SHADOWS IN THE MIST
by Maureen McMahon
Avid Press

From the opening page of the book when David announces "Your father has had a terrible accident, Suzanna," he said. "I'm afraid he's … dead." Right on to the last Maureen M MacMahon's 'Shadows in the Mist' will hold you in it's grasp.

"His voice had been emotionless. The words had slipped easily from his lips, like acid over steel. My first impulse was to laugh. The thought of Leopold Dirkston being mortal like the rest of us was preposterous. Yet I knew that David rarely joked, and would certainly not do so about something as macabre as my father's death. Disbelief was quickly replaced by horror."

Suzanna Dirkston returns to her family home thinking her father has drowned in the pool and finds herself caught up in an almost unbelievable tangle of murder, marriage to a man she doesn't want to marry, drugs and intrigue.

Author McMahon brings a singular viewpoint to her narrative as seen through the eyes of a frightened young woman who gradually comes to realize that what she has believed for so long regarding her family and friends may not be exactly as she has understood. McMahon's understanding for the complexity of life and her unclouded descriptive narrative pull the reader into the tale.

Filled with the Erle Stanley Gardner style deception that I so enjoy Shadows in the Mist is a 'keep you turning the page' read. The bewilderment felt by Suzanna is something the reader can feel. Desperation, confusion and light romance fill the pages of this lively tale. McMahon's talent is evident as you are caught up in this suspense filled thriller. Highly recommended.

This native of Niles, Michigan pursued her education in English and creative writing at Western Michigan University. She earned an elementary teaching certification as well as certification for teaching English/Creative Writing at all levels. Maureen traveled to Australia, her mother's natal home, in 1981 to visit relatives. It was there that she met her husband, Peter and they were married in 1983. She now resides in Wallington, on the Bellarine Peninsula, Victoria, with Peter, her two teenaged children, James and KatyAnne, two Labradors, two cats, and a cockatoo.