Most of us are not bad people, but sometimes we may do bad things…
Best friends since childhood, Aimee, Lou and Melinda like to believe they are inherently good people. Aimee is married with children and lives on a vineyard, while single mother Lou is struggling with her teenage daughter. Successful business owner Melinda has left Sydney and returned to Hensley, the regional town where they all first met decades earlier.
On New Year’s Eve, the trio let off illegal sky lanterns filled with resolutions for freedom, meaning and money. It is a seemingly harmless act to acknowledge the year ahead. The next day, news reports detail a small plane crash with two victims pulled from the wreckage. Were Aimee, Lou and Melinda and their lanterns responsible for the accident or is it just a terrible coincidence? Aimee believes it’s their fault, Melinda is in denial and Lou has problems of her own. Regardless of who is to blame, it’s the perfect recipe for blackmail, guilt trips, obsession and power games. Meanwhile, the accident is a catalyst for each woman to face the truth about themselves and reflect on who they really are.
Not Bad People alternates between the voices of the three best friends and explores the struggles of motherhood, friendships and relationships. The lies, buried resentments, long held secrets and moral consequences could alter their lives forever.
Author Brandy Scott has created relatable characters and a tense plot line. Brandy is a former producer on Radio New Zealand’s Morning Report. She is currently based in Dubai, where she co-hosts The Business Breakfast on the United Arab Emirates (UAE) only talk radio station. Not Bad People is her first novel.
Reviewer: Andrea Molloy
HarperCollins, RRP $35.00
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