Tell Me Why

Georgie Harvey & John Franklin #1

by Sandi Wallace

WINNER 2015 DAVITT AWARD READERS' CHOICE

Picturesque Daylesford has a darker side.

Melbourne writer Georgie Harvey heads to the mineral springs region of central Victoria to look for a missing farmer.

There she uncovers links between the woman's disappearance and her dangerous preoccupation with the unsolved mystery surrounding her husband.

Maverick cop and solo dad John Franklin is working a case that’s a step up from Daylesford’s usual soft crime; a poison-pen writer whose targets are single mothers.

Georgie’s investigation stirs up long buried secrets and she attracts enemies.

When she reports the missing person to the local cops, sparks fly between her and Franklin. Has he dismissed the writer too quickly?

A country cop, city writer, retired farmer and poison-pen stalker all want answers.

What will they risk to get them?

What will be the ultimate cost?

Genres: Mystery, Crime, Ebooks, Fiction, Suspense, Australia, Amazon

330 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2014

About the author

Sandi Wallace is an award-winning Australian crime writer and avid reader of good crime reads. Her latest publication is psychological suspense-thriller What You Don’t Know.

‘Tense, twisty, terrific.’—Vanda Symon
‘An unsettling claustrophobic tale of small-town secrets.’—Alan Carter
‘A deliciously tense and suspenseful journey.’—Nikki Crutchley

Sandi’s ‘writer’s apprenticeship’ included gathering fodder for her stories from stints as banker, paralegal, cabinetmaker, office manager, executive assistant, personal trainer, journalist… and life. She nearly joined Victoria Police but instead, chased her writing dream. Sandi has won a host of prizes for her short crime fiction including several Scarlet Stiletto Awards. Her debut rural thriller Tell Me Why won the Davitt Award Readers’ Choice and was shortlisted for the Davitt's Best Debut.

Sandi lives on Millowl / Phillip Island off the southern coast of Victoria, Australia with her husband where she is at work on a new thriller. She loves to hear from her readers. Stay in touch by joining her on her socials or her website.

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Reviews

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tell Me Why by Aussie author Sandi Wallace is situated in Daylesford in Victoria (Australia) a lovely place that I have visited many times. This was a fabulous fast paced read one in which I found difficult to put down. So much so I was reading well into the early hours (way past my bedtime 😴) and it’s been a long time since a book has kept me up till those hours.

I thoroughly enjoyed this debut novel and look forward to reading more from this author. Highly recommended.

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sandi Wallace spins a good tale in her debut mystery novel. She has a good feel for Australian characters as well as the Australian countryside, farms and small towns and seems right at home writing of this environment. Her main character copywriter Georgie Harvey is asked by her much loved elderly next door neighbour Ruby in Melbourne if she could take a run down to Daylesford to check on her old friend Susan. Since Susan's husband disappeared in a fire at their farm some years ago they have religiously phoned each other for a weekly chat, but Ruby hasn't heard from Susan this week and she is not answering her phone. In Daylesford there is no sign of Susan but it's too early to list her as missing and everyone including the police think she's probably gone away for a few days.

Georgie also has other distractions back in Melbourne that claim her time, including a boss on her back about missed deadlines and her partner who is pressuring her to commit to marriage. However, she has a bad feeling about Susan's disappearance and starts to delve deeper into the events surrounding the disappearance of her husband feeling there might be some connection. This is a slow burning mystery that takes time for the suspense to build but once it does races on to culminate in an explosive ending.

[Marianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tell Me Why: Rural Crime Files 01 is the first book in the Georgie Harvey and John Franklin thriller series by Australian author, Sandi Wallace. With her live-in lover pressuring her to commit, an expensive run-in with a pedantic judge and her current work less than stimulating, writer Georgie Harvey needs to escape from Melbourne. As a favour to her sweet old neighbour, Ruby, she heads to Daylesford to track down the lifelong friend Ruby is worried about, Susan Pentecoste.

As a Senior Constable in Daylesford for the last sixteen years, John Franklin is looking for a case where he can step up, show his initiative, maybe impress the District Superintendent and join Criminal Investigations. When two young single mothers come into the station with identical poison pen letters signed by “Solomon”, he is determined to investigate in his own time, and keep that irritating junior constable he has been lumbered with in the dark.

