Clarrie Morland is on trial for the murder of her lover. The problem is, Clarrie doesn't know whether she did kill him or not. She doesn't think she did, but the evidence is all there; she was seen running near her lover's farmhouse with a gun, the gun she uses on shoots is the same type as the murder weapon, there's mud on her shoes from the grounds and she was cut free from a serious car accident shortly after the murder, in what appears to be an attempt to flee the area. Unfortunately for Clarrie she cannot recall anything of the events in the hours prior to her accident.

As the trial proceeds and friends and family of the dead man reveal how he was using Clarrie to get access to a valuable piece of her land and also that he was cheating on her, Clarrie wonders if she did do it after all.

I cannot praise this book highly enough. It's an absorbing read, told through Clarrie's eyes, which begins as she goes to trial. The background to the story and the characters involved are revealed through her thoughts and flashbacks, as well as evidence given by witnesses. The ending to the story is always in doubt and it's a shame when the book does reach its conclusion. An excellent novel and amazingly the author's first.

Karen Meek, England
January 2001