Double Madness

Set in Queensland, this debut crime novel Double Madness by Caroline de Costa, takes us into a sordid underbelly of psycho-sexual depravity. As local residents and authorities in Far North Queensland assess the damage in the aftermath of Cyclone Yasi, a woman’s body is found in bizarre circumstances deep in the rainforest. Cass Diamond of Cairns CIB is on the team investigating the murder of fashionista Odile Janvier and it’s not long before she uncovers a disturbing connection between the victim and the local medical profession. One of the pleasures of this novel is that de Costa is unafraid to spend time with the characters and the landscape, and Double Madness benefits from this soaking in. While never brutal or bloodthirsty, it nonetheless feels heavy with danger. Fiona Hardy is a bookseller at Readings Carlton and a committee member of the Australian Crime Writers Association Authentic and snappy. An assured debut into crime fiction by Caroline de Costa. Marianne Delacourt, author of Sharp Shooter. Caroline de Costa’s Cairns is a community rife with secrets, and where for every secret there exists someone ready to take advantage.Fast-paced, unsentimental and forensic, Double Madness is sure to entertain. David Whish-Wilson, author of Zero at the Bone and Line of Sight.