The Chasm by Bronwyn Hall

Publisher's Synopsis

Every town needs somewhere to hide their secrets.

Andy King knew she should never return to Stonefield. Ten years ago, her boyfriend Will Hoffman disappeared without a trace and most people in the town thought she was to blame. But a decade is a long time to be homesick, and she isn't technically going back there. Only to Taplin, a small town in the neighbouring valley, far enough away from Stonefield she can stay under the radar, but close enough to the mountains that she can feel their pulse and breathe their special brand of oxygen. And it's only for four weeks, after all.

But Andy didn't bargain on running into those who are still looking for Will, the ones who have the most to lose if he is ever found. Andy will go to her grave before she reveals what had happened back then, but when she realises that those same people have other secrets hidden in the mountains, it's clear she's once again in their way. And this time sending her to her grave is exactly their intention.

My Review of The Chasm by Bronwyn Hall

Andy King is a vet working as a locum in a small town nestled in the Victorian mountains. She has returned to the region in which she grew up and is fearful of the fact that there will be people who remember the events that took place immediately before she left the town of Stonefield. But she made a promise to her friend Matt that she would take over his practice while he took a break.

All seems to be tracking nicely as Andy performs the routine tasks required of a vet in a country practice. Checking for pregnant cows, desexing goats and removing grass seeds from dog’s ears are all standard jobs and Andy is adept at each. She stays comfortably removed from the locals, getting in, doing her job and getting out again, all part of the plan to remain under the radar. But that changes while she’s on the Landers property where she meets young Ethan Landers, his sick sister and her support dog Angel and their horse Big Jack.

It’s while she’s on the Landers property that the first sign of trouble starts in the form of a drone that sweeps slowly over the land. She learns that the reason it’s doing this is because a large corporate neighbour wants to build an access road through one of their paddocks. It’s an intimidatory tactic that’s been going on for some time trying to get Ethan to sign away part of the farm.  

Just when it appears we’re getting a Victorian-set James Herriott type of story, things take a turn for the dangerous as intimidation turns into abduction and the pace of the story abruptly changes. The easy country life becomes a full-on drama and Andy is thrust squarely in the centre of it in a classic life or death struggle.

This is a strong thriller that divides into two distinctly different halves that serve the purpose of setting the scene before unleashing the action. The first half of the book establishes the promise of what could be a pleasant lifestyle in an idyllic setting. There’s a hint of a possible romance and perhaps a solid long-term job opportunity. But it also hints at a hidden past and a dangerous man who’s part of that past. It’s a rather careful build up to establish a rapport with Andy as well as an understanding of her strengths and weaknesses.

In contrast, the second half is far more explosive as the vaguely threatening overtones are realised in a violent invasion. Suddenly, the story of a vet doing her rounds becomes a desperate chase to evade killers while also trying to figure out how to save someone who has been abducted.

There are some great moments of ingenuity and good use of modern technology throughout as the idyllic landscape is the vital scene for the hunter and the hunted to play. Difficulties such as the steep mountain slopes, the thick bushland and the chasm for which the title takes its name all play crucial roles. 

The Chasm turns out to be a frantic thriller stacked with moments of close calls and danger. It benefits from a thoughtful backstory to provide added depth to the main characters and to further establish the threat from the bad guys. It’s another quality small-town Aussie thriller that I found completely absorbing.