Sisters of Mercy (Caroline Overington, Bantam)

Australian novelist and journalist Caroline Overington writes the kind of fiction that combines domestic drama with topical social issues. Her latest offering, Sisters of Mercy, is another taut tale of family secrets and criminal justice. When journalist Jack Fawcett starts getting letters from infamous prisoner Snow Delaney, she’s intent on persuading him that she’s been wrongfully accused. Three years ago, Snow discovered she had an older sister, Agnes; but the day after the siblings met for the first time, Agnes disappeared in the cloud of red dust that enveloped Sydney in September 2009, and suspicion immediately fell on Snow. She’s adamant that she is innocent—but the more Jack investigates, the more he realises that Snow is hiding something. Overington has crafted a gripping story, but there’s something not entirely convincing about her characters: Jack is flat and undeveloped, and Snow is so unpleasant she feels like a caricature. Nonetheless, the plot is compelling and well paced, and offers interesting insights into the tragedy of Australia’s Forgotten Generation, and the plight faced by some children in care. Sisters of Mercy is an intriguing and entertaining read, and fans of Overington’s previous novels are sure to enjoy it.

Carody Culver is a bookseller at Black Cat Books in Brisbane and a PhD student

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Category: Reviews