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The Shifting Light
Nina Larkin should be happy. She’s transformed her rundown outback property, The Springs, into a successful artists’ retreat; she’s won a distinguished art prize, and she’s living with her soulmate, trail-blazing grazier Heath Blackett.
But the chance discovery of a portrait of her father, renowned artist Jim Larkin, makes her question everything. How could it have been drawn just weeks ago when Jim has been dead for years . . . Or so she thought.
Could her father still be alive? Can she track down the man in the picture? And is this connected to the missing gold buried by her ancestor over a century ago?
Her search for answers will draw Nina into a maze of family secrets – just as the man who stepped out of a portrait arrives at her door . . .
Alice Campion is the pseudonym for four members of a Sydney book club. Their first novel, The Painted Sky, also features Nina, Heath and the captivating landscape of outback Wangalla.
But the chance discovery of a portrait of her father, renowned artist Jim Larkin, makes her question everything. How could it have been drawn just weeks ago when Jim has been dead for years . . . Or so she thought.
Could her father still be alive? Can she track down the man in the picture? And is this connected to the missing gold buried by her ancestor over a century ago?
Her search for answers will draw Nina into a maze of family secrets – just as the man who stepped out of a portrait arrives at her door . . .
Alice Campion is the pseudonym for four members of a Sydney book club. Their first novel, The Painted Sky, also features Nina, Heath and the captivating landscape of outback Wangalla.
368 pages, Paperback
Published January 30, 2017
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Alice Campion
2 books12 followersAlice Campion is the pseudonym for five members of a Sydney book club.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
March 10, 2017
Nina Larkin’s love of art was becoming well known, especially after she won a prestigious art prize – it seemed she was following in her father’s footsteps. Jim Larkin was a famous painter and when he went missing decades prior, the shock around his family and friends was great. And with the transformation of her outback property, The Springs, into an artists’ retreat, she couldn’t have been happier. Her best friend Izzy was running the tours and the love of her life, Heath Blackett was by her side.
When a group of artists included the elderly Maggie, Nina remembered the portfolio she had to inspect. And what she found was the beginning of rapid change in the lives of Nina and her friends. Nina was distraught as she looked on the face of her father – sketched recently she wasn’t sure what to make of it. Her father was dead – wasn’t he? So who could this face in the picture be?
Happiness, sadness, excitement, trepidation – these emotions rippled through Nina. But there was another emotion to follow – fear. Nina had no idea of the danger which was slowly surrounding her. Would she realise? Or would she be way too late?
The Shifting Light is the sequel to The Painted Sky; written by four book club women in Sydney who have named themselves Alice Campion. The Shifting Light was tension-filled and the pace rocketed along, especially toward the end. A thoroughly entertaining read, gripping and intense and set in rural NSW where the countryside is wild, the bush dense – I have no hesitation in recommending this one highly.
When a group of artists included the elderly Maggie, Nina remembered the portfolio she had to inspect. And what she found was the beginning of rapid change in the lives of Nina and her friends. Nina was distraught as she looked on the face of her father – sketched recently she wasn’t sure what to make of it. Her father was dead – wasn’t he? So who could this face in the picture be?
Happiness, sadness, excitement, trepidation – these emotions rippled through Nina. But there was another emotion to follow – fear. Nina had no idea of the danger which was slowly surrounding her. Would she realise? Or would she be way too late?
The Shifting Light is the sequel to The Painted Sky; written by four book club women in Sydney who have named themselves Alice Campion. The Shifting Light was tension-filled and the pace rocketed along, especially toward the end. A thoroughly entertaining read, gripping and intense and set in rural NSW where the countryside is wild, the bush dense – I have no hesitation in recommending this one highly.
November 26, 2017
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In 2015, Alice Campion, the collective group of women from a book club in NSW who turned their hand to writing, dazzled me with their great Australian yarn, The Painted Sky. Alice is back with a bang, ready to tie up some loose threads that were left dangling in The Painted Sky, in a new rural instalment titled, The Shifting Light. It was a true pleasure to revisit Nina Larkin, as I had a sneaky feeling when I finished Campion’s first novel that Nina’s journey wasn’t quite over.
Nina Larkin has worked hard to revitalise her property, The Springs. Nina’s vision for The Springs is finally becoming a reality. She now owns a successful business as an artist’s retreat. On a personal level, Nina has also experienced success in the art field and she has been the recipient of an art prize. On the romance side, Nina is happily in love with Heath Blackett, a local grazier. The perfect world Nina has worked so hard to build is shattered when she comes across a portrait that resembles her father, Jim Larkin, a celebrated artist. The portrait appears recent, but Nina’s father has been dead for many years. Nina is immediately compelled to put the mystery of this portrait to rest and her quest takes her deep into a complex web of family secrets.