Georgie soon discovers that Susan has been gone from her farm quite a bit longer than usual; she also realises that Susan’s is absence very probably related to the mysterious disappearance of her husband, Roland, after a fire that put Susan into Intensive Care, five years earlier. But when Georgie tries to interest the Police, that arrogant DC Franklin is quickly dismissive of her concerns.

Wallace gives the reader an original plot with plenty of twists that slowly unfold, and a couple of exciting climaxes. Her characters are familiar, people we have all met or encountered; they have depth and appeal, although some are not quite what they first seem. Their dialogue is natural and often funny, as is the inner monologue of the main characters. Wallace captures the feel of country Victoria beautifully both with her descriptive prose and the local characters that inhabit the town. There are a few red herrings, a bunch of possible suspects for both letters and missing persons, and the reader is kept wondering about Susan’s fate with interludes between chapters.

Sassy, unpredictable Georgie and well-meaning maverick Franklin are both likeable characters, and while their interactions are mostly less than friendly, there is a chemistry between them that remains unresolved. Thankfully, this is only the beginning: readers will definitely want more of Georgie Harvey and John Franklin. This page-turner is an excellent debut novel.

[Jülie ☼♄  · Rating 4 out of 5]

The beautiful Daylesford region of rural Victoria (Australia) sets the scene for this crime mystery where the protagonist, Georgie Harvey, a writer from the city, embarks on a tentative private investigation into the supposed disappearance of the friend of someone very close to her- her elderly neighbour Ruby, who is like a grandmother to Georgie.
Ruby hasn't had her usual phone call from her long time friend Susan and swears it is very out of character, she is convinced that something has happened to her, causing her some considerable angst...she beseeches Georgie to find her.

Although at first not overly interested or convinced that this is a missing person case, Georgie promises her friend that she will look into it to allay her fears.
When Georgie sets out to make some casual enquiries as to the whereabouts of Susan, she unwittingly ruffles a few feathers and sets in motion a chain of events that soon finds Georgie out of her depth.

This is a thoroughly engaging crime mystery with some very down to earth and like-able characters as well as some very shady and despicable ones.
As much as I was immersed in all the relevant details of this story, I did at times find it got a bit lost in some of the minutiae. Given that this is a debut novel I can't call that as a criticism, but rather a zealous attention to detail on the author's part, which I believe will be an advantage for future books.
I look forward to reading the next from Sandi Wallace and would have no problem recommending this to crime and mystery lovers.
4★s.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5★s

Georgie Harvey’s next door neighbours, Ruby and Michael Padley were her pseudo-grandparents; elderly and kind, Georgie still felt put out when Ruby kept asking Georgie to look for a friend of hers who seemed to be missing. Susan Pentecoste hadn’t made the usual and very regular call to her friend and Ruby was concerned. But Georgie was busy; plus her boyfriend A.J. was putting pressure on her to commit to something she wasn’t prepared to commit to. Finally, in part to get away from A.J. she agreed to do some digging; heading from Melbourne to country Daylesford in her car she called the Spider, she wondered what on earth she was doing.

Senior Constable John Franklin was part of the small constabulary in Daylesford; he loved his job and knew all of the locals well. His wife Donna had walked out years earlier, leaving him with their daughter Kat – as a teenager now, he was finding she was getting mixed up with things she shouldn’t. Being a single father was sometimes hard work, but he loved Kat to pieces. When Franklin was approached regarding what appeared to be poison pen letters, he was outraged. And as he worked the case his frustrations grew.

Meanwhile Georgie was also frustrated; she discovered that the locals weren’t at all forthcoming – what was happening? Where was Susan? Had she just gone on a holiday, or was there something sinister afoot? And when she voiced her concerns to the local Senior Constable, Franklin dismissed her worries and told her to stop interfering. But of course Georgie took no notice of Franklin – and danger, secrets and evil began to surface. As events hurtled toward a dramatic climax, the players were swept along for the ride…

What a fabulous debut crime novel by Aussie author Sandi Wallace. Filled with a fast and gritty plot with characters that are likeable and very Australian, the twists kept me turning the pages. The countryside was beautifully depicted, the small country town real and I felt like I’d met some of the characters – they are people we pass in the street; people we live next door to…

I have no hesitation in recommending Tell Me Why highly, and look forward to book 2 in the Rural Crime files series.

