Thicker than water by Brigid Kemmerer

Allen and Unwin, 2016. ISBN 9781743318638
(Age: 14+) Highly recommended. This book was impossible to out down.
'Stan was at work when she died. I was in my own bed. I don't know which is worse.'
Thomas Bellweather lived with his mother and her new husband Sam. Sam is a policeman. The story opens with Thomas preparing for his mother's funeral. She was murdered in the house, while he was sleeping. There was no forced entry and no sign of a struggle. What happened?
Thomas is a suspect, in a small town where stories run wild and police hold grudges. At the funeral he meets Charlotte Rooker and they are attracted to each other. Her three brothers are policemen and they are certain that Thomas is guilty. They are just as certain their sister should have nothing to do with Thomas.
Complicated family relationships are explored and reveal the cracks beneath the surface. Blood is, of course, thicker than water.
The reader will be pleased to find the story is not at the mercy of a romance. The scene has been set for a thrilling mystery, and this book does not disappoint. It is a wild ride that has the reader angry with many characters in turn and very undecided as to the guilt of the main players. Told by Thomas and Charlotte, this is a book that grips the reader and provides a tantalising twist towards the end.
Linda Guthrie