Review: Under the Midnight Sky by Anna Romer

Chilling secrets buried deep in wild bushland drive this thrilling new novel from bestseller Anna Romer 

 When an injured teenager goes missing at a remote bushland campground, local journalist Abby Bardot is determined to expose the area’s dark history. The girl bears a striking resemblance to the victims of three brutal murders that occurred twenty years ago and Abby fears the killer is still on the loose.

 But the newspaper Abby works for wants to suppress the story for fear it will scare off tourists to the struggling township. Haunted by her own turbulent memories, Abby is desperate to learn the truth and enlists the help of Tom Gabriel, a reclusive crime writer. At first resentful of Abby’s intrusion, Tom’s reluctance vanishes when they discover a hidden attic room in his house that shows evidence of imprisonment from half a century before.

 As Abby and Tom sift through the attic room and discover its tragic history, they become convinced it holds the key to solving the bushland murders and finding the missing girl alive.

 But their quest has drawn out a killer, someone with a shocking secret who will stop at nothing to keep the truth buried.

Paperback, 400 pages

Published May 1st, 2019

 by Simon & Schuster AU

*****

If there was a book I would give more than 5 stars to this would be it. It might sound like a cliche but it's so true when I say, like a fine wine that mellows with age, enhancing the taste and experience, Anna Romer gets better with each book.  Of all her books this I think is my favourite, but then I look at her previous and remember each and how yummy they all were.

While I wanted to rush through to see what was going on I also wanted to take my time and enjoy the scenery and exquisite writing. I was right there in the Australian outback, the desolate wilderness, keeper so many secrets.

I'll admit to being a sucker when it comes to old abandoned buildings and their ghosts, Ravensong was both eerie and intriguing while at the same time beautiful. I cringed when Abby would go for a walkabout, even knowing no one was around for many a mile, the author had my mind on high alert for possible dangers. When memories refuse to leave Abby alone and events present themselves she has no choice but to dig deep even if it means facing her past.

Under the Midnight Sky is a captivating read of guilt, family, and relationships.  It's a shining example of why Anna Romer is a go-to author for me and will gladly pay a little extra to order.  It used to be I could only get her books directly from an Australian book shop but I was thrilled to see this one available at BookDepository. Her books are also available in audio format from Audible.

 clicking on the cover will take you to may reviews