The Mystery Woman

In a small town, everyone is watching ... Secrets, scandal and betrayal in 1950s small town Australia: the stunning new novel from bestseller Belinda Alexandra.

She had thought Shipwreck Bay was simply a remote town where people were bored senseless with their little lives. Now she saw its virtuous facade hid something darker, more sinister.

Rebecca Wood takes the role as postmistress in a sleepy seaside town, desperate for anonymity after a scandal in Sydney. But she is confronted almost at once by a disturbing discovery - her predecessor committed suicide.

To add to her worries, her hopes for a quiet life are soon threatened by the attentions of the dashing local doctor, the unsettling presence of a violent whaling captain, a corrupt shire secretary, as well as the watchful eyes of the town's gossips. Yet in spite of herself, she is drawn to the enigmatic resident of the house on the clifftop, rumoured to have been a Nazi spy.

Against the backdrop of the turbulent sea, Rebecca is soon caught up in the dangerous mysteries that lie behind Shipwreck Bay's respectable net curtains.

This intriguing mystery, with its gothic undertones, its salute to Du Maurier's Rebecca, and its melange of colourful characters, will have readers racing through the pages, trying to piece together the puzzles that have long haunted Shipwreck Bay. They'll also be cheering for main character Rebecca as she struggles against the societal norms of 1950s Australia, fighting to be true to her unconventional self, and to forgive herself - and to perhaps even find happiness. - Natasha Lester, bestselling author of The Paris Secret