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sandi Wallace is a new voice in Australian crime fiction, very much reminiscent of Peter Temple in her description of very familiar landscapes both in Melbourne and Daylesford where most of the story is set. I was very excited to read about these places, which I could clearly picture and relate to. Initially I did find the unfolding of the storyline a little slow...preferring my crime fiction a bit more fast paced but by the end I found that I was eagerly turning the pages in anticipation of what was coming, unable to put the book down. I was not disappointed as the story unfolded and the fate of many of the characters was revealed. There was something very down to earth and typically Australian about these characters and you couldn't help but like them. I think, though you do not need to be an Aussie or familiar with the setting, to enjoy this quite confronting and gritty crime novel. Sandi does not hold back and like, Georgie, her protagonist, gets right into the action. Sandi is definitely a contender to rival many of the current crime/thriller writers and I look forward to the next installment in the lives of Georgie and Franklin.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclaimer's First: I'm one of the publisher's minions, and whilst I don't always participate in considering possible submissions, in this case I was fortunate enough to read an early draft - and well did a bit of barracking.

So think of this as less of a review and more a restating of the reasons why I was really pleased that Clan Destine Press decided to publish TELL ME WHY.

There's been a tendency in Australian Crime Fiction to skew the use of rural settings to historical, sometimes the amateur detective, and all too frequently, the barking mad. Anybody who follows my reviews will know I've got a serious allergy to the mad bad toothless lunatic lurking behind the gum trees just waiting to have away with the poor city based non-suspecting types. It's insulting, but more so it's a cheap shot. TELL ME WHY doesn't do that. There's a realistic portrayal of country life built into the story here with a missing farmer, a country town that's real (albeit one that's now a very popular destination for non-locals to take up residence). Even that's not over-played however, and the balance between locals and incomers fair.

Then we've got the different personality types - the strong-willed principled city girl who finds herself on a quest for answers and running away from her present. It feels real, and even though it's a portrayal that's been done before, there's personality in Georgie and enough to make people want to cheer for her. In the same way the strong, almost silent, local country maverick cop John could be a cliché but he's not. His concern for local residents, his bafflement over the raising of a teenage daughter all works, and is strong enough to lift the expected elements.

And to be fair, there's only so many different ways that crime fiction characters can pan out - although in this case, the pairing of the amateur (writer) and the professional (cop) is believable, as is the instant dislike, as is the grudging acceptance, as is the resolution.

It's always a good feeling to see a local debut novel with considerable promise and there's an even better feeling when you've been privileged to see it so very early in its evolution. Here's hoping Sandi Wallace writes another in the series, and readers out there are as excited about TELL ME WHY as much as we all are.

http://www.austcrimefiction.org/revie...

[Alex Cantone · Rating 3 out of 5]

Before starting to read this debut book, I looked through my notes on the second in the Rural Crimes series (Dead Again), set in Victoria and revolving around Melbourne-based writer Georgie Harvey and Daylesford Senior Sergeant John Franklin, single parent to Kat, which I read three years ago. That one left me bemused, wondering what he saw in her.

This one fills that gap to some extent. Georgie’s elderly neighbor pleads with her to look up a dear friend in Daylesford who, out of character, is not answering her phone. Avoiding the prospect of Sunday lunch with her partner AJ’s parents, the lead-footed chain-smoking Georgie heads west in her Alfa Romeo Spider, to the farm the old girl shared with her husband, who disappeared years earlier, on the night of a mysterious fire. John Franklin is distracted by his teenage daughter - mixing with the wrong crowd - and a series of poison-pen letters sent by a religious nut to young unmarried mothers in the town. When Harvey’s and Franklin’s paths cross in this slow-burning, crime-with-romance, there is hardly any fireworks. That comes much later, and takes a murder before local police take it seriously.

