Vendor
	Mohrbooks Literary Agency Marie Arendt
Categories
Historical adventure fiction

THE MYSTERY WOMAN

Belinda Alexandra

In a small town, everyone is watching... Secrets, scandal and betrayal in 1950s small town Australia: the stunning new novel from bestseller Belinda Alexandra.

She had thought Shipwreck Bay was simply a remote town where people were bored senseless with their little lives. Now she saw its virtuous facade hid something darker, more sinister. Rebecca Wood takes the role as postmistress in a sleepy seaside town, desperate for anonymity after a scandal in Sydney. But she is confronted almost at once by a disturbing discovery - her predecessor committed suicide. To add to her worries, her hopes for a quiet life are soon threatened by the attentions of the dashing local doctor, the unsettling presence of a violent whaling captain, and a corrupt shire secretary, as well as the watchful eyes of the town's gossips. Yet in spite of herself she is drawn to the enigmatic resident of the house on the clifftop, rumored to have been a Nazi spy. Against the backdrop of the turbulent sea, Rebecca is soon caught up in the dangerous mysteries that lie behind Shipwreck Bay's respectable net curtains. Belinda Alexandra has been published to wide acclaim in Australia, New Zealand, UK, US and in many countries in translation, She is the daughter of a Russian mother and an Australian father and has been an intrepid traveler since her youth. Her love of other cultures is matched by her passion for her home country, Australia, where she is a volunteer rescuer and carer for the NSW Wildlife Information Rescue and Education Service (WIRES).

Available products
Book Published 2020-09-02 by HarperCollins

Comments

A suspenseful mystery set against the evocative background of 1950s life in the coastal town of Shipwreck Bay and its dark underbelly of hidden secrets. A portrayal of psychological trauma and pain, abuse and violence, submerged beneath the veneer of 1950s mores and taboos that leaves you on the edge of your seat.

It's fresh, it's unique... and still maintains those trademark Belinda Alexandra details. Her writing sings, her characters are compelling (no cookie cutter characters in her stories) and the plot reels you in right from the get-go. Some serious themes are weaved into this eloquently told, suspenseful tale: domestic violence, women's issues, racism and conservation. Right from the glorious cover to the author's notes at the back, The Mystery Woman doesn't miss a beat. It is a fabulous page-turner, an atmospheric nod to Daphne du Maurier's 1938 classic, Rebecca, and yet another reason why Belinda Alexandra novels now go straight to the top of my TBR pile. Wonderful!

AUS: HarperCollins ; Greek: Dioptra

[An] evocative... mystery, brimming with grim secrets and gothic atmosphere.

An intriguing story of love, danger and self-discovery told with flair.

This intriguing mystery with its gothic undertones, its salute to Du Maurier's Rebecca, and its melange of colourful characters will have readers racing through the pages, trying to piece together the puzzles that have long haunted Shipwreck Bay. They'll also be cheering for main character Rebecca as she struggles against the societal norms of 1950s Australia, fighting to be true to her unconventional self, and to forgive herself - and to perhaps even find happiness.