Alice Campion, the awe inspiring team behind the book The Shifting Light, has done it once again. The Shifting Light is another ripping Aussie page turner. I could not for the life of me put this book down until I solved the mystery behind the portrait in the novel. Campion has really worked to lure the reader into this sequel to The Painted Sky. The discovery of the mysterious painting of a father who has been presumed dead for many years, sparked my immediate interest in this novel. My continued interest in The Shifting Light was mainly down to the significance of this painting.
I need to make it clear that The Shifting Light can be read as a standalone novel. Although it is the sequel to The Painted Sky, I believe there is enough backfill provided by Campion to ensure that the reader does not feel that they have missed any crucial information. It was however a delight to discover how Nina was progressing with her life dreams. Through the unfolding narrative in The Shifting Light, we discover how Nina’s love life, career achievements and home renovations have flourished. I wasn’t too surprised by the direction Nina’s life had taken, but what I was shocked at was the discovery of the portrait of a man who closely resembles Nina’s father, this aspect really saw the book soar.
Campion is a master at providing a ruse behind her central book mystery. I loved that The Shifting Light provided one of my favourite aspects of a narrative complication. The unearthing of a recent portrait was an excellent choice on behalf of the author. It certainly served to hook me into the book further. There are some cracker twists and intriguing family secrets that go hand in hand with this aspect of the story. It is hard to discuss this aspect of the narrative for fear of ruining it for potential readers! I will say it is absorbing and unpredictable.
As with the predecessor to The Shifting Light, Campion displays a flair for setting detail. We are again transported to the stunning outback locale of Wandalla. Through Campion’s prose, I felt the peace, isolation and sheer natural beauty of this quintessential Aussie locale. The Springs is the perfect place to house an artist’s retreat. It gave me the urge on more than one occasion to pick up paintbrush, easel and canvas and go for it myself! Likewise, the sprawling cattle property of Kurrabar, Heath’s pride and joy, was painted with a sure hand.
The Shifting Light is a captivating story incorporating love and a line of suspense. The ends to this novel were tied together nicely by the time I reached the conclusion. The Shifting Light is another fabulous team effort from the posse behind Alice Campion. I’m glad this collective have secured a three book deal with Penguin Random House, as I am eagerly awaiting their next adventure.
In 2015, Alice Campion, the collective group of women from a book club in NSW who turned their hand to writing, dazzled me with their great Australian yarn, The Painted Sky. Alice is back with a bang, ready to tie up some loose threads that were left dangling in The Painted Sky, in a new rural instalment titled, The Shifting Light. It was a true pleasure to revisit Nina Larkin, as I had a sneaky feeling when I finished Campion’s first novel that Nina’s journey wasn’t quite over.
Nina Larkin has worked hard to revitalise her property, The Springs. Nina’s vision for The Springs is finally becoming a reality. She now owns a successful business as an artist’s retreat. On a personal level, Nina has also experienced success in the art field and she has been the recipient of an art prize. On the romance side, Nina is happily in love with Heath Blackett, a local grazier. The perfect world Nina has worked so hard to build is shattered when she comes across a portrait that resembles her father, Jim Larkin, a celebrated artist. The portrait appears recent, but Nina’s father has been dead for many years. Nina is immediately compelled to put the mystery of this portrait to rest and her quest takes her deep into a complex web of family secrets.
Alice Campion, the awe inspiring team behind the book The Shifting Light, has done it once again. The Shifting Light is another ripping Aussie page turner. I could not for the life of me put this book down until I solved the mystery behind the portrait in the novel. Campion has really worked to lure the reader into this sequel to The Painted Sky. The discovery of the mysterious painting of a father who has been presumed dead for many years, sparked my immediate interest in this novel. My continued interest in The Shifting Light was mainly down to the significance of this painting.
I need to make it clear that The Shifting Light can be read as a standalone novel. Although it is the sequel to The Painted Sky, I believe there is enough backfill provided by Campion to ensure that the reader does not feel that they have missed any crucial information. It was however a delight to discover how Nina was progressing with her life dreams. Through the unfolding narrative in The Shifting Light, we discover how Nina’s love life, career achievements and home renovations have flourished. I wasn’t too surprised by the direction Nina’s life had taken, but what I was shocked at was the discovery of the portrait of a man who closely resembles Nina’s father, this aspect really saw the book soar.
Campion is a master at providing a ruse behind her central book mystery. I loved that The Shifting Light provided one of my favourite aspects of a narrative complication. The unearthing of a recent portrait was an excellent choice on behalf of the author. It certainly served to hook me into the book further. There are some cracker twists and intriguing family secrets that go hand in hand with this aspect of the story. It is hard to discuss this aspect of the narrative for fear of ruining it for potential readers! I will say it is absorbing and unpredictable.