I would have liked this a lot better except for the editing: the author uses chapters labelled with days/dates, which is fine except, as I turned a page, I had to get my head around a sudden switch in narratives. A few is fine, many is annoying. Maybe it’s a Melbourne “thing”. A couple of line breaks, a separator, a dropped capital or change in typeface would have improved the reading experience. Then, the dogged Georgie sets out for Gippsland to locate an underworld figure’s wife, talking to three blue-rinse customers in a hairdressers. On a Sunday? In rural Victoria? Is she kidding?.

The solving of both crimes was well-written, bordering on harrowing at times, but then it goes all mushy. Overall, a good read, but not my kind of book.

[J.M. Peace · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a police officer who has served in a rural town myself, I was interested on what Wallace would make of crime in the country. An intriguing plot involving a missing woman wound through with a 'poison pen' subplot keep the tension high and the pages turning. But where Wallace really nails it is on the characterisations. The portrayal of country cop and single dad, Sen Con Franklin is just spot-on. I actually know officers like this, it completely rang true for me. This also applies to the other officers and internal politics at the station. The police aspect of this novel has depth and believability, avoiding all the tired stereotypes.

Daylesford provides a scenic backdrop for the majority of the novel and Wallace gives the reader a real sense of the beauty of the countryside.

As far as Australian crime novels go, this debut is a cracker. I look forward to getting my hands on the sequel in November.

[Kerri Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s great to read some local Australian (set in Victoria) crime. I was a bit perplexed by the motive at the end but can’t wait to see where the characters take me in the next two books. A good start to this series.

[Helen Goltz · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good rural crime book by Sandi Wallace. I could relate to the characters, see them as drawn and understand their wins and frustrations.

Two great crime plots kept the story moving along with clever twists and a hint of romance to keep us on our toes.

I'm looking forward to reading book two in the rural crime series.

[Lise · Rating 4 out of 5]

The disappearance of a senior is far more complex than it seems on the surface.

Georgie Harvey's neighbour asks her to check on her friend, not knowing that the simple favour will have unintended consequences. John Franklin, a police officer, is initially irked by Georgie's investigation but finds his casework diverts him from her seemingly bothersome quest.

It's difficult to pigeonhole this book. It's not a cosy, though the lead character is a female amateur sleuth. It's not entirely a police procedural though police work is a good part of the plot. It's not even a thriller, though excitement ramps up in later pages. It is, however, a meaty read with many "I didn't see that coming" moments.

I totally dug in and absorbed everything Tell Me Why had to offer. This was a thrilling adventure that lasted me the better part of a week to finish. I loved the dynamic between the two main characters and their commitment to the truth. I also appreciated meeting a current version of Australia that I hadn't encountered in books by other authors. I'm shocked that I didn't discover this novel when it was first published. I'll definitely be following this series after a breather; I need to recover, first!

One caveat for those people who are bothered by "blue language", this one is not for you. I, on the other hand, felt that the verboten words were used appropriately and authentically.

[Rosalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘Tell me why’ is a stand-alone novel set in Victoria but it is also the first in a proposed Rural Crime series. The main character, Georgie is a young impetuous writer who is very likeable as she is fearless, full of spunk a bit foolhardy but is also a kind person and drives a “spider” which is a 1984 Alfa Romeo (p19) which “cost less than a brand-new buzz box but looked a million dollars, had capital-A Attitude and lots of go.”
Georgie and her boyfriend A. J. (a solicitor) live in a flat in the backyard of a pensioner couple, Ruby and George. When Ruby is unable to contact her friend Susan, she asks Georgie to look for her and because of her caring personality Georgie finds herself in the midst of a crime scene in Daylesford, the town near where Susan lived on a farming property.
I enjoyed this novel and I liked the characterisation, the plot and the themes. The main characters are likeable and plausible. Georgie and Franklin are well described so the reader can understand their current difficult relationships and their frustrations with their friends and relatives. There is a good mix between the main possible crime, that of the missing Susan and the local crimes that Franklin is trying to solve. Furthermore, the contrast between good and evil is explored when presumed decent people are caught in wrong place at the wrong time and come across the outright wickedness of organised crime figures.
I only have two niggly issues.
1. Why does Georgie have to smoke, I know I’m being pedantic? and
2. I may have missed something but what happened to Wells the pretentious constable who annoys Franklin, he seemed to have disappeared by the end of the book?

[Claire Louisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great introduction to this rural crime series. There were so many twists and turns it was great, I had no idea what was going to happen next. Georgie's character is very determined and sometimes finds herself in trouble as she does like to jump right into situations. I really liked policeman John Franklin's character and really look forward to the next installment in the Rural Crime Files series.

[Cassandra Doon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sandi Wallace's debut mystery novel is a captivating blend of suspense and Australian charm. With vivid descriptions, she expertly paints the backdrop of rural Australia, capturing the essence of small towns and sprawling farms. Her main character, Georgie Harvey, is a strong-willed woman with a sharp mind and a compassionate heart. When her elderly neighbor Ruby asks for her help in checking on their mutual friend Susan in Daylesford, Georgie doesn't hesitate to lend a hand. Despite Susan's husband disappearing in a tragic fire years ago, she and Ruby have remained in touch through weekly calls. However, when Susan suddenly stops answering her phone, Ruby becomes worried and enlists Georgie's aid. As Georgie delves deeper into the investigation, she must also navigate personal struggles including a demanding boss and a partner who wants marriage. But as she uncovers more about Susan's past and the mysterious circumstances surrounding her husband's disappearance, Georgie can't shake off the feeling that something sinister is at play. The tension builds slowly until it reaches an explosive climax that will keep readers on the edge of their seats until the very end.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Australian stories and this one introduces a new character, Georgie Harvey who is a bit of a heroine in spite of herself. There's romance, times two? - guess that will be settled in future books. Well written, nicely paced , mysterious and quite thrilling. The background of the country towns and country policing is well handled.

[Nissie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy to read, got into it right from the start. Loved it. Re-read it this year and loved even more.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well crafted crime novel that invites the reader to understand and imagine its Australian setting and characters.

[Pat Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grabs you from the first paragraph

I feel as if I know every character in the story. I particularly enjoyed the suspense mixed with hints of romance. Absolutely couldn't put it down until the end. Then I cried that it was over.

[Black Butterfly · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE STORY TAKES PLACE IN A SMALL RURAL TOWN IN AUSTRIALA. I REALLY ENJOYED THE CHARACTERS AND THE STORYLINE AND EVEN THOUGH IT IS A SERIES EACH BOOK IS A STAND ALONE. EACH BOOK ENDS BUT THE CHARACTERS OVERLAP INTO THE NEXT BOOK. THIS WAS BK#4 AND I PLAN ON READING SOME MORE OF THESE. ;D

[Isobel Blackthorn · Rating 4 out of 5]

The twin elements that will win the hearts of crime fiction fans are setting and an interesting sleuth. In Tell Me Why Wallace has both. The setting is Daylesford, a small country town east of Melbourne famous for its proximity to Hepburn Springs, rendering the locale a lure for the rich and famous, an area of luxury hotels and spa retreats. Knowing this before opening Tell Me Why, the reader may be forgiven for anticipating an Agatha Christie cosy mystery, or a sort of corporate crime conspiracy novel. Tell Me Why is neither. The novel is firmly situated in the sub-genre of Australian rural crime, since there is such a thing.

The novel has two sleuths, senior constable John Franklin, and Melbourne-based writer Georgie Harvey, each investigating a separate mystery. The inclusion of two sleuths, one from the country, the other the city, plays to the theme of the rural-city divide, although the dichotomy serves more as a backdrop than as an issue explored and developed in a literary sense. Both Franklin and Harvey are well-crafted characters, satisfyingly complex and damaged. Neither sleuth is especially likeable at first. Both are hard edged, carrying their hurts and prejudices close. Both are judgemental, Harvey more so, her heart filled with resentments and frustrations, whereas Franklin is prone to the sort of casual sexism found in Australian rural society. Through both pairs of eyes social realism veers close to stereotyping, with single mothers under the spotlight.

Inevitably, the various foibles of Franklin and Harvey drive the plot. The story opens with a short prelude, a catastrophic fire and a mystery. From there the narrative jump cuts from Franklin to Harvey, as their individual inquiries unfold.

