Wake - Shelley Burr

Wake is Shelley Burr's debut novel - one I quite enjoyed! 

Nannine is a tiny outback town in the center of Australia. Years ago it was a thriving community. Now it's known as the place where young Evelyn McCreery disappeared nineteen years ago. The case is still unsolved and draws many amateur sleuths to the area, all hoping to cash in the reward offer. Mina McCreery is Evelyn's sister. The loss has affected Mina's life greatly - she has become a recluse on her property, refusing to be interviewed or to speak about her sister. Until Lane, a private investigator arrives in Nannine. He has his own reasons for trying to solve the case. And he won't give in.

Burr has written a wonderful debut, successfully combining the mystery itself with the lives, thoughts and actions of the two wounded lead characters. Wake is a slow burn, perfecting suiting the plot. I liked the slow unfurling of clues, with plenty of time to decide if I was right in my guesses for the final whodunit. (I was and I wasn't) I had envisioned another ending, but the one Burr has written absolutely fits what came before.

Burr's own background adds lots of detail and authenticity to both her plot and the setting. I could feel the heat baking the ground, the vast open spaces, the isolation and the loneliness.

I chose to listen to Wake. The reader was Jacquie Brennan and she did a great job. Her Aussie accent is clear and pleasant to listen to. She speaks a good pace and is easy to understand. But I think the best thing was the tone of her voice. It's low, somewhat sultry and has a wonderful gravelly undertone. She never rushes and the pauses and tenor of her performance matches the meatal images and actions of the characters. A great performance of a great debut novel. I would absolutely pick up another by this author. Hear for yourself - listen to an audio excerpt of Wake.