This story is part of the June 2 edition of Sunday Life. See all 15 stories . What Happened to Nina?; Pheasants Nest; Piglet.
Dervla McTiernan’s gripping thriller What Happened to Nina? (Harper Collins), follows a mother on a desperate quest to find her missing daughter. Bright, beautiful 20-year-old Nina was last seen with boyfriend Simon at his family’s holiday home in Vermont. After her mysterious disappearance, the story goes viral, the media descends, and Simon’s powerful family closes ranks.
Nina’s mother doesn’t know whom to trust but won’t stop until the truth is uncovered. Investigative journalist Louise Milligan drew on her experience working in Australian crime for her brilliant debut novel Pheasants Nest (Allen & Unwin). It sees journalist Kate Delaney experience the horror she usually reports on firsthand when she’s assaulted and abducted after a night out with friends.
At once a compulsive thriller and an exploration of the ripple effects of violent crime. Food-themed fiction is having a moment with Asako Yuzuki’s brilliant bestseller Butter just one notable example. Another is Lottie Hazell’s taut tale of a woman on the brink, Piglet (Doubleday).
It follows a woman whose seemingly perfect life is upended when her fiancé reveals a betrayal in the lead-up to their wedding. Determined not to let it ruin her life, she turns to food to repress her turmoil, but her growing rage cannot be contained. Simmering with suspense and culinary descriptions.