The jump cuts work well, if making for a seemingly disjointed narrative at first, more demanding of the reader’s attention. The style makes for a fast pace and creates natural tension, the reader forced to wait for vital information as her attention is diverted back and forth between the points of view. What unfolds is a cracking plot. There is never a dull moment. The reader sinks into the story, confident the author is in control of the narrative and won’t disappoint. No small feat. Crime readers are a sharp bunch, likely to extract a calculator to check up on a distance or a passage of time. Thankfully, Wallace manages to avoid stepping outside the bounds of plausibility.

The writing is strong, gritty, earthy and witty at times. Tell Me Why is a considered work, written with care. Wallace knows her craft. Tell Me Why is a perfect balance of action, dialogue, and reflection. Description is kept to a minimum, just enough to be evocative. Wallace knows her readership too. Themes appealing to female crime lovers abound. Mothers and babies, the strong bonds of female friendship, a cast of utterly believable and endearing minor characters, all held together in a pleasing the rural setting.

Tell Me Why makes for compulsive reading. The novel should appeal to crime lovers everywhere. I am looking forward to reading the newly released sequel, Dead Again.


I REVIEWED THIS BOOK FOR THE AUSTRALIAN WOMEN WRITERS CHALLENGE.

[Rowena Holloway · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

This first novel from Australian crime writer Sandi Wallace is a solid debut that promises to be an intriguing series.

Georgie Harvey’s bad day is made worse when her kindly neighbour, Ruby, is taken ill and Georgie is guilted into searching for Ruby’s friend who may or may not have gone missing from her home near Daylesford, Victoria’s premier resort district. Susan Pentecost hasn’t been seen for a few days, which is unusual, but no one seems unduly concerned, least of all Senior Constable John Franklin who writes off sexy outsider Georgie as a flake. Franklin has his own troubles—a surly teenage daughter who seems bent on trouble, and a perplexing series of threatening poison-pen letters quoting scripture and denouncing single mothers. Georgie’s blunt questions stir trouble and soon Franklin, caught up in his own case, has to concede that Susan Pentecost’s absence may be a cause for concern. But John Franklin’s change of heart may have come too late for both Georgie and Susan.

Tell Me Why is solid storytelling with a heightened sense of place. From the opening line true Aussie voices leap from the page and there is a great sense of rising tension as both mysteries deepen. For a good half of the book it is unclear whether Susan is missing or just away and it is easy to feel Georgie and Franklin’s frustration with the case and each other. There is an attention to detail which transports you straight to the location, though some, like the realistic rendering of daily police life, tend to slow the action in places. The structure and the choice to switch between points of view was effective and worked well during climactic moments, yet occasionally there was too little time to connect emotionally with the character before moving to the other’s point of view. Nevertheless, Wallace makes us care about the characters and the fate of Susan and keeps us guessing about the reason behind the escalating events. In Tell Me Why Wallace builds a great sense of the community and their uneasy acceptance of the outsiders who invade their townships. The slow revelation of the reason for Susan’s absence is beautifully handled.

Tell Me Why is a great start to Wallace’s Rural Crime Files series with plenty of baggage for Franklin and Georgie to contend with in future stories. Wallace leaves both main characters contemplating major changes in their circumstances and I’m intrigued to see where her next novel takes this series.

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had the pleasure of meeting Sandi at the Upwey Grassroots Market and buying the book directly from her. I found the beginning of the book a little slow but this directly correlated with Georgies' frustration at having the authorities take her concerns seriously. I enjoyed the story from both perspectives and like Michael Connelly, Sandi uses the sense of place really well. Particularly the laborious drive from Melbourne up the freeway! I'm not averse to a little 'will they/won't they' in my romance and I look forward to seeing how she'll resolve this in the future. I'll be looking out for the next instalment.

[Mary O'Riordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant read from start to finish, I couldn't put it down. A full and accomplished novel within itself but also a great opening to what I hope will be a long running series of Rural Crime Files books featuring Georgie Harvey and John Franklin. Both protagonists are likable and well developed and as much I'm looking forward to reading about their next case I'm also excited to catch up with their personal lives.

[Richenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tell Me Why was like a block of chocolate I couldn't leave alone...and I have to confess to having improper thoughts about John Franklin!

[Sherry Mackay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad for a first novel. 3.5 really. Great to read a book set in a place you have visited. I enjoyed reading an Australian mystery.

[Lynda Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great debut tale and I'll be reading more of the series for sure. However, being as it's set in Australia, she uses a lot of Aussie slang and acronyms and it became a little irritating having to keep on stopping reading to google exactly what she meant. I mean, you CAN get by without looking them up but I like to know what I'm reading. It could have done with a little glossary at the beginning for us Limeys and Yanks who are probably reading it !!
There are some funny lines in this and I always appreciate the Aussies' language being similar to our use of it, only they're not afraid to put pen to paper in the same way. The Brits tend to get a little too uptight when it comes to the written word. So I appreciate it because that IS how real people speak.
I wrote so many little notes throughout guessing at this or that person doing something or other and was wrong in each instance so it keeps you on your toes !!
There was a peculiar headline used which had 2 proper whoppers of spelling errors-BIZZARE: 'MISING BODY MYSTERY' which made me gasp and she wrote Google minus the capitalisation, which was needed in the context she used it and I spotted Noonan's written and not Noonans' when she usually got the apostrophes in the correct position. Hard to believe that headline made it through proofreading or editing, though.....
I did consider Mrs Blyte made some valid points in what she had to say, contentious though it was. I looked up St Andrew's Church and it's so sad it's been let go, according to the author, as it's a splendid building.
I liked the characters and wonder how Georgie will fare in the sequel to this one regarding her personal arrangements. Not sure I'd want to be in her position. I hope her car wasn't too bashed up at the end, either ! The same with Franklin's career choice which remains to be seen.

[The Honest Book Reviewer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd call this part police procedural and part cosy mystery, because there are two main mysteries in this book, and each is investigated by a different protagonist. One protagonist is a police officer in Daylesford, a small town in rural Australia, and the other protagonist is an ex-lawyer who's trying to become a writer, and she is investigating the case of a missing woman. It just so happens that the two cases are in the Daylesford area, which is how the two protagonists cross paths.

Like most police procedurals, this story has a slower pace, as it builds the investigation along with interviews and digging for clues. I enjoyed how the author played out the different investigations, where it shows the difference between the amateur sleuth and the police. It displayed a flexible narrative and shaped the characters well. From this first book in the series, of which there are currently four, I have to say I engage more with John Franklin and Georgie Harvey. I found the latter to be a bit awful as a character, to be honest.

While I thought the author did a great job with the rural setting and I found the two cases intriguing, I did have issues with the structure of the story, where the narrative switched between the two protagonists too quickly and too often. There were moments where one character was in the middle of a tense scene and the narrative would switch for one paragraph to the other character and then back again. It pulled me out of those tense moments, and I didn't want to be. It's obviously a style choice, but not one I'm a huge fan of.

Still, the story overall in engaging and this is full of interesting and lifelike characters. I have the next two books in the series (all from the library) and I'm looking forward to reading them all.

[Natelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Georgie Harvey doesn’t want trouble. She just wants to write and have a little fun. But when her elderly neighbor asks her to help locate a friend who has suddenly become unavailable, she eventually agrees to do some research. Her research takes her far from home where she comes to know the missing woman, her late husband, and many other colorful characters. She also digs deeper than some people would like into the disappearance and finds herself in a predicament. Will she persevere?

The story interested me and the characters and story amused me enough to read to the end though the last couple of chapters seemed more of a romance novel than a mystery. Maybe they are building up to why the series will continue.

[Linda Rorex · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book in the Georgie Harvey and John Franklin series by Sandi Wallace. Georgie Harvey is a writer who travels to the mineral springs region of Daylesford, Victoria, Australia to investigate the disappearance of a local farmer. As Georgie digs deeper, she uncovers an unsolved mystery surrounding the woman's husband. John Franklin is the local constable and single father working on a case involving a stalker targeting unwed mothers. As Georgie and Franklin work together sparks start to fly. As their investigations intertwine, long buried secrets resurface, attracting dangerous enemies. I really enjoyed this amazing mystery crime thriller novel.