As with the predecessor to The Shifting Light, Campion displays a flair for setting detail. We are again transported to the stunning outback locale of Wandalla. Through Campion’s prose, I felt the peace, isolation and sheer natural beauty of this quintessential Aussie locale. The Springs is the perfect place to house an artist’s retreat. It gave me the urge on more than one occasion to pick up paintbrush, easel and canvas and go for it myself! Likewise, the sprawling cattle property of Kurrabar, Heath’s pride and joy, was painted with a sure hand.
The Shifting Light is a captivating story incorporating love and a line of suspense. The ends to this novel were tied together nicely by the time I reached the conclusion. The Shifting Light is another fabulous team effort from the posse behind Alice Campion. I’m glad this collective have secured a three book deal with Penguin Random House, as I am eagerly awaiting their next adventure.
February 9, 2017
Enjoyed this book very much...now hunting down the first book in the series!
March 9, 2017
I didn’t realise I was lacking contemporary Australian voices in my fiction reading but A Shifting Light was like a large drink of water when you didn’t realise you were thirsty. The voice felt very contemporary, relatable and Australian (without sounding ocker!)
I loved the ensemble cast approach that made up the main characters and even the reappearance of more minor characters from the first book in the series (The Painted Sky). I know this seems kind of ridiculous since the vast majority of novels are made up of multiple characters but I really felt I was somehow getting a more satisfying look at the various relationships between the characters.
The reading group questions will be handy as I am sure this is going to be an extremely popular choice for book clubs. The fact that this book was actually written by a group of women who initially were a book club only adds to the appeal of the novel. Also lends itself to some great thematic catering which is pivotal when my book club chooses a book!
It was a thoroughly enjoyable page turning read which takes quite a turn in the home stretch, which made a surprising change of pace.
I loved the ensemble cast approach that made up the main characters and even the reappearance of more minor characters from the first book in the series (The Painted Sky). I know this seems kind of ridiculous since the vast majority of novels are made up of multiple characters but I really felt I was somehow getting a more satisfying look at the various relationships between the characters.
The reading group questions will be handy as I am sure this is going to be an extremely popular choice for book clubs. The fact that this book was actually written by a group of women who initially were a book club only adds to the appeal of the novel. Also lends itself to some great thematic catering which is pivotal when my book club chooses a book!
It was a thoroughly enjoyable page turning read which takes quite a turn in the home stretch, which made a surprising change of pace.
March 4, 2018
This books starts 3 years on from the first book The Painted Sky, I enjoyed this sequel and while it can be read as a standalone, I would recommend reading the first book beforehand. Nina Larkin's long lost cousin turns up completely out of the blue, I didn't trust him from the start, but Nina who has next to no family takes him in and as he weaves his way into her business, we find out that all is not as it seems. plenty of mystery and romance, this book kept me turning the pages until the end.
May 15, 2017
Great book - hope there are more to come.
February 22, 2017
Easy read typical Australian outback story
March 14, 2017
Oh dear! Am I the only one who was left underwhelmed by this book? I struggled to finish it. It was disconnected in theme, style and language.
March 15, 2017
A bit slow to start as we catch up with the characters from the first book. About a third of the way in it gets going. Good light Entertaining read set in Australia which is always a bonus
June 18, 2017
Well done ladies, another brilliant book. I love the characters and their changes throughout the book and I had trouble putting this down
September 20, 2017
I enjoyed the first book, a light hearted read and predictive love story, but became intrigued with Hilary the cool and calculating property owner in part two of this book. While Nina became lost as the main character Hilary and cousin Lachlan drew us into the tangled web of history. The lost gold nugget and the Barkin Larkin mystery is a continuous theme in both novels. There was totally too much conversation in this book and some it unnecessary to the story, it began to read like a play around dinner tables and bedrooms and I felt the need at times to bypass the banter. I was also annoyed at the stupidity of allowing Lachlan into the private areas of running a business so quickly after meeting a long lost cousin. But altogether I enjoyed the novel, the love stories are predictable but nothing else about the story is and this is what makes The Painted Sky and The Shifting Light a good read.
August 5, 2018
3.5 stars. The book was mostly faced-paced with well described settings. I thought a few of the character transformations were too sudden and some plot points a little too coincidental. I didn't like some style choices (like dialogue tags), but that's personal preference. Overall, an enjoyable read.
April 26, 2020
3.5 stars. The book was mostly faced-paced with well described settings. I thought a few of the character transformations were too sudden and some plot points a little too coincidental. I didn't like some style choices (like dialogue tags), but that's personal preference. Overall, an enjoyable read.
July 13, 2018
An interesting read. I found the character transformations a bit unrealistic, but generally the book was worth the read.
March 20, 2025
The follow on from The Painted Sky
January 1, 2026
Got about 80 pages in and gave up
Boring
Boring
September 6, 2020
After reading the first book there was no question I was going to read the second. I had to find out what happened to everyone after what happens in the first book. I found the second book even more entertaining than the second. But probably because I knew everyone so well from the first book.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews