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clair_michalewicz's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
pants01's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
marilynw's review against another edition
3.0
A Madness of Sunshine, by Nalini Singh, places us in Golden Cove, a small New Zealand settlement, on the savage West Coast of the South Island. Twenty-nine year old concert pianist Anahera Rawiri, is back, having married a wealthy man at the age of twenty-one and living a life of glamour and luxury in London. But her husband dropped dead less than a year ago and her heart was shattered when she meets his pregnant mistress at the funeral. Now Ana has returned home, where she grew up in poverty, daughter of a mother that endured years of abuse from her father. Ana is bitter and hard now, willing to leave her concert pianist career behind to live in the broken down cabin that she and her late mother had called home.
Detective Will Gallagher is the town's lone officer, having been a hero during a hostage crisis but later having fallen apart when two people he had vowed to protect perished at the hands of an abuser. After several anger related issues, Will is happy to be banished to Golden Cove where he makes his rounds day and night checking on every single household, ordering kids on street corners to go home when it's late, making sure each of the residents of Golden Cove are safe. He's broken and feels like this is where he needs to be, accepting that his rising star career is in shatters and that he deserves this new position.
Fifteen years earlier three young women hikers went missing in this area and the women were never found. Some think they got off trail, never to find their way back, but others wonder if there is a serial killer in their midst. Ana and five close friends were carefree teenagers back then and surprisingly, all of these friends are still living in Golden Cove or have come back to Golden Cove for some reason or another. This is the setting in which a nineteen year old beauty goes for a run and never comes back. The small town is full of angry entitled men who could have harmed the girl and it's up to Will to find out what has happened. Being an outsider to the area, Will leans on Ana to help him investigate the people and the land as they look for the young woman.
The story has promise although, at awkward times Will, but more often Ana, can get lost in their memories of the past, often very repetitive memories, that begin to weigh down the story in the present. There are also so many characters in the story that it's hard to keep track of them all, and people like Ana's best friend, who has a presence in the early part of the story, seem to be forgotten as the story progresses. I also cannot understand how Ana became a concert pianist using the lone church piano, when the town doesn't seem to have any resources for her to learn her skill. There are other things that didn't ring true to me so I had a hard time connecting to the characters and the story.
Pub December 3rd 2019
Thank you to Berkley/Penguin Publishing Group and Edelweiss for this ARC.
Detective Will Gallagher is the town's lone officer, having been a hero during a hostage crisis but later having fallen apart when two people he had vowed to protect perished at the hands of an abuser. After several anger related issues, Will is happy to be banished to Golden Cove where he makes his rounds day and night checking on every single household, ordering kids on street corners to go home when it's late, making sure each of the residents of Golden Cove are safe. He's broken and feels like this is where he needs to be, accepting that his rising star career is in shatters and that he deserves this new position.
Fifteen years earlier three young women hikers went missing in this area and the women were never found. Some think they got off trail, never to find their way back, but others wonder if there is a serial killer in their midst. Ana and five close friends were carefree teenagers back then and surprisingly, all of these friends are still living in Golden Cove or have come back to Golden Cove for some reason or another. This is the setting in which a nineteen year old beauty goes for a run and never comes back. The small town is full of angry entitled men who could have harmed the girl and it's up to Will to find out what has happened. Being an outsider to the area, Will leans on Ana to help him investigate the people and the land as they look for the young woman.
The story has promise although, at awkward times Will, but more often Ana, can get lost in their memories of the past, often very repetitive memories, that begin to weigh down the story in the present. There are also so many characters in the story that it's hard to keep track of them all, and people like Ana's best friend, who has a presence in the early part of the story, seem to be forgotten as the story progresses. I also cannot understand how Ana became a concert pianist using the lone church piano, when the town doesn't seem to have any resources for her to learn her skill. There are other things that didn't ring true to me so I had a hard time connecting to the characters and the story.
Pub December 3rd 2019
Thank you to Berkley/Penguin Publishing Group and Edelweiss for this ARC.
nicki_in_nz's review against another edition
4.0
I love the current mystery thriller phase, and this one is well worth a read. It's slow and very kiwi, and it's very very good to read a book like this set in my adopted home country.
laurazdavidson's review against another edition
4.0
Nalini Singh is best know as a paranormal romance writer, but [b:A Madness of Sunshine|43419669|A Madness of Sunshine|Nalini Singh|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1553541066l/43419669._SX50_.jpg|67465861] is a psychological thriller - not a hint of the supernatural - and it works. Singh's work is vividly written, and I look forward to reading more.
tessisreading2's review against another edition
4.0
Really readable mystery with a strong sense of place and a lot of really great characters. The romance felt a little shoehorned in.
emma71662837's review against another edition
4.0
This was a step away from the usual read from Nalini Singh but I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It was refreshing to read something different to the romance stories I usually read. This stood out as a compelling read with a storyline that kept you wanting to turn the pages. It had some breath-taking descriptions of New Zealand that really brought the story to life. This book kept me guessing throughout, with well-developed characters that you could relate to I would recommend this to anyone wanting a solid read to end the year with.
lesliewatwar's review against another edition
4.0
A Madness of Sunshine was a fast-paced thriller. I couldn't wait to get home to read it and actually was late for work so I could finish it.
Nalini Singh used her talent for description and language to help the reader feel like they were in New Zealand. She described the characters perfectly so you had that image in your mind.
I really hope she writes more like this or even makes this a series. I would like to see what comes next for these main characters.
Thank you, NetGalley!
Nalini Singh used her talent for description and language to help the reader feel like they were in New Zealand. She described the characters perfectly so you had that image in your mind.
I really hope she writes more like this or even makes this a series. I would like to see what comes next for these main characters.
Thank you, NetGalley!