. Yet I was still surprised by the who and the why. There is such a palpable sense of sorrow at the end.
I highly recommend–for the location, the setting, the two MCs, and the clever way the mystery is revealed.
I’ve been hungry for romantic suspense lately–and was thrilled to see this book by Nalini Singh. I’ve read her Rock Kiss series and loved it. But I rarely read paranormal, so I was glad to find A MADNESS OF SUNSHINE.
The mystery was well-done and kept me guessing. It’s set in a small town, so the possibilities of who the killer is was limited. Yet there was still an element of surprise–and sorrow–once we understand all. The hero and heroine were flawed and intriguing and layered–and they made sense together.
Highly recommend!
What a gem of a story! A chilling and brilliantly written whodunnit of mystery, vanishings, murders, redemption and a psychopath to give the chills. An enthralling story set on New Zealand’s rugged west coast, rich in evocative description of the stunning landscape and the people inhabiting a fictional small coastal town. The townspeople are vividly drawn in their confined, but wild setting. The two main characters are nuanced and believable and worth cheering on as they sift through their wounded lives while searching for their missing neighbour. The first pages pull you in and take you on a thriller of a ride, the suspense building, leading to a very satisfying conclusion. The epilogue answers questions about the two protagonists, and raises, maybe, the possibility of other thrillers (hopefully with them in it) by this talented author. Jaclyn Rosamond, author.
After the death of her husband leaves her disillusioned and lost Ana heads back home to Golden Cove the place she grew up.
Set in a small New Zealand community this is mostly a mystery suspense, there is a touch of romance but it is only slight and is not the focus of the story.
This is a very different read to what we have come to expect from this author and this is a completely new direction for her and in my opinion, Nalini Singh can definitely deliver on the mystery suspense side of things.
This is told from dual POV Ana herself and Will a lone cop stationed in the back of beyond after certain tragic events in his life.
I wasn’t initially impressed with Anahera’s attitude towards Will, she seemed to have a massive chip on her shoulder in regards to the thoughtful and solemn policeman.
It really was totally uncalled for and said more about her than him.
To be fair she did eventually mellow and grow on me and at heart, she really was a product of her past which hadn’t always been kind.
Will I liked a lot from the get-go, I especially appreciated his no-nonsense pragmatic attitude.
This at heart was an interesting suspenseful read that shines the spotlight on dynamics in close-knit communities and begs the question of how well do you know your neighbours.
it was a trifle slow in places and was a little predictable, there were also no major shockers in store for the reader.
but still, overall it had more positives than negatives and I did enjoy it and kept turning the pages wanting to get to the final conclusion.
I found this to be an easy read and I would recommend.
I voluntary reviewed a copy of A Madness Of Sunshine.
Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
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I was excited to find out that Nalini Singh came out with a Mystery/Thriller in 2019. I’m trying to read more genres this year, and thanks to the #Romanceopoly2020 Challenge, I’m fulfilling that goal. I know I was going to enjoy A Madness of Sunshine since Nalini is a fantastic writer. Be prepared though there are no paranormal elements in this book. I know a lot of readers enjoy her PNR and Contemporary novels.
A Madness of Sunshine did still have some romance in it, but it was not the center of the story. The main female protagonist, who is introduced in the story, is Anahera. She has moved back to her hometown in New Zealand after her husband passes away. No one expected her to move back because they believed she was living a good life in London with her husband. Unfortunately, she’s forced back to get away from her life in London. She ends up back in her hometown, which is remote in New Zealand, and a young woman has gone missing. The only police officer named Will in Golden Cove is determined to find the missing woman. Will starts realizing though that there is darkness in the town of Golden Cove, and there’s a killer in the small town, and everyone could be a suspect.
Nalini Singh wrote a book that kept me guessing on who could be behind the missing woman in the book. If she was alive or dead or if she left the small town, like Anahera did, especially after finding out about the young woman’s life. It may be a small town, but some of the people there can keep their lives hidden. I enjoyed following the characters Anahera and Will to determine the hidden secrets about the town and its inhabitants. I was not expecting the ending, though when Nalini finally revealed the killer. I also was not expecting the twists and turns in the book. There’s not only the missing woman that Will is determined to find but other women that were killed several years ago in that town that he’s determined to find out what happened to them. Remind me, though, to be very cautious if I ever visit New Zealand with the cliffs and scenery there. Nalini made it seem very scary in this book, but I know from seeing pictures that New Zealand is beautiful. It’s on my goal list to visit New Zealand one day.
I’ve been reading through Nalini Singh’s Guild Hunter, and Psy/Changeling series and glad I made time to read A Madness of Sunshine. I give it four stars and recommend it to readers that enjoy Mystery/Thriller stories.
I received a complimentary copy of the book 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 book sucked me right in, I finished it in a couple of days.
Takes place in New Zealand, so for me it was an exotic locale. I like all of Nalini Singh’s books.
Anyone who has read my reviews of the various authors I read has probably heard me refer to an author’s “voice,” that totally personal style they have when they write, the rhythm they seem to fall into that gives their words the perfect cadence for the story they’re telling.
I am a huge fan of Nalini Singh’s voice. Her words flow in her paranormal stories, one rhythm in her Psy/Changeling series, another, but still Nalini, in the Guild Hunter series.
