The Mistress of Dara Island (Averil Kenny, Echo)

Traversing the 1950s to 1960s, Averil Kenny’s The Mistress of Dara Island follows Tally Ramsey, who spent her childhood on a paradisiacal tropical island. Despite its setting in the real-world Coral Sea, the fictional Dara Island is presented as a ‘remote uninhabited tropical paradise’ before the arrival of Tally’s family. Tally has grown up with her mother, Nerissa, who runs the island’s resort and will one day pass the title of ‘Island Mistress’—its leader and owner—to her daughter. But the island holds dark secrets, and Tally’s father, nicknamed ‘Bullshark’, has a dark hold over the land and Nerissa. When Tally escapes the island amid conflict with her father, she becomes the lone female reporter for a newspaper in Far North Queensland. Pursuing a captivating story while working on the mainland, Tally uncovers mysteries and secrets pertaining to Dara Island and her family. Forced to face her past—and the conflict—once and for all, Tally returns with questions about her mother and the island she called home. The Mistress of Dara Island is a phenomenally gripping story of magical realism, and Tally is a protagonist who charges through the story. The alluring mystery of the seemingly idyllic island offers a haunting setting for the story, and the rich, layered conflict in the Ramsey family gives twists and turns until the final page. A shimmering, powerful read with supremely talented writing, this is perfect for fans of Natasha Lester and Kimberley Freeman.

Books+Publishing reviewer: Brenton Cullen is a Queensland-based writer and reviewer with 10 years' experience working in bookshops. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

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Category: Reviews