When Brianna Donahue was three years old, her mother mysteriously disappeared while farming in Merriwell Bay, Western Australia.

Her body has never been found. Brianna works the same land with her father Russell, while almost single-handedly raising her two children as her husband Caleb works as a fly-in fly-out criminal lawyer in Perth.

One scorching summer's morning, her son Trent goes missing and, while frantically searching for him, Brianna must come to terms with the fact that her marriage has large cracks in it.

Over two thousand kilometres away in South Australia, Detective Dave Burrows receives a phone call reporting stolen sheep from an elderly farmer. When he and his partner Jack arrive at the farm, it's clear that Guy has early signs of dementia. Following a conversation with his wife Kim, Dave becomes intrigued with Guy's family history. Was there a sister, or was there not? No one seems to know.

So how will Dave's investigation impact Brianna's world? While battling the threat of bushfires back in Merriwell Bay, Brianna is faced with challenges that test her relationships with those she loves most. Suspenseful and incendiary, Suddenly One Summer is an intriguing and heartfelt story of the unlikely connections of life on the land.

'Entertaining and intriguing ...' Weekly Times

'...a suspenseful jigsaw of a story that doesn't fall into place until the final long held secrets are brought to light' (Beauty and Lace). In the tradition of the bestselling Red Dust, Suddenly One Summer is a brilliant rural story by leading author, Fleur McDonald.

'An enthralling read with surprising twists and merging stories.' Talking Books Blog

'Fleur McDonald always tells rural stories in a special way; the mystery made this a stellar read.' Sam Still Reading