Bay of Fires in Tasmania is a place where people come every summer to enjoy a simple beach holiday either in their own shack or at the campground. Quiet, idyllic and isolated it seems like a very unlikely place for a murder. Yet in the space of just over a year two young women (of remarkably similar appearance) have met with foul play. Young surfer Chloe simply disappeared without a trace after telling her family she was going surfing and Swiss backpacker Anja's body was discovered washed up on the beach on Boxing Day. Suddenly the close knit community is on edge - people are locking doors and watching their backs, something they've never had to do before.
Sarah Avery has just arrived back in her home state after a stint living and working in Queensland. It is obvious she is seeking solace in her family's beach shack, yet she is unwilling to talk about what caused her to leave her boyfriend and the job she loved at a Barramundi farm. Choosing to spend a lot of time fishing alone or swimming in the freezing waters of the nearby beach and lagoon, Sarah is working hard to bury her recent troubled past. It is only when she strikes up a friendship with journalist Hall Flynn (who is covering the murder mystery) that she begins to let her guard down.
Poppy Gee captures the scene amazingly well - you can feel the isolation and sense just how cold the water is. Tasmania is a state full of awesome natural beauty and this comes across in abundance in the storyline. The character of Sarah is also explored in great depth. Although a flawed individual, there is an honesty and solidity about Sarah that is endearing. And as the story unfolds you get to see a vulnerability beneath the hard shell she has built around herself.
Although this was an interesting story that drew me in and kept me engaged throughout, I didn't find it overly suspenseful. Told at a languid pace, the story moves well and the writing is great - I just felt it probably could have used a few more action scenes to keep the reader on the edge of their seat a little more.
An another note I enjoyed the reference to Eumundi (a small town on the Sunshine Coast). Although the barramundi farm and Pineapple Hotel are fictitious, other references to it rang true.
On a very nit-picking note, I was a little bit annoyed at the American spelling used in the novel. I do realise it was actually published internationally via a US publishing house, however the copy I read clearly states it was printed in Australia - so I thought the local version could have Australian spelling.
Overall Bay of Fires is an enjoyable read with a cast of quirky, 'true blue' characters that you would find in any small Australian town. A very promising debut from Poppy Gee.
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