Judges’ comments

Southern Cross noir shines brightly in this New Zealand set debut from Scots author Rankin. When a silent and blood-covered girl wanders out of the bush, it brings Effie home from the other side of the world not just to solve the present-day mystery, but to confront her own family’s tragic past. Rankin combines a well realised setting with an intriguing twisty plot across separate timelines that keeps the reader hooked and invested in its protagonist until all the threads come together in a tense but redemptive conclusion.