I enjoy reading all sorts of fiction, although romance is my first love. I also love Australian authors and stories set in Australia. Throw in a strong female protagonist who goes after what she wants and listens to her intuition – and I can’t resist.
I’ve just finished a fantastic read by dual Australian-Canadian citizen Tara Moss, Dead Man Switch. It’s the first book of Tara’s I’ve read, but her twelfth, though not all her books are fiction. It’s a crime thriller set in Sydney in 1946 and her main protagonist, Ms Billie Walker, is a private inquiry agent, because it wasn’t possible to call yourself a private detective at the time.
Billie is back in Sydney after working as a journalist reporting on the war in Europe. As a former journalist, I can relate to the impact of covering hard news (there is a reason I write romance), though Billie has been through much more than most.
She has a missing husband and a strong determination to “walk” her own path as an independent woman in a time when women were told to vacate the jobs they’d taken up to help the war effort, and get back to the kitchen – so not Billie’s style. And Billie has a lot of style, with her carefully tended wardrobe and signature Fighting Red lipstick.
The book brought to life a vibrant and gritty picture of post-war Sydney. But I was equally impressed with the way Tara conveyed her own values through the plot and her characters. Curious, I did a bit of research and discovered Tara is a vocal advocate for women and children’s rights. In the story Dead Man Switch, a minor but important character is aboriginal woman Shyla. I won’t give away the role she plays, but it was a powerful part of the narrative and gave the story a lot of heart.
Speaking of heart, there are enough romantic elements humming along to keep this romance reader/writer happy. Billie has definite chemistry with her secretary Sam, a returned serviceman; and there is a hint of something brewing in the air between her and Detective Inspector Hank Cooper. More please!
Tara acknowledged American crime writer Raymond Chandler as an influence and I hope like Mr Chandler’s Philip Marlowe, we get to see more of Billie Walker in future books. It was fun to have such an appealing and classy character to care about as she dealt with the after-effects of the European war, on home soil.
Speaking of characters I care deeply about, I’m busy editing Ryan’s Return, out soon. I’m in love with the fabulous cover which brings this story to life perfectly, particularly my hero Ryan. You can see why my protagonist, Aurora Conroy, a strong independent woman like Billie, knows he’s trouble. Ryan Harrington can’t forget their shared past and the ties that connect them. It’s why he has to resist the temptation she is, for both their sakes. This story is set in Granite Ridge, the hometown of Seth from His New Year’s Wish. If you haven’t already, don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter to read Seth’s story for free and get the news first about my books.
Until next time, happy reading.
XO
Sara
PS: Dead Man Switch is being published internationally in May as The War Widow.