March 21, 2023
Set in the brooding wilderness of the Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Echo Lake is the compelling debut thriller by author and screenwriter Joan Sauers. Sitting on the cosier side of crime, Echo Lake introduces us to a raft of small-town personalities who would fit nicely into an episode of Midsummer Murders. Recently divorced historian Rose moves to the Southern Highlands for a fresh start and becomes entangled in a missing persons case when she finds a roll of film buried in her backyard. When a woman dies mysteriously after being visited by Rose, she launches her own investigation in order to clear the cloud of suspicion that has settled over her. The landscape and characters come alive under Sauers’ penmanship, with striking descriptions of the region; however, at several points the novel loses momentum. The crime is often swallowed up by a series of sidebars and threads that are likely being introduced for potential sequels. While this adds contextual depth to the town, its residents and the life that Rose now has, any suspense or tension built in the preceding or subsequent action becomes diluted. For example, dramatic climax would have benefitted from receiving more airtime than Rose’s ghost-hunting exploits or the feud she has with Vi at the tartan shop. Nonetheless, this is an enjoyable thriller that fans of M C Beaton, Ann Cleeves and Richard Osman will find satisfying, offering the reader a captivating crime with a visually beautiful backdrop.