This is a very good mystery, which sets off at a cracking pace, although it slowed towards the middle. The characterisation is interesting, with the plotting centred around lies, secrets and loyalty. I really liked Sabine, who has been hiding for 12 years, she is a strong character who is looking for justice. The middle part was a bit slow but I loved the ending. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

Vikki Wakefield isn't an author that's been on my radar before but To The River has definitely changed that. The novel is mostly set either in the caravan park where Sabine grew up, or by the river, where her Pop and his neighbour, Rachel, now live and both settings are described in great detail that gives us a clear sense of what life is like for Sabine and Rachel and helped me to become fully immersed in their story.

The chapters in To The River alternate between the perspectives of Sabine and Rachel. I felt this was really effective in helping the reader to understand their characters and make up our own minds about them. The novel is mostly set in 2019, but Sabine's chapters occasionally take us back to the past, so that we can see elements of her childhood and gain a greater understanding of how this has impacted her as an adult. Personally, I felt a great deal of sympathy for Sabine and felt sorry for the way she feels she would be judged by the people who she knew as a child.

The plot of To The River has many layers and I found the story really compelling as I tried to unpack them. There are several questions that need to be answered as the novel gathers pace and I really wanted to get to the bottom of what had happened. Vikki Wakefield’s writing style is fast paced and I love how she made the atmosphere feel uncomfortable and foreboding the whole way through.

Twelve years after the 'Caravan Murders' took place, journalist Rachel Weidermann is determined to follow through a long-held hunch about what really happened in the case. Now an empty nester, she notices something significant thanks to the location of her home - something that may help her find a breakthrough and track down a fugitive.

The Kelly family had always had a bad reputation. But why would teenager Sabine Kelly confess to being the culprit behind a murderous fire that took the lives of nine people belonging to her caravan-based community - including her own mother and younger sister - only to disappear afterwards?

And where has she disappeared to, with her boyfriend and her dog, Blue? Rachel is determined to find out. but she has no idea just what a tangled web she is attempting to unravel...

This provides some unexpected insights into the nature of power, privilege and corruption. But it does suffer from the "muddled middle" syndrome a bit. Nevertheless, the writer brings things to a satisfactory conclusion at the end, and it was an interesting read. It gets 3.5 stars.