Review: Brilliant standalone that makes you want to read the rest of the series
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 01 20, 2014
I came cold into this series, wondering if I should read the earlier books first. No, you don't need to, as Bowes gives you just enough detail to understand past events well, without overkill on the backstory. I do admit that I want to go back and read them, though - after I read the next book, for I want to know what happens to the du Rose family afterwards even more.From the beginning, Hana had my heart - as the book opens with a situation most mothers can relate to with frightening clarity. It almost had me in tears at the memory. Bowes is a brilliant storyteller, drawing me in from the start with the realism of her scene.Hana Du Rose reminded me a little of Kay Scarpetta from Patricia Cornwell's books, in that she's a tough, older woman with a grown family and a past that wasn't exactly sunshine and roses. Hana has an edge that Scarpetta doesn't, though - she's living in New Zealand. For me, that brings her story closer to home and even more real to me.Now I believe I need to go hunt for Book 5.