This one started out a bit slow for me but then picked up and refused to let my attention go. The author does a great job with her descriptions so you feel like you're right there in Golden Cove with the characters.

Anahera was everything I love in a lead heroine. She was strong and resilient but still had a soft heart for those she cared about. Even when life threw here huge wrench and she ran back home from a glamorous life in London.

I loved Will. I think him being an "outsider" really brought something to this story that would have been missing otherwise. He is a very determined detective and although he starts unraveling secrets this small town holds he never wavers in his loyalty to it's people.

All the secondary characters in this book really took this home for me. The secrets, the relationships, just everything. There were so many suspects that I was actually surprised at the end when it all came to a head. Character driven stories are my favorite and this author did a really great job with this one.

I've never read this author until now but I would not hesitate to pick up another story of hers, especially in this genre. She has a way of pulling you in and having you second guess every thought you may have.

This book has an interesting storyine. I just felt it was a little slower paced than a typical romantic suspense book. It is well-written and has well-developed characters.

Set in a stark and hauntingly beautiful landscape, Golden Cove is situated in the Wild West of New Zealand. The town serves as the backdrop for a mystery thriller that has all the secrets, both good and bad, of a small and secluded town. A popular, beautiful young woman disappears so the only local detective, Will Gallagher, investigates what looks like foul play. Will was farmed out to this far-flung village after some traumatic events in his work life. The other major occurrence happening involves Anahera Spenser-Ashby, formally Rawiri, returning to the place she grew up after life’s vagaries have brought her low. Will and Anahera form an alliance working together to figure out who might have taken a deadly interest in Mariama; the girl whom everyone seemed to love and some even to covert for their own.

Will and Anahera are people wounded by life, both struggling to make it each day and not be caught in the undertow from some devastating personal events. Several interesting characters populate Golden Cove, some rather quirky, many of whom Will has gotten to know in this remote town. As he peels back the layers of secrets, deceits, and mysteries with Ana’s help since she knows all the players, Will finds what could be a connection to three missing hikers from eight years ago.

Anahera left home to seek a better life as do many restless young people, away from her hometown with its painful memories. She found fame and fortune, but it all turned to grief. After losing a husband who turned out to be someone other than she thought, Ana comes back to this place that was once home in hopes of finding herself again. She is quite at sea about what to do now that her life has so drastically changed.

The Maori culture adds a rich component lending language and traditions interwoven throughout the story. The rough yet beautiful landscape and unforgiving ocean provide a thrilling and sometimes chilling environment for this story that has all the elements of a good tale well told. Fans of Nalini Singh’s other books will be glad to know there is some romantic suspense element to this story. Ms. Singh is well known for her romance and paranormal stories; however, this book proves her skills at weaving a compelling, page turning tale in whatever genre she chooses.

Seriously, there is nothing Nalini can't write. Who knew she would also be a fiction thriller savant. This book was dark and exciting and the epitome of hauntingly beautiful.

I reviewed this book for Library Journal for my full review please see the December 3rd edition of Library Journal Thank You

Totally engrossing. Riveting, even. Wow - what an amazing book! It's the first I've read by this author, and apparently it's a departure from her usual paranormal fare. If that's true, I hope she strays again and again - this one is extraordinarily good. Not to compare the stories, but from start to finish the style reminded me of "Where the Crawdads Sing," the best-seller by Delia Owens that without question is one of the best books I've read in my rather lengthy lifetime.

Aside from simply being an entertaining story, the character development is outstanding, as are the descriptions of the New Zealand surroundings that, before now, were totally unfamiliar to me (the author lives there, though, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised at that). Then there's the suspense; even though it's told in something of a matter-of-fact manner, at the end of every single chapter I'd glance at the clock and ask myself, "Do I have time for just one more?" For the record, if there was the slightest hint of doubt, my answer always was yes.

