Won

A Disappearing Act by Jo Dixon is one of those novels in which – secrets from the past – are revisited in the present… and of course it’s far too late to do anything about past actions or behaviour. I read a lot of crime fiction and thrillers that are similarly themed, and almost always those involved have lived with regret and fear in the intervening years. Here, four friends gather 25 years after they became housemates in an eclectic warehouse. There are several precipitating factors – their former residence is for sale and Sarah (an architect) is keen to buy it but she needs financial support from Marnie – now a celebrated author. It is in fact Marnie who gathers the group, making all arrangements despite a threat looming over her head and struggling to replicate the success of her early work.