Every town needs somewhere to hide their secrets.
Atmospheric, thrilling and twisty. The Chasm is a white-knuckled mystery set among Victoria’s most rugged mountains from an exciting new voice in Australian noir. Perfect for fans of Wake and Exiles.
Andy King knew she should never return to Stonefield. Ten years ago, her boyfriend Will Hoffman disappeared without a trace and most people in the town thought she was to blame. But a decade is a long time to be homesick, and she isn’t technically going back there. Only to Taplin, a small town in the neighbouring valley, far enough away from Stonefield she can stay under the radar, but close enough to the mountains that she can feel their pulse and breathe their special brand of oxygen. And it’s only for four weeks, after all.
But Andy didn’t bargain on running into those who are still looking for Will, the ones who have the most to lose if he is ever found. Andy will go to her grave before she reveals what had happened back then, but when she realises that those same people have other secrets hidden in the mountains, it’s clear she’s once again in their way. And this time sending her to her grave is exactly their intention.
Bronwyn Halls’ follow-up to her critically acclaimed and explosive debut novel Gone to Ground is certainly cementing her place as a queen of rural suspense. The Chasm is a deftly written piece, and a wonderful character study of rural life and its underbelly – in this case, from the perspective of Andy King, our locum vet with a secret.
Written in the first person we’re with her from the get-go, feeling her reluctance to return to a place where her past threatens to return to a location far too close to her hometown. The novel cleverly builds Andy’s new life, showcasing her excellent ability as a vet, and her sense of hope as her guard slowly goes down in the face of a potential love interest Ethan Landers.
But in the midst of potential cosiness there’s an unerring sense of discomfort as threats from Andy’s past and Ethan’s present come to play. Without giving too much away, there’s an abduction and a riveting level of suspense that escalates in the novel’s second half.
Hall possesses a true gift to set the scene of a rural thriller, her descriptions have the ability to be both beautiful and disquieting in this arresting and exciting read. I can’t recommend this page-turner enough.
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