As the story opens, Anahera Rawiri, a classical pianist, has come home to her native Golden Cove, New Zealand, after living in London with her husband, who unexpectedly died. As she begins to touch base with old friends, she meets the new and only police officer in town, Will Gallagher. He's good-looking, single, and - of course - manages to get on Ana's bad side. But the two form a truce of sorts after Miriama, the beautiful and talented girl with a bright future who works in Ana's friend Josie's tea shop, suddenly goes missing. The search to find her brings together the townspeople, who roam the sometimes dangerous seaside cliffs and forests. Then it's learned that her disappearance may be tied into similar cases of missing young women in years past. It also conjures up memories of the good and not-so-good times Ana spent here with her friends - one of whom just may be a serial killer.

As readers learn more about the complex characters, we follow along and make our own assessments as to who might be guilty. For sure I did - and boy, did I ever guess wrong. But wrong doesn't mean disappointed; in fact, not getting it right led me to even greater respect for the author's writing talents. In the end, I have no reservations whatsoever about deeming this one of the top three books I read in 2019. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

The writing in this book is so good. She paints the picture perfectly for the reader and I could see this all playing out in my head. This was a suspenseful book about a missing woman. The twists and turns this book too has me holding my breath. I enjoyed the characterization of the two main characters but also the smaller behind the scenes characters.

Set in a coastal village in New Zealand, this thriller will keep the reader guessing until the very last chapter. A broken woman and former light of the village returns from living abroad as a young, beautiful current source of light disappears while on a run. The close-knit community is immediately mobilized to search while their only police officer investigates -- uncovering secrets and stirring up past secrets and sins. The treacherous bush landscape lends an additional layer of danger to the effort. Throughout Singh weaves a lyrical narrative filled with the contrasts of sunshine and storm giving readers a gripping new thriller with the promise for a sequel.

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

<em>Nalini Singh</em> has written a thriller novel and I didn't think I'd be interested in that kind of thing since I read almost strictly romance but Nalini Singh is such a good writer that I couldn't help myself. I had to check this one out and though there were parts that were a little slow for me, I still had a good time reading this one. Nalini Singh tells a story so well, that I could almost feel the coastal breeze on my face and see everything so clearly even though I've never been to New Zealand before.

Golden Cove, a coastal village on the west side of New Zealand was home to Anahera before she fled for London, swearing to never return. Eight years later, Anahera is back in Golden Cove to try to heal from the death of her husband and the ghosts that haunted her before, return when a girl she knew as a child, who is now a young woman disappears and the old hurts and scares of the past return with a vengeance. The residents of Golden Cove have always been more than neighbors. They're a family in the small village and this time Anahera is older and she won't just sit aside while bad things happen to her family. With the help of Will, the town's only police presence, Anahera starts to investigate the disappearance of Miriama. The more the two of them dig into their investigation, the more shit starts popping up. You'd think that because this is a Nalini Singh book that there would be a romance between the out of town cop and the newly returned Anahera but this book wasn't a romance. It wasn't romantic suspense. It was a straight-up suspense novel and while I missed a central romantic plot, overall, I still enjoyed this one.

The beginning was really slow because we're getting the set up of the story and it's not a happy go lucky kind of story. There's a history that is dark and it's hard but the more that I kept reading, the more that I started to understand, the more I appreciated the slow start. Nalini Singh does a great job of making the small town of Golden Cove a character that was just as important as the good guys and the bad guys. When all was said and done, I appreciated her efforts but if I'm honest, I much prefer her paranormal romances. That's more of a preference than anything else. Nalini Singh is good at whatever she decides to write. She can write her ass off and this book proves that. She does romance extremely well and with this book, she really does her thing. I think with a couple of more books under her belt in this genre, she's going to be another force in the suspense, mystery and thriller worlds. She's legit.

3.75 out of 5

If you love a slow burn mystery, step this way. I loved the unique location of New Zealand. The suspense was palpable as the story unfolded. Something fell a little flat for me and I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but it was still enjoyable.

Anahera returns home to small town New Zealand after her life in London is torn apart. Expecting a quiet return she gets anything but when a hiker goes missing in the woods, earily matching three disappearances 15 years previously. Combined with the new cop with a dark past, Anahera works to figure out what happened then and if it is connected to what is happening now.

This was an interesting book, but it wasn't a thriller that I was on the edge of my seat for. The setting was beautiful and the characters interesting, but I didn't find myself being drawn into the mystery element of the story. I also wasn't surprised at all when the reveal happened which made it a little less interesting to me.

