Halfmoon Lane by Paula Hillman

In this taut new thriller from the author of Chapel Field, one weekend of passion puts a woman at the center of a scandal that threatens to bury her . . .

When a spark ignites, Nina and Gabriel Da Silva, the mercurial busker at Halfmoon Lane, spend one weekend together at Nina’s isolated beachside home. Soon after, Nina receives some terrible news: Gabriel’s body has been found, and she’s been named a prime suspect.

Can Nina ever begin to piece her life back together or atone for her mistakes?

It turns out both conscience and love are heavy burdens, and Nina must learn to lean on the friends she has held at arm’s length . . .

Review

‘Halfmoon Lane’ is an atmospheric read with an engrossing storyline and brilliant characters! I have read a few books by this author now and I have thoroughly enjoyed them and this one was no exception. I loved the dramatic setting of Nina’s home at the end of nowhere and it was fascinating to read about the female relationships contained in the narrative.

Nina runs a small marketing business and every day passes an enigmatic busker on her way to work. One day sparks ignite and she spends a passionate weekend with Gabriel Da Silva. However, when his body is soon found a few days later she becomes a person of interest, especially as not much is known about him. Can Nina recover from his tragedy?

I really enjoyed the main characters of Nina and her employee/friend Holly and how their relationship changes and evolves over the course of the book. Both are strong women, fiercely loyal and seeing how they cope with the situations in this story was very satisfying. Paula's stories always have a pivotal relationship in her books and for me this time it is this one. Paula’s writing is always so atmospheric and her sense of location is brilliant. This was a suspenseful read and I was engrossed from the start to the very end. Plus, there are quite a few brilliant revelations that even managed to surprise me!

Let me know if you pick this one up!