Shallow Breath (Sara Foster, Bantam)

Some mystery novels ease into the story, and others just thrust you into the middle of everything and let you sort it all out yourself. Shallow Breath is definitely the second kind of literary mystery, and I found it rather frustrating. There are references to about three time periods in the book—when Desi Priest, the main character, was a girl growing up in a small town in WA; when Desi met Connor (who becomes the father of her daughter, Maya); and the present day, when Desi is returning home from time in prison. As well as following a mystery or two, Shallow Breath is a love letter to the ocean, particularly the West Australian coast. The characters are well rounded, and although the language sometimes gets ridiculously flowery, it’s appropriate—when we hear about ‘cerulean eyes’ we know someone has to be in love. So even in the midst of wondering about the mysterious actions that caused Desi to be sent to prison, we are also wondering about love and whether it will appear again too. I would recommend Shallow Breath for women in their 30s and older, who enjoy fossicking through books to get to the truth.

Jessica Broadbent is a former bookseller and trained librarian who can be found shelf-tidying as she browses through bookstores in the Melbourne metropolitan area

Books+Publishing pre-publication reviews are supported by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.

Category: Reviews