I did want to know what happened, but I didn't find myself racing to the end.

A Madness of Sunshine is a suspenseful mystery read that incorporates some romance without tipping into a full on romantic suspense novel. It follows Anahera Rawiri as she returns to her hometown of Golden Cove, a small village in New Zealand, after the death of her husband. As she interacts with old friends and makes new ones, including the new police officer in town, Will Gallagher, she begins to heal emotionally. On the eve of her return, a local young beauty goes missing, bringing back memories of other young women who have disappeared from Golden Cove fifteen years ago. This was my first Nalini Singh book and I do not believe it will be my last. I am glad I got a chance to read this and can use it as a recommendation to others who want a suspenseful read. The story was very well paced and would feature viewpoints from both Anahera and Will. A Madness of Sunshine is a great fit for those who want a small town mystery with an exotic locale and some light romance.
This book was provided by publisher from Netgalley in November 2019 for an honest review.

Anahera has returned to the small New Zealand town where she grew up and demons from her past still haunt her. Soon after arriving at the cottage once inhabited by her and her now deceased mother, a young woman disappears without a trace while out for a run in the woods. The circumstances are reminiscent of the town’s sordid past when 3 other young women of similar appearance also disappeared. Anahera and the newbie law enforcement agent in the town work together to find the missing woman, at the same time uncovering past secrets.

I believe this to be Singh’s first delve into suspense fiction and I have to say that I was impressed by both the writing and the plot. This was a fast read with an excellent flow. The New Zealand setting was described exquisitely and I felt like I was there right along with the characters. There were a few twists and an element of romance that fleshed the plot out quite nicely. The only thing that got on my nerves a little were the endless descriptions of how beautiful and perfect the girl who disappeared was. I did not need to keep hearing the same thing over and over and this made it feel inauthentic at times. I get that she was flawlessly stunning, but her disappearance would have been equally tragic had she been ugly. Despite this annoyance, I found this to be one of my favorite books of the year and I hope that the author will be writing more in this genre.

Many thanks to Netgalley, Berkley and Nalini Singh for my complimentary e-copy ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

She's moving back to New Zealand to escape the life she used to lead. She just became a widow and found out her husband wasn't true to her at the funeral. She had no clue so she came back home enen if her Mom wasn't there anymore. She meets her classmates from long ago and is happy to see them. She also meets the police chief. He's an outsider so the community doesn't really let him in. They just tolerate him.

Berkley and Net Galley allowed me to read this book for review (thank you). It will be published December 3rd.

All is going well until a pretty young girl disappears while doing her morning run. Then she finds out three others went missing years before. Does the community have a serial killer in its midst?

She works with the cop gathering information the locals will tell her but not him. He sets up searches and the neighbors rally to fill the search parties. They cover the ground twice but find no sign of the missing girl.

This is a good mystery. It takes a while until they determine the killer and the poor widow almost becomes his next victim. In the meantime, the cop doesn't think he killed the young woman so he's on the search for another killer. This quiet little town is deadly...

The atmosphere and world building made this book.

Anahera comes back to Golden Cove after her husband dies and she finds out that he had been cheating on her. Feeling like a failure, she goes home to where her childhood plagues her. Then a girl goes missing and Anahera remembers more darkness from her past.

I've never read Nalini Singh before but this book makes me interested in picking up her other books if I ever whittle down my to-read list (meaning, I'll be listening to her works through audio books).

I fell in love with Golden Cove. It's a such a beautifully flawed place. It has a beauty that lulls you into forgetting that nature can be cruel.. If Nalini Singh writes more about this place and doesn't include Anahera, I would read. This isn't a criticism against Anahera. She is a strongly crafted character but I loved the location more.

My one big problem with the book was that the twist was very easy to guess and it almost felt anticlimactic with the reveal.

Intensely character driven, focused on a core group of friends several years after one fateful summer, and held in an arrestingly deadly setting, this is a showstopper.

Writing: ★★★★★
Characters: ★★★★★
Pacing: ★★★★★
Villain(s)/Reveal(s): ★★★ 1/2

Full disclosure: I've been a long-time fan of Nalini Singh. She writes some of the most well-written, beautifully plotted paranormal romances in the game. As in, they're worthy of SFF labels but are tragically only published as mass market paperbacks (I'm a hardcover girl, but I bend my rule for this queen).

