* I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this book. *

At first light, Ava packs her sons and as many belongings as she can fit into her car, and heads for the coastal village of Sheerwater, without letting her husband know. On the way there, a plane crashes nearby. Ava stops to lend a hand and, with fellow bystander Simon, manages to haul the pilot to safety. Once the emergency services and police arrive, she returns to her car to find her boys have disappeared.

This is a taut and tense story with considerable plot momentum, which begs to be read in a single sitting - it's very hard to put down. Swann has come up with yet another powerful entry in the "rural Australian crime" genre. I would have rated it even more highly if she had chosen to explore some of her plot threads a little more, such as the crash survivors, who are barely more than props to establish the mise-en-scene, and barely referred to again. ( )

When a light plane crashes by the side of Victoria’s Great Ocean Road, Ava, a former emergency rescue worker, feels compelled to stop and render assistance. Leaving her two young sons, Max and Teddy, safely locked in the car with strict instructions to remain, she and and another passerby bravely pull the pilot and two frightened children from the wreckage moments before it explodes. When emergency services arrives Ava makes her way back to the car only to find it empty.

Alternating primarily between the perspectives of Ava, her estranged husband Laurence, and their oldest son, 9 year old Max, Sheerwater is a harrowing tale, skillfully executed by Leah Swann.

Ava’s fear for her missing sons is visceral, her confusion and anxiety building as the police question her every word. Laurence’s attempts to reframe the narrative are infuriating, and an all too familiar reflection of recent current events. Max’s courage is heartbreaking as he tries to care for and protect his four year old brother, Teddy.

The prose is lyrical and evocative, portraying nuanced character and emotion. Vivid imagery conjures a sense of place, no matter the setting.

Though there are a few elements I felt were perhaps out of place, they didn’t detract from my interest. Unfolding over a period of three days, the pace is intense, and the increasing tension utterly gripping. I was left shattered by the ending.

Both beautiful and brutal, Sheerwater is a compelling read. ( )