A silent traumatised child holds the clue to a callous crime. Who will solve her secret?
Nothing much ever happens in the tiny country town of Table Top, until eight-year-old Rachel Moloney and her mum, Tess, fall victim to a hit-and-run-accident. Strangely, mother and daughter are mysteriously missing from the scene when the local policeman arrives, triggering a huge search and rescue effort- which has mixed success. Sarge leads the investigation into the crime, but the problem is that his only viable witness is a silent child.
Rachel leaves behind her playground of dry paddocks at home for new adventures at the coast, where help is enlisted from expert child therapist, Miss Chris, in Manly, Sydney. Eventually, a non-verbal clue provides the turning point in the criminal case, leading to the identification of the perpetrator. Yet, Tess is in some sort of trouble ... and the little witness must learn to trust and talk again.
Child Witness, holds the warring forces of human frailty and decency in tension, as a crime is solved, and character revealed. The story advances several mysteries to unravel: Where are the victims of the car accident? Who is the offending driver? What has the child witness seen or heard? Why has Rachel retreated to the safety of silence? How will she find her voice again? How will the case be solved? Is Tess hiding something too? These questions serve to explore the greater mystery of human reactions and responses.
Rachel, Tess, Sarge, Liza, Anna and Miss Chris, are a relatable cast of personalities who you will enjoy meeting in the pages of Child Witness. Rachel holds the key which unlocks a criminal case, and also the heart's of readers.