So when I heard she was writing a mystery/thriller, I was SHOOK. As in, had to get a copy, was willing to beg, barter, and more to get this gem. And it DID NOT disappoint. In fact, it's elevated my opinion so much that I hope this is just the beginning—there better be more!

A Madness of Sunshine unfolds like a tightly clenched fist in achingly slow fits and starts. A young girl full of vitality, Miriama, goes out for a run one evening along the coast of Golden Cove. She doesn't come back.

Will is a cop hiding from his former life as a hotshot police detective in the small town of Golden Cove. Not much happens in a small town where everyone knows everyone...but several female hikers have disappeared near Golden Cove over the decades, and when Miriama goes missing, the old wounds resurface and the small town of "pleasant" neighbors erupts. Can Will solve this current missing persons case amidst the echoes of the past?

Anahera left Golden Cove one year and never looked back. The past only holds pain and secrets, and she's never wanted to relive it—until her London husband dies suddenly and the hidden mistress comes knocking at her door. Shocked at the shattering of her "perfect" life, she returns to Golden Cove, New Zealand, with fresh eyes and old wounds.

Will and Anahera come together over the disappearance of Miriama, and it's truly a character study of these two flawed characters finding solace in solving the problems of the past. But, as with other Nalini Singh novels, each and every side character jumps off the page with personality and depth. No one is two dimensional, and no one is overlooked. This felt real.

I'm so happy to see Singh branching out into the mystery/thriller genre. The mystery was tightly plotted, the villain(s) (no spoilers here!) were deeply motivated, and the unfolding of the plot was extremely satisfying. Don't miss this one!

I tried to get into this story and was about 20% in and it couldn’t keep my interest. I liked the characters and wanted to know more about them; the writing is beautiful especially the scenery descriptions. I felt the story was predictable and not intense enough. Maybe next time.

I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Dark and twisted, Nalini Singh’s A MADNESS OF SUNSHINE lays bare the very soul of a small New Zealand coastal town when the nightmares of the past collide with the horrors of the present and no one can feel safe anymore.

Anahera is back years after leaving to follow her heart and her dreams, only to have them turn to dust and ash. Will was once a decorated police officer, but one emotional mistake leads him to the backwater town of Golden Cove where the normally tranquil area is a balm to his soul.

Then the unthinkable happens, a beautiful nineteen-year-old woman disappears and hunt is on to find her before history repeats itself and all that is left is her battered body.

Nalini Singh has created an atmosphere of darkness and foreboding, mistrust and doubt as Anahera and Will become embroiled in a case that will have readers on high alert through this twisted tale. Fabulous small town characters, an uncertainty of who can be trusted, as lies and deceit are uncovered, one wretched piece at a time.

Does evil reside in Golden Cove? No one can be trusted, and Nalini Singh keeps us guessing which path this tale will take until the very end explodes with revelations that will have readers sitting back on their heels.

I received a complimentary ARC edition from Berkley Publishing Group! My review is honest and voluntary.

Publisher: Berkley (December 3, 2019)
Publication Date: December 3, 2019
Genre: Crime | Thriller
Print Length: 352 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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So, I’ve rarely strayed out of Nalini Singh’s paranormal series but this first contemporary thriller et in an isolated New Zealand town caught my attention. I found It compelling and I needed to push through to find the answers to the many mysteries, but what a town full of hard to like people! A huge contrast to the bubbly ray of sunshine who goes missing early in the book, forcing the small town’s secrets and sins out into the open. It’s a very interesting study in secrets, lies, and abuse. I’d definitely come back for another in this genre.

When Anahera returns to her small home town in New Zealand following a devastating loss and a surprising betrayal, she finds that while Golden Cove looks the same, the townspeople that she knew so long ago might be hiding secrets behind a familiar facade.
When a beautiful young woman goes missing, there seem to be ties to a trio of disappearances 15 years earlier. Ana connects with a handsome new police chief to try and solve this current mystery and discover if it really has connection to the past,
Singh- well known and loved for her paranormal romance novels- pens her first contemporary thriller, and it certainly lives up to her reputation.