Well, since then, Honey Brown has gone on to publish a number of bestselling novels - including The Good Daughter and After The Darkness - and is now one of Australia's prominent and successful authors.
I also had the privilege of participating in a Google Hangout with Honey Brown in June this year and just couldn't wait to read her latest novel Dark Horse.
Set in the Australian bush, this is the story of Sarah, a divorcee who appears to set out on horseback for some 'alone time' in the Mortimer Ranges on Christmas morning.
Bad weather soon springs up and flash flooding takes out the bridge and most of the riding tracks. Sarah takes her horse to high ground, setting up camp at Hangman's Hut. All is relatively calm until a handsome and well-built man walks out of the bush and turns the story on it's head.
Where did he come from? Why doesn't he have any supplies and why is he behaving strangely? All these questions will be answered, but not in the way you expect. Dark Horse is a thriller of the highest order, and the twist totally blew my head off! I definitely did not see it coming.
Author Honey Brown is able to create a realistic scenario where two characters are essentially trapped in the Australian bush while her descriptions of the bush are both eerie and impressive at the same time.
Readers who love horses will enjoy the role Sarah's horse Tansy plays, although by the end of the novel I must admit I was a little tired of the horse and the name Tansy. That's my only complaint though, and thoroughly recommend Dark Horse to readers who enjoy a good thriller, a twist they don't see coming and of course novels by Aussie authors!
My rating = ****
Carpe Librum!
