By Derek Schlennstedt
Dandenong Ranges-based crime writer Sandi Wallace’s newest novel ‘Into the Fog,’ is the third thrilling instalment of her ‘Rural Crime Files’ series.
Set in her hometown of Mount Dandenong, this thriller sees Melbourne journalist Georgie Harvey and Daylesford cop John Franklin risk everything in their race to find three young children missing in a wild storm and a long way from home.
The novel is part of a series, which started in 2015 with Ms Wallace’s davit award winning novel ‘tell me why.’
Ms Wallace said that while the book is part of a series it can still be read as a standalone and that readers would still be able to understand the plot without having read previous novels.
“Each of the books can be read as standalone but it is a series too,” she said.
Without giving too much away about the plot, the novel is based on a missing person’s mystery, which highlights the ‘darker side’ of the World Wide Web.
Ms Wallace said her home town of Mount Dandenong was a perfect location set the story.
“Mount Dandenong is my hometown with the best of both worlds: a beautiful country village in the hills, close enough to facilities and our family … it’s an ideal location for the police-camp-gone-wrong story,” she said.
The story centres on two protagonists a journalist from Melbourne and a Policeman from Daylesford who feel respoinsible when three children form Daylesford go missing.
“Melbourne journalist Georgie Harvey is on hand when three children from Daylesford disappear from a police-run camp in the Dandenong Ranges,” Ms Wallace said.
“Daylesford cop John Franklin hears the news and is on secondment 200 kilometres away … he feels responsible for the local kids and abandons his post to join the search.”
“Frustration and desperation mount as this storm intensifies, and they are pushed to the outer by local detectives. “Not go give too much away but they find cyber links to a serial predator and another missing girl and risk everything in their race to avert tragedy.”
Ms Wallace will also be holding a book launch and conversation at Sooki Lounge on 18 August from 1-1:30pm with fellow Tasmanian historic crime writer Dr L.J.M. Owen. Her novel ‘Into the Fog’ will be released on 17 August.
