Shadows of the Sounds - Book One: The Quiet Water

The Quiet Water

Shadows of the Sounds, Book One

An empty boat drifts on perfectly calm water in the Marlborough Sounds.

Its owner, Alan Mercer, is nowhere to be found.

His wallet, phone and keys are still aboard. There is no obvious sign of an accident, no distress call and nothing to explain why an experienced local would simply disappear.

But Senior Constable Jim Storey knows the Sounds, and something about the scene doesn't feel right.

What begins as a search for one missing man soon draws Jim and Constable Mia Rangi into a trail stretching from Havelock's marina to isolated bays, remote properties and events buried deep in the region's past. As another family becomes caught in the mystery, old friendships are tested, long held secrets begin to surface and Jim discovers that some people will go to extraordinary lengths to keep the past exactly where they left it.

In the Marlborough Sounds, distance can hide a great deal. So can loyalty, family and time.

But Jim Storey has spent years listening to people, and he knows that the smallest detail is often the one that matters.

Set among the harbours, bush clad hills and isolated communities of one of New Zealand's most beautiful regions, The Quiet Water is an atmospheric mystery filled with believable characters, dry Kiwi humour and a puzzle that deepens with every discovery.

The first novel in the Shadows of the Sounds mystery series.