Hunting Blind | Paddy Richardson

I'm so glad I've discovered this author. Richardson is a Newzealander, writing from the city of Dunedin and she has set this gripping story in familiar territory around the city of Dunedin, Central Otago, Kaikoura and the West Coast.
It is the story of a family in Wanaka,who at a school picnic, lose Gemma their four-year old daughter. It is devastating for the family and the community. No trace of her is ever found and the general belief is that she drowned in the lake. Stephanie, her older sister, becomes the main narrator of the rest of the book as she studies in the city of Dunedin to become a Psychiatrist. In one of her rounds she comes across a woman who eventually reveals her sister disappeared in the middle of the night and was feared drowned. She mentions a teacher who was friends of the family at the time...on a hunch Stephanie takes leave from work and wanders around the South Island hoping to answer some questions and come to terms with what she fears happened to Gemma. It is totally gripping and I couldn't put it down.
Totally engaging, intelligent and gripping (what DID happen?) this book is very well written. For those who have traveled in the South Island, the landscapes, town and cities described are familiar and the story takes on different dimension for being so recognizably set in New Zealand. I highly recommend this story and will look for her other books to read.

Buy at Fishpond.co.nz