VintageI grabbed this book purely on face value - i.e. the jacket and the title which conspired to make me think I was in for a dark tale full of drama and suspense. I was, however, unprepared when the crunch finally came. This is mainly due to Dugian's skill at lulling us into a false sense of security amid the idyllic landscape of the Blue Mountains. She also distracts us with convincing characters. Her main character, Thea, is so comfortable in this environment that when she leads us to the actual precipice, we simply marvel at its beauty. Thea had planned for the perfect retirement dream home. This was not meant to be, though, and we learn from Thea's Journal, as well as her conversations with near neighbours and close friends how this dream evaporated. Circumstances and lessons learnt lead to the dramatic climax. It is Thea's story and the strength of the book is in her narration. Well worth reading.
BiP staff review by Sue