When I first opened the pages of A MADNESS OF SUNSHINE, I think I was expecting that same subtle rhythm I associate with this author’s storytelling, but damn! What an amazing surprise to be swept up in the sharp storytelling that I immediately knew was something totally different, and definitely mesmerizing. FWIW, I’m not a fan of thrillers or stories about murders, unsolved or otherwise, and for me it’s usually all about the romance.
This book has an edge to it that I didn’t expect, but the complexity of the story and the fascinating characters—from the two main protagonists to the various secondary characters, up to and including the town of Golden Cove—kept me glued to the book from the first page to the very last. After reading this, I know for certain there isn’t anything Nalini Singh can write that I won’t absolutely love, because I fell headfirst into this one and am currently rereading it, searching out any tiny “tells” that I missed on the first headlong race to read it through, those subtle clues dropped throughout the story that might have given me a better idea of “who done what.”
I’m not giving anything away other than to say this is a wonderful book you won’t be able to put down. When you get to the last page, in spite of the things you’ve learned about Golden Cove on New Zealand’s rugged west coast and some of its quirky inhabitants, you’ll turn that final page with the sense that all has ended as it should. And while there is a romance, it’s subtle and yet compelling. I definitely recommend this book.
Will Gallagher is the only police officer in Golden Cove, a small coastal town in New Zealand. The townspeople see him as an outsider, but that does not stop Will from doing his job. When a local girl vanishes, he uses every resource available to find her. Will even enlists Anahera’s help with the residents. Something about Anahera makes Will feel alive again. Can Will find the missing woman before it’s too late? And what other dark secrets is Golden Cove hiding?
Anahera Spencer-Ashby is a classical pianist. She returns to her birthplace to lick the emotional wounds left by her newly deceased husband. Anahera notices little of her hometown has changed; however, the same cannot be said about its people. When a local woman disappears, she offers to help the town’s only officer to monitor and question the town folk. The disappearance also dredges up an unsolved cold case. Can Anahera help Will with both cases? Will Golden Cove’s deadly past revisit the present?
Will is one of those characters you cannot help but like. He has not escaped the world’s evil unscathed. I love how Will does not resent his fall from grace, nor does he regret the action that resulted in his demotion. Will, instead, devotes his all to his new position and the inhabitants within his jurisdiction. What I adore the most about Will is how he understands Anahera’s inner turmoil. He finds common ground with her. Plus, Will never once gave her pity or empty platitudes.
I love the uniqueness of Anahera’s name. It did take me a while to warm up to her. I admire how Anahera did not allow her father and late husband to color her view on men. The two may have wronged her, but she refused to allow their actions to diminish her spirit or sense of self. I like how Anahera’s experiences opened her eyes to the needs of others. She remembered how it felt in a new place far from home surrounded by strangers. Anahera refused to let another feel that same sense of isolation. What I love the most about Anahera is how she sees a kindred spirit with Will. Will’s patience and presence allows Anahera to finally release all her pent-up emotions.
A MADNESS OF SUNSHINE is a romantic suspense standalone by Nalini Singh. I am a big fan of the author’s paranormal books, so I wanted to try out her romantic suspense. My only complaint is the story’s pacing. The slowness sometimes made it difficult to keep interest in the storyline or the characters. However, I like how the novel takes place in New Zealand. It is part of the world rarely visited in romance books.
A MADNESS OF SUNSHINE is a poignant tale of two broken souls finding solace and love in the midst of turmoil. I hope the author considers writing more stories set in New Zealand.
Review courtesy of Romance Junkies
Nalini Singh is a fabulous story teller no matter what genre she is writing in, I thoroughly enjoyed this one, the setting is a small town Golden Cove on the South Island of New Zealand and the rugged west coast with beautiful beaches and dangerous rocks and bush that is very easy to get lost in. This is the story of school friends who years later are back together in Golden Cove when someone goes missing and people are remembering the three woman who vanished fifteen years before, could it have been a serial killer and one of their own all along?
Anahera Rawiri has returned home to the place she ran from years before she is a gifted pianist who has been living in London, she has just lost her husband and thinks that home will help her, her friends are still there Josie, Nikau, Kiera, Daniel and Vincent, and there is a cop in town now as well, Will Gallagher. When a beautiful young woman Miriama goes missing Will and Anahera get to know each other and their pasts.
Will has been sent to Golden Cove after a tragic incident and is getting to know everyone in this small town, he organizes a search party as soon as Miriama goes missing and he uncovers a lot about the missing hikers from years before whose bodies were never found and Will is looking into a link between their disappearance and this one. Anahera is becoming special to him and he is opening up about his past like never before.
This was a real page turner and kept me guessing till the end, MS Singh has bought the characters to life on the pages and we get to know them so well, what has happened in the past can play a part in the now. A truly compelling read that had me on the edge of my seat with some complex and difficult to read people. I loved Will and Anahera and was thrilled to see them get closer and find the happiness they deserved, this is a story that I highly recommend.
“No one was born without the capacity for joy in the soul. Life leached it out of them, drop by drop.”
Singh has stepped into a new genre and shone. A thriller that actually kept me intrigued to the last page. I was invested in the characters, the story, and the vivid beauty it was all set in. The writing is so well done, I was hooked from chapter one and sorely wished I hadn’t picked the busiest time of the year to read it. I wanted so badly to gobble this story up in one sitting, the pacing is perfect.