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The Beacon

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The Beacon

By: P. A. Thomas
Narrated by: Jamie Oxenbould
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SHORTLISTED FOR THE NED KELLEY AWARD FOR BEST DEBUT CRIME FICTION

A page-turning debut murder mystery, set in Byron Bay.

Jack Harris, the disgraced son of Australia's most powerful business tycoon, has just been exiled to Byron Bay as a junior journalist at his father's smallest regional newspaper, The Beacon. His arrival coincides with the disappearance of the newspaper's editor, Patrick O'Shaughnessy, while out on his morning surf. When Patrick's body is discovered in the ocean, with a severed leg, it appears certain that he's fallen victim to a shark attack.

But when rumours emerge that Patrick was about to publish an explosive article – its subject unknown – Jack begins to suspect his death is not what it seems.

Although police aren't buying his murder theory, Jack joins forces with Patrick's daughter and investigates anyway, taking a sometimes less than lawful dive into the newspaperman's past. Together they discover plenty of Byron locals with a motive to kill, including a bioholistic dentist with a secret, a naturist with an undisguised grudge, and even the mayor of Northern Rivers Shire. But has Jack bitten off more than he can chew?

Immensely entertaining, The Beacon is a murder mystery with a difference, bursting with humour, local colour, memorable characters and page-turning action.

'Set in Byron Bay, this beachside mystery is a fun-filled page-turner that kept me guessing, and smiling, the whole way through. A rip-roaring yarn with a satisfying plot and likeable characters, The Beacon is the perfect summer read.' – PATRICIA WOLF, author of Outback and Paradise©2024 Paul Thomas (P)2024 W. F. Howes Ltd Amateur Sleuths Crime Crime Thrillers Espionage Mystery Spies & Politics Suspense Thriller & Suspense Murder Witty
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Back in July, I purchased The Sunbaker by P.A.Thomas on impulse when I was visiting the new Readings in Chadstone. I picked it up because the cover art was interesting, and when I turned it over and read the blurb, it sounded like it'd be a lot of fun. Last week, it finally made it to the top of my TBR pile, and when I started reading it, I realised it was the second book in a series. So, I quickly downloaded the audiobook of the first book in the series (The Beacon) and fast-tracked it to the top of my list.

The Beacon opens with a shark attack coinciding with the arrival in town of Jack, who has arrived to work as a journalist at Byron Bay's regional newspaper. Rumours emerge that Patrick (the shark attack victim) was about to publish a top-secret exposé, and Jack begins to suspect his death was less Jaws and more All the President's Men.

Jack joins forces with Patrick's daughter, Caitlin and together they investigate, coming up with plenty of locals with a motive to kill, including the local holistic dentist, a nudist and even the mayor. The Beacon is a fun murder mystery which got quite twisty. There are plenty of unlikeable characters, but the main characters are warm and likeable. Thumbs up.
I'm looking forward to the second book.

Body count = 2. Maybe.

Fun. Twisty. Australian.

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Well written murder mystery with well sketched, likeable characters with warmth and humour. An underlying rhythm to drives you to keep listening when you should be sleeping.

Well paced murder mystery

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