The Light at the Bottom of the Garden

[Uvi]

Just finished reading The Light at the Bottom of the Garden and here is my review:

This is a murder mystery, embellished with red herring of the Australian variety, to keep you guessing till the end. At its core, it presents the question: which one provides more guidance: reasoning, as exemplified by Mick Creedy, the head of the police force, who is investigating the murder—or intuition, masked at times as superstition and faith in magical forces, as exemplified in Eveling, the mother of a young woman who has mysteriously gone missing.

The conflict between Mick and Eveling drives the story forward, through all its twists and turns. “As she was driving off, Mick’s reflection in the mirror, his face a mask of worry, gave her a sharp pang of regret. Mick would be very unhappy if he knew her plans. Because she intended to go to the waterhole alone the next night. It was something she had to do… Mick didm;t understand because he didn’t believe in the paranormal.”

The author builds a delightful atmosphere of suspense: “A sudden splashing and clatter near the water had her wheeling around in fright. She breathed a sign of relief to see it was a small mob of horses that had made the racket. Their eyes burned bright in the light from her torch. She was too jumpy!” And just as we are allowed to relax for an instant, comes the real danger…

And just as Mick arrives in the nick of time, using his practical wit to solve the murder, the author, John Holland, leaves us with a final nod of recognition for the sixth sense, leaving the conflict open for us to weigh in.

Five stars.