Publisher: 5th August 2020 by Harlequin Australia, HQ & MIRA
Pages: 320 pages
How I Read It: ARC book
Genre: historical fiction, romance
My Rating: 3.5 cups
Synopsis:
A daring hold-up. Passion. Revenge. A mystery that will echo through the centuries. A compelling romantic adventure, perfect for readers who love Darry Fraser.
1874, The Victorian Goldfields.
In the town of Ironbark, Aurora Scott faces ruin as the railways supplant the Cobb & Co coach line, the lifeline of her hotel. Aurora is no stranger to adversity; the formidable publican has pulled herself from a murky past to build a respectable life in Ironbark. But when bushrangers storm the hotel, taking hostages as leverage for the Starburst Mine's payroll, Aurora has more trouble on her hands than she can handle.
This is no random act, but a complex scheme of revenge. The gang turn on each other. Shots ring out. And when the dust settles, the money has vanished, and so has Aurora Scott...
After 150 years, the mystery of the missing payroll has passed into folklore. And when journalist Melody Lawson helps her brother prepare for the town's annual Gold Hunt Weekend, she is just as drawn into the past as the tourists. But with a surprise inheritance her own family history becomes a puzzle, bound up with the fabled payroll - and as Melody follows the clues, danger mounts...
My Thoughts
I have read and enjoyed previous stories by Kaye and therefore was excited to read her latest tale. Here is another dual timeline narrative with dates ranging from 1855 to 2017. Kaye does a great job at moulding and interweaving all the pieces of the puzzle to build suspense and present a good mystery - providing an even blend between both the contemporary and historical tale. This is a story about family secrets and how their revelation will have a major impact on the present.
In the past we have Aurora who is facing ruin at her hotel if the Cobb & Co coaches transfer to rail. Then one day bushrangers storm her hotel when the last coach is present. The fallout from that incident will ripple out over the years to present day Ironbark and the annual Gold Hunt Weekend. Melody returning home suddenly finds herself at the centre of family secrets and far reaching revelations. Chapters alternate between Aurora and Melody and I found the present day events more engaging. There are many interesting secondary characters that help provide real depth to the storyline. There are some interesting twists that provide for entertaining reading.
‘The stories about Aurora were more tantalising. On the surface, she was a respectable woman, a widow with business acumen, who ... if you dug deeper, you found something a little murkier ... after the hold-up, her name became very well known. She was idolised, possibly because she had vanished and was presumed dead. I was of the opinion that dead people were often whitewashed by history ... however, not everyone at the time believed the official version of her life story. ’
At times, particularly in the hotel hold up, events moved somewhat slowly with not a great deal happening. Kaye has multiple puzzle pieces on her storyboard that she moves around, with the final few passages moving at a very fast rate. I was not really onboard with the ghost, it was on the periphery of the story and therefore had little to contribute. There were twice as many dates as needed - 1855, 1874, 1990, 2017 - and this was a little awkward in the narrative.
If you enjoy some light historical fiction with a little romance, then The Road to Ironbark is sure to be the book for you. It is a solid story with Kaye doing a clever job of blending the two stories together to make for an enjoyable read with some great twists.
‘Life could be cruel and there were regrets, but you had to make the most of it. You had to grasp your opportunities and hold on to them.’
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.
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