by Poppy Gee
My brilliant University of Queensland writers’ group—James Halford, Jessica Miller, Sree Ramachandran, and Matt Sini—gave ruthless, thoughtful criticism that improved my writing. Over the years, my friend Eleanor Limprecht has read many terrible drafts of my writing, and she has given heartfelt feedback for which I am appreciative. I am lucky to have worked with talented writers such as these.
The scraps for a story come from many cupboards, and so do the motivation and inspiration for a first novel. First, thank you to my parents, Kaye and Nick Gee, and Lucy and George, Sophie and Paul, and Steven. I’m grateful to have such a close, encouraging family. In particular, I thank my mum for fostering a love of reading in all her children.
In the real Bay of Fires Conservation Area there is no village, no shop, no guesthouse, and no large campground. There is a group of family and friends who love the Bay of Fires area and together with my family we have shared many beautiful summers. I thank you all.
I am grateful to my wonderful teachers Mrs. Forster, Ms. Davies, and Mrs. Bryan from West Launceston Primary School for teaching me to read and write. English teachers are special people, and I thank those at Launceston Church Grammar School, especially Mr. Fairfax, Mrs. Frost, Mr. Leo, and Miss Pitt. Other teachers encouraged my passion for storytelling and language, in particular Mrs. Bailey-Smith, Mrs. Bower, Mrs. Evans, and Mr. Harris.
My first job as a journalist was on a Sydney newspaper, the Village Voice, and I wish to thank owner-publisher Kylie Davis and her staff for training me. During my time there as a cadet reporter, and eventually as the editor, I learned how to interview and how to write professionally.
I am grateful to fish experts Stuart Atherton and Paul DeIonno for allowing me to interview them about fishing. I hope I have not exposed too many of your fishing secrets!
The biggest challenge I faced in writing this novel was finding the time to write. This was made possible for me by the people who cared for my children at various times in the past few years: Sarah Newman, Amy Duncan, and the wonderful people at Kindypatch Paddington, Jahjumbeen Occasional Child Care Centre, and C&K Paddington Community Kindergarten.
My lovely mothers’ group gave me invaluable friendship as I wrote this novel—words cannot express what you all mean to me. Many others showed their support and interest in various ways, and I thank the Gee, Embery, Alvey, and Bell families, Helen Bennett, Ron Bennett, Madeleine Gallagher, Louise Grayson, Simon Groth, Dana Lomer, and Tim Velema.
I also wish to acknowledge the many strong, inspiring women in my family, especially my two grandmothers, Margaret Embery and Diana Gee, who are very much missed.
Finally, most importantly, thank you to my husband, William, my children, Scarlett and Miles, and my cat, Jet, for being such a nice family.
This novel was indirectly motivated by two separate tragedies: the disappearance of Nancy Grunwaldt and the murder of Victoria Cafasso, both overseas visitors to Tasmania whose untimely deaths remain unsolved. This is not their story. I simply wish to acknowledge these two women.
About the Author
Poppy Alice Marguerite Gee was born in Tasmania, Australia, in 1977. She lives in southeast Queensland with her husband, daughter, and son. She has written for and edited newspapers and magazines, and has taught journalism at university. She completed her master’s degree in creative writing at the University of Queensland in 2011, for which she received the Dean’s Award for Excellence. This is her first published work of fiction.
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Contents
Title Page
Welcome
Dedication
Preface
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Newsletters
Copyright
The characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
Copyright © 2013 by Poppy Gee
Cover design by Julianna Lee; cover art © Getty Images
Cover copyright © 2013 by Hachette Book Group, Inc.
All rights reserved. In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the publisher constitute unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), prior written permission must be obtained by contacting the publisher at [email protected]. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.
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First North American e-book edition: March 2013
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ISBN 978-0-316-20167-4
