CIA agent Ellie Harper is sent back to Sri Lanka to investigate the murder, execution-style of an outspoken journalist in broad daylight. It’s four years since Ellie left Sri Lanka after her last mission went tragically wrong.

Chandran has written a fast paced, complex thriller which explores the damage wrought by decades of civil war in Sri Lanka. She skilfully weaves the personal and politic through the narrative. Sri Lanka’s history is complicated, but I felt I had a better understanding of it after reading this book - but the history doesn’t slow the pace or interfere with the narrative.

Ellie is a complex character, who doesn’t always make wise decisions, but is determined to uncover the truth behind the murder of a good woman, even if it puts her life in danger. She’s easy to like, and I found myself invested in her journey, not only to uncover the conspiracy that led to the journalist’s murder, but her journey towards healing and recovery from the trauma of her last mission.

There’s a cheeky reference to Chandran’s award winning novel, [b:Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens|58894458|Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens|Shankari Chandran|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1630367932l/58894458.SY75.jpg|92786969], where Ellie’s Sri Lankan father now resides, which made me smile.

This is a page-turner, taut, complex and engrossing. I highly recommend it.

Opportunity and refuge: the privilege of the migrant Australian. Our lifelong responsibility and debt to be repaid.
Opportunity and refuge: the entitlement of the white Australian. Your lifelong expectation.

Do not be lulled into thinking this novel is a cosy story about ‘old dears’ in a nursing home. It may be set in a leafy suburb of Sydney, but this book packs an unexpected punch.

The plot ranges over time and place, embracing topics as diverse as colonisation, racism, displacement, war crimes, sexism and consent. There are some deeply disturbing scenes in the book, particularly pertaining to the war in Sri Lanka, and many of the characters are trying to overcome deep trauma.

But although Chandran does not shy away from some awful truths, she tempers them with moments of shared compassion, friendship and a supporting community. I admit that my knowledge of the conflict in Sri Lanka was sketchy, and I now have a better grasp of the complexities of this harrowing war. The author weaves this history into her novel without the reader feeling like it’s a history lesson.

In the Author’s Note, she points out that ‘there are many forms of cultural erasure’ which include, among many other ways, the burning of books and libraries. In 1981, the Jaffna Library was burned by security forces. ‘It contained 97,000 books and historical and cultural records about the Tamil civilisation and its presence in Sri Lanka.’ Many texts were the only copies in existence and have been lost forever. As a book lover and a library lover, I find this action abhorrent and heartbreaking, and I know many other readers will feel the same.

Highly recommended.