‘Like always
when I work a case, I feel time shifting around me…the dead tend to exist in a world that ignores traditional time zones, and part of them stays alive until we find their killer. There remains for each of them a soft pulse of hope that justice might still be possible one day, lurking in the smallest of clues.’
Detective Sergeant Gemma Woodstock is trapped in a downward spiral. Her marriage has deteriorated, her son is slipping further and further away from her, and she feels an intolerable emptiness that can only be dulled, albeit momentarily, by alcohol and a string of casual flings.
When a local homeless man is stabbed to death, Gemma is immediately drawn to the case. She obsessively resolves to find the killer, but her efforts are disrupted when a famous actor is murdered on the set of his new film. The celebrity death takes priority, and Gemma is paired up with Fleet – a sarcastic and anger-prone detective who doesn’t like to cooperate – to solve the new case.
The two grapple with the immensity of the task at hand – suspects raise more questions than they answer, and it seems that no one can be trusted. Despite the murder being caught on camera and witnessed by an entire casting crew, evidence is scarce. The case seems like a lost cause – that is, until they discover a vital piece of evidence that connects the two murders.
How can a homeless man and a celebrity fall victim to the same crime? Stabbed in the exact same place, by the very same weapon?
Into the Night by Sarah Bailey is a captivating novel that delivers all the trademarks of a successful crime thriller – suspense, mystery, and meticulous attention to detail. It exceeds expectations, however, by being so much more than a murder mystery. This book is, at its core, a book about self-sabotage – about the ways we hurt ourselves and others, the vices that consume us, and the loneliness that pervades our modern lives. Sarah’s characters are remarkably true to life – despite being troubled and ‘hollow’, they are characters of substance, layered and interesting in their thoughts and actions.
Sarah’s writing is clever and intimate. She has a talent for dialogue that reads as effortless and flowing, with distinct voices carried consistently throughout the entire novel. Readers looking for a crime fiction book with a strong, female lead, look no further – Into the Night is sure to please.
About the author:
Sarah Bailey is a Melbourne based writer with a background in advertising and communications. She has two young children and currently works as a director of creative projects company Mr Smith. Over the past five years she has written a number of short stories and opinion pieces. Into the Night is her second novel.
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