A good story is one that transports you to places you have never been, or introduces new sides to places you have already visited. A Madness of Sunshine by Nalini Singh is a thriller set in Golden Cove, a small town in New Zealand, a place I have never been but will visit one day. I received a copy of the book from Penguin Random House Canada and I’m excited to share not just my thoughts about the book but also a quick 3-question author interview with Nalini who was so kind to take out sometime for me, having already completed all Q&As for the book.
Let’s dive into the synopsis. Then I’ll tell you my thoughts, and end with the Q&A with Nalini. 🙂
Anahera Rawiri left New Zealand at twenty-one, fleeing small-town poverty and the ghosts of her childhood with no plans to look back. But eight years later, she returns, seeking familiarity as respite from the shattered remains of her new life. And despite the changes brought on by a bump in tourism–the shiny new welcome sign at the town line and a decidedly less shiny new police presence–Golden Cove appears much as it ever was: a small settlement on the savage West Coast of the South Island, populated by all the remembered faces and set against a backdrop of lush greenery, jagged cliffs, and crashing waves.
Detective Will Gallagher knows all about ghosts; his own chased him out of a promising career in Christchurch, landing him as the sole cop in a quaint town where his most pressing concerns are petty theft and the occasional drunk. When Golden Cove resident Miri Hinewai goes out for a run and fails to return, Will finds himself heading up a missing person’s search that rapidly escalates into an official investigation after this case is connected with similar ones from the past. As an outsider, Will begins to rely on Anahera’s knowledge of the area and its residents to help him delve into Golden Cove’s secrets, and to determine whether it shelters something far more dangerous than just an unforgiving landscape.
The Short Take
Anahera left her hometown almost a decade ago, but circumstances have left her longing for the place she vowed never to return to. Back among the only people she knows, her best friend Josie, old school friends and people she grew up with, Anahera is trying to settle down and come to terms with her past, when Miri, a young girl, disappears. She was the kind of soul in this little town that everyone knew would be different – who had ambition but did not lack compassion. She was beautiful, the kind that did not take much for a man to be tempted by.
Miri’s disappearance opens a can of secrets buried by the town folks. Will, the sole police officer and outsider in Golden Cove, has to try his best to find Miri, and sometimes that means digging deep into secrets that, for a reason, have been unsaid. A fast-paced thriller that will keep you guessing who helped or harmed Miri, A Madness of Sunshine is a must-read, if you enjoy the mystery and the beautiful dangerous landscape that it is set in.
A Madness of Sunshine is an intriguing novel about a small town torn apart when one of their brightest stars disappears. It is a story about looking for the truth, and confronting the truth – saying it out loud – when no one else will.
Themes for Thought
My mind went down different lanes of thought as I read about Will’s search in the wilderness for Miri as well as his and Anahera’s respective pasts. The following are three of the ideas that I want to flesh out more.
On Returning Home
The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned.
A quote about home on Shutterfly
Anahera (a lovely name, by the way) returns home to Golden Cove to find it changed and unchanged at the same time. She is still familiar with her friends, the people she grew up with, but the wounds from her time at Golden Cove are not completely healed, might never be. At the same time, she is dealing with the ways in which life has changed her in her time away.
The way Nalini describes her return, her past, and evolution throughout the novel is poetic. In Anahera I found a well rounded charactered that spoke volumes in her looks and actions. Returning home and confronting her history wasn’t easy for her, but she knew she had to do it to get back into the right head space and start over.
On Brightness of a Soul
The world had a way of crushing things that were beautiful and so bright that they glowed.
A Madness of Sunshine
Like I mentioned earlier, Miri is a amazing person, talented, taking stellar photographs of the people in town, she has won a scholarship and is leaving town in a couple weeks when the incident happens. She loves running and when she does not return from her evening run, many search teams are formed to locate her.
As I got to know more about Miri and her struggles in life, her drive to be the best version of her were evident. Her caring nature and the way she got along with people showed how much the town people valued her and loved her, and wished her well from the bottom of their hearts. It is not surprising that almost all of them were genuinely worried for her when she did not make it home after the run.
On Ghosts
Anahera and Will are haunted by ghosts. Anahera has so much bottled up rage and anger inside her because she blames herself for being blind to what was going around her. This adds an edge to her that motivates her to help the Golden Cove people and Will the best she can. Will, on the other hand, is struggling with his own demons, which, in turn, propel him to take Miri’s disappearance seriously.
I found both Anahera and Will to be strong, courageous and fierce characters who face calamiies head on. They provide support to each other, learn from each other, knowing well though that ultimately, they have to make peace with their ghosts by themselves.
Q&A with Nalini Sigh
Nalini was born in Fiji and raised in New Zealand. Hence, it is not surprising that it holds a dear place in her heart and A Madness of Sunshine is set there. I had the opportunity to ask Nalini 3 questions and here they are:
- A Madness of Sunshine is your first thriller. How did writing it differ from your other works?
I’m generally what’s called a “pantser” – I tend to have an idea of my characters and the kind of story I want to tell, but then I just sit down and start writing, see where the story takes me. However, with Madness, I found myself plotting more in advance so I could lay the groundwork for the eventual reveal.
- Did you bring some of your own life experiences to A Madness of Sunshine, through Anahera and the residents of Golden Cove?
I think every book I’ve ever written or will write will be colored by who I am and the life I’ve lived. I don’t use specific experiences as such, except when it comes to locations – I’ve traveled through the stunning landscapes we see in Madness, and I definitely used those experiences to give the setting depth.
- If readers could take one thing away from this book, what would you want it to be?
I hope they enjoy the journey into the secrets of this small town and the people who live there, and into the stunning landscapes of my homeland.
Hope you enjoyed my thoughts on A Madness of Sunshine and what Nalini shared about her book.
** A Madness of Sunshine will be available in stores starting December 3rd so go preorder your copy now and let me know what you think once you have read it! **
Amazon Print
Amazon Kindle
Cover image: Photo by Brian Garcia on Unsplash
Be First to Comment