The rural town, The Shallows, is recovering from bushfire and a devastating storm that caused a mudslide overnight - that same night Henry Weaver goes missing. His bike is found at the train station so everyone assumes that the 13-year-old has fled to Sydney - but that does sit right with Chloe Baxter, who has been like a big sister to Henry so why would he not tell her he was leaving. Chloe is not sure where to start but she is going to hunt down the clues, which all lead her back to Henry’s older brother, Mason, and that things were not right at home.

A brilliant YA mystery that slowly teases apart the secrets that keep a small town wantonly ignorant of the harsh realities beneath the surface. The pacing was excellent, with good balance between intrigue, action and shock reveal. I did guess the ‘reveals’ a few pages before they were known, validating my own reading of the clues - but I could not fathom the motive so that kept me hooked.

The novel also explores childhood trauma, mental abuse, alcoholism and gambling addiction within a small town environment - especially how healing offers of sanctuary and help can be to someone in need. A majority of these traumas are expressed in Mason’s chapters, which worked well to combat Chloe’s assumptions of him and leaving the reader to question Chloe’s motives in the accusations.

Overall a brilliant mystery that kept me on tenterhooks until the last page was turned.