Half Moon Bay is the fourth novel from award winning romantic-suspense author, Helene Young.

It explores the sandy underbelly of the small coastal town of Half Moon Bay, and two adversaries irresistibly drawn together and into danger.

Photo journalist, Ellie Wilding, is pitted against ex-army major, Nicholas Lawson, in a fight over and impending development in Half Moon Bay. Their battle is infused with sexual tension, yet Ellie is still dealing with the death of her journalist sister, Nina, shot while on assignment in Afghanistan, and Nick plays a dangerous double-game linked to Nina’s death. What happened in the far off war-torn country isn’t the only thing that links Ellie and Nick. As danger closes in, Ellie finds the toughest battle is the one between her fragile heart and her need for the truth.

This is my favourite kind of escape: Half Moon Bay has romance, suspense and a storyline that goes deeper than the usual romantic plot. Whether Ellie and Nick get together (and we hope they do) is secondary to the question of survival and the truth about the danger lurking in the Bay. While Half Moon Bay has thrilling elements, it is not a thriller; the stakes are high but the pace is slower allowing the reader to connect with and understand the events that shape these characters. The early scenes in Kandahar are richly rendered, as is the coastal setting of Half Moon Bay – you can taste the salt and feel the rough wax on the surfboard beneath your feet, not to mention Nick’s eyes burning into yours! Those who prefer their settings as romantic as their heroes, may struggle with the opening scenes in Kandahar, however, these set up the drama and tension that follow Nick and Ellie to the Bay. And just like Ellie, we are quickly transported to the more familiar Australian setting of sand, surf and seething corruption.

With Half Moon Bay, Helene Young has delivered another satisfying read and easily lives up to her publisher’s claim that she is Australia’s answer to Nora Roberts.