The Price of Fame is the first foray into the world of paranormal crime for well-known Australian Fantasy author Rowena Cory Daniells, and she has nailed the genre with spectacular results.Her paranormal element is spot on. It's spooky,mysterious and at times will have your pulse racing so hard you won't dare to peel your eyes from the page in case you look up to see it manifested in your own reality. The crime is perfectly woven and even for those readers, like myself who pride themselves on superior arm chair detective skills- well good luck picking the bad guy. There are plenty of red herrings to throw you off the sent and keep you guessing and the inter-personal relationships between the main players and there own hidden agendas will throw you even more.
Often when novels are set with a mix of the present and past and the action flips between the two, the reader can end up feeling disoriented and the timing ends up left by the wayside. Daniells has brilliantly merged the two times and settings without any of the pitfalls and the imagery remains strong no matter which era you find yourself stepping into.
Fans of Daniells' fantasy trilogies will instantly recognise her unique style, strong characterisation and gift for imagery and although this is a step away from the usual world's she gifts us with, you will still find yourself burning the midnight oil desperate to find out just what comes next. For those of you new to the magic she brings- don't be surprised if after devouring The Price of Fame you find yourself itching to delve into the previous creations.
An astounding 5/5 Booky Monster stars.