Still Waters: From Australian Author comes a new small town mystery

by Cassandra Doon

Fourteen long years have passed since Rain Dang's sister vanished without a trace. Now a seasoned detective, Rain is unexpectedly called back to the small town she once called home — not just to solve a murder, but to confront her past. As she delves into the investigation, the cold case of her sister's disappearance begins to heat up, intertwining with sinister secrets the town has long buried. But in a place where the waters run deep and the currents are treacherous, not everyone wants the truth to surface. Faced with hostility from a community that still resents her, Rain must navigate the dangerous tides of suspicion and deceit. Because in a town like this, the deeper you dive, the darker it gets. Will Rain find the answers she seeks, or will the murky depths of her hometown swallow her whole?

From Australian Author C.L. Doon comes a new small town Mystery, based in the country town called Tumut, where the snow caps the mountains and Apples grow on trees. This book blends real history with fiction.

264 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 1, 2025

About the author

Cassandra Doon hails from New South Wales, Australia, where she was nurtured between the bustling streets of Sydney and the serene snowy mountains of Tumut. Today, she finds inspiration in the breathtaking Scenic Rim of Queensland's Gold Coast. A versatile author with a lifelong passion for storytelling, Cassandra has penned over 16 novels and 5 children's books, exploring a variety of genres. Known for her daydreaming and a head often lost in the clouds, she admits to being more at home in her fictional worlds than on social media. Outside of her literary pursuits, Cassandra is a devoted mother to two boys, dedicating her days to their endless energy as both a soccer mom and Pokémon master.

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I stayed up late reading this one because it was excellent. Detective Rain Dang left Tumut with her family 14 years ago after her sister, Lily, disappeared. The town became toxic, accusing Lily’s family of wrongdoing. Rain is returning now in her professional capacity because a body was found in the river and fresh eyes are needed. Rain must solve the case with little information to go on while battling the prejudices of a town that holds long grudges. She not only works diligently to solve the current case but looks for answers in her sister’s case. I was rooting for Rain as she was analyzing the things that didn’t make sense. I wanted her to resolve the issues with her old boyfriend and with the town. I loved how the wood on the old bridge was described as sagging like an old man’s shoulders. There were other cases where the figurative language used helped pain a picture in my mind effectively. Highly recommend this one!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Steph Mann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed reading this book! Two mysteries going on at the same time! Rain, our main female character, gets assigned a case of a girl found dead in her car in the bottom of a lake. To investigate Rain is to go back to her home town of Tumut in Australia where her sister, Lily, went missing 14yrs prior. Sadly, her case went cold and was never solved. Rain joined the police and then became a detective following this tragic event. We see her have to face and work with her secret ex boyfriend and his family who turned against her family all those years ago, however other colleagues and town people are friendly and welcoming to her.
Be prepared for secrets and tragedy, child deaths but also camaraderie, determination and justice!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Kath · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of the best mysteries I’ve read in a long time. Author gave the reader a thrill until the surprise ending.

Main character Rain Dang, is a detective who signed up for a murder in her hometown of Tumut. She came back after 14 years to help solve this case and also worked on her sister Lily’s cold case. It did take me a while to like main character Rain with her pessimistic view on life and her depressing thought as to why giving fresh cut flowers is a waste of money I found sad and depressing The last half her more compassionate side came through as the plot thickened. Her close friend, family Dean a policeman, was quite a long sufferer of guilt and suppressed information. Was not prepared for this ending to the story, so author did her job.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Annemieke Westerbeek · Rating 5 out of 5]

A missing girl : Detective Dang returns to the place she left, to solve a murder case. To the same town where her sister went missing 14 years ago. A vividly written detective story with a twist. I read this story without stopping. It’s a page turner and an emotional story, it kept me going because I wanted to know what happend. Very well written.

[Megan Key-Holliday · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this read. While I saw the plot twists coming, I feel like the story was very well written. I look forward to more from this author in the future.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Small town mystery of the week, easy read and nice for mentions of Tumut and surrounds.

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book made me cry but overall fantastic read

[Lorelei Tomlinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very engaging read. The story evolves around a detective who returns to her childhood village where her sister disappeared years before. She is investigating a recent death.

The characters were believable. The story held my interest and left me wondering what would happen next. Descriptions of people and the surroundings made it easy to visualize the story in my head. I really enjoyed reading this book.

This book was provided to me as a free advance reader copy. The opinion that I express here is my own.