#BookReview: INTO THE NIGHT by Sarah Bailey @sarahbailey1982 @CorvusBooks

Publication: 1st November 2018 – Corvus

Senior Detective Gemma Woodstock is a small-town policewoman working on the biggest homicide cases in Melbourne. When an up-and-coming movie star is stabbed to death while the cameras are rolling on his new blockbuster, Gemma, eager to prove herself, is assigned to the case.

With the whole thing caught from multiple angles, how hard can it be to catch the crazed culprit? And who would want to hurt Australia’s adored boy-next-door? As Gemma uncovers the deadly underside of fame, her investigation turns into a dangerous game against those with money, power and everything to lose…

I have been waiting to read the new novel by Sarah Bailey since last year, when I first read The Dark Lake. The plot was really intriguing and I found myself completely immersed not only in the investigation of the homicide at the centre of the novel, but also in the life of the protagonist, detective Gemma Woodstock. So, when I started reading INTO THE NIGHT, I was, once again, completely captivated by the story, the investigation, and the characters, and I read it in two days.

Following the events of The Dark Lake, Gemma Woodstock has left her father, her five-year-old son Ben, and the small town of Smithson behind and moved to Melbourne where she is a senior detective in the homicide squad. She is one of the lead detectives in the homicide of a movie rising star, killed while shooting a movie in the middle of the street. Between hundreds of witnesses who didn’t see anything and family and friends of the victim who hide the truth, Gemma’s investigation becomes more and more complicated.

Sarah Bailey creates gripping and suspenseful mysteries that are hard to figure out and that keep me on the edge of my seat. The story is full of twists and the truth was really unexpected and surprising. I also love the setting of Australia, atmospheric and so well-described that it really makes me want to visit it. But what I really loved about Sarah Bailey’s novels is the protagonist, detective Gemma Woodstock. I find her flawed, realistic, and well-developed. In this novel, Gemma is still dealing with the emotional scars left after the events of The Dark Lake: the homicide of someone she knew, her love affair with her partner, her relationship with her son’s father, her failings as a mother. She moved to Melbourne for a fresh start, but she is still trying to adapt to the big city and she is still getting to know her colleagues. Page after page, I find myself feeling for her and cheering for her and I am really hoping to read more about this character in the future.

I’d like to thank Corvus for accepting my NetGalley request of this addictive and terrific novel.