The second novel from author Bronwyn Hall, THE CHASM is set in and around a fictional small town in Victoria's rugged mountains. Andy King has returned to Stonefield 10 years after her boyfriend, Will Hoffman, disappeared without a trace, something all the locals blamed her for. Despite the animosity, King promised an old friend in a nearby town that she would help out at his veterinary practice so he could take a break, which means she's busy with the day to day activities of a country vet, so she's nearby "technically" but not quite back at the scene of the disappearance.
Staying away from the locals has been easier than she hoped, arriving in Stonefield when required, for the typical call outs that vet's do, doing that job and then getting out again. Until everything changes at the Landers place where she met Ethan, and his family including a very ill sister, her support dog, and her horse Big Jack.
It's while she's at the Landers that she gets a hint of something going on around town, as a drone slowly sweeps backwards and forwards - something to do with the corporate neighbour, and the flat out intimidation that's going on as they try to force an access road through the Landers place.
The first half is obviously setting up a backstory for all the characters, anchoring, in particular, King's past firmly in this place, outlining what she lost when forced to move away. It's the mystery side of the novel, setting everyone in place, building the full story of the past and King's life since childhood.
The second half is when the switch is flipped to thriller styling, when gentle exercising of Big Jack turns into fleeing, drones that were surveying farmland start actively tracking people, and a big forestry property starts to look like anything but. Add to that abductions, and all sorts of immediate threats and you'd be forgiven for thinking you'd accidentally started another book. There is, to bring you back to the first half though, a bit of romantic potential, and there's a voice always there in the background - a childhood friend of King's that she's obviously close to, hiding something that is revealed as both halves of the book progress.
Connection to Andy King is going to be absolutely key to reader's enjoyment of this novel. No connection to her, and the past that haunts her, her longing to be back in the place where it all started, no matter how harrowing the memories, and her attraction / interest in Ethan could come across as distracting or even a bit on the soap opera side. Connection to her and all of that is building that mystery - so many reasons to ask why she's doing this to herself, what she's got to achieve, and even more reasons to feel the threats that come even more acutely.
The Chasm
Atmospheric, thrilling and twisty - a white-knuckled mystery set among Victoria's most rugged mountains from an exciting new voice in Australian noir. Perfect for fans of Wake and Exiles .
Every town needs somewhere to hide their secrets. Andy King knew she should never return to Stonefield. Ten years ago, her boyfriend Will Hoffman disappeared without a trace and most people in the town thought she was to blame. But a decade is a long time to be homesick, and she isn't technically going back there. Only to Taplin, a small town in the neighbouring valley, far enough away from Stonefield she can stay under the radar, but close enough to the mountains that she can feel their pulse and breathe their special brand of oxygen. And it's only for four weeks, after all. But Andy didn't bargain on running into those who are still looking for Will, the ones who have the most to lose if he is ever found. Andy will go to her grave before she reveals what had happened back then, but when she realises that those same people have other secrets hidden in the mountains, it's clear she's once again in their way. And this time sending her to her grave is exactly their intention.