When the body of Sharon Reese, a dedicated government employee, washes up on the shores of Lake Templeton, a small town on the coast of Vancouver Island, Private Investigator, Fati Rizvi, is determined to find out why. Everyone liked her, but no one knew much about her. Was she hiding something? Maybe a questionable past riddled with scandal. And did it lead to her plunge to death, in a drunken stupor, off the dock outside her secluded lakefront lodge? Was it an accident? A suicide? Or cold-blooded murder? With so many questions and secrets than run deeper than anyone could have imagined, it’s up to Fati to figure out how Sharon’s murder is connected to a cult escape, corrupt politics, a failing business and a multi-million dollar project before another body is discovered.
This is a first novel from Burnley and what really got me hooked was the fact that our heroine went against her Muslim family’s wished and joined Vancouver Police Force and then went on to become a Private Investigator after discovering the red tape stopped her doing her job to her own high standards. And she’s also in her mid 30’s and unmarried-even in modern times it’s still not a very common occurrence among her community. Which made me really like her so much more! Who doesn’t love a rebellious daughter who literally kicks butt and saves the day?!
The characters are well portrayed and solidly written, the plot is good, the twists are right there under your nose but you just don’t think about them until they’re right in front of you-what more could any crime thriller reader want from a brand new writer? I enjoyed it thoroughly!
Admittedly It took me a lot longer than anticipated to read this book, and I found my Kindle seem d to have formatted it weirdly (it was sent to me to read for this review so I’m not sure if it’s an error on my end or not) and despite a lot of difficult personal circumstances that I’ve been my sole focus lately, I still found myself drawn to reading it despite feeling like I just didn’t have the energy to do much else.
Keep an eye out for Burnley over the next few years. I think this is one to watch.
Author Biography.
HS Burney writes fast-moving, action-packed mysteries set against the backdrop of majestic mountains and crystalline ocean in West Coast Canada. She loves creating characters that keep you on your toes. A corporate executive by day and a novelist by night, HS Burney received her Bachelors’ in Creative Writing from Lafayette College. A proud Canadian immigrant, she takes her readers into worlds populated by diverse characters with unique cultural backgrounds. When not writing, she is out hiking, waiting for the next story idea to strike, and pull her into a new world.
Morelli’s Reads 
Thank you for such a fab review to close the tour with x
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