Romance Lovers for the Challenge-Impaired discussion

A Madness of Sunshine

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…

On the rugged West Coast of New Zealand, Golden Cove is more than just a town where people live. The adults are more than neighbors; the children, more than 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 not to 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.

I'm in

I’m in! I’m in! I’m in!

(Not insane she’s just on of my favourite authors)

lol

I’m in!

I'm hoping to finish up my listen of The Search by tonight so I can get a few chapters in. I'll be reading via audiobook. With my work schedule at the moment that the only way I can get in reading time.

I'll start when I get home.

Finished chapter 3
(view spoiler)[
So far so good, we are getting bits and pieces of the past and I'm curious to know what happened in that cabin.
Why Ana is so worried about Miri being beautiful?
This being a thriller I'm wondering who the victim is. I hope it's not Josie or Miri (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 8
(view spoiler)[
I kmew it (hide spoiler)]

The spoiler above is chapter 9

Just getting started. Loving that they used a Kiwi narrator (or one really good at accents) and the imagery as she’s driving back into her home town is beautifully done.

Yes the narration is very good. It will be interesting to see how an American audience responds to the accent, as I imagine it would take some getting used to.

Chapter 1: The opening paragraph to the novel is very powerful. Sets Anahera up as a strong woman.

Chapter 5: (view spoiler)[ Nik's conversation with Will in the bar about Miriama was a bit creepy. (hide spoiler)]

Short chapters - easy style, already enjoying it more than her contemporaries.

Chapter 5
Yes it was creepy.

I like the short chapters too.

At chapter 9 -

(view spoiler)[ Could have picked who was going to be the victim a mile off but I'm liking that there are little snippets about what could make each man potentially the "bad guy". They're in there in small casual ways where I don't know who the killer is at this stage but I feel like I'm not going to be blindsided when I found out. They also feel true to life - a creepy remark from an old friend who's bitter over a breakup, a feeling you can't put your finger on about someone you grew up with, casual references to domestic abuse that occur all to often in poorer communities. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 16
(view spoiler)[
I'm suspicious of every man that we've met so far. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 42 - okay i think I know who the killer is. Thought it a few chapters back but there's too much emphasis on (view spoiler)[Kyle for there not to be something. But I don't think it's him - I'm thinking it runs in the family and it's probably Vincent. (hide spoiler)]

(view spoiler)[One thing I'm loving (weird word but best I've got) is how domestic abuse is being treated in this book. In my experience, small, remote towns treat it like it's being portrayed. Casually, like it's just a fact of life. Which sadly it is for many people. (hide spoiler)]

Could you add spoiler tags please?

ShoSho wrote: "Could you add spoiler tags please?"

Done - sorry, I didn't realise that was a spoiler. I meant it as more of a comment about the general way it was handled throughout the book instead of referencing a specific plot point.

I’m so behind on this one! I’ll start it when I get home tonight!

Threads wrote: "ShoSho wrote: "Could you add spoiler tags please?"

Done - sorry, I didn't realise that was a spoiler. I meant it as more of a comment about the general way it was handled throughout the book inste..."

:) thanks

I haven't read much in the past few days. I think I'm reading chapter 32,maybe!?

I like the atmosphere and all the hints about the hero and heroine. About Miriama, (view spoiler)[ I’m not invested enough in her character to care if she’s alive or not, to me she’s just a plot device. I have no idea who it was that she met on her run... (hide spoiler)]

Loriidae wrote: "Chapter 1: The opening paragraph to the novel is very powerful. Sets Anahera up as a strong woman.

Chapter 5: [spoilers removed]

Short chapters - easy style, already enjoying it more than her con..."
Oh yes! That paragraph not only set her up as a strong woman but also predisposes the reader to feel sympathetic towards her.

I’m on Ch. 32 and I keep thinking that (view spoiler)[ Miriama’s lover was a woman, I don’t know why... even though she refers to a male lover in her journal. (hide spoiler)]

I’m on Ch. 32 and I keep thinking that (view spoiler)[ Miriama’s lover was a woman, I don’t know why... even though she refers to a male lover in her journal. (hide spoiler)]

Gisela wrote: "I’m on Ch. 32 and I keep thinking that [spoilers removed]"

hmmm interesting.
(view spoiler)[ We know the abductor is a man. I'm not saying killer because we don't know if she's dead. What are the chances of her being found alive?!
I keep thinking it's Tom, Josie's husband!!! (hide spoiler)]

ShoSho wrote: "Gisela wrote: "I’m on Ch. 32 and I keep thinking that [spoilers removed]"

hmmm interesting. We know the abductor is a man. ..."

(view spoiler)[ I think Tom is a red herring, I thought it was too obvious for him to suddenly register on the creepo metre.

I thought it was a clever ploy to have such a beautiful, hopeful young person and because of that I keep hoping she will be found alive. (hide spoiler)]

I’m done! (view spoiler)[
Some thoughts:

—The killer/lover - I was wrong but still think that making the lover or killer a woman would have made things more interesting. I’m tired of reading about women/children being the victims of male predators.

—The h/h - They both carry a lot of baggage and just mentioning it is not enough. I think neither is emotionally ready for a relationship.

— The writing - it was very readable and hard to put down, but it’s Nalini Singh so no surprise there. That woman can write. This was not her best but considering it’s a her first time writing RS, it wasn’t bad. If she decides to write another RS book, I would definitely read it. (hide spoiler)]

I have about 70 pages to go.

Gisela wrote: "I’m done! "

(view spoiler)[The writing - it was very readable and hard to put down, but it’s Nalini Singh so no surprise there. That woman can write. This was not her best but considering it’s a her first time writing RS, it wasn’t bad. If she decides to write another RS book, I would definitely read it.

She said in her newsletter she's working on another one this year. I'm excited because if she moves it a little more into the romance-sphere it'll be in my catnip zone of reading. (hide spoiler)]

I'm done too.
(view spoiler)[
I didn't guess about the doctor at all!
At some point I started thinking there might be 2 murderers but I didn't even guess it might be the doctor.
NS has tagged it as thriller herself bit I don't think this was a thriller.
I wanted a lot more details about both MCs.
It was a mild romantic suspense. But as you all said it was very readable. (hide spoiler)]

Now that everyone's done I'll mention that (view spoiler)[the NZFVC reports that Maori women have a 57% chance of suffering physical or sexual intimate partner violence during their lifetime. (hide spoiler)]

Threads wrote: "Now that everyone's done I'll mention that [spoilers removed]"

That is an alarming statistic!

I have seen the impact of it on children coming out of that sort relationships.