J.P. Pomare writes consistently taut, tight, pacy crime thrillers that have captured the hearts and minds of crime readers since his first novel Call Me Evie, six books ago. This novella Home Before Night (Hachette 2023) is a contemporary thriller set during one of Melbourne’s many, interminable pandemic lockdowns. Lou is concerned when her teenage son Samuel doesn’t arrive home before curfew, and her anxieties increase when the limited contact she has with him seems strange and out of character.
Add to this the fact that Lou has secrets of her own from many years ago that prevent her from approaching the police, and the drama is turned up as the clock is ticking and Lou wonders if her past is finally catching up with her, and whether there is a sinister connection with her son.
Although this looks like a full-size novel, only the first part contains Home Before Night. The last third of the book is a glimpse of Pomare’s newly released full-length novel Seventeen Years Later, which is getting rave reviews (and will soon be on my list! So watch out for that one.)
Home Before Night is very much an in-between novella to keep readers happy while waiting for Pomare’s Seventeen Years Later. It is topical (covid) and short, with an interesting premise and great characters. It’s not as complex as his other books but if you’re an avid fan and will read everything he’s ever written, then you won’t be disappointed, especially as he of course has included a clever and unexpected twist. I am very keen to move onto his newest release Seventeen Years Later which I suspect will be weightier and more complex.